There are some people in America who have opted for short-term loans to make mortgage repayments in recent months, according to Goodwill Industries' consumer credit counselling service (CCCS).

Pay day loans in particular are being utilised to help citizens contribute to any property fees they may have, it is claimed.

The CCCS advises people not to push themselves financially if it is going to result in hardship further down the line.

"Getting into the house of your dreams is just the first step. The long-term objective is staying there," explains Angela Roach, the manager of the counselling service.

She added that if people are going to struggle to pay their mortgages each month, other options should perhaps be considered at the outset.

House prices in the US are down on last year, according to this month's Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller home price index.

All 20 metropolitan areas studied in the research reported a year-on-year drop in property fees this April - the first time this has ever happened since the index was established.

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