Mrs Bear

I dare say I'm thick, but who covers these payments, then, if CC issuers are not responsible? The shops? As for card issuers' reluctance to take card-fraud seriously, can't altogether agree. Have had cards stopped many times overseas because payments are flagging up as 'unusual'. Bl**dy nuisance recently when we were in Aceh and unable to get any cash out, but at same time appreciate that they are bothering. Daughter has had her HSBC debit card stopped several times, even though she's told them over and over that she's working in Aceh. After 2 yrs you'd think they might get the message. But it meant that at least they picked up the recent £2K (spent in India I think).

Agree 100%, but I fear Paddles has made his mind up and no mere proof will ever convince him otherwise. Good trains or not, I could never live in Surbiton, though. The mere name depresses me. To quote dear Jane A, "There is something direful in the sound." (She was referring to Birmingham, but there you go.)

Just had call from Mr Bear, who's working in South Africa at the mo, to say that for 2nd time in 2 months bank has called him with suspected CC fraud. First time was his company CC, this was our own. Total of over £5K in 2 months, and Mr Bear is careful. This wasn't internet purchases, just paying for meals etc. Most of the recent lot was spent in Australia. Also daughter working in Aceh (Indonesia) had £2K 'frauded' off her debit card (again not internet shopping) recently. That's over £7K in 3 months, just in this family. Anybody know what current levels of this sort of thing are? Seriously scary. Given that banks are feeling so stretched at the moment, what must be the impact of all these write-offs? Even higher levels of existing charges for everybody I guess, and no doubt they're busy thinking up new ones.

It would certainly redeem you with Mr Bear. But should add that if it takes you longer to get to the Sq Mile from KoT than from Bristol, maybe you should swop your sat-nav for a good old A-Z.

He's keeping them quiet. As soon as he lets one see the light of day, NuLab will pounce on it. Look at IHT.

Instead of which this govt. gave us HIPs.

Yes, I do wonder about all those people moving to Spain/Oz/Cyprus etc. because of the 'lovely weather'. Not quite so much fun having a pool in the garden if you can't fill it up, all your garden plants are dying because you're not allowed to water them and cost of elec for aircon is ruinous. On trip to Oz a couple of yrs ago it was awful to see even the relatively drought-resistant palms on the Sunshine Coast looking decidedly sick. Not to mention signs everywhere saying, 'Every Drop Is Precious.' Water will be the new oil I guess. Arabs in the Gulf where I used to live called rain 'God's bounty'. One of my English classes once interrupted since students had to go outside and do a little dance for joy in the rain.

Although I am a fully paid-up Bear for the forseeable future, I still think that property will be a good long term investment. I wouldn't advise my daughters to buy at the moment (in fact I'd move heaven and earth to stop them) but people will always need somewhere to live and unlike shares, a house is a tangible asset. Someone is always going to own the properties we live in, and in the UK it's unlikely ever to be the govt. taking over vast numbers. So if 'ordinary' people (OK I hate that word as applied to people too) don't own their own bricks and mortar, there will just be an army of super-rich landlords snapping them all up. Nightmare scenario of whole hordes of super-smug Wilsons.

Empty houses only deteriorate and cost money, and are harder to sell in any case. Plus, if you have relatives in need of the money do bear in mind that probate can take ages to sort out so it could be a while before you get the money anyway. In the current market the drop is really not so excessive IMO. So, much as it may sicken you to do it, I would accept and have done with it. As others have said, you could (and probably would) be waiting ages for another buyer and the ultimate price could well be considerably lower. All best of luck whatever you decide.

Are you Victor Meldrew in disguise? I think we should be told

Ah, well, the poor old EAs have to try, bless them, and at least Lords is one of the endangered species of EA who can spell You could make that 'garden' a lot nicer, though - at least I would. Time to go and water my own pots - spending far too much time on here.

Probably quoting Express front page today: NO HOUSE PRICE CRASH - or words TTE. Resisted temptation to buy it just to see which VI they were quoting.

Another drop in KT2: This one reduced from £375ish 2-3 weeks ago, now on with 2 agents at £349,950, still not U/O. Farthings is tucked away behind lower reaches of Kingston Hill, OK area, easy walk Norbiton Station etc. Of course I've been for a good old nose round the outside http://www.findaproperty.com/displayprop.a...p;agentid=03500

No one strategy is right for everybody - your brother must do what feels right for him and his family. Do hope he gets a good bargain and will be happy. IMO renting is all very well if you're young/free/single or have a very good landlord, otherwise it can be a pain. We lived in 'company' houses overseas for yrs - in the end got utterly fed up with being told eg we could not have new sitting room carpets even if we paid for them ourselves, since everybody else would think we hadn't and demand the same. After many yrs couldn't wait to get into my own house and do what the hell I liked.

Presumably the Arts Tower is still there? used to have nightmares about those Paternoster lifts that have no doors and don't stop - you just step in and out. However could get on at my floor (5th) light a No. 6 and it would last the 'round trip' until you'd gone all the way up and down and back to 5th.

Thanks for reply, Bonner, and ATB to you too.

Er, what thieves? They're stealing from tax and council tax payers. OK, some of these are bankers etc. - is this what you meant?

Where are you planning to go, just out of interest? Smoking bans are all over the place now and being added to y on y. Having lived in much hotter places for 15 yrs, I quite like UK climate too. And certainly never appreciated seasons (esp spring) properly until I lived in places where there were only 2 - hot and stinking hot.

PS - Since I was looking in this area a while ago primelocation still email me. They just sent details of an 850 sq ft 2 bed flat, just off Kingston Hill (not one of the ex LAs), easy walk station/hospital (=good rental), 165 yr lease, parking, balcony, £249,950. Having followed prices here for past couple of yrs I know that last summer this would have been priced at an absolute minimum of £275K, and v. likely more like £285K.

Good luck, surfgatinho. Similar situation in this family - sister and b-i-l with Power of Attorney trying to sell house of elderly aunt who's had to go into a home. 4 bed det, needs mod. but good area Herts. Went on mkt Dec at £425K, now reduced via £399K to £365K. Still only one offer (£300K I think) EA has mentioned possible renting instead but they'd rather offload and have done with it. Also rent on un-mod property relatively poor return, never mind the hassle, and aunt will need income for home fees.

Quite apart from anything else, Egypt is very vulnerable to periodic terrorist attacks on infidel Western tourists. Only takes one of these for people to cancel holidays en masse - wouldn't touch property there with a camel stick although I've had a brilliant holiday in Luxor and would go back (certainly to the lovely Old Winter Palace Hotel.) My dh was in Cairo on business on and off some yrs ago, inc. just after one of these attacks. He took a dawn trip to the pyramids, and was the only visitor. Very sad for the locals who depend so much on tourism.

I live in RBK too, and we only get aircraft overhead occasionally, apparently when the wind is coming from an unusual direction. In Richmond aircraft noise is more or less constant. Paddles, do you despise anyone who lives in eg Putney too? If not, is there any particular reason why we are singled out for your loathing? Just interested To reply to the OP, yes, it is generally overpriced but I do believe prices are coming down, but not enough of course. Out of nosiness I emailed a local agent recently about the length of lease on a property, and am now bombarded with emails of 'amended' prices. There's a mass of all sorts of property for sale in KoT - for example quite a few smaller-type 3 bed houses in the Tudor Drive area, v. popular because of very good state primary schools nearby, are now sticking and some actually reduced. 2 years ago these were selling almost before ink was dry on the particulars. I don't have property bee but I know it would show a few hefty reductions on all types. Now and then I do a 'flat' search on findaproperty - £200-350K - yesterday there were 100, as opposed to 88-ish a couple of weeks ago. An awful lot of the flats built in the last decade I would guess are BTLs - there are also stacks of flats up for rent. As I've said before, I'm fully expecting the local flat market to implode by 2009, but imagine family houses (by which I mean any 3+ bed, not just large det.) will come down less because of the schools. (KoT also still has grammars.)

Depends what you call 'worse'. It was always going to take something drastic to end the crazy credit binge, apparently intelligent people thinking nothing of running up £25K+ of unsecured debt. If the 'must-have-it-now' culture dies the death, I for one will dance a merry little jig on its grave. Who knows, people might even begin to think that living with a very slightly old-fashioned kitchen or bathroom is not in fact a fate worse than death. Maybe those waste-of-space gushing fashion journalists who invented 'must have' will even stop using the term. But I'm not holding my breath on that one.

Dubai is a massive bubble waiting to burst. I loved it once but now it's only fit for lovers of shopping and bling. I bet Victoria Beckham loves it, nuff sed. By contrast Oman, just down the Gulf, possesses a million times more class, and is a beautiful country to boot, not just a city stuck in the sand. OK, I'm biased, since I lived there for years.

Your time may be coming. Don't know what branch of eng you are in, but my husband is a civil engineer and says he can see that at last salaries are beginning to rise, simply because there is a shortage. IMO hard times will encourage students to go for courses such as eng. Many who might have done such courses have opted lately for eg finance, but this is not going to be nearly such a no-brainer option any more. A colleague's son who got a first in physics a few yrs ago walked into a very highly paid first job in banking - he is now fully expecting his entire department to be axed.