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| Home buyers weigh up aid measures | Home buyers weigh up aid measures |
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| Paediatric nurse Sarah Prodger, 21, values her independenceThe government has announced a package to help first time buyers and those struggling to pay their mortgage. | Paediatric nurse Sarah Prodger, 21, values her independenceThe government has announced a package to help first time buyers and those struggling to pay their mortgage. |
| It is suspending stamp duty for properties worth up to £175,000 - £50,000 more than the current threshold. The suspension will come into force on Wednesday, for a year. | It is suspending stamp duty for properties worth up to £175,000 - £50,000 more than the current threshold. The suspension will come into force on Wednesday, for a year. |
| Also included is a shared equity scheme, and interest-free loans towards part of the value of a property for first-time buying households earning less than £60,000. | Also included is a shared equity scheme, and interest-free loans towards part of the value of a property for first-time buying households earning less than £60,000. |
| Here some first-time buyers and people hoping to buy have revealed what they think. | Here some first-time buyers and people hoping to buy have revealed what they think. |
| LEANNE DONALDSON, 28, CHESHIRE Leanne Donaldson, 28, an administrator, and her partner Paul Langford, 25, an IT worker, are in danger of losing their home in Cheshire. | LEANNE DONALDSON, 28, CHESHIRE Leanne Donaldson, 28, an administrator, and her partner Paul Langford, 25, an IT worker, are in danger of losing their home in Cheshire. |
| They are struggling to keep up with the cost of living and fear negative equity if they sell their two-bedroom house. | They are struggling to keep up with the cost of living and fear negative equity if they sell their two-bedroom house. |
| The first-time buyers, who earn a combined total of £30,000, purchased their home in September 2007 for £116,500, opting for a five-year mortgage deal with Northern Rock, at a fixed rate of 5%. They borrowed £122,500. Repayments cost them £800 per month. | The first-time buyers, who earn a combined total of £30,000, purchased their home in September 2007 for £116,500, opting for a five-year mortgage deal with Northern Rock, at a fixed rate of 5%. They borrowed £122,500. Repayments cost them £800 per month. |
| "We can't afford to live," says Leanne. "Food prices have gone up and so has the cost of gas. We don't have any spare money. We have to shop around for bargains, we can't afford new clothes and we can't afford to go on holiday.Leanne and her partner fear the possibility of negative equity | "We can't afford to live," says Leanne. "Food prices have gone up and so has the cost of gas. We don't have any spare money. We have to shop around for bargains, we can't afford new clothes and we can't afford to go on holiday.Leanne and her partner fear the possibility of negative equity |
| "We're worried about the house being repossessed. We've already missed a couple of payments - one last Christmas for presents and one because the car broke down and we had to use the mortgage money to fix it. If we miss any more they'll start to threaten us. | "We're worried about the house being repossessed. We've already missed a couple of payments - one last Christmas for presents and one because the car broke down and we had to use the mortgage money to fix it. If we miss any more they'll start to threaten us. |
| "The council helping out with payments in return for a stake in our house would be of interest. We are also definitely going to look into the council buying our house and renting it back to us. We will be looking at the websites tonight to find out what our options are. | "The council helping out with payments in return for a stake in our house would be of interest. We are also definitely going to look into the council buying our house and renting it back to us. We will be looking at the websites tonight to find out what our options are. |
| "We've looked into getting an interest-only mortgage, but that would only lower our payments by £75 a month. | "We've looked into getting an interest-only mortgage, but that would only lower our payments by £75 a month. |
| "We also want kids, but we can't afford to have them. | "We also want kids, but we can't afford to have them. |
| "We can't carry on living like this. We would like to do something about it sooner rather than later." | "We can't carry on living like this. We would like to do something about it sooner rather than later." |
| CAMERON CHRISTIE, 25, LONDON | CAMERON CHRISTIE, 25, LONDON |
| Cameron Christie who works in financial services, has been trying to get on the housing ladder for the last few years. | Cameron Christie who works in financial services, has been trying to get on the housing ladder for the last few years. |
| He is now buying a one-bedroom flat in London for £145,000, so he will benefit from the stamp duty exemption. | He is now buying a one-bedroom flat in London for £145,000, so he will benefit from the stamp duty exemption. |
| Cameron Christie will now not have to pay stamp duty on his new flat | Cameron Christie will now not have to pay stamp duty on his new flat |
| "I'm very happy," he says. "I just got a freebie today that I wasn't expecting. | "I'm very happy," he says. "I just got a freebie today that I wasn't expecting. |
| "I've also been trying to get information about the 30% loan but there doesn't seem to be much information around. I've e-mailed Hazel Blears' office but I'm still waiting for a reply." | "I've also been trying to get information about the 30% loan but there doesn't seem to be much information around. I've e-mailed Hazel Blears' office but I'm still waiting for a reply." |
| Mr Christie is not sure the government will achieve what he considers to be their aim with these measures. | Mr Christie is not sure the government will achieve what he considers to be their aim with these measures. |
| "I was buying a house anyway, and now the taxpayer is paying my stamp duty so I'm very happy. I'm not sure it will get the government re-elected, though." | "I was buying a house anyway, and now the taxpayer is paying my stamp duty so I'm very happy. I'm not sure it will get the government re-elected, though." |
| LISA HACKETT, 32, SUSSEX | LISA HACKETT, 32, SUSSEX |
| Lisa Hackett and her partner are living in a flat owned by a family member while they try to get on the housing ladder. | Lisa Hackett and her partner are living in a flat owned by a family member while they try to get on the housing ladder. |
| Although they have a deposit and would therefore not benefit from the "free loan" offered by the government they are having problems getting the right mortgage. | Although they have a deposit and would therefore not benefit from the "free loan" offered by the government they are having problems getting the right mortgage. |
| "We can't get a big enough mortgage because I'm freelance so my salary doesn't count. The mortgage calculations are therefore only based on one income so we can only be cleared for £90,000. | "We can't get a big enough mortgage because I'm freelance so my salary doesn't count. The mortgage calculations are therefore only based on one income so we can only be cleared for £90,000. |
| She says that for that price they could only get a one bedroom flat in Sussex - which would suit them at first but not once they start a family. | She says that for that price they could only get a one bedroom flat in Sussex - which would suit them at first but not once they start a family. |
| She believes the housing market is due for a correction and that the government would have been better off doing nothing. | She believes the housing market is due for a correction and that the government would have been better off doing nothing. |
| "Stamp duty exemption is not much help in a falling market; it could actually help prop up the market. This will help current owners but not first time buyers. | "Stamp duty exemption is not much help in a falling market; it could actually help prop up the market. This will help current owners but not first time buyers. |
| "I would like to see a market correction and dropped prices. Helping existing home owners will keep prices high. | "I would like to see a market correction and dropped prices. Helping existing home owners will keep prices high. |
| "Any measure isn't going to help everyone. I think these will make it harder for people like us. On one hand it will help people who are in trouble and I applaud that but on the other we won't get any help." | "Any measure isn't going to help everyone. I think these will make it harder for people like us. On one hand it will help people who are in trouble and I applaud that but on the other we won't get any help." |
| DANI ZARGEL, 37, ST ALBANS | DANI ZARGEL, 37, ST ALBANS |
| Graphic designer Dani Zargel, 37, lives with his 35-year-old wife, Julie-Anne, and their two children, aged six and 10. He has tried three mortgage brokers since December 2007 but cannot get a mortgage, despite earning £70,000. His wife earns £35,000. | Graphic designer Dani Zargel, 37, lives with his 35-year-old wife, Julie-Anne, and their two children, aged six and 10. He has tried three mortgage brokers since December 2007 but cannot get a mortgage, despite earning £70,000. His wife earns £35,000. |
| He has no collateral because he lost his house after a divorce. | He has no collateral because he lost his house after a divorce. |
| Graphic designer Dani Zargel said a shared equity scheme could be helpful | Graphic designer Dani Zargel said a shared equity scheme could be helpful |
| He says none of the measures announced by the government on Tuesday will help his family because he earns too much to qualify for the "free" 30% loan and because property prices in his area are so high that he would not benefit from the stamp duty exemption. | He says none of the measures announced by the government on Tuesday will help his family because he earns too much to qualify for the "free" 30% loan and because property prices in his area are so high that he would not benefit from the stamp duty exemption. |
| "It's also impossible for me to find a deposit in the current climate. Food has doubled, fuel has doubled but my salary hasn't doubled. If it did then I could afford to save for a deposit. | "It's also impossible for me to find a deposit in the current climate. Food has doubled, fuel has doubled but my salary hasn't doubled. If it did then I could afford to save for a deposit. |
| Mr Zargel says he would have liked to see the government raise the salary threshold for the "free" loans. | Mr Zargel says he would have liked to see the government raise the salary threshold for the "free" loans. |
| "I can pay a mortgage; I just can't get a deposit. | "I can pay a mortgage; I just can't get a deposit. |
| "I had a house that was worth £450,000 but I walked away from that when I divorced. | "I had a house that was worth £450,000 but I walked away from that when I divorced. |
| "There is no way that I'm the only person in this situation after a divorce" | "There is no way that I'm the only person in this situation after a divorce" |
| SARAH PRODGER, 21, LONDON Key worker Sarah Prodger, 21, earns £22,500 as a paediatric nurse at St Helier hospital in Carshalton, Surrey. | SARAH PRODGER, 21, LONDON Key worker Sarah Prodger, 21, earns £22,500 as a paediatric nurse at St Helier hospital in Carshalton, Surrey. |
| She owns 30% of her shared ownership flat in Wimbledon, southwest London, which she bought through Thames Valley Housing two months ago. She pays £320 a month in rent. | She owns 30% of her shared ownership flat in Wimbledon, southwest London, which she bought through Thames Valley Housing two months ago. She pays £320 a month in rent. |
| "It's a brilliant scheme. I own 30% and pay rent on the rest which means I own a part of my flat. It would have cost £210,000, which I wouldn't have been able to afford on my own. | "It's a brilliant scheme. I own 30% and pay rent on the rest which means I own a part of my flat. It would have cost £210,000, which I wouldn't have been able to afford on my own. |
| "Extending schemes like this is definitely a good idea. I qualified in September and managed to find somewhere in just over six months. | "Extending schemes like this is definitely a good idea. I qualified in September and managed to find somewhere in just over six months. |
| "I'm single and my parents don't own a lot of money. It's good for people like me to get a flat on my own so I don't have to be stuck at home until I'm 30. My dad's just retired and hasn't got the money to support me." | "I'm single and my parents don't own a lot of money. It's good for people like me to get a flat on my own so I don't have to be stuck at home until I'm 30. My dad's just retired and hasn't got the money to support me." |