Many first time buyers getting help from parents
January 22nd, 2009 by PeterRecent reports have shown that many struggling first time buyers in the UK have been getting assistance from their parents in order to help them to get onto the property ladder in the current climate. Many have been unable to raise the deposits needed for mortgages at the current time, and there has been a steep increase in the number of first time buyers aged under thirty that are receiving parental assistance.
An official from the Council of Mortgage Lenders stated: “In the current market environment, 100% mortgages are not so widely available. Many lenders typically require a higher deposit from borrowers than before. So even though the total needed to buy a house is declining, first-time buyers are facing a new affordability challenge in the shape of a higher deposit required by lenders.”
Many of those relying on this parental help are in the south east and London, with one official stating: “In London, the typical assisted first-time buyer had a £67,000 deposit and an average income of £42,000. In very stark contrast, unassisted buyers in the capital had a typical deposit less than a third of this size - just £19,000 - but typically need a much higher income of £57,000.”
There are concerns, however, that the number of parents that are able to help their kids to get onto the property ladder in terms of finances may shrink as a result of rising unemployment and increasingly strained household budgets.