Net borrowing of mortgage debt by individuals increased to £0.1 billion in June, after net repayments of £0.1 billion in May and record high net repayments of £1.1 billion in April (if the period since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic is excluded). Net mortgage approvals for house purchases saw an increase from 51,100 in May to 54,700 in June, while approvals for remortgaging rose from 34,100 to 39,100 during the same period. The ‘effective’ interest rate – the actual interest rate paid – on newly drawn mortgages continued to exhibit sustained increases, having risen by a further 7 basis points, to 4.63% in June. ... (full story)