Should you help your child buy a house? But then, my God, consider an alternative scenario: house prices soar on and on, meaning your children won't be able to own even a shoebox in hell, and instead must spend their lifetime - and a fortune - renting the shoebox from a landlord. Which is worse? It's a dilemma, but there are some practical solutions. One is to delay buying and instead to invest in a vehicle that mirrors house-price growth. Castle Trust, for instance, is a new company offering accounts where returns are promised to exceed average property inflation because they are calculated as multiples of the Halifax House Price Index. For instance, a three-year investment pays 1.25 times the index's rise; the ten-year deal pays 1.7 times. These proxy-property investments are not perfect. They pose institutional risk and their terms are inflexible. There is also downside if the index falls, albeit limited. But they do offer protection from house price inflation and, also hugely useful, they allow the buying decision to be deferred, perhaps to a later period when risks clarify or other factors - marriage, children - tip the balance. Another possible solution is for parents to release equity from their own homes through some form of mortgage. This might sound extreme and unappealing. In fact it is already a noticeable trend, according to specialist adviser Key Retirement Solutions, and one which is taking hold. KRS, which regularly polls its client base, says it is like an "accelerated form of bequest, made while parents are still living." In other words, with today's elderly dying in their 90s instead of their 70s, they part with a chunk of their estate "ahead of time." In theory, at least, the notion of older generations borrowing more in order for younger generations to borrow less makes sense. The parents give up some of the capital gains they have made through owning property over the years, and share some of the risk their offspring must now take on as they in turn buy their home. In practice, however, as with so much in our personal finances, these decisions are difficult and wrapped up in emotion.