Here's Steve Allen. He's 27 and can't get a mortgage - he says he's been turned down because he doesn't have enough of a deposit. The price of homes in Brombrough is about £100,000, Steve earns £20-25K with a deposit of around £1,000 so far.

He told us "it's time to move out (of my parents) and get my own place, and I'm tempted by the low house prices, but I've only managed to save a small deposit because of the high petrol costs generated through commuting to work and from paying off student debts. I'd ideally like to stay in an area where I have ties to family, friends and employment but feel like I'm being priced out through no fault of my own. Two years ago I'm sure I could have got a mortgage. People like me should be allowed to get a mortgage because I'm a safe bet and it would put money back into the housing market."

Is he right - should Steve be given a mortgage or are the banks/building societies doing what they should have done years ago - being a lot stricter on how much they lend out? There are some offers of 95% or 90% mortgages, but the rates are high, and most banks want buyers to have at least a 15 or 20% deposit.

The Bank of England makes its next decision on interest rates on Thursday 9th April. Let us know how you've got on recently when it comes to getting a mortgage and buying a house - how easy or difficult have you found it?

• Name: Steve Allen
• Age: 27
• Lives: With parents in Brombrough on the Wirral
• Salary £20,000 - £25,000
• Deposit: £1000
• Occupation: Video Editor - been doing it for two years.

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