So the actual figures are DOWN. At the figures are worse than with all the hype of the end of the Stamp Duty in Dec the Mortgages loan book reached this figure and end of March 2010 it was actually Down 24% on this hyped up figure. So what does this tell you, HYPE HYPE HYPE on a falling market. Where the Estate gents and all the vested interested groups have to hype up the market to get more transactions processed or they loose money, Commission, or bonuses.

How so sad the younger generation have to deal with such manipulation to cause such social polarisation and ongoing debt slavery. Hopefully the impending Huge Cuts which must come to pay back the 1Trillion of debt (Sugar Rush), additional sad unemployment increases which no one wants estimates of 100,000, to 500,000 in the public sector alone. Will caue more propeties to go onto the market. Repossessons are increasing. Uncertainty on Govt as we Will have a Hung Parilament and Bond markets dont like that. The propery market is set for some torrid time. Watch this space!!

So the number of properties on the market is continuing to increase sharply, whilst mortgage lending is only 3% higher than at the bottom of the market in March 09.

Of course, I'm not a highly paid economist in the pay of housing market vested interests, so I couldn't possibly comment on what higher supply and stagnant demand means for house prices.....

Mortgage lending increased by 24% in March compared to February, in line with the typical seasonal pattern of lending

Well give us a seasonally adjusted bloody figure then, that's what seasonally adjusted figures do, adjust to discount the normal effects of the annual cycle, so that we can see the underlying long term trend!

What this probably means is mortgage lending is not increasing and since it is well below levels of previous years the outlook for house prices is flat to decreasing.

Another problem being looked at the wrong way.

They say availability of 90%+ mortgages is a problem, when the real problem is house prices are too high, therefore 90%+ of that amount is too much.

No one wins if house prices fall.

"Financial institutions still face the prospect of around £300bn of official support schemes beginning to end from next year, and will need to find alternative funding sources. This will likely limit how much new funding can be made available to the housing market."

First time I've seen a figure put on the amount the government has been using to support this crazy housing market. Real incomes going down, redundancy rife in the public and private sector yet house prices seem to rise and rise. The government is scared stiff of a property price crash but it must come if first time buyers are to re-enter the fray and without first time buyers the market is effectively dead. If first homes are snapped up by BTLers then this will kill the market. Any appreciation in property value will go to the landlord, depriving the tenant of the capital he/she will need to move up the ladder. Rents are so high no tenant has any spare cash to save for a deposit. I feel sorry for the young people frozen out but they will wreak their revenge. Many of them are not marrying or having children 'cos they can't afford to. Society becomes greyer and older. Take this far enough and we are going to end up with a bunch of old codgers pottering about and no young blood to do the work necessary to keep a society ticking over. If Cleggy can guarantee me that he will rid or severely restrict the presence of the BTL locusts then he will get my vote.

A pretty gloomy article all in all but based on undeniable truths.
There are many props to the housing market/economy which are likely to be removed over the next 6-12 months and none can help the cheery disposition of people talking the market up/stopping it stalling.
Every month of reporting postitive slants self perpetuates this cycle of ask for more from misguided sellers, as seen in the recent increase on rightmoves asking prices. If you collectively say something enough times it doesnt make it so. Sorry.

At least it seems that credit and mortgage markets are flowing again though, which can only be a good thing for the economy. If we see a little price stability and economic growth it is likely that prices will shoot up in the second half of the year at consumer confidence returns. There are currently so many people sitting on their hands because of uncertainty in the market.

Anyone here prepared to admit they pay the slightest attention to these kinds of spurious statistics?

I'd quite like all the crutches to be kicked away from the housing market. But then I must admit I don't own several houses.

Mahavati, Read their Maifestos and none promise to control the Buy2Let disease. That Lab created to benefit their own greed with Interest Free MP loans for 2nd, 3rd homes they then flipped as we all know.

UNless B2L and Holiday Homes are Taxed severly then the sad prognosis you write will become a Reality despite the rhetoric of the invested interested groups who profit from the younger generations debt slavery and living in rented rooms. how sad our society has become under a Lab govt.

More houses are coming onto the market as the Rats seek to leave the sinking ship, the biggest B2L owners have been trying to sell off their Whole Portfolio, why... Seemplez!!

There is GREAT Uncertainty in the market because Houses are Over Priced by a massive 25% minimum. Just look at the Price/Salary/Debt ratios. Govt has deliberately hyped up and funded the house price fiasco (Sugar Rush of QE) to help re capitalise the Banks falling property assets. As well as their own protfolios (not all MPs I admit as some are really true to their profession BUT not many) they wanted to save. Now the too will join the sad long list of Unemployed.

More and More expensive houses are coming onto the market as those with money know full well there is a Crash coming from the pent up force caused by the mass bail out.

Lab Gvt have been keen, happy for us to follow the German route where 40% of the population can Only afford to Rent, not by choice but by poor management, economics and greed. Use Property Bee .com and then the Rightmove or other House selling web sites such and you will see the hype, that EAgents use, the changes made to a property, Price reductions revealed!

Use Firefox as yr browser.

Oh and beat the Volvano by using Video Conferencing such a MegaMeeting I do its cheap and effective and works anywhere and Secure

Yawwwwwwn!!

There seems to be the same people on these blogs, and by these blogs I mean the Guardian's, spouting the same vile hatred for all things housing again and again.. What are they getting out of it?

Iranda and Gandalfthewhite's words of the day is Hype and Overpriced. I can't help but imagine them grinding their teeth, foaming at the mouth, their saliva dripping on the keyboard as they type furiously to get their point (which brings no benefit nor bears any gravitas) across..

I have a couple of properties that I am in the process of renovating so I have a keen interest in the housing market and news of the market such as it is.

When I read these stories and then the comments, it?s the same people. It seems that some people will not be happy until they can pick up a house for a £1 at Tesco along with a loaf of bread. I can't help but feel there is a sense of bitterness between the have's and the have nots..