03 August 2009 Credits: www.skynews.com
Mortgage Lending And Asking Prices Are Up

Mortgage lending has risen to its highest level in six months, new figures show.

It's getting easier to find a mortgage, says the CML



Lending rose by 17% during June to around £12.3bn, the Council of Mortgage Lenders said.

A total of £12.3bn was lent during June thanks to a seasonal pick-up in house-buying activity.

The latest statistics reveal gross mortgage lending stood at an estimated £33.3bn for the second quarter.

This was unchanged from the first three months of the year, which was the lowest quarterly reading since early 2001.









The CML said lending levels were likely to rise moderately throughout the rest of the summer months.

But it warned the ongoing clampdown among lenders would hold back any significant improvements and stuck to its annual forecast for £145bn in gross mortgage advances.

Meanwhile, property asking prices rose in July, marking the fifth monthly rise this year.

The average asking price in England and Wales increased by 0.6% to £227,864, according to property website Rightmove.

The firm said the hike confirmed the housing market had passed the bottom of the downturn and predicted the sector would remain in a "steady state" for the remainder of the year.