Flopsy

Hi there Bilboid, Sounds promising! If you have any links to properties please post them. I'm not looking at KT8 but would love to compare notes with prices in Esher/Weybridge etc. Many thanks.

Hi, I'm here as well. It's a great site and I'm learning a great deal. Work in IT so used to an all male environment anyway!

Hi Niksims, It may be different now but a while back we found a flat, the offer was accepted and the seller pulled out. It was very difficult. The building society offering the "top" mortgages from the newspaper were very hard to get through to on the telephone. It took me a few days to get through and then had to make an appointment to got through the application with them on the phone another few days later. With my high st bank (the one have any account with ) it took 10 days to get an appointment to come into their office and even discuss it. We went with the BS as their rate and terms were better. Went into a nightmare of forms, identification etc. This took a solid week and I sent it "signature required" but they still lost my application. The BS had chnaged their system to one where each application then went through a credit check and approval before they would process it further. This took more than a week. Then it took them more than 2 weeks to arrange a survey. I was on the phone to them constantly during the first month as they kept us in limbo and didn't feed back any information as to what was happening. The first time buyers you are talking about here may be in the same nightmare. It was so exhausting. The FTB's you speak about may assume that you know how awful it is or expect you to ask if an update needed.

On Radio 4 tomorrow there will be a phone in discussion on the property market. It's called "Call you and yours" and usually starts at 12 noon. On today's program there was a short discussion as well. Starts about minute 47 if you use the listen again faccility from the Radio 4 Website. Select "You and Yours" as the program to listen again to. Regards,

Had a drive around Cobham yesterday before visiting some friends in Anyards Road. There were "sold" signs outside a block of flats there between the "to let" signs which may mean some landlords are selling up. A neighbouring cottage was also sold and there for the sale sign had only gone up a few weeks ago. Looks like things are selling at the bottom end of the market. Does anyone have an opinion or knowledge of the development "Victoria Place" in Anyards road, KT11? Kindest regards to all from,

Hi there, I got the same legal advise from a lawyer as Heather did. If the letting agent said that the Landlord agreed the new contract and it was drawn up and you signed then it is considered as agreed. It does not need the LL signature as the agent is acting on his behalf. However, in my case we did not get to go to court and argue the case. It's all dependant on what happens in court. For example you want it to be a AST as you get more notice. The LL needs to get a court order to evict you if you stay after he has served a notice on you. Your argument is that it will not be the right notice at the rght time. Therefore you end up in court to defend the eviction notice. Under the new deposit scheme there are added protection if they haven't protected your deposit and given you the information. I don't know how this works as yet. Good luck. Kindest regards,

Thanks Tig, We looked at some new flats next to the park a few year ago and nearly bought there. Someone outbid us on the last good flat. I think the development was called "city park" I've been keeping an eye on the area since then, so appreciate your posts. Kindest regards,

Hi Ash, No, sadly many landlords sell the flats (or try to) with the tenants still there. It happened to us last year. We found ourselves in an awful position of having EAs harassing us to arrange access. Very unpleasent. No extra "for sale" signs where we live in London (central) or where we would like to live (Surrey) as yet.

Hi Paddles and all, If anyone would like details of that development that a suspected fraud was done on send an email to me at housepricecrash21@yahoo.com I don't want to mention in in public and have the EA send me hate mail etc. I'm going to see if I can find details of some others as well. Kindest regards,

I can supply a development if someone wants to run with this. Currently unable to go so myself as recovering from a road traffic accident. Looked at a development in Surrey. 3 flats for sale. Checked land registry prices for one and current asking price LESS than the sold price registered. Estate Agent says that there was some sort of cashback fraud. Outside of the block is festoned with for sale/to let signs.

Thanks Heather, I learned through bitter experience and was not this stroppy when I started out.... Why not leave the letter at the PO and then it will be returned to sender. A resource I found really good was through my local council (Westminster). They have a tenants/landlord helpline with great people. Good luck! Please let us know how you get on.

Hi there, This is very normal even with so-called reputable companies. I have never been able to agree an inventory because the person preparing it is under the control of the agent or the LL. They normally lie in my experience. Make sure that you photograph all the bits that are not clean. Make notes and date them. Note and date all conversations. Send a registered letter to the LL and the agent. Make sure that you keep a copy and proof of delivery. Say that the inventory is unavailable / incorrect and the property was not in a clean state. Say that a clean was promised verbally and not delivered. In my experience this is a normal agents trick. Why would they or the landlord pay for a clean when they can get you to do it for free. It's common to blame another tenant moving out. Usually they didn't clean it because.... it was not cleaned in the first place. Say that you will not be responsible for the final inventory and will not be responsible for the final clean. Say that the property is not in a fit state. List the repairs that are needed. If you do all of this by phone they will deny it ever happened. Then it comes down to their word against yours and you need proof. Have they charged you for the first inventory? You are right that if you do not sign the inventory they cannot take any deductions. However, this is beside the point. As they have your bond that may deduct from that. Your only option is to take them to the small claims court or the deposit scheme. This is where the photo's come in handy. Good luck! Please don't feel that this is unusual. It has happened to me on every flat I have rented and I have always been able to sort problems through the small claims court if needed.

That was great Jonathon! Thank you. I think that they were embarrassed as they could not argue against you. I listen to these programs all the time and I've never heard them sound anything less than smug. This time there actually was fear and uncertainty in the air. We mananged to get an email read out. My other-half asked about sellers who pitch too high and didn't sell. I've listened to it again and it sounds as if in the last crash people held onto their property and sold it for 10-15% less than they wanted. Does that sound right? Did I get the right impression? One of the guests started off by not admiting there was a problem.

Hi there, It's probably the "builders deposit" on a new build that stopped the deal rather than the 95% bit. I spoke to my bank (HSBC) about 4 months ago about a new build and they said that they take off any offers and then work out the mortgage. They wouldn't accept a builders deposit either unless we could put up money of our own as well.

Cancel that request... I found it BBC1 10am weekdays. http://www.bbc.co.uk/homes/tv_and_radio/huth_index.shtml

Thank you - this sounds really interesting. What channel is it on and I'll try to catch it.

Hi there, I have been in this position many times. Although I am an excellant tenant and have never been evicted or been taken to court, I have had to sue (in the small claims court) every single one of my landlords to recover bond at the end. I have also been harrassed by landlords and lettting agencies in every single flat I rented. The situation is that you have the right to quiet enjoyment of the flat. However, the Landlord (and his myriad agencies) have the right to enter the flat with notice for repairs, emergencies and indpections. There is no "official complaints proceedure". It doesn't exist and agents make this up as they go. They may have someting written down but it's not going to be fair or legal and they have no jurisdiction over you. They can either take you to court or take you to court. Given the descripton you have given the court may well be sympathertic to YOU. I have taken legal advice in exactly the situation you are in. I was advised to take notes and photos of the harrassment - i.e. the visits from agents and the LL. This is to show the "other side" that if you are taken to court you will have the evidence to defend yourself. The only way that they can enforce access to the flat is through a court order. This takes time and money on their part. You get to defend it. It would be very unusual for them to do this. In my case it never happened although they kept sending letter after letter threatening me. This is intimidation and part of the game for them. In one case the LL refused to give my bond back and tried to take off the legal bills he had encrowed trying to intimidate me. The small claims court awarded all the money to me. If I have to do this again I will ask for damages and so things more thoroughly. What I suggest is that you send a registered letter to the landlord with a copy to the agent. Show them that you mean business and are savvy enough to defend yourself. Say in the letter (and in dispassionate terms) that there appears to have been illegal access to the flat. Remember that your LL doesn't care about you or your peaceful enjoyment of it. Also remember that if you say anything in this letter your LL may use it against you in court or to intimidate you. You will have to be devious. Say that in order to maintain security that you may need to change the locks. Say that "someone" appears to have entered the flat and you don't know who. Ask the LL if he could arrange this for you. Do you have a cellphone that you no longer use? We had an old one and I said to the agent that ALL calls most go to the cellphone. I said that all access had to be approved first. I took the old cellphone to work but left it off. Listened to it at night only and every couple of nights if I was ill or busy. I allowed access to the flat for one afternoon a week only. I refused to take any calls from them to my landline etc and hung up. For the "stranger calls" I reminded them that under the data protection act my details were confidential. Ask them where they got my details from. Ask them to write to me with their requests so I could trace the data protection problem. Remember that there people don't care about you and would sell their own Mother if given a chance. Just a few ideas - let me know your thoughts

Hi to all, I looked at some flats in Surrey where the asking prices were lower than the original sold prices. The EA suspected that some sort of fiddle had gone on there. I checked the original sold price of one in the online govt website and it said £375,000 in 2005. The same flat was on the market for £320,000 in 2007. When I looked at other new-builds to buy, most developers were offering to pay stamp duty and legal expenses. When I spoke with the bank (for a mortgage), they were going to take the "incentives" off the mortgage price. However, some building societies I have spoken to subsequently were not that interested. Am I right in assuming that if a developer pays stamp duty etc and therefore realises their "asking price", the amount shown as the purchase price in the land registry will be wrong? This will distort the government house price figures and show prices rising artificially.

Wow Tomas, What a result. Do you have any idea if others houses in that street have been selling and what initial "markup" the agent put on the house? I usually look in the land registry webpage. Don't bother with the house if it's not "the one". Sounds as if you will have the pick of the market. Kindest regards,

Thank you Tomas and HPC poster, There may be some hope for me yet!

Thank you Rachman for your very full reply. I looked at the Penzenza and the Tilt but as it was at the end there was nothing in my price range. The Tilt had one left but there was no gas (all electric) to the flat and it was just out of my price range. If gas had been connected to the "station side" flats I would have bought one. Tried to talk this through with the developers but they were not at all helpful so gave up. I went back and had a chat with one of the residents when I saw one on the market. They don't feel very secure there and a flat was burgled. They are trying to gate the community to stop people driving and walking through. The one that was for sale, had my usual problem. Bought with stamp duty paid etc and now wanting to sell at a premium. I'll wait and see what happens there. The same thing happened with one at the Banner Homes on Between St's. Bought with stamp duty paid and then put on the market at an inflated price. No interest, so sat vacant and now I think they have put a tenant in there. I noticed that Banner Homes had bought another plot on between St's and I think that is the one you mean near Waitrose. I've put my name on the waiting list for details when available. I'll try the Effingham Junction development. Looked there a couple of years ago and couldn't find much in the way of easy to get a wheelchair into flats. Will also try the Oxshott ones you mentioned but I've a feeling that they were out of my price range. Will re-look. Wish that so many developments for the elderly would take the young disabled. Won't even let me have a look as I'm too young. The Banner Homes development "The Grange" would have been ideal but only for the over '50's and they say that they can't budge on this. Thanks again!

Hi all, Hope you don't mind my jumping in here. Have been looking at flats in Elmbridge - mainly Cobham and Weybridge. I'm disabled and can only live on one level - hence the flat needed. Weybride is awash with flats, however I'm putting in offers below asking price and they are not being accepted. The asking prices are really over the top. The flats don't sell and the owners end up putting tenants in them or takes them off the market and leaves them empty. Hopefully one day one of them will sell to me... The asking prices of the flats are silly. I look up the original price paid and then calculate the new price to offer them. It's not working! One recent property I put in an offer and the seller accepts a higher one from elsewhere. Surprise, surprise it doesn't value at survey and the seller takes it off the market. I'm sick of renting and not being able to adapt the flat properly. The expense of doing this, and then having the lease end is too hard. Any ideas for now and for the longer term?