[lulu]

W12, on Feb 8 2008, 08:25 AM, said:

It seems that the most nauseating (in my opinion) of the property columnists has been browsing these pages......

http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life...icle3325824.ece

I find it sad that so many people seem to be so ignorant of the issues.

I find this statement insulting in particular:

"indicates that first-time buyers have been more disadvantaged by their own lack of purchasing power. "

So nothing to do with prices that have risen beyond all sensible measure then.... These stupid FTB's should just earn more (all of them)

I would like her to put herself in the position of todays 20 yr olds, if prices do not drop significantly over then next few years then the majority have not a hope of ever aspiring to a settled home I do not think her and her ilk realise this - if you are reading this Anne - please take a few moments to think about the concequences of the high prices we have now.

They (we) are left at the mercy of cowboy landlords whose only priority is to make money - I have had to move flats 8 times in the past 10 years. If prices had not been so ridiculous then I would have been able to buy something 5/6 years ago - I was 'priced out' then and am even more so now despite having doubled my salary and now have a reasonable deposit. Most FTB's cannot compete with BTL people who have access to far higher deposits and favourable conditions from banks and this government.

An entire generation is being shafted and arrogant comments from people like Anne Ashford do not help.

[Bloo Loo]

ANY FTB can afford their new home.

All they need to do is go to their Dogbox broker, lie on their mortgage application about their salary, take a fixed term Interest only loan of 8 times their real combined salaries, and bobs you uncle.

Oh and get their parents to guaranteee the loan.

[bobed]

This article from Anne Ashworth shows what the priced out are up against. People like Anne Ashworth who have been trying to pump up the value of their own property for ten years have control of the media and the ear of the politicians. The priced out have noone to represent them, not even the most housing aware politicians whose best idea is to give us "shared ownership".

If this article doesn't prompt us to get more active, what will? Letter writing is a start. First to write a letter to the f*cker and post it here wins a prize.

[Paddles]

Sir Talbot Avenger, on Feb 8 2008, 09:06 AM, said:

Don't worry. By the time this has played out, Anne Ashworth, along with Kirsty & Phil and Sarah Beeny, will be hiding from lynch mobs for a good few years.

Celebrity Big Brother 2011, the ex-property commentators special.

[lets get it right]

Paddles, on Feb 8 2008, 08:58 AM, said:

Apparently, falling house prices produce "human misery", as opposed to hugely inflated house prices which presumably cause universal happiness.

That's it in a nutshell.

I can't work our whether journalists like her are stupid or selfish.

Stupid enough to ignore the fact that rising house prices must mean that, collectively, we owe more to the banks. Almost every pound that actually changes hands when houses are bought and sold is borrowed.

Or selfish enough to convince themselves that the generation following them who, let's face it, are our children - can go hang themselves in a noose of debt for the rest of their lives - just so their generation can retire early with a shedload of equity (other people's debts) in their pockets.

This post has been edited by Lets' get it right: 08 February 2008 - 09:23 AM

[Austin Allegro]

I've replied.

That article just drips the shock and anger of someone who's suddenly realised there is a substantial body of opinion contrary to their own, and who lacks the critical ability to appreciate the arguments behind such opposing views.

We know you're reading this Ms Ashworth, so please keep looking at the site and try to understand the reasoning behind it.

[Knut]

How did that paperweight Anne Ashworth ever get and keep that job? I know people don't read the times for financial commentary but nonetheless deserve more than the wisdom of what may as well be the twelve year old offspring of the local insurance salesman.

[Benedict]

The rat and mouse has commented as well

Quote

The Rat and Mouse believes the motives are a mystery because they're a complete mixture. At the more noble end... a mixture of old-fashioned Marxism and a genuine desire to address some of the iniquities of the system. Less noble... envy and a desire to punish (although these motives haven't been thought through, because it won't be the rich who'll be punished by rising interest rates and lower house prices, it will be anybody who just managed to get a hand on the bottom rung of the property ladder). Furthermore... a few instances of a need - at any cost - to be proved right. Clearly, though, after a certain amount of time, all bets are off. You can't predict something, wait indefinitely for it to happen, and then claim a victory. And finally - of course - there are the nutters, who just like attacking people on the Internet. Luckily, the site has enough of the former to make it an interesting read. If that's your thing, don't miss out on HousingPANIC either.

Meanwhile, if you want to know who the nutters are, it might be worth watching the comments section below Anne Ashworth's article for the next few days.

[symo]

Added a reply but probably won't get listed on the site.

I find it ironic that most journalists never question anything given to them. I thought it was part of their remit to question everything. Now it seems all the journalists get their jobs on the basis of who they know. The reason for her backlash is that in reality the online community is slowly usurping the traditional media outlets. Information can now be questioned by the individual using online tools and this is causing fear amongst traditional media.

The fact that the article is putting out deckchairs on the Titanic I find rather amusing. Good luck Anne, in selling that one bed in Streatham (I find the article almost points you to that specific area, not Hackney where steeper falls will occur), as I don’t think you have a cat in hells chance of getting rid of it.

[IMHAL]

Paddles, on Feb 8 2008, 08:58 AM, said:

Apparently, falling house prices produce "human misery", as opposed to hugely inflated house prices which presumably cause universal happiness.

I used to buy the Times regularly but Kaletsky and Ashworth, coupled with the declining quality of rugby coverage has dissuaded me.

I stopped buying the times ages ago - its a comic book - in fact the SUN is better grounded!

Torygraph rules tho.

HAL

[crashmonitor]

My main issue with this article is the belief the Bears on this forum somehow got their forecasts wrong.Well scanning back to 28 December 2006 on Jason's prognosticator my predictions for 2007 were for the FT index to register plus 7.5%(the outcome was plus 7.9%)and 7.0% for the land registry(the outcome was plus 6.7%).

Admitted I was wrong with the Haliwide,but for being too bullish,8% as opposed to 5%;I didn't really expect things to detoriorate as quickly as they did and was looking for 2008 to start the ball rolling;though again housepricecrash was the only forum that foresaw the meltdown in the banking system.Indeed the only google result to Northern Rock and bankruptcy on google back in July was from a certain crashmonitor of housepricecrash so I was going round in circles, now there are thousands of results.At the time I thought well NR must be alright then seeing the internet is void of any discussion other than HPC.Not sure what Ashcroft was doing but journo's are f**king crap at foreseeing the obvious.

Quite pleased with progress so far.The -0.8% between Q3 and Q4 2007 is far better than the -0.3% start of the 1989-1996 35% correction between Q2 and Q3 1989.Secondly the slight bounce between mid-November 2007 to now,which is likely to see growth flat or a small rise between Q4 and Q1 spookily replicates the Bull traps of Q4 1989-Q1 1990 and Q4 1990-Q1 1991(both recorded positive growth on Halifax). Ashcroft's memory is poor,but I remember that on both occasions the journos were churping in February 1990 and 1991,that the new paradigm was safe and a housing bust had been averted.

[miccage]

I added this little ditty:



Are you insane? or really that selfish. This rant is easily the poorest attempt at journalism I have ever had the misfortune to read.

Can you not grasp the simple concept that because houses are too expensive a whole generation of people can not afford to buy a house?

Of course Btl has increased the amount of private rented accomodation. It has also massively increased the number of potential tenants by denying them the chance to ever own their own home.

I wouldn't mind so much if the government put in place laws to protect tenants from this new overclass of amateur landlords who seem more than happy to rip-off/make homeless/shaft (delete as appropriate) tennants at every available opportunity without a second thought to the consequences of their actions.

Now who does that sound like?



Go on Anne , you know you want to post it...

[thedebtisreal]

It's over the place at the moment. Alistair Darling, Grant Bovey, Ray Boulger, British Land and now Anne Ashworth. It's fair to say we are still in denial phase.

HPC and the entire financial system
vs
A few petty journalists and scared BTLers.

Book your place in the bankruptcy line, Anne, it's going to be busy.

[0q0]

grumpy-old-man, on Feb 8 2008, 09:08 AM, said:

Everyone has a btl portfolio now, even my doctor. When I asked my doctor what she thought about the current situation she said "property only ever goes up" I sh1t you not. A doctor ffs.

And the doctor wasn't being ironic? Beggars belief! I know the "bricks & mortar" mentality is hard to shake, but...really!

Bloo Loo, on Feb 8 2008, 09:15 AM, said:

In the crash of 1990's, My house was going down like a stone, but every time the haliwide stuff came on, me and the missus wer STUNNED that they NEVER reflected the losses we were seeing.

We lived in a very desirable house, a dream house, it has never been empty since is was sold for 45% less than we bought it for.

I dont recall seeing 45% drop in ANY figures published by Haliwide.

It will be the same this time.

Oh, and they base their figures on ASKING PRICES.

Same with mine in that they were saying "demand picked up, shortage" etc and mine was hardly getting any viewers.

Paddles, on Feb 8 2008, 09:22 AM, said:

Celebrity Big Brother 2011, the ex-property commentators special.

lol

IMHAL, on Feb 8 2008, 09:50 AM, said:

I stopped buying the times ages ago - its a comic book - in fact the SUN is better grounded!

Torygraph rules tho.

HAL

Anecdotal from years back: friend of acquaintance etc - Times biz office did or do read The Sun themselves, gets dropped in their office.

[Converted Lurker]

Knut, on Feb 7 2008, 09:35 PM, said:

How did that paperweight Anne Ashworth ever get and keep that job? I know people don't read the times for financial commentary but nonetheless deserve more than the wisdom of what may as well be the twelve year old offspring of the local insurance salesman.

there is more literary talent on display on this thread than in some of the editorial spat out by Anne and her team at times. She's also forgotten the seventh rule of fight club - never get personal when writing 'stuff'. Unless you are doing it from the platform of championing a cause it just comes across as bitter. However what with, for example, Rosie Millard and David Smith defending their 'positions' through the medium of their articles/rants perhaps it's now acceptable editorial behaviour