2nd April 2026 • The HERALD • Page 69 v READ THE HERALD ONLINE: www.herald-publishing.co.uk v ASK A PROFESSIONAL LJM Bookkeeping Services I provide a range of accounting and business services to individuals, partnerships, charities and small businesses. I am licenced through the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers for the following services. Bookkeeping, Computerised Accounting Software, Final Year End Accounts, Payroll Management, CIS, VAT, Self Assessment Tax for Individuals and Construction Industry Scheme, Statutory Accounts for Small Businesses including Corporation Tax and related submissions, Holiday cover can also be provided for, hourly rates charged. Please contact Lynda McIntyre Email: ljmbookkeepingservices@gmail.com Telephone: 07774 790543 Mortgage Market Reality on the South Coast by Gareth Davies, Head of Mortgages, EIGHT Financial Advice If you judged the mortgage market purely by the headlines, you’d think chaos had returned. Rates are “surging”. Deals are “vanishing overnight”. Homeowners are supposedly facing another nancial shock. It makes for dramatic reading, but the reality on the ground is o en far more measured, particularly here on the South Coast. Property markets in areas such as Southampton, Bournemouth and Poole tend to follow their own rhythm. Strong demand, limited housing supply and the lifestyle appeal of the coast mean the local market has historically remained resilient even when the national picture looks uncertain. Mortgage rates themselves are largely shaped by expectations around in ation and movements in something called ‘Swap Rates’. When markets believe in ation will remain higher for longer, lenders price this into the mortgage deals they o er. When expectations improve, rates o en begin to ease again. What complicates matters is that lenders respond not just to the current base rate but where they believe it might go in the future. Global events, from energy prices to geopolitical tensions, can influence those expectations quickly, which is why mortgage deals sometimes appear to change suddenly. Despite the noise, people across the South Coast are still moving home, remortgaging and buying their rst property. Lenders remain competitive and a wide range of mortgage products continue to be available. For borrowers locally, the key message is simple: the mortgage market is dynamic, but it isn’t broken. e biggest mistake people can make is allowing headlines to dictate nancial decisions. When it comes to mortgages, perspective can be just as valuable as the interest rate itself. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Gareth Davies, Head of Mortgages at EIGHT Financial Advice
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