Not a STR

[THE WATCHER]

Just to say i'm not a STR I'm a FTB and do not like the idea that this site is now being classed as a haven for STR, Who (in other peoples eyes) started as a bunch of people who just sat round and decided to STR to make a big profit and talk the market down on a website and come back in when their job is done.Just to let everyone who comes to this site just to read ie media there are a few FTB on this site who have no interest in Profit,STR,Locationx3,Kirsty,Phil,Mayo and who ever else i Just want a place to call my own.Oh and afford up North (i dont care about national average wage Blah,Blah,Blah)23k i Think somebody said Pah What North is That Not the Northwest Thats for sure.(ok rant over Bring it) :angry:

[Starcrossed]

Although I don't think there is any evidence for non-STR folks being put off this site I can understand your concerns, Watcher (fan of Marvel comics BTW?)

I happen to be a STR but more because I was moving house anyway and it plainly make sense to not to buy again for a while.

But my interest is not purely self-interested. I also have concerns for my stepchildren that they will never be able to buy a house (should they want to) unless houseprices drop. The same goes for any FTB out there - why the hell should anyone need to spend three quarters of their income to buy a house?

[Topher Bear]

Yep, another FTB here...who also just wants a house to settle down in (and a job too would be nice!)

Topher Bear

[Time to raise the rents.]

Well done for drawing attention back to the real issue.

It's not too productive when STR's spend their days finding ways to encourage people to think the market is collapsing (the BBC radio program being an example). At the end of the day they're simply speculators hoping to be correct.

But the FTB is what matters here, people that for no fault of their own can't afford to buy a home.

[Sledgehead]

Just to say i'm not a STR I'm a FTB and do not like the idea that this site is now being classed as a haven for STR, Who (in other peoples eyes) started as a bunch of people who just sat round and decided to STR to make a big profit and talk the market down on a website and come back in when their job is done.Just to let everyone who comes to this site just to read ie media there are a few FTB on this site who have no interest in Profit,STR,Locationx3,Kirsty,Phil,Mayo and who ever else i Just want a place to call my own..... :angry:

Look at the support for your comment : TTRTR - a bull

Why do you think that is?

TTRTR would like nothing better than to hear FTBs' pips squeaking on this site. It reinforces his opinion that there is a huge pent up demand for a ) his rentals, b ) property.

People like you, professing your desperate desire to move into some shabby box will only drive prices ever higher. If I wasn't a committed contrarian your little speech would have me diving for the property rag to seek out a few BTLs of my own.

If you think STRs are your enemy you are very much mistaken. They are the cool head of reason that says "property, but not at any price".

If you wanna dis people try Kirstie and Blair.

[Time to raise the rents.]

Sledge,

STR's are openly saying prices will come down & I'm selling so I can get my hands on the cash - someone else's loan. They're passing the risk on to someone else out of their greed/fear.

BTL's are saying, this proposition works, I'm willing to take the risks & I hope it work's out in the end. I don't think there's anything greedy about offering places for rent at market rates & accepting the risks that go with that idea.

Either positions above could be argued endlessly and there's scope for reversing everything I said.

But at the end of the day, FTB's are normal people who want to buy a normal place that they can afford.

Did you know that apart from not letting places out to familes, I also try my best not to let them out to 35+'s. It's not age discrimination, it's the result of my opinion's on our life cycle's.

IMO if a person hasn't sorted their life out by 35 YO. They're increasingly unlikely to and I don't want to be part of the fallout when they're made redundant & can't pay their bills anymore.

What is sorting your life out? IMO it's establishing yourself in your community, in your profession etc etc. Home ownership goes hand-in-hand with those things.

Ooh, I can almost sense the rush to the keyboards.....

[Sledgehead]

They're passing the risk on to someone else out of their greed/fear.

Greed/fear?

People sell through fear at bottoms because they have too much and buy through greed at tops because they think they need more. How does STRing even come close?

STRs need not have STRed: the widely accepted view would lead them to remain OOs. From the cool , calm quiet of ownership they have decised to leave a market that is hysterical. Fear and Greed?

[Time to raise the rents.]

Fear - as they see a number, bigger than they've experienced before and fear it may change.

Greed - because they feel if their opinion is right, other's will suffer (those that they sold to) & they won't.

[THE WATCHER]

What i'm saying is that house prices are too expensive in the North and anybody who says otherwise can come here and move into a 80k mid ter with no front or back garden for the kids to play in.Oh no sorry as i said there is no garden i know they can play next to the road :angry: JUST WANT PRICES MORE REASONABLE so just shut up KIRSTY with that drivel you keep coming out with.HOUSE PRICES ARE TO EXPENSIVE and if nobody does'nt know what i'm saying i'll post again.Sledgehead i'm not against STR but people in the media think this site has been set up for STR's thats what i'm saying. .

p.s Bring on the crash

pps the 80k is not the best area if you want the AVERAGE area its 120k for the same house.

[THE WATCHER]

I would just like to add that iam not trawling round estate agents offices every week i would'nt give them the time of day i dont even like seeing other people in the places.Im not desperate to own my own place maybe 2 years away depends on the decline in house price but i will wait thats for sure.

ps Despondant you've got loads of time stay at home and pay of the student loans first then and only then start looking maybe they will be a lot more attractive towards your salary then.Good luck m8

[Dee Monic]

I don't think we cam blame the meejia for being confused on this one. Even though I know webmaster is the founder and he's waiting to FTB, I found the London Tonight interview came across as Gavin the STR bing the website founder.

That said I think the likes of Kirsty and Fill are going to point the finger of blame for the crash at this website, and Merv or anyone else but themselves. It's easier to fault an STR, but I bet they would have still had a go if it had been an FTB representing the site. They would have played the envy card etc etc.

Don't let them divide and rule! FTB/STR/ people wanting to trade up due to growing family, people with grown up kids still living at home who can't afford to buy, there are many who would benefit from a drop.

The ones who benefit from continued high prices are investors, trade downers, and those in the business such as estate agents.

Looking on the bight side it's far far better to be an FTB waiting to buy than one who has just brought. I feel really sorry for those FTB who have been sucked into over stretching themselves at the top of the market. They are facing years of huge debt.

[Big_Bad_Bear]

Fear - as they see a number, bigger than they've experienced before and fear it may change.

Greed - because they feel if their opinion is right, other's will suffer (those that they sold to) & they won't.

Correct on both counts. I sold as my house was worth more money than I could have reasonably have expected to earn in such short time. I took the cash as I was afraid it would dissapear again. I admit that.

Greed, not quite so clear cut but I would like to hope that my jusgement was correct and that I will be better off in the long term. I pity those who are rushing to the market now but maybe one day they will pity me. Who knows?

For me the risks are small. The market could rise more, big deal. I'm in the position where it's likely I will inherit mortgage free property. I also have a large bag of cash. Of course, taxes could change and I may not get the inheritance and the market may continue to rocket, leaving me renting forever.

Yes, both are risks but I see them both as very small risks. I have never felt as secure as I do right now. When I owned a home, the very thing that was making me wealthy was causing me stress. When to sell, if to sell. I am happy to see prices go higher for a bit, it's very difficult to call the very top of any move.

At the end of the day I guess we must all make a decision and tale a chance. There is even risk in doing nothing.

[Helen]

Hi

I've been reading this site for some weeks now, and have found most of the viewpoints very interesting even if they are v different than my own.

I guess I've joined this as I really feel strongly about the comment that TTRTR made about people in their 30's :

'IMO if a person hasn't sorted their life out by 35 YO. They're increasingly unlikely to and I don't want to be part of the fallout when they're made redundant & can't pay their bills anymore.' (not sure how to put in quotes properly yet!)

I am that age and spent my 20's home owning and raising a child - subsequently got divorced, so had to rent - then decided to go to Uni and after graduating got a job 4 years ago. I'm now earning circa £35K and still renting - but in the area I live (East Anglia) unless you want to live in the middle of Thetford, Gt Yarmouth or not especially nice parts of Norwich, then a reasonably ok 3 bed house will cost around £150K which I cannot afford on my salary. I don't want to live in a 'starter home' and I guess that I feel that with my age and salary I should be able to afford something nice. (Even in my area 2 bed terraces are around £125K which would be the absolute limit of what I would want to spend.)

I'm not likely to be made redundant, I pay my bills, save, drive a new car etc, yet I cannot get on the ladder. There are lots of people like me too that I know and all are increasingly frustrated. I ended up with negative equity in the early 90's and most certainly don't wish for a crash so that others end up in that dreadful situation, however, I cannot see any other way for many FTBs to enter the market.

Hope this doesn't come across as too much of a rant!

[Big_Bad_Bear]

Hi

I've been reading this site for some weeks now, and have found most of the viewpoints very interesting even if they are v different than my own.

I guess I've joined this as I really feel strongly about the comment that TTRTR made about people in their 30's :

'IMO if a person hasn't sorted their life out by 35 YO. They're increasingly unlikely to and I don't want to be part of the fallout when they're made redundant & can't pay their bills anymore.' (not sure how to put in quotes properly yet!)

I am that age and spent my 20's home owning and raising a child - subsequently got divorced, so had to rent - then decided to go to Uni and after graduating got a job 4 years ago. I'm now earning circa £35K and still renting - but in the area I live (East Anglia) unless you want to live in the middle of Thetford, Gt Yarmouth or not especially nice parts of Norwich, then a reasonably ok 3 bed house will cost around £150K which I cannot afford on my salary. I don't want to live in a 'starter home' and I guess that I feel that with my age and salary I should be able to afford something nice. (Even in my area 2 bed terraces are around £125K which would be the absolute limit of what I would want to spend.)

I'm not likely to be made redundant, I pay my bills, save, drive a new car etc, yet I cannot get on the ladder. There are lots of people like me too that I know and all are increasingly frustrated. I ended up with negative equity in the early 90's and most certainly don't wish for a crash so that others end up in that dreadful situation, however, I cannot see any other way for many FTBs to enter the market.

Hope this doesn't come across as too much of a rant!

It's quite right that on your salary that you should be able to afford a reasonable house. The fact that you can't illustrates that the market is just wrong. There are many like you and many of them are finally capitulating and buying a house for way more than they can afford. They will become slaves to interest rates and negative equity in the likely event of a downturn.

You are quite right to continue to save and buy a house only when you feel it's good value. Prudence will get you everywhere.

[THE MONKEY]

The Monkey is not a STR - he is a FTB but he will not be put off his plan of action by Try to Raise My Dick.

[THE WATCHER]

Nice to Know MONKEY

[Time to raise the rents.]

Hi

I've been reading this site for some weeks now, and have found most of the viewpoints very interesting even if they are v different than my own.

I guess I've joined this as I really feel strongly about the comment that TTRTR made about people in their 30's :

'IMO if a person hasn't sorted their life out by 35 YO. They're increasingly unlikely to and I don't want to be part of the fallout when they're made redundant & can't pay their bills anymore.' (not sure how to put in quotes properly yet!)

I am that age and spent my 20's home owning and raising a child - subsequently got divorced, so had to rent - then decided to go to Uni and after graduating got a job 4 years ago. I'm now earning circa £35K and still renting - but in the area I live (East Anglia) unless you want to live in the middle of Thetford, Gt Yarmouth or not especially nice parts of Norwich, then a reasonably ok 3 bed house will cost around £150K which I cannot afford on my salary. I don't want to live in a 'starter home' and I guess that I feel that with my age and salary I should be able to afford something nice. (Even in my area 2 bed terraces are around £125K which would be the absolute limit of what I would want to spend.)

I'm not likely to be made redundant, I pay my bills, save, drive a new car etc, yet I cannot get on the ladder. There are lots of people like me too that I know and all are increasingly frustrated. I ended up with negative equity in the early 90's and most certainly don't wish for a crash so that others end up in that dreadful situation, however, I cannot see any other way for many FTBs to enter the market.

Hope this doesn't come across as too much of a rant!

My intention isn't to offend anyone, it's just to spell out the realities as I see them.

I just spent 1 hour on the phone with my sister in Melbourne. She's 32, has 2 kids and is divorcing. She wanted my opinion on what she should do as she found out this week that the bank will lend her enough money to pay her husband out on the house & he doesn't care whether he sells or gets paid out.

Funny thing is, she says he's spent the last 6 months buried is share market books fantasising about how much he'll make when he gets the money from the house!

BTW this is a true story, I only make up jokes on this website, serious things that I post are true opinions or true stories.

I told her (after finding out the circumstances & amounts etc) that IMO she has to hang onto the house. This is her 2nd divorce and last time she sold up and it cost her a lot in the end. Her new loan will be 4 times income & 75% of the house.

That's my opinion for anyone in a position to do it.

Helen, what happened to the money left over when you sold? (presuming there was money left over).

You've said you can afford somewhere nearby, but you choose not to. That's your decision. But that decision carries risks & I hope you're aware of them.

[Loftus Road]

TTRR - Your previous post on age, established in the community, etc came across as smug and complacent. Life has a habit of turning up the most unwelcome of surprises when you least exepct it.

[Time to raise the rents.]

I'm sorry you feel that way & it's not meant to be smug.

IMO renting to people during the period where their incomes tend to rise (22-35) is safer than renting to people who are 35+ and are more at risk of having a falling income.

It's just the way I see it and each person is different so therefore I accept that my interpretation doesn't encompass all of society.

[Loftus Road]

Fair enough. Point taken.