With a solid middle class salary at a big legal firm, Doug Parker would be paid enough to buy himself a home in most parts of the world.

Yet the 32-year-old believes his chances of owning a piece of the rock are remote unless he gets lucky.

He said: "Currently, the only way I can own a property in Bermuda is if I inherit it, get married to someone who earns at least as much as I do, get lucky on the lottery or I somehow find my way into one of the top 20 percent of jobs with the really high pay cheques."

He said his salary means he can afford a $2,000 rent, to eat out whenever he wants and the odd trip abroad.

But when it comes to putting down roots his wage packet suddenly looks rather thin.

A bank recently told him it was prepared to lend him up to $400,000.

"But I have never seen anything less than $500,000 on the market unless its an undeveloped lot."

Even then that might be bordering a neighbourhood that is less than desirable.

"And I would still have to build it — building costs in Bermuda for homes can be atrocious."

Mr. Parker understands market forces can put a squeeze on a small rock with a lot of people on it, while Bermuda's expatriates and a rising seniors population also increase the demand for housing.

He believes more high rise living in the city would ease some of the pressure.

It's not as if he is wanting a dream home at the first attempt — even condos are out of his reach on the current prices.

It's a far cry from North Carolina where he worked for seven years and bought a three-bed, two-bath home for under $100,000. It has increased in value by nearly a third and he is now trying to cash in.

But ultimately, unless things change dramatically, he believes the property ladder is something only available to him overseas.

Asked about the party positions on housing — the full details of which are not yet revealed — he said: "The interest free downpayment loans being offered by the PLP Government will be a good step forward for many families.

"The rent-to-buy finance scheme the UBP is proposing to develop is a good way forward for many, I feel. There're a lot of possibilities there."

But he believes there is more that the parties can do. "I would like to see a register of derelict and abandoned properties that first-time home owners could purchase from Government," he said.

And he suggested tax should be reduced on construction material used for renovation or replacement of derelict or abandoned properties.

"I would also like a scheme similar to the US Federal Housing Authority's Guaranteed Loans for first time home owners — while a small insurance premium is applied to your monthly payments, the government guarantees the loan will be paid if you default — which allows you to get a lower interest rate due to reduced risk to the lender."