mhifoe

Our costs are: Council tax: £90 (Band Electric: £30 (key meter) Gas: £20 (key meter) Water: £15 TV licence: £10 Broadband: £10 (12 month offer, £18 thereafter) Phone: £15 Sky: £20 Total: £210

Their figures really are comical. They clearly just take their figures directly from mortgage application forms without checking whether the rents are realistic. Looking at their website, they will give you an 85% mortgage at 6% and they require the rent to be 125% of the interest only payment. Their average house price is 162000. 85% mortgage of 137700. Monthly payments of £688. Therefore anyone who wants this mortgage must claim a rental income of £10328. Their 'average rent' figure is £10835. I doubt there is a single £160k property in the UK that could actually achieve a £900pm rent. Near me, a property worth this month typically rents for £650pm.

SN1 is a good choice, especially if you don't drive. I don't think you'll find much support for buying at the moment on this site. Nothing is selling in the Town Centre unless it is discounted heavily. The only house near me that has sold recently was discounted 10% on what similar properties were selling for last summer. Whatever you do though, avoid the new-build flats. You'd be much better off buying a 2 bedroom terrace if you can afford it. How much were you thinking of spending? You can rent a 2 bed house for 500pcm or a flat for 400pcm. You won't get much for that sort of expenditure if you are buying.

I'd like to see income tax allowance raised significantly. It's a disgrace that someone an 10 grand a year gets hammered with income tax.

I think the concern is if the virus mutates and becomes transmissible between humans. The 57 people who died in asia died because they lived in direct contact with poultry, if it had mutated it could pass to anyone who comes into contact with them. http://www.newscientist.com/channel/health/bird-flu To be honest though, if it comes hereyou can't do much about it, so it's not worth worrying about. It might be worth avoiding going to work in the result of an outbreak though.

One couple who are friends bought a house last year. However, they have a combined income of about £60k, and they bought a modest terraced house in a reasonable (but not too special) area. No-one else I know could possibly afford to buy anything other than a decrepit 1 bed flat. It would cost us 20% more than our rent to buy a comparable property.

I'm thinking of putting a bit of money into a goldmoney allocated gold account. Are there any tax implications associated with this sort of investment? Is goldmoney a good company to use for this?

I noticed recently that Rightmove have added a feature which allows you to identify the location of property for sale. Take this house for instance. It looks all right at first glance, but click on 'Map' and the property becomes rather less inviting. http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-716...pa_n=6&tr_t=buy

Many of the petrol stations near me have been putting up new signs with extra space for more digits.

I love the way it's described as 'an excellent refurbishment opportunity' because it has been firebombed.

I disagree. The £200k flats in Cornwall are not being bought by local people, they are being bought by people from the south east. They can afford this because their houses in the home counties are 'worth' £300k-£500k. I know this because my mother is planning to buy a £200k house in Cornwall by remortgaging her house in Hampshire (I have tried to stop her). If house prices aren't going up, people can't MEW to buy more houses. When this happens, a 2 bed house in Cornwall will be worth what local people can afford, which is significantly less than £200k.

I have the same feeling. Did you know that the government is changing the rules on final salary pensions? http://www.thepensionservice.gov.uk/atoz/a...etailed/fs1.asp This part is of particular interest: "indexation of pensions in payment on rights built up from April 1997 in line with RPI capped at 2.5%" This means when things get difficult, they can whip up a few years of 10% inflation and the pensions bill will magically reduce.

Why not change banks? I'm with First Direct and have never had a problem. I used to be with Natwest and they were a right wunch. The counter service in most banks is a joke these days. My wife banks with Halifax and they won't even let you take out cash over the counter, unless you want more that 500 quid.

I have an MBNA credit card and the APR is only 6.9%! Maybe they should have a disclaimer: 'competitive rate compares with a cash loan from Harry 'Mad Dog' Jones. In addition we won't break your kneecaps if you dont pay.'

Recent discussions about the excessive price of new-build flats got me thinking. What sort of house can you buy in your area for a similar price? Here's an example near me: http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-674...pa_n=2&tr_t=buy It might claim to be a penthouse, but it looks like a hospital, is behind Woolworths and is is £310k. And it's is Swindon. For less money you could pick up this: http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-771...pa_n=3&tr_t=buy or this: http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-679...pa_n=6&tr_t=buy Can anyone do any better?

Bring back Alvin Hall I say.

I once visited a trailer park to buy a roof rack and was surprised at how nice it was. Certainly a step up from some of the more scary council estates. I'm was actually farily surprised they haven't caught on given the huge prices for even a grotty house in stabsville. But the reasons you give explain why people have given them a wide berth.

Just 19.9% APR!!! I believe they used to say their cars were AA approved, until a Watchdog investigation revealed that their cars are shoddy death traps. I've never seen the point in blowing money on a shiny motor, especially if you have no money.

Indeed. A visit to their website reveals this little jem: The overall cost for comparison is 8.0% APR. Oh dear.

I'd say Town Centre is starting to edge down. There are some studio flats behind my house which change hands fairly frequently. They were changing hands for about £65k last year, and at the beginning of the year people were asking £68k (although none sold). They are now being offered for £60k.

True enough. However, it is close to many of the comically expensive new-build flats. Have you seen the ones on Milton Road opposite the Health Hydro? Nice 5 lane road out the front and just 110k for a 1 bed!

How about this for under 100k? http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-599...pa_n=5&tr_t=buy

I think 2 bed flats in Swindon are going to take a hammering. Thousands have been thrown up in the last few years at ridiculous prices. Plaza 21 and the new block on Princes street are a classic examples. Why anyone would pay over 120 grand for a flat behind Woolworths when they could buy a nice terraced house for less is beyond me.

All you need is some tellytubbies to live in it

It depends. I always rent through the free ads and it is not a problem if you make sure you pick a proper landlord rather than a BTLer. It's easy to avoid BTLers. They always advertise for 'professionals only, no smokers, no pets, no children'. It always amuses me when people try and rent out large houses and specify no children. Respectable letting agent in an oxymoron.