Phil S

A 15% drop in 5 years would be about 25% in real terms (assuming annual inflation at 2%). Quite a drop!

When the tories get elected there won't be an NHS to worry about cutting!!

Lets face it most people are clueless but remember its homebuyers who determine house prices and FTB all want prices to drop! QE or not, you can't defy gravity so sooner or later prices will drop (probably after the election!).

What a jaundiced view!

So thats why all IT consultants are fat! Is it your fault that the NHS national computer is f****d??

And most of them are tax dodging right wingers!

I have a different experience of "external consultants". We hired a company to look at our workflow and efficiency (NHS Laboratory). Turns out they had no concept of what we did, were shellshocked at the amount of work we actually did and lack of control we had over it (unlike the private sector we cannot charge for each item of work performed as we are tied to block contracts). Maybe they had the same preconceived ideas that they'd find people standing around doing nothing. They made their excuses and left with their tail between their legs!

I assume your pay has been cut by 20% because your industry has been badly hit by the downturn and business is down. Well business aint down in the NHS; the workload is rising all the time. Less pay for less work is palatable, but less pay for more work is not!

The private sector are in it to make a profit - just look at the high cost of health care in the US. Every year in the UK we are doing more testing but for less money as budgets are continually being cut. Lab workers amongst other NHS workers are highly trained and regulated by the other HPC (Health Professions Council). Google "lab errors in the USA" and you may change your view on privatisation! The government have screwed up big time with the cost of GP and consultant contracts but don't tar us all with the same brush!

Sorry double hit in anger

My public sector "non job" is processing your blood samples when you are in hospital at 2am following a heart attack. :angry: :angry:

There are some 'characters' who ask too much for a property and some who want it for too little. Both are equally without repute.

Maybe the builder has priced it correctly to sell quickly but still gets characters coming along offering less!

How about low interest rates, hence low repossessions so little in the way of distressed sales. Add to this the few properties voluntarily up for sale, quantitative easing (state sponsored propping up), bank of mum and dad, and cash rich buyers with nowhere else to invest and its not hard to see why there has been a stand-off so far. Wait till interest rates start rising and unemployment peaks and things are likely to change rapidly!!

A drop from £250k to £175k in 6 months is somewhat optimistic!

Flights are ALWAYS cut during winter. What is the %age cut compared to last winter??

I couldn't agree more. I used Ryanair once but never again. He's a big mouth paddy who needs shutting up!!

I bet you're a bundle of fun at parties.

I was most definately a bear until recently. But in my opinion whilst mortgage rates remain low and repossessions limited, the bottom will not fall out of the market. I have just secured an 80% LTV mortgage at 4X JOINT salary and if I can do it I'm sure many others will also. I've also just sold my house to the first viewer at asking price (15% down on 2007 valuation). Maybe I've just been lucky??

There is a wide spectrum of prices in Liverpool. A desirable 4 bed detached house in L18 or L25 (Woolton) has only dropped about 12% since 2007 and still fetches £400-600K, whereas most apartments have dropped considerably in price.

Prices will fall to 3.5X income. The snag is that it will be 3.5X household income and as many households have two incomes nowadays that probably equates to around £140K at todays salaries.