Almost €9 billion worth of mortgages loaned last year
39,495 mortgages to the value of €8.9 billion were originated last year, according to the Central Bank
By Brian Finn
Seven of the main financial institutions here loaned almost 40,000 mortgages in 2018.
According to figures from the Central Bank, 39,495 mortgages to the value of €8.9 billion were originated last year.
The regulator publishes details of new lending every year under mortgage market rules.
Restrictions on the amount a borrower can get access to for house purchase were introduced in recent years by the Central Bank.
A first time buyer is required to put forward at least 10% of the value of their home while a second or subsequent buyer must provide a deposit of at least 20%.
All buyers can secure mortgages of up to 3.5 times their income.
There are allowances for borrowers to breach the regulations in any year, but individual banks can only allow a limited number of borrowers to breach the rules.
The average loan to value for first time buyers was 80% last year while the average loan to income ratio was 3.1.
The corresponding figures for 2017 were 79.7% and 3 respectively.
The average loan to value for second and subsequent buyers was 66.8% compared to 67.1% per cent in 2017 and the average loan to income ratio was 2.6, compared to 2.5 in 2017.