noname

Some figures from Halifax for London at http://www.hbosplc.com/economy/includes/23...alesrelease.doc Local Authority District Average Earnings £ Kensington and Chelsea 101,374 Hackney 26,980 Islington 43,071 Southwark 34,142 Hammersmith & Fulham 40,437 Tower Hamlets 33,795 Lewisham 26,924 Westminster 62,472 Lambeth 30,342 Wandsworth 41,576 Newham 21,597 Greenwich 27,289 Haringey 28,909

They say the average "family" wage so presumably this does not include non-family wages. There will be many high earning couples in London. The TUC published median wages last year http://www.tuc.org.uk/welfare/tuc-13656-f0.cfm

House for cash only? Great idea. I am prepared to start the new trend right here, right now. I am offering a tidy £1,000 for your house. Yes, that's right, a tidy £1,000 in cash. I would prefer a four/five bed detached in the south east. A three bed semi would be OK. Thanks.

Not very comforting viewing for the amateur buy to let brigade. The sheer amount business amateurs have been allowed to borrow is worrying. The woman from Kent was amazing. Bought four flats she had never seen for what must be around half a million quid. Half a million bleeding quid!

In 2005: "The average home in Hillingdon now costs £224, 628 compared to £143,893 in 2000, an increase of 56 per cent. Over the same period, salaries have decreased by -9 per cent, from £28,873 to £26,302." http://www.dominionhg.co.uk/index.php?id=2...Hash=6a1f63fde7 "Average house prices in Hillingdon are high by national standards; at £263145" http://www.capitalambition.gov.uk/documents/Hillingdon.pdf I wonder how may FTBers in Hillingdon could actually take advantage of the grant and get a mortgage even if they wanted?

I predict the next TV reality show boom will be "frugal living". Staff at your local Netto/Aldi/etc could become the small screen stars of tomorrow. The Guardian were going big on grow your veg today http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2008.../growingyourown

Most popular shop round here (nondescript SE London suburb) is Primark. Always very busy. The high street now has a couple of pound shops. And a new Aldi. Even M&S are doing jumpers for under a tenner. Still looking at around £150,000 to get even a one-bed flat, though. Why don't Primark move into housing?

People who took out stupidly large mortages compared to their salary no doubt thought they were being really, really clever. They now face the prospect of finding out they have been really, really stupid.

The TUC gives median wages for all of the regions here: http://www.tuc.org.uk/welfare/tuc-13656-f0.cfm About £30K for London. They say: "The median is the half way value through a distribution. If you are paid the median wage it means that half the population earn more than you and half the population earn less than you. It is not the same as the mean wage, which will be higher, as this will be skewed by the very large wages enjoyed by the top few per cent, but it can be said to be the pay of the average worker."