str

I sold quite some time ago and was relived that my instinct was right and the crash arrived. My only problem is that , despite the statistics, i have yet to see the supposed 20% drop in my local housing market. The £200k houses appear to be on the market for not much less, certainly not £160k. I live in south devon (Totnes area) so has my area escaped the crash whilst everyone eslse has seen massive falls or is this crash just not what i was expecting. Anyway, i have to ring the estate agent as apparently that was it and now it is time to buy!! str.

Being an affordable housing developer I thought I should clear a few things up. Planning policies vary from region to region but the general approach is that on developments of over 25 homes, 30% should be provided as affordable, usually a mix of affordable rent, keyworker and shared ownership. In my area the proportion is 40% over 15 units. These are not free houses, they are paid for through private finance, Housing Association cash reserves and government grant. The developers subsidises these by providing them within realistic cost controls but also through the loss in income through the difference between the price they are paid by the Housing Association and the open market value. Many people were discussing Maslows Hierarchy of Need recently and agreeing with the principles. If people don’t have access to this fundamental need then how do we expect people to behave with respect if we don’t provide these basic needs. My view is that the problem is higher up the Maslow hierarchy in that these people in social housing do not have the belonging and esteem and therefore d not have the respect that many of the posts refer to. How do we cure social problems, do we work on an im ok bugger everyone else approach. I think not. We should look past the effects of social problems and look at the cause and maybe be thankful for the opportunities we have had personnally.

To set the record staight, from someone who works in afordable housing provision, there are essentially two definitions of a keyworker, one set by the government and in some locations one set locally by Councils. The government definition changes from time to time but essentially includes most key public services such as health, education, police, fire services and some local authority posts such as social workers etc. This is viewed as a restrictive definition so local Councils go further and consider, on a local basis, what essential positions suffer from recruitment and retention difficulties. Keyworker housing funded through government grant is only availble to the government defined list of keyworkers. I could go on about the rights and wrongs and the major problems of empty keyworker shared ownership but just wanted to set the record straight.

I wish it was true but not where i am. A new development of around 55 townhouses in Horsham, West Sussex, all been sold exept for one and they have only just completed the development. How do you explain that, hardly the sign of a HPC.

I work in social housing and absolutely agree. Current government policy places emphasis on using the private sector. The pressure is on to stop using temporary accommodation and to place people in properties leased directly from the private sector. I cant help think that is a deliberate attempt to prop up the failing BTL market rather than for any social reasons.

Is it realistic to get a reduction in the asking price for rental properties? I have seen a property that i like but the rent is 900pm. Our budget is around 700-750. Does anyone have experience or any anecdotes on negotiating good rental deals.

If you had a graph/figures for BTL investors, wouldnt this show that they have replaced FTB's and therefore kept the market for FTB properties moving. If this is the case, which i believe it is, we need to look at the number of BLT investors in conjunction with FTB to get an undertsanding of how the market is moving. A drop in BTL investors combined with the current figures for FTB will be a true guide to what is happening/going to happen.

Im confused. Reading the latest article from the Guardian which refers to a drop in house prices of 30,000 i start thinking crash. I read on and they start calling it a slowdown. Surely a slowdown is when prices stop going up or just stop. Is this just extreme VI propoganda or am i missing something.

You obviously know nothing about social/affordable housing.

I STR about a year ago and had every intention of seeing the crash out but have just seen my ideal property, a three bedroom detached edwardian house which i think is a probate case and needs complete renovation. Its priced at £250,000 but the maximum i can go to is £210,000. Does anyone have any thoughts on making an offer of around £200,000 or am i being unrealistic. Thanks.

Thanks, your probably right

Horsham, west sussex. begining to think that i made a mistake though.

You may be right in which case myself and loads of other people will trickle back into the mnarket and probably create the much talked about soft landing.

Despite what people think or belive on this website, it is being reported that prices are increasing and the market is picking up after a slow patch. Do all of you see these figures as fiction and even if they are, isnt it enough to convice the average jo public that there is no point in holding out any longer. I know myself that i have been waiting for a crash for 18 months and despite all the predictions it hasnt happened and isnt looking likley in the near future.

You would be hard pushed to buy a one bedroom flat for 75K in my part of sussex. So what happens when that person is 30. They earn say 35,000 which will allow them to borrow 122k which will buy them a 2 bed flat with no garden, just the right position to be in to start a family. You can make figures add up to illustrate any point you want