There once was a time when first-time buyers (FTBs) with a small deposit, impaired credit or self-employed status only had the high street lenders to choose from. If their applications were rejected, many in these categories had nowhere else to turn. Times have changed over the last ten years, and we are now looking at a mortgage landscape with a growing FTB specialist sector.

FTBs now account for almost half of all house purchases financed by a mortgage, and the lending community needs to do more to let borrowers with complex requirements know that they can take advantage of the various choices available to them.

This article first appeared in Mortgage Finance Gazette, May 2018.