Average property prices for first-time buyers are dropping in a selection of sought-after locations, data from Rightmove shows. With average year-on-year prices falling in locations such as Torquay, Poole and Hove, there is a window of opportunity for first-time buyers to purchase a bargain home by the sea. In Exeter, Devon, the average cost of a home for a first-time buyer slumped 20.5 per cent year-on-year to £201,248. Pre-dating the arrival of the Romans, Exeter is a small city that packs a punch and is home to a cathedral and a university. In Derby, average prices have fallen by 10.2 per cent to £143,043 year-on-year, well below the national average. Goring-by-Sea near Worthing is another option for first-time buyers looking to capitalise on cheaper prices on the coast. There, the average cost of a home for first-time buyers fell 9.2 per cent year-on-year to £263,906. Bargain: In Exeter, Devon, the average cost of a home for a first-time buyer slumped 20.5% year-on-year to £201,248First-time buyers can also snap up a bargain in the city of Doncaster, where average prices fell 8.4 per cent to £109,477 in the period. Torquay saw the fifth largest drop in year-on-year prices for first-time buyers, having fallen 7.6 per cent to £172,835. In the port city of Southampton, average property prices for first-time buyers fell 7.1 per cent year-on-year to £187,443. Hove, Poole and nearby Parkstone also made it to the list of 10 locations which have seen the sharpest drop in average first-time buyer property prices in the past year. Join the discussionIs it fair that first-time buyers are still priced out of so many areas?What's your view? Where are first-time buyer prices falling the fastest? Area Region Average Price Average Price YOY Exeter, Devon South West £201,248 -20.5% Derby, Derbyshire East Midlands £143,043 -10.2% Goring-By-Sea, Worthing, West Sussex South East £263,906 -9.2% Doncaster, South Yorkshire Yorkshire and The Humber £109,477 -8.4% Torquay, Devon South West £172,835 -7.6% Motherwell, Lanarkshire Scotland £108,458 -7.3% Southampton, Hampshire South East £187,443 -7.1% Parkstone, Dorset South West £248,963 -6.7% Hove, East Sussex South East £326,783 -5.4% Poole, Dorset South West £244,175 -5.1% Where are first-time buyer prices rising fastest?Bridlington in East Riding of Yorkshire (£167,321) and St Helens in Merseyside (£133,106) led the way, with average asking prices up 18 per cent compared to last year, Rightmove said. Falkirk in Stirlingshire saw average first-time buyer prices rose 17 per cent year-on-year to £118,327, while in Hartlepool, prices jumped 12 per cent to £104,276. All of the fastest-growing locations in the findings remained below the £170,000 asking price mark. Rightmove said there was high demand for cheaper homes among first-time buyers.According to the analysis, the average asking price for a typical first-time buyer property is £228,048, which is 0.7 per cent lower than this time last year.Where are first-time buyers paying the most for property? At the top end of the market, St Albans in Hertfordshire was the most expensive area to buy a typical first-time buyer home outside of London. It has an average asking price of £401,352. Epsom in Surrey, Oxford, Clifton in Bristol, Cambridge, Brentwood, Hertford, Bath and Wokingham all made it to Rightmove's list of the most expensive locations for first-time buyers, excluding the capital. Where are the cheapest locations for first-time buyers?Middlesbrough was crowned the least expensive location for first-time buyers, with homes coming with an average price tag of £90,929. Grimsby was branded the second cheapest location for first-time buyers in Britain, with homes coming in at around £92,031. Properties in Kilmarnock, Scotland, also came in well below the £100,000 mark, with an average price tag of £92,380 for first-time buyers. Five of the top 10 cheapest locations were in Scotland, including Greenock, Paisley, Irvine, and Aberdeen. Birkenhead and Burnley also made it to the top 10 cheapest locations, at £100,179 and £100,734 respectively. Colleen Babcock, Rightmove’s property expert, said: 'Affordability continues to shape where first-time buyers are looking, and we’re seeing the strongest price growth in areas where homes remain within reach for more people.'Lower-cost locations are still seeing strong interest, with competition for homes helping to hold prices up. In more expensive markets, tenants are taking a bit more time and thinking more carefully about what they can afford, which is keeping growth relatively flat.'Best mortgage rates and how to find them Mortgage rates have shot up again due to inflation triggered by the conflict with Iran reversing hopes that the Bank of England would cut rates. This means those remortgaging or buying a home face higher costs.That makes it even more important to search out the best possible rate for you and get good mortgage advice, whether you are a first-time buyer, home owner or buy-to-let landlord.This is Money's partner L&C can help you with its fee-free mortgage service.> Compare mortgage rates> Find the right mortgage for you To help our readers find the best mortgage, This is Money has partnered with the UK's leading fee-free broker L&C.This is Money and L&C's mortgage calculator can let you compare deals to see which ones suit your home's value and level of deposit.You can compare fixed rate lengths, from two-year fixes, to five-year fixes and ten-year fixes.If you’re ready to find your next mortgage, why not use This is Money and L&C’s online Mortgage Finder. It will search 1,000’s of deals from more than 90 different lenders to discover the best deal for you.> Find your best mortgage deal with This is Money and L&C Mortgage service provided by London & Country Mortgages (L&C), which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (registered number: 143002). The FCA does not regulate most Buy to Let mortgages. Your home or property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.