sinclair

Just to say very well done FP - you gave a very convincing argument as to why Scotland isn't immune to the crash - I know journalists on The Scotsman who still won't hear of this! The other pair were like rabbits in the headlights - giving very woolly answers. Very impressed with Gordon Brewers' handling of the debate too. Well done!

Rosie Millard is changing her tune! http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life...icle3165175.ece

It's funny that she has changed the title of the column too, from 'Tales of a Landlady'!! Although it would have been interesting to read her experiences of a falling market!

yes sentiment is changing, for example: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/busi...icle3136580.eceThe Times they all normally say in this column what a good investment property is & Rosie seems to be gradually changing her tune: http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life...icle3125828.eceThe Times

Yep me too! most lunchtimes, my colleagues ask if I'm looking at that loony website again!, needless to say we'll have the last laugh

I'm suspicious that the article hasn't been posted on The Times website, they are usually very good. Her last article had some fantastic bearish comments posted to it, I guess she read them and then lost the plot!! Anway, I thought she was supposed to have finished writing about property for The Times?

Just to say well done FP. You put across our case in a clear and concise manner. I think the soundbite approach really is the best way to get the message across, most people have the attention span of a gnat afterall!

Word is spreading as you say, its The Telegraphs leader, and very bearish views in the comments section. The Telegraph

I've always thought it was strange that there was a big issue about the Deputy Prime Minister job, and yet the Chancellor just seemed to scuttle into the back door of no.11, makes you wonder if nobody wanted the job!

West Lothian as an investment makes no sense - see no of fixed prices in probably the most attractive West Lothian town: ESPC website (type 'linlithgow into the search box)

Well you could always try Linlithgow - just looked at the ESPC website there are 14 properties & all but 4 are fixed price. There are three flats at Broomyhill Place I've been keeping an eye on - all fixed price and none of them shifting

Remember to add you comments to the Today programme debate too - Housing debate

I haven't seen this posted here already - what interests me most is the over 100 responses to the article - unusally high for The Scotsman newspaper. The Scotsman

ok - have fixed the link now!

Actually the fixed link you have given is not the article - it is by Kat Muir in todays paper - for some reason it won't open though.

However there is an excellent article in The Times today about high house prices and their negative impact on society by Kate Muir Kate Muir

Also http://letting-solutions.co.uk/ and http://www.mavorproperty.co.uk/ - I've noticed that both sites have many more properties for rent than they did this time last year.

Here is another interesting article about Scottish housing (bids for Edinburgh council houses) The Scotsman newspaper

I just wanted to say I completely sympathise with your situation and am in exactly the same boat - my partner and I both have two degrees and both wonder why we bothered as we should have just become property speculators! The worst thing is explaining to relatives that property is completely overpriced, they generally think it is 'our fault' that we are still renting in our late 30s!! - Well weren't we bad for studying all those years!!

Hi Bill, Thanks for posting this - very interesting! I rent in Linlithgow and noticed that these flats (think two others were on the market towards to end of last year too) took forever to sell. Also, have you noticed, not only how few properties are for sale through the ESPC website, but that most of them are fixed price in Linlithgow? Think things might be beginning to go our way at last!

yes I received this too - it really demoralised me as they just dodged the issues as usual, they know it too - they just hope younger generations not on the housing ladder will work without questioning why we can't afford housing - it's disgraceful that we are being treated like this by a so-called labour government

Yes agreed - I feel very sorry for those going through higher education these days, it is so much tougher for them than it was for me

Ah yes - here we go the Polytechnic bashers! - I did an Industrial Design degree at a Polytechnic in the late 80s - (a degree not offered by Universities in those days) - I earn a good salary these days thank you - I agree with other who have stated that it is 'what you study' which is important - there are plenty of degrees offered by traditional universities which don't lead to obvious career opportunities. I know 4 University of Edinburgh History graduates who now all work as University Secretaries.

How about we all sign up to the petition on the 10 Downing Street website? at least we might all feel better (well for a couple of minutes anyway!) http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/search?q=affordable+housing The petition is is for the PM to: "Use all measures at his disposal to create a controlled but very substantial and permanent fall in the cost of housing in the United Kingdom, both purchased and for rent." (95 signatures) As you can see there are only 95 signitures - we can do better that that!