A couple taking out a mortgage of €350,000 in 2009 at an interest rate of 5% over 30 years will receive €4,346 mortgage interest relief in year one and €4,280 in year two. They will receive between €3,790 and €3,650 in years three, four and five. The gain in this case will be an extra €2,965 in mortgage interest relief for the first five years of their mortgage. Overall, this rebalancing makes for a fairer system and helps those buyers with the largest financial exposure and those facing falling property values.

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