Ethel

There's an agent in my area who does 0.5% commission. Admittedly they're a no-frills agency, I guess you get what you pay for. But in these hard times I think people are swayed by the idea of saving a few £k. And they do seem to be selling a fair few houses at the moment from what I can see. http://www.homewebsite.co.uk/

If his assets are more than £31m?

I understand your argument but where do you draw the line? Are sportsmen responsible for their injuries? What about people who catch STI's through their own irresponsible behaviour? And people who get cancer because they ate bacon (as per a recent news story)? A very large proportion of the things that we need medical treatment for are avoidable if you change your behaviour, but we all have our vices. By the way I'd just like to say that despite this comment I'm neither overweight nor a smoker! Lol.

I do wonder about these people who decide that the price needs reducing and then do so by just a couple of thousand. Do they really think that a less than 1% reduction is going to make a difference to the average buyer?

Of course. Typical Nu Labour behaviour.

Yes they all stayed in their caravans playing card games all fortnight instead of going out eating/drinking/spending cash in the local pubs & restaurants.

As I work in tourism and in Devon I would be interested to see this.

Norman Tebbit? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Tebbit

Nobody is caged. We are very fortunate in this country to have a state funded education system. There's not really any excuse for leaving school at 16 unable to read or write.

In some ways I agree with you. But I can also see how it's unfair for somebody who has worked hard all their lives and built up a considerable nest-egg which they wish to pass on to their children be penalised, while others who have been less conscientious and have nothing get paid for by the state.

Exactly. 100 years ago it took, lets say, 10 farm hands to produce x amount of food. Today it only takes two men and a combine harvester, so much more productive. But the other 8 are now on benefits and still have to be sustained. So we as a society are no better off from this productivity.

To be fair we didn't get the employers side of it did we. How do we know that this guy was performing? If he was doing a great job why wasn't he one of the ones who got kept on?

What worries me is the thought that that these aren't the most hopeless cases, but an example of a very large proportion of today's Britain. Nobody wants to be the person who cleans toilets or flips burgers for a living but at the end of the day if there's no other jobs available you take what you can get. Not so in Britain today, it's a case of I don't fancy doing it so I'll choose not to and the rest of you can support me instead.

There's a house in my street that hasn't sold in well over 18 months and they've just put the price up £10k.

Good point. I was advised by an IFA to go for a tracker as "even if rates were to rise, they are unlikely to rise more than 1.5% in two years so you will still be better off than on any of the fixed deals which are all way too expensive" He suggested a "fab" deal of a 2 year tracker currently 3.29%, but Nat West have offered me 3.69% fixed for 2 years???

Here's my anecdotals. Tiverton, Devon. April 2009 3 bed detached newbuild - showhome. Been on market for 20 months (since market peak), price reduced in Feb 09 from £325k to £299,950. We offered £220k hoping developer would be desperate, were laughed out the door. Property still on market. May 2009 3 bed semi, asking £175k. We felt it was a good deal but offered £160k to start with with a view to increase offer if refused. Too late, vendor accepted an offer "near to asking" from someone else (actual fig not available yet.) July 2009 4 bed semi (3-storey) in conservation area, asking £215k We asked to arrange second viewing but too late, was already under offer after just 3 weeks. July 2009 4 bed detached, asking £217k Offered £195k, agent said vendor intended not go below £212k. They apparently accepted an offer of the asking price a few days later. Aug 2009 4 bed detached, asking £225k Offered £200k, was declined. Offered £210k (final offer), vendor deliberated for a week then declined. Property still not yet sold.

What, you mean even a HMRC drone couldn't be that thick?

Agreed.

You're not doing much to counteract people's views on the intelligence of the average public sector worker here, Mick.

And there you have it.

No you don't. The taxpayer pays it for you and then gives you what's left for "take-home" spending money.

I pay £200 a month into my private pension but you'll still come out better off. I deal with payroll and HMRC certainly don't help people to pay the correct amount of tax. Quite the contrary. I wonder if you're one of the retards I regularly have to deal with on the telephone. Oh, and Awooga.

You don't have to be a homeowner to start a family.

the flames, the flames...