21
Jul
First-time buyers 'should get help from government'
People looking to purchase their first house for sale should
receive more help from the government, according to one
expert.
Katy John, spokeswoman for PriceOut.org.uk, said that the
"extortionate house price growth" has hit young people hard.
She suggested that the government should make more commitments to
assisting first-time buyers with getting on the property
ladder.
"If the housing minister, Grant Shapps, is serious about supporting
people to realise the aspiration of homeownership, he needs to
start levelling the playing field in favour of first-time buyers
and against property investors," Ms John commented.
She added that property investor tax breaks should be scrapped and
there should be more taxes on people with more than one home.
Her comments come after mortgage adviser firm John Charcol recently
reported that first-time buyers have represented the smallest
proportion of the mortgage market since 2008.
Its findings showed that first-time buyers accounted for just 5.4
per cent of all its transactions in June.