tlrrd

Not sure where you got you numbers from, this is what I found: 154 units available under 2000 http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/find.html?locationIdentifier=OUTCODE^1666&maxPrice=2000&minBedrooms=2&maxBedrooms=2 226 units available over 2000 http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/find.html?locationIdentifier=OUTCODE^1666&minPrice=2000&minBedrooms=2&maxBedrooms=2 Based on the LHA caps below, which I believe are for this area, The market has an artificial floor at 1256 GBP per month. I'm not sure how much income they can have from other benefits or work that they could top this up with.... anyone know? 290 * 52 / 12 = 1256 Inner North London BRMA https://lha-direct.voa.gov.uk/SearchResults.aspx?LocalAuthorityId=19&LHACategory=999&Month=5&Year=2012&SearchPageParameters=true Shared Accommodation Rate: £88.50 per week One Bedroom Rate: £250.00 per week Two Bedrooms Rate: £290.00 per week Three Bedrooms Rate: £340.00 per week Four Bedrooms Rate: £400.00 per week

I was trying to compare apples to apples, but I don't think you noticed. Manhattan is not the equivalent of N1 - mainly because Manhattan is a very odd apple. (land constrained district of a much larger city). Also, the UK only has 1 international city (which I chose to define arbitrarily as whatever backs my arguement up), the US has several. Manhattan to my mind is possibly equivalent to WC{1,2}, W{1,2,7,8,11}, SW{1,3} together - but even then I wouldn't consider it to be an exact thing.

Being married to a US citizen means these comparisons come up frequently for me. We've STR, and can't find anything that makes sense for us in the UK (London, N1). The only problem is where to go in the US? Healthcare isn't an issue when you don't have a mortgage to pay. I prefer Mill Valley, CA for the job prospects and the town (has great schools, and one of the nicest old town squares I've ever seen). http://www.trulia.com/property/3052629945-373-Carrera-Dr-Mill-Valley-CA-94941 Or Boston (actually cambridge, but hey, whatever), as we have friends there, and it is the most similar to the UK in feeling and proximity: http://www.trulia.com/property/3055986319-7-Salem-St-Cambridge-MA-02139 These might not have the curb appeal of the floridian neo-classical marble monstrosity the original poster links, but the points remains the same - Why stay here, and mortgage yourself to the hilt, if you can move to the US?

Hi, Been lurking here for a long time. STR in 2009. Plan to leave the UK if things don't become affordable. California are keen to have my tax dollars as well....

That is a real eye opener. 423K GBP buys you 3 beds and a pool?! That is less than the deposit I have saved. This deserves a seperate thread. "compare your overpriced house here to the half price house there".... Difficult to compare apples to apples though.