After enjoying its first month of growth in over a year in March, the mortgage market was down again in April. According to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics lending data, the value of new housing loan commitments fell 2.9 per cent in April, compared with the previous month. The A$23.3 billion of new lending for housing was down 25.8 per cent over the 12 months to April. The value of new lending to owner occupiers was down 3.8 per cent month-on-month and down 24.3 per cent over 12 months. New ending to investors was down 0.9 per cent month-on-month and down 28.6 per cent over 12 months. The value of external refinancing fell 9.2 per cent to $19.3 billion during the month, after hitting a record high of $21.3 billion in March. External refinancing was up 14.2 per cent over 12 months. The number of loan commitments to first home buyers fell 0.9 per cent during the month. The 8079 loan commitments to first home buyers in April was 50.6 per cent below the January 2021 high. The average loan size rose from $577,000 in March to $584,975 in April. The latest Reserve Bank data show that lenders mortgage balances grew by 0.3 per cent in April and by 5.2 per cent over the 12 months to March. Owner occupier loan balances were up 0.4 per cent month-on-month and 5.8 per cent over 12 months. Investor loan balances were up 0.3 per cent month-on-month and 4.2 per cent over 12 months. APRA’s latest figures show that with system growth of 3.6 per cent annualised over the three months to April, ANZ and Commonwealth Bank grew above system, while NAB and Westpac were below system. Lenders whose books had been in runoff, including Bendigo and Adelaide and ING, have returned to growth.