28/11/2013: Irish Mortgages Arrears: Q3 2013

Numbers are out for Residential Mortgages Arrears in Q3 2013 and the data shows that the chronic problem of mortgages distress is still with us with little change after months of tough talks from the authorities, 'resolute' actions from the banks and a barrage of legislative, regulatory and rhetorical changes.

Top of the line numbers are still frightening, albeit things have largely faltered out on most fronts.

• Total number of PDH accounts at risk or defaulted (defined as all accounts currently in arrears, restructured and not in arrears, and in repossessions) at the end of Q3 2013 stood at 185,604, down 329 accounts or 0.2% from Q3 2012. 
• Over the 12 months through September 2013, number of BTL accounts at risk or in default rose 3,022 (+5.9%) to 54,094. 
• Thus, total number of mortgages accounts currently at risk or defaulted at the end of Q3 2013 stood at 239,698, which is 1.1% higher than in Q3 2012. 
• Total outstanding volume of mortgages at risk or defaulted for both BTL and PDH mortgages at the end of Q3 2013 was EUR46.77 billion, up EUR1.75 billion on year ago.
• As of the end of Q3 2013, 20.3% of all PDH mortgages accounts and 36.65% of all BTL mortgages accounts were either in arrears, restructured due to previous arrears or in repossession. 
• Across the entire system, 26.18% of all mortgages accounts and 33.6% of all mortgages volumes outstanding in Ireland were at risk or defaulted at the end of September 2013.

Deleveraging process is not working either:

• Total outstanding volume of mortgages debt in the country was EUR138.88 billion in Q3 2013, only 2.4% lower than a year ago.
• Total number of mortgages accounts fell to 915,746 in Q3 2013, down 3.08% y/y.
• Residential mortgages in arrears rose to 141,520 accounts (+0.1% y/y) and BTLs accounts in arrears numbered 40,426 (+10.35% y/y). Thus total number of accounts in arrears was up 2.2% y/y.
• Total outstanding volumes of mortgages in arrears stood at EUR36.56 billion in Q3 2013, up 5.8% y/y (comprising EUR25.56bn in residential mortgages volumes +4.75% y/y and EUR11.0bn of BTLs +8.32% y/y).
• Total amounts of actual arrears rose to EUR3.479bn in Q3 2013, up 28.2% y/y.
• Repossessions rose to 1,566 in Q3 2013 from 1,503 in Q2 2013 and 1,358 in Q3 2012. Residential repossessions rose to 1,050 from 1,001 a quarter ago and 944 a year ago. The process of repossessions remains very slow and is likely to accelerate in the near future.

These figures clearly show that banks-driven approach to the process of resolving the mortgages arrears crisis, adopted by the Government and the financial sector regulatory authorities is not delivering. To-date, the speed of mortgages arrears restructuring and resolution is disappointingly slow.

Some charts to illustrate the trends: