In the first three months of 2002, just 9% of all new mortgages were taken as interest only – but by the last quarter of 2005, the figure had risen to 23%. And amongst first time buyers, the figures rose from 6% to 15%. (Source: Council of Mortgage Lenders.)
The reason is obvious. It’s down to family economics. With an interest only mortgage, the monthly repayments only repay the ongoing interest so your monthly repayment is low. Repayment of the capital borrowed is delayed to the end of the mortgage when it has to be repaid as a lump sum.
So the popularity of interest only mortgages is a reflection of borrowers wanting to minimise their fixed monthly outgoings in order to preserve their lifestyle they still want their nice cars, nights out and holidays abroad. But their reluctance to cut back on their life style spending, combined with steadily rising house prices, could be storing up problems for the future. If they’re not repaying some of the capital now, how are they going to repay it?
Egged on by the concerns voiced by the Financial Services Authority (FSA), many lenders are now becoming much stricter when assessing an application...
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