The property market is increasingly polarised between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’. The proportion of mortgage holders has been steadily falling, as would-be first-time buyers find themselves shut out of the market, and older homeowners clear their mortgages.

There’s cautious optimism when it comes to house prices. Consumers are more positive about the market than at any point since 2007.

Despite the turmoil of recent years, there’s an overwhelming belief that property remains a good long-term investment. Even the most dramatic financial crisis in living memory can’t dent the UK consumer’s faith in bricks and mortar.

The property market is increasingly polarised between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’. The proportion of mortgage holders has been steadily falling, as would-be first-time buyers find themselves shut out of the market, and older homeowners clear their mortgages.

There’s cautious optimism when it comes to house prices. Consumers are more positive about the market than at any point since 2007.

Despite the turmoil of recent years, there’s an overwhelming belief that property remains a good long-term investment. Even the most dramatic financial crisis in living memory can’t dent the UK consumer’s faith in bricks and mortar.

2010 is likely to be another slow year for the mortgage industry. Just 11% of those with a mortgage are thinking of remortgaging. The constant quest for a new discounted deal that characterised the mortgage market in the run-up to the credit crunch is a thing of the past.

Reality has hit home for younger borrowers. A fifth of mortgage-holders aged under-35 don’t think that they’d be able to get a new mortgage in the current climate.

A third of people would only consider getting a mortgage after getting professional advice, but the internet is playing a growing role in the search process. Three in ten would search online for information, and a quarter would even be prepared to apply online if it meant they got a better deal.