The problem is unforseen circumstances. When we got married in 1968, graduate women like me, with professional jobs were pushing Building Societies to take into account the wife's income as well as the mans and we were very happy that our Building Society was prepared to take half my income into consideration when we applied for a mortgage.
Unfortunately the result has been that house prices have risen to meet the available income and it is now very difficuly for anyone to buy a property without two incomes to get a big enough mortgage to buy a house and, as ever, those on smaller incomes, still find it nearly impossible.
Having said that, buying your first house has always been a struggle, when ever you did it and what ever your income and itis no different now, when DC bought their first houses, they struggled as we did and DD was very proud of how, by begging, borrowing, if not stealing, scouring small ads and buying at auction she furnished her first property, a 2 bedroomed flat, for under £500, including white goods.