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ITV News just reported Labour are preparing smooth transition between Bliar and Brown. Any bets on when Tony will go?

Vinny, Thanks for the blow by blow critique. Not required, as not all personally directed towards you, but much appreciated. In answer to your comment re dental nurse/hygienist: no, not my profession, but only added because you used the term dental hygienist to illustriate a point about some women letting the side down re wages. Let's put this one to bed.

And are men also going to take an equal role in birthing the babies? I think you'll find that the retirement age for women is already increasing to 65 in line with that for men. Also, the disparity in life-expectancy between the sexes is reducing, primarily because women are adopting male behavioural characteristics: ie. working long hours/ excessive alchohol consumption. We cannot change our biology. If we want young people to care for us when we're old, someone has to give birth to them (and it won't be the men ) and accordingly, provision must be made for this crucial investment in all our futures.

And how many unfinished in the city centre?

Wickford isn't that bad. OK, the high street is pretty dismal and it has almost joined onto Basildon now but it has a decent train link to London. Saying that, there are an awful lot of new houses that have grown up like fungus around the dual carriageway in the last few years. I for one don't want to live on a traffic roundabout.

Maybe you should be the one to start that approach in your relationship. Never know, it might catch on.

In the case of a childless couple, each has an equal opportunity to earn money. I suppose you could live with separate finances. However, when a couple has children, the children are the first priority for both partners. The family is a state of shared existence: all resources should be communal. In an ideal relationship both partners are giving of themselves (not always in a financial sense) and not counting the cost. You can't put a price on everything.

Tut, tut. Can't believe how resentful some of you guys are to women. It's not only men who lose out financially in divorce. I have a friend who is still paying off the morgage she took out to buy her second husband out of her house. Message for Vinny. Check out your facts. The average dental hygienist, in the South-East, is making £25-30 per hour. Would you call that a poor wage? I don't think you understand the difference between a dental hygienist and a dental nurse. You probably don't floss either. Can't imagine why any man would have a problem with his wife/girlfriend earning more. I don't know, money for nothing and still grouching.

Couple of sliders: This one has been around for ages. Was on for £277,000, now £267,000 http://www.primelocation.com/uk-property-f.../ddbe999000173/ And this errr, unusual property I believe may have originally been on for £299,000 (v optimistic). Now revised to more realistic £269,000 http://www.primelocation.com/uk-property-f.../ddbe999000205/ Think I'll hold off a while and see what else slides into my price range.

Dogbox, where did you source this bargain? I'm looking in Herts and would appreciate any tips.

I sold to rent because I considered it was the best option available to me at the time. To be honest, I didn't contemplate the morality the effect selling would have on the wider population and, as I sold to a big time BLTer, who already had 16 properties, I'm not going to shed any tears about it now. The obscene debt orgy is the problem here. I don't see any evidence that the small minority of people who've had the guts to STR have made a major impact on UK house prices or the economy. :angry:

Up until March 2005 I was renting a nice BTL in MK. Kept an eye on the prices then and the average price for a 2 bed semi in Walnut Tree was about £145,000. Don't see much of a slide yet. However, there seem to be a good proportion for sale with 'no chain'. As mentioned before, this is prime BTL land. I paid £595 a month in rent. Looks like I could get a similar house now for £575. Oversupply?

Perceived wealth is closely tied up with property prices. Most people don't have savings, they only have the 'value' of their house. Can't blame them for getting touchy when you want to devalue their asset.

I think we need to be careful of sweeping generalisations, but the reason that I believe the welfare state should be reformed in for the protection of children. At work I come in contact with many disadvantaged people and what worries me is that the benifits culture makes it possible for people with severe psychological/addiction problems to reproduce. I've seen a 12 year old girl who has holes in her shoes (yes in 2005 in the UK) and doesn't go to school (can you imagine how the other kids would treat her). Mother is alcoholic, what chance does the kid have? I've heard a 6yr old girl relate a tale of mental abuse from her father: he has an incurable mental illness, that's nobody's fault, but would she have been born into this situation if government had not made it financially possible. And I see the end product in prison where damaged young men hurt themselves and others. More than once I've heard 'I've never felt so well cared for as I have in prison' On the other hand, I know many families who have 'worked the system' and have cared for their children well. I think this is a very broad and complex issue. In our society wealth is respected and it doesn't matter how you get it (Eg: Abi Titmuss etc). It's not surpising so many people are on the make.

I live in Berkhamsted, West Herts, and got a staggering -0.7% prediction. Optimistic aren't they.

Apologies if this has already been mentioned. Just playing with Yahoo Property Price Predictor and got a rather rosy prediction of an increase of 8% for a detached house in mid-Essex for 5yrs time. Wonder what they base this prediction on? http://www.propertyprices.co.uk/ppp/web/yahoo.asp

Over in Berkhamsted (West Herts) houses are still selling but I doubt all are acheiving full asking price. My neigbour sold her 2 bed terrace for £237 last month (sale not yet completed), asking price was £249.950. Some of the houses, which have been on the market for a while, have been reduced. For example: http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-899...pa_n=1&tr_t=buy I believe this one was on for around £250 originally, now £239.950

1) Let it out again - For how long? Do you expect your income to rise long-term so that one day you'll be able to afford the repayments and move back in again. 2)Fine if you want to share. 3)It's a risk. Might pay off, might not. In a few years you could be quids in, living in a simliar house with lower repayments, or, if prices rise, you might have to look for a smaller property. Stick or gamble - the choice is yours.

What happens to the SIPPS property after the death of the investor? I have been told that, as it is part of a pension, ownership reverst to the state. Is this true?

I agree, perhaps the answer would be to make people work for benefits. I see nothing wrong with those receiving state help being asked to labour 3 days a week for the state in return. Our parks, streets and hospitals could be spotless; free childcare could be available to all. It could also provide valuable experience and social support for the isolated. This could also be extended to those of on disability. Two people I know personally: 1)Ex-heroin addict. Damaged leg in accident. On disability. Nothing to do all day. Lovely young man and with appropriate help and support could be a useful member of society. 2)MS sufferer. Used to do a physical job before struck down with MS. Lonely. Isolated. Bored to death? I don’t disagree with spending money on the needy. I just think we should spend it well.

Count me in, my plackard holding arm is getting twitchy. perhaps we could campaign for double council tax on second homes (i think the Lib Dems suggested this at one point).

This post comes with a warning: if you are shocked by right-wing sentiments please stop reading here. Young, educated and hardworking? May as well not bother. The real problem is the current futility of working for many people in this country. Paying back the student loan, paying rent to BTL landlords, paying exorbitant taxes (income tax, NI, council tax, road tax, VAT, tax on fuel). Paying into a pension fund that might vanish into dust long before you reach retirement (at 70? 75?). House prices out of your reach? Living frugally? Can't rent/buy a house big enough to have children? Look over your shoulder and see the big, fat benefit culture on your back. Why work? Free housing, no alarm clock (free new car if you can get into the disability racket). Have as many kids as you like - and get paid for it. Unnatural selection: breed the weak, the lazy, the sick and the feckless. There's no respect for honest labour anymore. Can't blame them. If my choices were wiping old peoples' butts for £5 an hour or sitting a home in front on Sky TV and getting paid to keep my hands nice and clean, I know which I'd choose. But… As the educated worker struggles to produce any offspring at all, the benefit culture breeds a contempt for work and workers. And.. Who will look after us when we're old?

My neighbour has just sold her house. It's a two bed terrace in very nice condition (new kitchen, decking in the garden, very neat and tidy). The asking price was £250 and she accepted £237. She's quite clued-up on the property situation, and having bought years ago has made loads of money, which will shortly be winging its way to Oz.

I work in healthcare, in both the public and private sectors. Funnily enough it is the public sector that is suffering at the moment. The local PCT is nearly 10m in the red this year and has put a freeze on all new vacancies. In my opinion we're operating a sellotaped together, curling at the edges service with staff shortages and overwhelming demand from the public. However, I would say that I do believe there is still a degree of wastage in the NHS with inappropriate staffing and unnecessary bureaucracy being top of the list. Overall, in my area, I would say the squeeze on public sector jobs is well underway.

Noticed that Scotland didn't figure at all, probably didn't let those two muppets into the country. At one point Kirsty said prices were ' bound' to rise. What kind of liability does she (and Ch4) have for giving such enthusiatic advice if prices fall? In 10 years time, you'll see those two in one of those programs which show clips from old cringe-worthy programs and say, 'What ever happened to Kirsty Allsop after house prices crashed?'