14-08-2007
First time buyer numbers down on 2006
The number of first-time buyers borrowing money for a new home fell in June 2007.
According to figures released by the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML), the number of first-time buyers taking loans in June fell to 35,600, compared with 39,800 for the same period in 2006.
"Buyer activity has pulled back a little over fears that we may have seen the top of the market," said Jeremy Leaf, a representative for the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. "Aspiring first-time buyers are continuing to rent until the market trend becomes clearer," he added.
However, June's figures are slightly stronger than those for May 2007, when loans were taken by 34,600 first-time buyers.
The CML is a UK-based trade association and represents 98 per cent of the UK's lenders within the residential sector.
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