First-time buyers 'should not fear repossessions'

Scottish first-time buyers looking to buy a house in Scotland may be pleased to hear that they may be immune to the rise in repossessions experienced throughout the UK. According to Firstrung, people stepping onto the housing ladder for the first time may be able to weather the storm of repossessions currently being experienced in the UK. Not only have many first-time buyers taken out an average mortgage of £115,000, but it is often shared between two people, making it easier to manage, Paul Holmes, operations director of Firstrung explained. Mr Holmes stated that family homes, such as those with mortgages in excess of £250,000 may be more at risk, yet the circumstances for people only just getting into the housing market should remain stable. “First-time buyers are the least likely group to be repossessed full stop, because it is their home, they have recently bought it and they can generally afford it,” he said. It was recently recorded that a rise of 16 per cent has been experienced in the number of possession claims during the first quarter of 2008 by the Ministry of Justice.