Average mortgage fee reached highest level
Moneyfacts reported that the average mortgage fee has reached the highest level for eight years with an increase of £61 year-on-year to £1,078.
The part of the market offering fixed-rate mortgage deals that do not charge a fee has reduced to 34% now. It was 42% last November.
However, the percentage of the fixed-rate mortgage market which charges free or refunded legal fee has increased to 54% this month. It was 50% last November. While the share of deals offering a free valuation incentive is stable year-on-year at 69 per cent.
The part of deals offering a cashback incentive has fallen to 25% from 34% a year ago.
Average rates for fixed mortgage deals with a fee have increased by 0.51 percentage points since July to reach 2.8 per cent, but this remains 0.09 percentage points lower than a year ago.
Average rates for fixed-rate deals with no fee have followed a similar pattern and are now 2.74%t.
Eleanor Williams from Moneyfacts said that despite the increase in rates since July, there are still savings to be made.
But she points out that compared to the average SVR of 4.44%, borrowers could save over £132 per month based on a £150,000 mortgage over 25 years.
Over two years this would equate to a saving of more than £3,000.
Eleanor says that fee rise is likely to be the result of lenders trying to gain additional margins in an environment where these were already slim following the significant fixed-rate war of recent years.
Looking for a mortgage broker in Leeds? Please contact on 0113 2488181 OR click here.