On Friday, Ellie Mae Inc. (an important software vendor for home lenders) reported that the average credit score which an individual must come up with in order qualify for a mortgage dropped to 745 in February – down from 759 in January. This represents a relaxation of credit standards which should make it easier for new buyers to pick up the mortgage which they need in order to buy a house. This, while not a massive reduction, is the lowest score since May 2012 and should be flagged up as a piece of genuine help for those seeking a home, and hence the housing market and the construction sector.

In addition, the average percentage which new buyers would have to hand over as a down payment is at its lowest level since July, at 20 percent. Meanwhile the total proportion of a borrower's income which they are allowed to place in a mortgage has risen to 35 percent. With a credit score above 720, also, a borrower may be able to root out companies which are willing to offer them a home-equity credit line at 90% of the value of the house.

Insurance policies which take care of mortgage premiums in times of hardship are becoming easier to get – this is a reflection of increasing confidence, in that fewer people are at risk of defaulting on their payments at this time. Mortgage protection insurance provides cover for debtors which will pay out to fund the cost of their premiums in order to prevent them from defaulting if they find that they are unable to this money. The most likely reason why a customer would be unable to pay their mortgage premiums is unemployment, which has been a common problem recently. Seeking out an insurance policy of this type can be of great use to mortgage holders in that it can protect them from the unpredictable nature which employment and health can often have. The increasing availability of this cover, moreover, reflects a greater stability among American jobs so that insurance firms can afford to offer more mortgage insurance to new customers.