So for the last few weeks Ive been going around with the daughter looking at houses and flats around Featherstone/Pontefract/Castleford. She's 24, not a brilliant salary and has been told she can have a mortgage of £100k. I did the maths and think given her outgoings - car+phone etc she goes £95k max. She's a first time buyer.

First house - end terrace right on the street Henry Moore was born on. £95k guide. No easy parking. Will need a lot of updating. And area was dodgy
Second house - big terraced house on lower Oxford Street Cas. Right next to that bike shop. Somebody must have died in it as it stunk. Brill house, big garden and garage plus plenty of parking round back. Up for £90k, told someone had offered £95k - reckon it needs £15k to do up fully. Too expensive
Flat in Pontefract right next to MonkHill Train Station. Beautiful place. £90k. Put bid in for £92.5k. Lost out to a substantially higher bid - buy to renter perhaps. Plus there was £1300 in maintenance and rent to pay per annum on top.
Several in Morley - price ranges of £88k to £95k (guide). Really nice. But maintenance/rent of £1800+

What chance do these first time buyers have. All these properties are marketed at 'great for first time buyer' but you often have to weazle out of the current owners those hidden extra charges. So a £90k mortgage will cost you £350ish in repayments pm. Many first time buyers wont have much more than £1500 disposable income per month. Take off tax, gas/electricty, food etc etc plus mortgage and that soons goes. And then have to pay over £100 a well. Hmmmmm I'm glad I arent starting out. I feel for the,