1. Market Commentary
2. Congratulations to our Winners
3. What’s New at Mortgage Medics?
4. Relaunch of our ‘Refer a Friend’ scheme

Market Commentary

It’s been a very lively start to the year, with Rightmove reporting a record number of new listings being launched on Boxing Day, traditionally one of the busiest days of the year for the portal.  We also know that a number of agents chose to launch their new stock on 2nd January this year, to avoid being lost in the crowd on Boxing Day, and potentially to be better placed to deal with buyer enquiries and arrange viewings.

This surge in new available properties has led to increased buyer activity and plenty of sales being agreed.  It already looks as though January will be a busier month than most – if not all – months of 2023.

The high-inflation, high-interest rate environment of 2023 caused many buyers and sellers to pause their plans, and the good news on both these fronts lately has played a big part in January’s uptick in activity.  Inflation is currently at 4%, down from a peak of 11%+ and whilst the Bank of England Base Rate remains at 5.25%, we’ve seen lenders across the board cut the cost of new fixed rate mortgage products, some by more than 1% in just the last few weeks.

The cheapest mortgage products are now less than 4%, which is around 2% lower than the peak in July/August 2023.  On a typical new mortgage, this could mean payments several hundred pounds per month lower than when rates were at their peak.  Forecasts suggest that interest rates will continue to edge down this year, which should help stabilise prices and market conditions.  Whilst we don’t have a crystal ball, these forecasts suggest that 2024 will be a better year for homeowners.

Lower interest rates are great news for buyers and anyone whose mortgage deal is coming to an end soon. If you’d like to talk about moving or your mortgage renewal, get in touch and one of our expert advisers will be happy to help you understand your options.

Just before we finished for Christmas, Stella & Josh from Berkhamsted were picked at random from nearly 600 names who entered our Christmas Prize Draw. We paid their mortgage in December, so they had an extra special Christmas. This was the 3rd time we’ve run the prize draw and we’ll be doing it again in 2024 so stay subscribed to our newsletter and social channels.

What’s new at Mortgage Medics?

We started the new year by celebrating some great achievements in 2023:

• William Sproulewas promoted to Senior Adviser and we also celebrated him as 2023’s Protection Champion – helping clients become more financially resilient by arranging suitable insurance for them.
• Gareth Joneswas promoted to Mortgage Services Manager
• Jonathan Smithwas crowned Top Adviser overall for 2023, as well as our Customer Service Champion, attracting more than fifty 5-star reviews in the last 12 months.

In the second half of 2023 we started a wholesale review of everything about our offering, from our branding, to our client journey, systems and processes. We’re really excited for some big positive changes in development for 2024 as we work towards our vision: To be the leading provider of mortgage advice in our local area and a trusted brand nationally, by delivering outstanding service and outcomes, and delighting every client

We were also thrilled to celebrate passing another milestone in our partnership with Sussex Nightstop.  We’ve now raised more than £23,000 for the Brighton-based youth anti-homelessness charity and we were joined by some of the Nightstop team to pose with a jumbo cheque.  Last year Sussex Nightstop provided 288 nights of accommodation to vulnerable young people, thanks to its hard working team of staff and volunteer hosts.  Thank you for helping us to support this fantastic organisation.

Relaunch of our ‘Refer a Friend’ scheme

Did you know that if you refer a friend to Mortgage Medics and they do business with us we’ll thank you with £50 of M&S or John Lewis vouchers?  All you have to do is introduce your friend to us personally, or make sure the person you refer tells us you referred them, and we’ll do the rest.  Know someone who would like us to contact them?  Let us know

I hope your 2024 has got off to the very best of starts.  If you’re thinking of moving this year, or your existing mortgage deal is ending in the next 6 months, get in touch and let us help you explore your options and make a plan.

Sam & the Mortgage Medics team.