lulu

I am fixing for five years - I could go tracker and pay a wee bit less but a fix at 3.39% for 5 years is a no brainer when most trackers are ~2.99%. Surely within 5 years rates will have gone up a bit?! I could be wrong would prefer the security. I am buying now as I have thrown in the towel. They appear to be determind not to let house prices fall and seem to be prepared to inflate all our debts away. My 'perfect' house has come up and I am going for it.

Me too, greedy tossers

I have splashed the cash.... I move in in about a month. My perfect home has come onto the market (well it is perfect until the roof falls off and it slips down a mineshaft), I know that it is very probable that in a few years time it will be worth less than I have paid but it ticks all the boxes and I have a low rate five year fix which is making my payments similar to what my rent would have been. I will overpay in the meantime so if/when rates go mental I should be secure enough. I dont trust those in power to not totally trash the economy to maintain house prices at idiot levels no matter what the cost. I am getting bugger all on my savings so figured i may as well take the hit and settle down which is something I have been unable to do in rented accomdation. I would like to have pets and most importantly need some security from the decision of some idiot LL to sell their 'investment'. I am also hankering after a garden and want to invest in it ( growing 'value' crops - raspberries, tomatoes, and the like so it should also save me some money on fruit/jams etc. in the summer. I will turn into a sad homemaker type but will not have to put up with entirely pointless inspections from the LL's agent and that is worth a few thousand on its own. It has been proven over the last few years that holding cash is no longer to be rewarded in the way it should be. Credit is the only way to go and when they continue to bail out the feckless there is no point holding cash. This is against all my principles but it is the way it is going which is very sad.

Instead of writing a book he should be been signing up for some new training (assuming we have too many accountants) surely one would expect someone on 70K a year to have a few savings? How about using some of his skills working on a voluntary basis for some charities? Even if unpaid it would keep his hand in for when a permenent job turns up. God forbid he may actually enjoy woking in a role that brings in less than 70K but does more to help his fellow man than accountancy. I don't understand these 'pleading poverty' middle class sob stories if they had enough about them then they would use their resources (both financial and educationally) to help themselves.

So what %age is mountain/fell/fenland/lake/sand dune/river? I would imagine that the %age of 'useful' farmland is quite low. Vast hectares are unsuitable for much other than low intesity lamb/deer farming.

And there is yet another problem with the current regulations regarding lettings. The flat I am in just now was supplied with a bed that was not fit in a skip and various other bits of furniture etc that no one will ever use but are on the inventory so must be there when I leave.... Even if one buys replacements you have to keep whatever shite the LL provides. My favourite is the (not small) ashtray that is on the inventory in my current rented place. I had to sign at least three bits of paper with the agents to say that I would not smoke - or allow anyone else to smoke in the place. When I asked if I could get rid of it (as it was after all a 'non-smoking' flat I was told it was the LL's property and so had to stay in the place. I am tempted to break it and leave it in a cupboard when I leave to see if they have the cheek to charge me for it.

Conflicts?! As far as I have experienced one should expect to lose most/all the deposit for a list of any number of things that the LL thinks are justified.

+1 I was there this afternoon, shit poor quality clothes at inexplicably high prices. I don't mind paying sensible prices for half decent quality but to be sold substandard shit at inflated prices is beyond me. I have to say I was in C&A last year in Innsbruck and the clothes seemed pretty decent - I still miss C&A (I really do - not joking)

We can't do anything too nasty to the bankers. After all, all these highly talented individuals will leave the country if we don't look after them and then where would we all be without the might of the City of London.

I suspect there are certain individuals involved with this behaviour who would probably enjoy that. I don't know why anyone is upset - they have done nothing illegal..... :angry:

I would be curious to see his tax bill too. Like all good Socialists I am sure he pays more than his fair share.

Maybe they are trying to keep the value low so it is not stolen. Twigs would add at least a few thousand to the cost. I don't think I have spotted any laminate flooring yet either so they are obviously amateurs they can still aspire to be 'property developers'

I find it curious though that they have now been branded 'property developers' I am looking forward to the day when 'property developer' is right up there with 'banker' in people's estimations.

Wish I had seen that. Labour are just as bad as the Tories on this front. The telling thing is that they were in power for 13 years and did sod all to stop all this racket and now have the cheek to blame the Tories for sticking with it. It is tragic that the people who pay the most tax (as a proportion of their income) are those on the lowest salary. I lose something like a quarter of my salary in various taxes/NI contributions. Shame on the system that those with more money are able to dodge it - particulary in the case of Carr - basing a part of his act mocking others 'avoiding' tax....

This is my personal highlight... "Buy-to-let parasitism has been promoted on British television for over a decade. A shit parade of awful scum have promoted buy-to-let on dire DIY TV shows like How to be a property spiv on Channel 5, Kirsty Allsop's Property Porn on Channel 4, and the BBC's House Prices Can Only Go Up. "

I think I may call and ask for a viewing.

Socialism at its finest... Exactly how much money has Blair made from property?

Not a problem with renting. It is the tenancy laws that are so in favour of the LL's that are the problem. Petty rules about inventories and deposits and short notice periods for the tenants are the main problem. I do not like yellow walls yet my tenancy agreements tells me I cannot paint the walls and when I asked about painting them another colour I was told I was not allowed to - yes I could move but that is a big hassle. There is also the world's biggest ashtray on the inventory - I had to sign several statements to say that I would not smoke in the flat. When I asked the agents about throwing it away I was told it was the LL's property and on the inventory so I had to look after it.... All with the privalage of 8 weeks notice to leave - I can't imagine how shit it must be if you have kids with the short notice period and inevitable minor damage - that is of course you find somewhere that allows children - not just 'professionals'.

I think you win with that selection. A more odious group of self-entitled shysters I cannot think of... I do not hate many people but at least one of the above fit into that catagory.

Well all they need to do is to buy a few less Ipods then they will easily be able to afford their own home....

House prices can only go up - 'you can't go wrong with bricks and mortar' The brainwashing runs deep - so many people I know are of the opinion that house prices simply cannot and will not go down.

Hi, my point was (admittadly could had been missed as I had a drink) was that the report declares that the cost of essential repairs - ie damp etc is 'zero'. This cannot be correct - it should at least say 'unknown' or something?

I am very close to telling them to stick it - I think my offer is fair, considering the work needed and the HR ( but the HR I think is missleading to the seller).

I agree too. My first (very fair offer I believe) offer was rejected as they will 'accept nothing less than valuation' and have been 'exceedingly busy with viewings over the last few weeks'. Well my spies have been in action and they have had NO viewings (other than myself). I think my offer is more than generous given the market situation/work required and taking into account the place is very much what I am looking for. I may start a process of offering a grand less each week (until my solicitor gets pissed off )

I am negotiating for buying a property just now and agree that these Home Reports seem rather strange. There are a number of category 3 (in need of immediate repair) mentioned but they have been given a cost of dealing with value of 'zero' - including damp, asbestos in a dangerous position (about to collapse) and rotten timber work around the windows. I have deducted the appropriate from the home report to deal with these but the vendor does not want to know (and does not want to remedy these issues themselves) they will accept not a penny less than the valuation as despite being given a catogary 3 and being obviously in need to being looked at. The valuation does not seem to have taken these into account as they are not listed in the repairs needed next to the valuation report.