The UK housing market should "feel more stable and positive" in 2013, lenders said today, as they published figures showing that the number of first-time buyer mortgages advanced in October was a fifth higher than a year ago.

Mortgage lending in the UK reached an 11-month high in October, providing evidence that the housing market is finally picking up after a lull in recent months, lenders said today.

Mortgage approvals in the UK plunged by nearly a fifth in September, a survey said today, amid warnings that a multibillion-pound lending scheme will take time to have an impact.

Mortgage lending in the UK was 10% higher than a year ago during January as first-time buyers rushed to complete deals before the end of a stamp duty amnesty.

New mortgage rules in Britain are set to help those struggling to upgrade their home.

The number of people struggling to keep up with their mortgage in the UK increased for the first time in two years during the final quarter of 2010, figures show.

Mortgage lending in the UK slumped to its lowest October level for a decade as activity in the housing market remained subdued, figures showed today.

Mortgage lending in the UK remained broadly flat in September as housing market activity stalled, figures showed today.

The number of mortgages approved for house purchase in the UK fell to a six-month low during August as activity in the property market continued to falter, figures showed today.

The Bank of England could step in to impose tougher constraints on home buyers to prevent future unsustainable credit bubbles, a senior official warned.

LENDERS had 456 repossessed homes on their books at the end of March but experts say the figures significantly lag behind those in Britain and the US.

Mortgage advances in the UK during April fell to their lowest level for the month for 10 years, figures showed today.

The number of British people who lost their homes soared to a 14-year high during 2009, figures showed today.

Mortgage lending in the UK jumped by 14% during December as people rushed to buy a home before the British government’s stamp duty holiday ended, figures showed today.

The number of UK mortgages advanced to people buying a home reached its highest level since December 2007 during October, figures showed today.

Mortgage lending in the UK jumped by 26% during July as the housing market showed further signs of improving, figures showed today.

Mortgage lending fell back by 2% during May despite ongoing signs that activity in the housing market is beginning to recover.

The number of mortgages approved for people buying a home in the UK rose to a 12-month high during April, but economists warned that house prices still had further to fall.

Mortgage lending in Britain dived by 60% to an eight-year low during February as the credit crunch continued to strangle the market.

The number of mortgages advanced to people buying a home in the UK slumped to a new record low in January, figures showed today.

House prices dived by 2.7% during August as the number of first-time buyers getting on to the property ladder slumped to a record low, figures showed today.

A slump in British home sales this year is set to take a damaging toll on the wider UK economy as the credit crunch bites, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) warned today.

UK Mortgage bank Bradford & Bingley today sought to scotch rumours that it was planning to launch a rights issue.

Mortgage lending remained subdued during February as lenders struggled to meet demand in the face of the credit crunch, figures showed today.

There was fresh evidence of a cooling British housing market today after figures showed the number of home loans there slumping more than 20% in December.

The housing slowdown in the UK impacted on the sector’s trade press today after What Mortgage publisher Charterhouse Communications warned on profits.

The number of British people declared insolvent fell by 5% during the three months to the end of September - the first year-on-year decrease in five years, figures showed today.

Thousands of first-time buyers in the UK are at risk of negative equity following a dramatic increase in the number of 100% mortgages available, it was warned today.

The number of repossessed homes in the UK looks set to soar next year to levels not seen since the 1990s house price crash, a trade body predicted today.

UK mortgage lender Northern Rock eased market concerns today that the current credit crisis could force it to issue a fresh profits warning.

Mortgage lending in the UK picked up last month as stronger demand led to a new May record, figures indicated today.

Rising house prices and a boom in demand during the early summer pushed mortgage lending in the UK to another record high today.

There was little Christmas cheer for the housing market today with three sets of figures providing further evidence of slowing sales.

Mortgage lending in the UK slowed to its lowest level for a year during August, as consumers spent a record amount on their credit cards, figures showed today.

Mortgage lending rose sharply in July, figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) indicate.

Conflicting data over the state of the British housing market was released today with figures showing that price growth was slowing but mortgage lending booming.

British mortgage lenders today sought to reassure homeowners following a “stark warning” that the risk of a house price crash was increasing.

A senior Bank of England representative today cautioned against using “shock therapy” to jolt British householders out of their excessive spending habits.