ronpember

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtm.../ymcowie129.xml Just do not do it. Save up for a bigger deposit instead. First-time buyers should resist the temptation to enter the market this year, whatever sparkling gimmicks are spread out before their wondering eyes by a Government desperate to revive its plummeting popularity.

I think if you are looking at it from the pov of STR then yes it's rubbish - but if you are selling something to buy - well it makes sense to me.

Where is this please?

Hello - this is just my opinion but I reckon that particular attitude may well have worked in a sellers market, but right now I think you would need to be just a little bit more accommodating to the needs of your clients - and by clients I mean the buyer - for in this market the guy with the cash in the bank is your client. That's just my opinion because I don't really know much about it all.

This is an excellent thread topic and I quite agree with the thrust of what the OP says. Whenever I see a place I am interested in it is through Rightmove or Findaproperty. I will use the "contact agent" button which requires a telephone number be entered. I will put my e-mail address and then state that my preferred method of contact is e-mail. They always phone up. This must be because they feel they can apply pressure to me as a buyer by telling me that the house has come under offer and that I had better be quick or some such rubbish and then asking me directly when I would like to view. When it's written down in an e-mail I can coolly reflect on their words - when in conversation I don't get so long to consider the variables. I personally don't think it is Luddism on the part of the agents - I think they would prefer to interact more closely with any potential purchaser in order to get a feel for their motivation/financial position. Who knows? One agent recently did play it my way - corresponded through e-mail and when I viewed mailed me to ask what I thought. I mailed back and we had a brief discussion about the merits and de-merits of the property etc. Refreshing. But so many others are being weird - eg. the agent who e-mails me their entire catalogue of properties for sale - then posts it as well!! Or the ones who just won't phone or mail at all. And it is weird - I'm the one with the money in the bank after selling up last year and they're the ones who, even if they won't admit it, are desperate for a sale.

According to this article, dated today 27 July http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/news/columnis..._author_id=1865 "The next instalment - price figures based on the society's loans for the month of July - is out on Thursday and will show further steep declines." So what are we saying? 1% mom is my guess...any thoughts?

Don't know if anyone's mentioned this but I think it's quite extraordinary - Lot 30 is round my way and according to Nethouseprices http://www.nethouseprices.com/index.php?co...gToSearch=16600 sold for £545k in 2005 but went unsold today for £270k. Seller was the MIP - that is a hell of a markdown, I think you'll agree!

Well yes - obviously - but 45?

Nice one - you couldn't have expected any other reaction though at this stage. My own experience in making "cheeky" or "insulting" offers (as they are laughingly called - try changing your "cheeky" asking price then mate) has been for the Agent to have me down as a time waster and to keep me at arms length. I find that the best strategy now is to admit that any offer that you are likely to make would be substantially beneath the asking price as it stands at the moment and request that your interest be borne in mind should the sellers' expectations reduce say of the order of 20% to 25%. Then it's up to the agent to encourage you or not. Patience is required - part of the game!

Is this a record? - this one http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-218...=1&tr_t=buy has 45 pictures - wow!

Yes really (why the agression?) - in terms of money.

Ten years is an arbitrary point in time. Try 5 years and even without dividends reinvested the FTSE is up comfortably. It's all about the timing and since the author chooses a point in time where the market was buoyant and compares it with today when ... well when it is extremely volatile, then obviously he finds that there's negative growth.

Sorry - but when I click your link I get : We are sorry... You have requested a page that does not exist.

Here's a smashing one!

Yes - it's the RICS report http://www.rics.org/Newsroom/Keyissues/UKr...2008_150708.htm It's too big to attach directly but go to the link and then right click and save on the "PDF Downloads" bit at top right. Lots of bearish doom and gloom!

Lovely alliteration there - no Croydonians in today?

A friend of mine who sold his place in Old Coulsdon, Surrey (in the London Borough of Croydon) last September, caught up with the EA who ran the transaction recently and asked him how much his place was worth now. He sold for £280 and was told that his place would be worth £250 now (if he was lucky). So say he received £275 after all the deal costs and that he sold today for £250 (£245 after fees etc) with a completion in September 2008, then he’s already £30k better off by having done what he did. But assuming he placed the cash in an account yielding 5% net per annum then that £275 would now be c.£289 – so in fact £44000 to the good. But then strip out the rent he must be paying on his 2 bed flat in Purley (£900 per year??) and he is still up a cool £33k - £2750 per month. Well played that man. So two anecdotes there – salutary STR story and evidence that suburban Surrey has taken a hit to the tune of 10% over a period of 10 months. Oh and renting is dead money you know!

Not helping though...

OK - but now they're not, having taken on board £4 billion. I'm not saying everything's rosy, just that they are now in a stronger position. Also, fwiw the title of the thread differs from the headline in the Telegraph - the Rights Issue is not "threatened" because the share price has diminished...the rights issue will go ahead, the underwriters must feel the pain - no problem for HBOS shareholders or savers. I'm happier now to have my pretty substantial STR fund in HBOS as compared to a couple of months ago when it was doubtful that the RI would be supported at all.

Why would you move your money? HBOS are OK - they have shored up their capital to the tune of £4 billion - it's the underwriters who are squirming. Aren't HBOS now one of the best capitalised banks on any of the European bourses?

Are you Attila the Stockbroker then? Welcome aboard, I admire your work - Ron

I think you'll find that it is the third segment of the Key to Time.

Quite right - I mean check this one - mad APR.

http://forexfactory.com/calendar.php This site has tomorrow Tuesday - "tentative"!

Maybe his mate's house is bigger than your friends' houses? Great article though - very well argued.