New home market strengthening after recession says expert

Consumers searching for a competitive home loan such as a tracker mortgage are likely to benefit from the increasing number of new house sales cropping up, an expert believes. According to Steve Lees, director at SmartNewHomes, the higher level of supply in the property sector is an "encouraging" sign in the aftermath of the global economic downturn - something that may please people looking for a suitable mortgage. Last week (August 9th), Connells reported it experienced a 44 per cent rise in sales of new abodes in the second quarter of 2011 when compared with the corresponding period last year. And Mr Lees noted this is indicative of the fact developers are offering "excellent value for money" in relation to the rest of the market. He went on to insist a combination of deals and incentives from financiers and the government's FirstBuy initiative "will help sustain industry activity and encourage new home sales". However this boom in activity means that lenders must be aware, more than ever, of the risks of mortgage fraud. Providers of home loans such as tracker mortgages must make sure they keep fully up-to-date with methods of committing fraud in the market. That is the advice of Bernard Clarke, spokesman for the Council of Mortgage Lenders, who has urged all banks and building societies offering mortgages to be aware of potential dishonest activity. Mr Clarke noted that the "key is vigilance", as all companies will find that once they have established "adequate protections" against criminals, people will then "try to work their way around them". "Lenders need to continue to give a high priority to this and continue to review their protection against it," he added. The expert went on to state that financiers need to work closely with regulatory bodies as this will help them recognise deceitful applications in the future. Recently, the Financial Services Authority announced it had issued a fine of £106,499 to Lewis Partnership for mortgage fraud. Meanwhile, consumers looking for the security of a long-term fixed rate mortgage may be interested in a new home loan being offered by one financier. Skipton Building Society has announced the creation of a fresh ten-year product, which is set at a figure of 5.85 per cent and has no administrative fees attached to it. Due to the fact that the Bank of England has held interest rates at a historically low level of 0.5 per cent since March 2009, some people may be tempted to take advantage of this by taking out a tracker mortgage. However, those in search of peace of mind through the knowledge they are protected from any future base rate hike may wish to consider this package, which is fixed until November 2021. Recently, Bernard Clarke of the Council of Mortgage Lenders warned financiers to be wary of fraud in the market at the present time.