UK Mortgage Search Volume Off Sharply
Hitwise’s Robin Goad posted about how mortgage calculator terms have began capturing a larger portion of the UK mortage search market recently.
The US based growth in demand for mortgage calculator searches was largely on the demand created by the sharp lowering of the Federal Reserve funds rate from 5.25% to 2.00% during the September 18, 2007 to April 30, 2008 time period.
As a website that publishes in the space we had a pulse on the search volume changes and reasoning behind them
- the lowered Fed funds rate lifted search volume
- eroding conumer confidence, a glut of housing inventory, and falling real estate prices have made people far more comfortable sitting out buying a new home until the pricing trend reverses
The Bank of England has lowered rates much slower than the United States, lowering from 5.75% to 5% over the course of 5 months from December 6, 2007 through April 10, 2008. In spite of their rate cuts, UK mortgage rates have reached 8 year highs amid higher inflation.
For fifty years we simply believed that home prices would always increase, and then one day it was no longer true. Many people are looking, but few people are buying right now.
We simply attempt to be fearful when others are greedy, and to be greedy only when others are fearful. – Warren Buffett
Surely amongst the chaos and fear in the markets there is lots of opportunity. Are you a contrarian investor? Or is it best to wait until you see market stability before investing?
October 6th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
That’s interesting that mortgage calculators are becoming a much more common search term. I guess people would just much rather calculate the info themselves rather than have to talk to a lender.