THE UK’s rocketing house prices have made times tough for first-time buyers. But with the help of Mortgage Matters Direct, there are solutions.

High house prices have played havoc with the home-owning dreams of thousands of first-time buyers.

The latest research by the Council of Mortgage Lenders shows that the number of first-time buyers coming on to the market is at its lowest level since records began in 1974. In the first six months of this year, just 174,000 buyers entered the market, compared with 253,000 in the same period last year - a fall of 32 per cent.

Yet first-time buyers are indispensable - without them, the entire property market eventually grinds to a halt.

The main problems are raising a deposit and coping with moving costs, as ongoing mortgage costs tend to be cheaper than rent.

Mortgage Matters Direct, an arm of Ward & Partners estate agents, is a company which recognises the importance of first-time buyers and cares for them accordingly.

Mortgage Matters Direct can sift through the entire mortgage market to find a product individually tailored to your needs.

There are around 8,000 different products which can bring a first-time buyer a home, often with benefits such as free legal costs and mortgage valuation/survey.

Mortgage Matters Direct is thoroughly up to date with all such incentives, has access to exclusive products and maintains links with lenders who can offer mortgages at preferential rates.

Expert advisors can look at all the first-time buyer products that exist, judge whether you are eligible for them and then design a product around your needs.

Options are flexible and many. They include shared ownership schemes, where a housing association and an individual jointly buy a property, with the buyer having an option to buy more as and when financial circumstances permit. Buying with siblings or friends is yet another route.

Some companies operate parent-aided first-time buyers’ mortgages, designed for parents who want to draw money from equity on their own homes to provide a deposit for their children.

Mortgage Matters Direct also offers an Agreement in Principle Facility, so that you have a clear idea of your buying and negotiating power before you find a property.

Other benefits include trustworthy financial advice, and home buying assistance - someone to guide and advise you through the whole conveyancing process.

Further details: Mortgage Matters Direct, Keith Lovell 07785-954074. www.mortgagemattersdirect. co.uk High house prices have played havoc with the home-owning dreams of thousands of first-time buyers.

The latest research by the Council of Mortgage Lenders shows that the number of first-time buyers coming on to the market is at its lowest level since records began in 1974. In the first six months of this year, just 174,000 buyers entered the market, compared with 253,000 in the same period last year - a fall of 32 per cent.

Yet first-time buyers are indispensable - without them, the entire property market eventually grinds to a halt.

The main problems are raising a deposit and coping with moving costs, as ongoing mortgage costs tend to be cheaper than rent.

Mortgage Matters Direct, an arm of Ward & Partners estate agents, is a company which recognises the importance of first-time buyers and cares for them accordingly.

Mortgage Matters Direct can sift through the entire mortgage market to find a product individually tailored to your needs.

There are around 8,000 different products which can bring a first-time buyer a home, often with benefits such as free legal costs and mortgage valuation/survey.

Mortgage Matters Direct is thoroughly up to date with all such incentives, has access to exclusive products and maintains links with lenders who can offer mortgages at preferential rates.

Expert advisors can look at all the first-time buyer products that exist, judge whether you are eligible for them and then design a product around your needs.

Options are flexible and many. They include shared ownership schemes, where a housing association and an individual jointly buy a property, with the buyer having an option to buy more as and when financial circumstances permit. Buying with siblings or friends is yet another route.

Some companies operate parent-aided first-time buyers’ mortgages, designed for parents who want to draw money from equity on their own homes to provide a deposit for their children.

Mortgage Matters Direct also offers an Agreement in Principle Facility, so that you have a clear idea of your buying and negotiating power before you find a property.

Other benefits include trustworthy financial advice, and home buying assistance - someone to guide and advise you through the whole conveyancing process.

Further details: Mortgage Matters Direct, Keith Lovell 07785-954074. www.mortgagemattersdirect. co.uk