Mortgage deals below 5% are rapidly disappearing from the market as major lenders implement another round of rate increases. Nationwide Building Society, Virgin Money, and TSB are among those raising rates, further reducing the availability of sub-5% deals.
This marks a significant change from earlier in the year, when borrowers could access a range of deals below 4%, with some two-year fixes as low as 3.5%. Currently, the lowest five-year fixed rate for a remortgage borrower is 5.02% with NatWest, and Virgin Money's lowest two-year remortgage fix stands at 5.01%.
Only borrowers with substantial deposits can still find a limited number of fixed rates below 5%. For example, Yorkshire Building Society offers a two-year fix at 4.93% with a £1,495 fee, and Skipton Building Society has a five-year fix at 4.91% with a £1,995 fee. Borrowers with a 20% deposit are facing rates starting at approximately 5.08%.
Aaron Strutt of Trinity Financial, a mortgage broker, noted that Nationwide will have only one fixed rate below 5% for new customers after its latest repricing. This is a two-year fix at 4.99% with a £1,499 fee, available to those with a 40% deposit. He added that it would not be surprising if more banks and building societies raise their rates in the coming days.