It has been coming for some time if you believe what the government has to say, but now the HSBC has promised to increase its lending for homeowners during 2009.

The figures promised relate to £15bn which is an increase of 20 per cent, this would clearly be a step in the right direction to get homes selling again. As we know it is not for the want of a mortgage that lending is down, it is the stricter conditions applied to mortgage lending that has all but stopped the mortgage market.

A promise to increase its mortgage lending suggests that some requirements will be reduced allowing more applications to accepted.  The Telegraph has the full mortgage story for you to read