The Reserve Bank of New Zealand has advised Finance Minister Bill English that its limit on low-deposit lending could force around 25 per cent of first-home buyers (around 7000 borrowers) to delay or downsize their home purchase.English detailed the advice in an answer to a parliamentary question from Labour Finance spokesman David Parker.English said the bank had advised the Government that about 40 per cent of high loan-to-value ratio lending had been to first-home buyers before the introduction of the limit. Of the 20,000 to 30,000 first-home buyers every year, about 13,000 to 19,000 would normally be able to obtain a high LVR loan. English said the bank had advised that up to 12,000 would get a loan under the new limit and the remaining 6000 to 8000 would have to choose to either "look for a cheaper property or delay their purchase while they save a higher deposit."He said the bank's estimates did not take into account the Government's measures to increase the house price and income thresholds for KiwiSaver withdrawals and Welcome Home Loans.