The search tool firm says home loan rules logged several changes in November as lenders continue to react to nine base rate rises over the last 12 months, which saw products continue to be withdrawn and re-priced daily.  

It adds that residential searches for interest-only loans lifted to third, while the search for lenders accepting missed or late payments fell from third to fifth place in its charts.     

The top residential search in November remained the maximum age at end of term.  

The buy-to-let sector followed the fast-changing trend with a number of criteria changes that saw searches for first-time landlords topping its category chart over the month. The search term for lending to limited companies was knocked off the top spot for the first time in six months, dropping to second spot.  

The survey says the most popular search in the secured loan sector was once again for maximum loan to value “as borrowers looked to squeeze the maximum out of lenders”. The rest of the top places in descending order were taken up by the maximum age, minimum and maximum loan amount and lenders who will allow capital raising for debt consolidation.  

Criteria searches in the bridging and commercial sectors offered some consistency, with the top five searches unchanged for the second month in a row. Regulated bridging and the minimum commercial loan amount, took the top two spots, respectively.   

Knowledge Bank chief executive Nicola Firth says: “If anyone in the mortgage market was hoping for a period of product and criteria stability then I’m afraid they will have to wait a bit longer.   

“As the cost of living and energy crisis continues to have a significant impact on household budgets brokers simply cannot take it for granted that a lender’s criteria today will be the same tomorrow.”