MississippiJohnHurt

Seconded, everytime I read it I can hear Cartman saying it: "you will respect ma recoverehhhhh"

it will just be put down to "deteriorating markets" like everything else has been Not that I dont agree with much of the sentiment on this thread. The Fed are in a tight spot here, but I can't see how they'd engineer their own demise in this way. Perhaps more likely they'll make it too easy, say everything's fine, and the markets won't believe it and pick its own victims (who'll then have a ready made excuse for needing more capital: "we were fine, the Fed said so, but then them nasty shorters targeted us"). So I don't believe the specifics of this rumour, but what it has done is increased the pressure to say something v quickly, cos now the market is focussed on this whole stress test thing. It's a dangerous time for people to start thinking about it, right at the time the rally starts running out of steam....

blimey guys, 8 pages on an asking price survey?! Asking prices have as much credibility as a picture of the Loch Ness monster. The fact that the likes of Rinoa cling to them should give bears plenty of confidence that the crash will continue....there's not much else to cling to is there chaps (oh wait, approvals rose 4% in February )

does anyone actually believe this? (I mean that such a test would be designed?!)

Does it do it well because it says something you like?

??

it's just asking prices tho init

Haters! I think Mctavish is one of the more intelligent bulls, seems to genuinely believe what he says not like obv wind up merchants like Valerius and Rinoa. Have read quite a bit of debate on here lately and really, I don't think his views are much different to us bears, he just thinks things will turn around quicker. Anyway don't think it needs to get personal, it's good to have alternative opinions around to debate.

and the midges on the west coast. Damn them midges, so aggressive and numerous. Still with £53m quid I'd be able to buy quite a stock of avon skin so soft, the f/ckers hate that for some reason

This place is right on Knoydart, you can only get to it by sea. Do you know the area? Britain's only real remaining wilderness. V special Could do the proper tin foil hat thing in that place, although I'd probably work more on sitting on the beach playing guitar and drinking beer.

it's called a credit cycle. Was it artificial expansion between 2003 and 2008? Anyway if there's any artificial intervention now, it's exactly the other way round, the government are trying to interfere in the "free" market's appetite for giving credit through unprecedented measures: historically low interest rates, QE, getting lending commitments from nationalised banks, etc etc. But the banks clearly don't want to go anywhere near the lending practices of the last 5+ years. One day, they will again. Both situations will greatly influence house prices. Aside from government attempts to intervene, what's artificial about it?

I'd buy this: http://www.homes24.co.uk/doc.html?_a=view&id=897260 And a lot of guitars.

agreed, as someone who's recently been looking for a rental place, we found these to be the worst quality (and often the most expensive) of the lot. The ones we looked at generally showed no regard for the prospective tenant, owners often barely even bothered to tidy up before viewings, and were less likely to show flexibility in negotiating on basic things like furniture etc. Added to the knowledge that they'll turf you out without a thought if an offer comes in, it's doesn't really make for an attractive proposition. On the plus side, the volume and quality of these places is enough to drive prices down for all rentals in the area I live, so we just got a lovely house for 200pcm quid less than it went on for less than a month before. Nice

BTL and milking it - do you honestly think that these "BTL and cash rich" brigade will be sufficient in number to get the market going again? (esp cash rich people - are there enough of these to get transactions up to the level needed for price appreciation??) As for yields - did you see that stat today on rental values (think it was posted on the front page of this site?) I'd be v careful about yield assumptions at the moment. You might find that one part of the calculation is not as fixed as you think. Finally, I'm interested in how the rush from BTL landlords back into property will be financed. I'm not close to the BTL market so maybe you can help: are you seeing genuine evidence that the banks are keen to increase exposure to BTL? Bearing in mind the experiences of B&B amongst others, I wouldn't have thought that large increases in BTL exposure fit too well with the banks' current risk profile?

bit rich coming from you isn't it?

Respect. That sounds just perfect, from where I'm sitting (at a desk, in a large office block, waiting to go home on a crowded train

So do you think the crash is nearly over? If so, why? (and please, something more than "because recent surveys say there is more interest in property again and HSBC are now offering a 90% mortgage")

wow, that sounds a bit good. What do you do for a living out there, if you don't mind me asking?

would it really ? (not trying to start a row here or pick you up on average earnings, means and medians, and Loan to income ratios etc etc, I'm just interested in what you're basing that on....)

why?

You've just stated that prices are on the way back up, and you're telling someone else to get real!

Valerius your inability to grasp reality is just silly. I've asked you before and you didn't answer - what are you referring to when you say "50% off" or "half price" etc? It's like you think there's this mystical fixed price for houses??

Lol, that's right. The sun is back out in the economy and prices will be on the way up again soon! I think you shd stop wasting time amongst us gutter dwellers, some of whom don't even own our own houses. You should be down the local EAs snapping up them bargains. If I were you, I'd also be pushing myself to the limit on the loan to income ratio on my portfolio - I can't see any reason why interest rates won't stay the same for the next 15 years at least. But I will defer to your knowledge on this one as you seem to have a keen grasp of economics. Post some details when you're done, I'm keen to see how you get on with your new properties. Unless, of course, you're just a wind up merchant?

That's because you are a joker who is desperately searching for reasons why prices might start rising again. All these reports lately have said that sales are picking up, although at very low levels, and any sales are tending to go through at significant discount to peak prices. This is great for us bears, but for some reason people like you think it heralds the return of the great days of '07.

These reports on activity are misinterpreted by the media and bulls on here. There seems an automatic assumption that increased volume leads to increased prices, which I find strange coming from an equity markets background - plenty of volume over the last year in equity markets.... In any case, each of these recent reports on increased vols clearly states that where sales are going through, they're at a significant discount to asking prices. Surely a good thing in terms of the momentum of the crash. The more sales at discount, the more new prices set at the margin, and the more average prices will fall. Which is nice, because house prices are a bit silly really.