"Losing your home" is not the big deal everyone wants to believe it is.

Stop this obsession with pandering to mortgage holders who can no longer afford their asset, for whatever reason. Renters do it all the time, they don't moan.

Move. Rent. Buy somewhere cheaper. Adapt. Get on with life.

Laura Roberts, London, UK

Adults took loans and piles of credit card debt at the peak of the market, swallow your losses like a grown up and learn that next time you have to pay it back, its not play money

Gavin, London, GB

Whilst losing your house may feel like the end of the world (although if you're renting for less it sounds like a sensible plan to me), why is the Times headlining a story in which repossessions have increased by 4,574 year-on-year? Is this really newsworthy?

Mark, Newbury, England

Many people suffering repossession haven't been profligate. Maybe they've just lost their jobs after buying a house that was within their means. But for the grace of God ....

Tyke, Bologna,

House prices and debt levels are far too high. They have to come down and repossessions are a necessary evil.

David, Lincoln,

Thatcher made a country where it is normal to own your home, even when a mortgage can be double the rent for an equivalent property. If you can't afford to keep your house, consider it a blessing in disguise. You may save £500/month! Repossession is not the end of the world - if you have your health

adam, belfast, UK

We have a manufacturing company and our main customers are in the housing market. All this doom and gloom is certainly not helping us and anyone else. I understand from a banker friend that the banks have not closed their doors on lending - who's broadcasting this?!!!

carol howe, Chesterfield, Derbyshire

Dear David in Birmingham,
What some call "gloom and doom" I call accepting reality as it is. Its relying on "hope" that got us into this mess its accepting reality that will get us out of it.

John P, Bristol,

Should one feel sorry for people who have inflated their salaries and bought homes way above their ability to pay ? probably not. there will be bargains by the bucket in a few months time. Those with cash will always be the winners on those who pretended to have cash

mark farrugia, london,

More alarmist reporting. The trouble is people expect to be bailed out after getting in trouble. Time to be responsible for oneself. I've lost money on my investments but I neither expect nor want the government's help (actually tax payers).

Dr I Burgess, Bristol,

Arshad the government didnt force you to get a mortgage 5x your salary.You chose to buy the house on borrowed money so you have to face the consiquencies.As they say "YOU MAKE THE BED YOU LIE IN IT"

khan, luton, uk

Sellers around here are still in denial,the most ordinary semis , two beds and a box room are coming on the market at £200k plus.Who in their right mind is going to think Hmm,that looks like a bargain,when they must realise it will be worth 10 to 20% less in 1 to 2yrs time.

David G, Trafford, England

71% of what yep. All this doom and gloom makes great reading, and it is killing what hope there is. Bad news sells well.

david, birmingham, uk

GB needs to bring in measures to keep more people in their homes through this recession. Whether it's deferring mortage payments for x months, reducing paymets or letting the lender take part ownership. Repossession helps no one - the family end up on the street & the lender makes a big loss.

Nigel, London,

i don't have sympathy for people living above their means....
very simple!

riccardo, brussels,

So, this is Gordon brown listening and helping families is it? Or is he too busy shovelling barrowloads of cash to hedge fund managers and bankers...? It is just obscene, the same people being taxed to the hilt to rescue banks are being repossessed by the very same. This has to be a sick joke!

Dean, Manea, Cambs, England

instead of the government giving OUR money to the bankers it should have given each and eveyone in england 10,000 pounds each to spend as we wish and to pay bills, perhaps this would have kick started the economy better. the country is run by thieves for thieves!

m arshad, rochdale, england

Fine words from the Government. They are powerless to help those getting into trouble, particularly the ones coming off low fixed rate deals who suddenly find they are in negative equity and these numbers will rocket during the next year or so.
No Brown induced boom and bust? Rubbish!

A.Williams, Cradley Heath,

People that took on massive debt to 'invest' in the property market should have done so with their eyes open, most grounded individual should have seen this coming, after all we've been here before. I do feel for the families that will lose their home, but as they say 'what goes up must come down'.

James, Horsham,

Why all this huge publicity about repossessions?. Yes, it is traumatic for those involved, but the numbers are miniscule compared to the number of home owners there are in the UK. We need to break these stats down to see the reasons behind the repossessions before losing touch with reality.

pete, birmingham, uk

71% of what?

Steve, Cambridge,

Who should be helped by the lenders I wonder? Everyone irrespective of their overall financial situation, those that have lost a job, those that borrowed 6 times their earnings, or no one as a matter of principal that they cant afford to pay so cant stay? Owners to retain reduced % and pay less?

John, Aberdeen, Scotland