Mortgage lending sets January record
The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has reported the highest ever figure for January mortgage lending.
New figures show total lending grossed at £23 billion last month, nearly a third higher than the £17.4 billion lent in January 2005.
Mortgage lending usually drops in a quieter period for the housing market at the start of the year but the CML say this strong return points to the buoyant state of consumer confidence.
Michael Coogan, CML director general, said: 'This reflects the fact that consumers are feeling more certain about the future of the housing market and confident that house prices are unlikely to fall.'
The trend is set to continue throughout 2006 with the current regime of stable interests predicted to support a growth of three per cent in the housing market.
Consumers can investigate the best buys in the increasingly competitive mortgage market by looking online. | 
