PHOTOGRAPHER Sam Chan Kwok-leung is a step closer to fulfilling his 14-year-old dream of owning a flat with yesterday's approval of the sandwich class loan scheme.
Mr Chan, 43, lives with his wife, Maggie, and 13-year-old son, Euen, in Tai Hang where he pays about $6,000 a month for a 550-square-foot two-bedroom unit.
The Chan family earns just above the sandwich class lower limit of $20,000 a month - a group which has priority in the scheme.
''We have been dreaming of owning a flat since we got married 14 years ago, but the problem is that we cannot afford the down payment.
''If the Government can lend $500,000 to us, it will really be a great help,'' Mr Chan said.
But he was disappointed with the restriction of having to buy flats less than 10 years old.
''It is a very strict requirement. If we could choose an older flat, the mortgage payments would be less.'' Mr Chan said he would opt for a two-bedroom flat.
