Buyers, renters are facing brutally unfair hurdles to find homes on the Northern Rivers

It’s hard enough to find a home to buy or rent on the Northern Rivers, let alone without these extra problems.

Northern Rivers renters and would-be buyers are continuing to struggle to find homes as the market tightens.

The Northern Star recently posed this question on Facebook: "Have you been caught up in the housing squeeze?"

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Kelly Hayman wrote that her family had been "constantly applying" for properties.

"Some landlords are happy to have animals, but not children," she said.

"It's disheartening when we are a family ‒ four kids, two dogs.

"My husband and I both work; we have even offered to pay extra rent when we turn up to houses to view them and there's hundreds of other people there as well.

"It makes you feel as though you have no chance in hell.

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"We are getting nowhere at all.

"We only have a few weeks left until we have to vacate due to the owner's family moving into our current home.

"We are renting so at this stage our only option is to pack all of our belongings into a storage shed and prepare for the worst, which will be living out of our camper trailer."

Lloyd Charlwood said he had been applying for rentals for more than two years and still hadn't been able to find anything.

"Makes life tough as a single parent," he wrote.

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But even potential buyers are having issues securing a home.

Maralyn Mary Middle wrote: "There's no point in locals looking right now.

"I went to make an offer on a place a couple of weeks ago.

"I was going to offer close to the asking price and was told by the agent not to bother as two 'city cash buyers' had already put in offers 'way' over the asking price."

Naomi Shyte said they had been looking to buy a property for two years and it was "becoming ridiculous".

It the meantime, her rental journey has also been difficult.

"Either we can't afford to fix the almost condemned house for sale, or it's in flood zone and totally unrealistic to buy to get washed away," she wrote.

"Property managers are picking and choosing based on personal likes and dislikes and taking offers of far more than the realistic asking prices for rentals.

"People are desperate and offering massive amounts to get in the door.

"It's brutally unfair and needs to stop."