The home loan market recorded its first month of growth in over a year in March, and first home buyers were back in the mix. According to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics lending data, the value of new housing loan commitments rose 4.9 per cent in March, compared with the previous month – the first monthly increase since January 2022. The A$23.9 billion of new lending for housing was down 26.3 per cent over the 12 months to March. The value of new lending to owner occupiers was up 5.5 per cent month-on-month but down 24.8 per cent over 12 months. New lending to residential property investors was up 3.7 per cent month on month but down 29.2 per cent over 12 months. The value of external refinancing rose 6.5 per cent to $21.2 billion in March. The number of owner-occupier first home loan commitments rise 15.8 per cent in March, after reaching a five-year low in February. The 7946 first home buyer loans recoded in March was down 22 per cent over 12 months. Average loan size fell from $585,577 in February to $577,000.  The latest Reserve Bank data show that lenders mortgage balances grew by 0.3 per cent in March and by 5.5 per cent over the 12 months to March – the lowest annual growth rate since June 2021.  Owner occupier loan balances were up 0.3 per cent month-on-month and 6 per cent over 12 months.  Investor loan balances were up 0.3 per cent month-on-month and 4.5 per cent over 12 months. APRA’s latest figures show that over the three months to March, mortgages grew at an annualised rate of 4 per cent. ANZ and Commonwealth Bank grew above system over that period with ANZ’s book growing at an annualised rate of 5 per cent in the March quarter and CBA by 5.4 per cent. NAB gave up share, with annualised growth of 2 per cent in the quarter, as did Westpac, with annualised growth of 1.8 per cent. Among the other banks, Bendigo and Adelaide Bank and Bank of Queensland suffered runoff during the quarter, while Suncorp Bank, ING Bank were below system.