Accord Mortgages has removed its minimum income requirement for first-time buyers to access mortgages up to 5.5 times their income, provided they meet all other lending and affordability criteria.
The change applies across the intermediary-only lender’s entire product range, including products in the Boost LTI range, but excluding the £5k Deposit Mortgage.
At the same time, Accord is simplifying the qualifying criteria for its joint borrower sole proprietor (JBSP) offering, allowing more people to source help from close family members in affording the mortgage they need.
From today, JBSP arrangements – which allow family members’ earnings to be taken into account as well as the purchaser’s when working out how much they can borrow - will be available up to 95% LTV. The limit, which meant only 25% of the mortgage term could run into the assisting family member’s retirement, has also been removed.
In the summer, Accord reduced the overall minimum income threshold for its ‘Boost LTI’ offering - which provides access to mortgages at up to 5.5 times income - from £75,000 to £50,000. It has also extended the eligibility criteria for its £5k Deposit Mortgage to cater for people buying flats.
These enhancements have already helped customers to borrow, on average, 15% more - or £37,000 extra -towards their home purchase.
Jeremy Duncombe, managing director of Accord Mortgages, said: “These changes mark our latest moves to support more borrowers in achieving their home-ownership goals.
“We were among the first lenders to respond to the greater flexibility the regulator gave us to set our own higher loan-to-income lending limits, a change we had long called for.
“At the time, we underlined our commitment to enhancing our support for borrowers in achieving their homeownership aspirations, and we are delivering on that.
“These two changes to our criteria, which offer different ways for borrowers to expand their borrowing potential, show how we’re building on every opportunity to make it possible for more people to access the size of mortgage they need.”
