Loans to first-time buyers at highest level since 2007

If first-time buyers are the engine of the housing market, the turbocharger has just kicked in. They have become the star performers of the mortgage landscape, and could soon account for half of all house purchase loans.This figure is being stoked in part by the Help to Buy scheme and steadily improving buyer sentiment. But the main reason that so many would-be buyers are getting off the fence is the sense that the housing and mortgage stars are finally aligned. House prices – even in regions hit hardest by the slump – have moved from stagnation to stability and even steady growth. And mortgages are cheaper and more available than ever.”

Oliver Atkinson in YourMoney.com