DoctorJ Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 A funny thing happened to me at work today. I was on HPC and a colleague came over to ask a question about work and it must have looked like I was on a stock market website (an HPC graph was open) as he wondered whether I was thinking about buying shares or something. I immeadiately (automatically) closed HPC down and tried to change the subject as I was in fear that he would out me as an HPCer. I think that this all stemmed from when I told my sister - a property bull- and got ridiculed and labelled as some sort of nutter by her and her fiance. Needless to say I have gone for option 2. I'm not sure why I now try to keep it from everybody (wife not included) but I think that it must be the fear of being blasted for daring to wish financial misery on all who own houses. I don't - well, only on BTLers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dude wheres my house Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 Most people now know my opinion and i now aim to avoid the subject as i dont want to ram it down their throat (or get punched since it is now all coming true) I do tell people about the site but i have told noone my name on here. I dont want people to see what i write. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rakno Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 I preach HPC to anyone that gives me a second glance. The thing is, even having done economics and then professionally qualified as an Accountant, I have learnt more on this site in the last year or so than all of my years obtaining qualifications. This has given me an insight into the world of finance and politics, which I believe, should be taught to all, so I try to pass on as much as my second hand knowledge will allow. The amazing thing is that most of what I was telling people this time last year has come true, and people have now changed their opinion of what I am saying and me. I have gone from being a lunatic to being a guru in less than a year. The second amazing thing is, I have made more money in the last year, (based on the views of the members of this site), than I did during both working and having so called investments. I bought gold and changed all me cash into other currencies and on paper at least, I am considerably better off. I am now teaching my 12 and 11 year old basic economics, finance and marketing so that they grow up with the knowledge to enable them to prosper in what is going to be a very uncertain future in the UK. Thank you all for your views and comments.... You know who you are..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Sacks Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 (edited) I don't talk to anyone about it (except wife). I did when I discovered the site back in 2004, but only to close friends. This site has become way more than house prices. It's become an Austrian economics research tool of sorts. I've learned that the majority of people have no basic concept of where money comes from, how it is created/destroyed - THAT is very frightening indeed - I was one of those people. EDIT. It's treads like these that really add flavor BTW. Edited January 25, 2008 by dom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
domo Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 I mentioned it to the 'rents (just my conviction of prices going down though). My dad thinks I should buy a place because it a one way bet, you just get the same glazed expression and "yes it may dip in the short term but but the thing is son property has always risen in the long term" sheeesh gimme a break. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wren Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 I am now teaching my 12 and 11 year old basic economics, finance and marketing so that they grow up with the knowledge to enable them to prosper in what is going to be a very uncertain future in the UK. Teach them the history of monetary systems. It's interesting and important as well as being of historical interest. The essential ideas are simple in a way which I guess a reasonably smart 12-year old could readily appreciate (start them young). I voted I tell those who enquire. And I've been a UK property bear since 2002 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Compounded Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 This site has become way more than house prices. It's become an Austrian economics research tool of sorts. I've learned that the majority of people have no basic concept of where money comes from, how it is created/destroyed - THAT is very frightening indeed - I was one of those people. same here I will never forget the reaction of my 13 and 11 year old sons when we viewed the Goldsmith video together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonewer Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 Since everybody at work are firm soldiers of the "mines gone up 40K in the past 3 seconds, renting is dead money" brigade I dont tell anyone there. I let my friends know that I think the market is headed for a erm... correction... but never mention this site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Sacks Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 (edited) Teach them the history of monetary systems. It's interesting and important as well as being of historical interest. The essential ideas are simple in a way which I guess a reasonably smart 12-year old could readily appreciate (start them young).I voted I tell those who enquire. And I've been a UK property bear since 2002 . Ha, when I was eight I asked my dad where money came from and how they knew how much of it to print. This was 1980 incidentally, a time of double digit inflation and interest rates. Like most graduates he couldn't give a answer with any confidence, mentioned inflation, etc. It's a question central to many of the world most serious problems. Edited January 25, 2008 by dom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoctorJ Posted January 25, 2008 Author Share Posted January 25, 2008 Since everybody at work are firm soldiers of the "mines gone up 40K in the past 3 seconds, renting is dead money" brigade I dont tell anyone there.I let my friends know that I think the market is headed for a erm... correction... but never mention this site. but thanks to HPC we can at least argue our case for renting now. I wouldn't have understood it before. Yet, I don't tell people where I have acquired the knowledge. As a scientist you get used to keeping quiet about things you get up to - you don't want people with opposite views to get angry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoctorJ Posted January 25, 2008 Author Share Posted January 25, 2008 I don't talk to anyone about it (except wife). I did when I discovered the site back in 2004, but only to close friends.This site has become way more than house prices. It's become an Austrian economics research tool of sorts. I've learned that the majority of people have no basic concept of where money comes from, how it is created/destroyed - THAT is very frightening indeed - I was one of those people. EDIT. It's treads like these that really add flavor BTW. cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shippers Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 Finding this site has helped me deal with the split up from my ex in a lot of ways. I was always dead against us buying during early 2006, she put it down to me being scared, she just wanted a garden, she won out, purchasing in May 2006, but I sort of feel vindicated in my opposition, and at the same time sorry for her and what might happen to her in the future. My sister has also always been one of those "can't lose on property" types. Of course she was a baby boomer and so has pretty much had the best of it in terms of surfing the property waves. She's been married since 1976 and only owned two houses in that period. So anyway, it's good to find a place which tries to place rationality above sentiment or I would say avoids speculation without basis. I'm learning a hell of a lot very fast, whilst cheap credit was available I sort of helped myself in some ways, now the pointers are towards a downturn and a much reduced flexibility it's helped me to change my ways. I'm now overdraft free and should be CC debit free by end of Feb. I'm also more confident in my position in terms of any future bargaining I might have to do. I still have a loan which dies in summer 2010, but that's covered by insurance should the worse come to the worst. Workwise, my boss is a massive optimist and has always run the line of, if cheap credit is available, take advantage of it, I sort of followed him on that line. But at the moment I think he's having problems remortgaging here and there, and has just had two years tax bills, and has problems with points on his license, basically he's far too arrogant for his own good. I'm an optimisit too, and I got caught up for a while in the macho environment I work in, but I'm beginning to think the real macho behaviour is to build a base to enable yourself to have more power. On a micro scale if your employer knows you have debts he can hold certain threats over you, if he knows that you've loaded up on 6 months salary, then the power relationships have changed, though he recently said if I was hit by a bus then the business would be fcuked. I guess this site in some ways has shown that this power relationship happens in the grander scale too. The gloating of the property owners in the office has certainly disappeared. The site thought has seriously taken my eye of the ball of other things. I spend less time watching the telly, and more time reading this place, trying to pick up ideas and tips which could be useful in the future. What I do know now is that personal liquidity, a solid skills base and qualifications, and the ability to be able to move as quickly as possible are were it's at. My tenancy renewal has just come through, and I'm signing for 6 months. I'm looking forward to seeing if the landlord has gone bust. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eightiesgirly Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 DrJ It's not a dark site, in fact it's one of the few where the light is shone on the truth. I'm very grateful it's here, where else can you cut through all the rumour, spin and pc speak to talk about the real problems behind high house prices and it's social and political affects. I talk to my nearest and dearest about it, but they are on the same page. My parents think it's some sort of MSN for adults. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gone baby gone Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 I never mention HPC. Too busy talking about Project Mayhem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dryrot Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 I try to talk to my colleagues about HPC, but they get bored. (I know, cos they just take a last swig of meths, pull the cardboard up to their chests and roll over to sleep by the brazier.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beefheart Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 I started posting quite recently 6-12 months and visited occasionally for 6 months prior to that. My Austrian economics education came from googling "Who runs the world" about 5 years ago. this led me to LaRouche,the moneyfiles.org and various Rothschild eats live babies sites. Due to this I could see dire problems occuring in the states and would come to a head in 2007. The US housing crash had been on for a while and I knew we would follow so I decided to sell my house. thats about the same time I started to visit HPC. HPC is my newsnight and watching ron pauls campaign via the net has been my eastenders. I think we are all learning as the current crisis unfolds on a daily basis. I think we will see 60% drops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shuggyboy24 Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 hi folks I only tell the wife, she thinks i am now obsessed! however, when you mention HPC in general ,people look at you as if you are mentally disordered! and thats not good for a psychiatric nurse like me lol! Looking to STR very soon! Hugh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Its time to buy Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 (edited) People just dont get it or not interested. I dont waste my time explaining it to people these days. let them find out the hard way - or believe the experts on TV :angry: Edited January 25, 2008 by notanewmember Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZeroSumGame Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 (edited) A funny thing happened to me at work today. ......................................................... Dr J. This isn't a 'dark' site in my interpretation. You do get some interesting insights into political economy, or at least some people's subjective idea of what it is. Then again, there are wacky views expressed. However I find the human interest stories particularly interesting. I can't imagine any other part of the WWW I tread that gives such useful feedback. Edited January 25, 2008 by RockingHorse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigsrenting Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 I've only told Mr T. This site has become something of an obsession to me and I have never spent so much time on the computer in the past until I found this place. It helps to know that I am not the only one who thinks house prices are crazy and unjust. I've learnt a lot reading the posts here and enjoy the humour. I don't tell anyone else about HPC because it is a waste of time and most are still in denial. They keep asking when we will buy again and when I say when anything is worth it if ever the look on their faces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bertie Bunfest Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 I hide this website away like it is porn and do not mention it. I am fascinated watching the tide of sentiment turn, in the media , on the web, and in conversations with people, but feel it is almost distasteful to dwell on the subject in company. I have always tried not to rant to people about the unsustainable price bubble and its inevitable correction, but one or two friends who are aware of my views have lately started to realise I may be right. One or two others who are vulnerable to any fall in house prices have said recently that they dont share my outlook but have gone much quieter and lost the dogmatic confidence they had a few years ago. A couple of other people I know have merely retreated to another fall back position, saying price falls are minor, short term and localised. But the mood is darkening weekly and I think they will be carried with it over the coming months, with maybe a few rallies and false dawns. From August 2007 to summer of 08 will I think be the most interesting time to follow this crisis. That 12 month period will surely mark the turning point. After that it will get boring and depressing for a few years. Slopes and straight lines are not as interesting on a graph as curves. The eventual recovery will also be of less fascination than these times we are in right now. A crash is always sexier to watch than a recovery, no matter what side of the debate you are on. And I'm supposed to be a bull! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D'artagnan Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 I never mention HPC.Too busy talking about Project Mayhem Me too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lulu Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 I choose not to mention that I read this site as I have found that when one does mention it peoples attitude changes dramatically. Without mentioning this site people seem to think I am some economic genius (ok a slight exaggeration) but mention this site and the arguments and dismissing of my arguments begin in earnest. I think people are scared of this site and the realism that it brings to the situation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZeroSumGame Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 Me too! OK - so for the rest of us then : WTF is 'Project Mayhem' ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairies Wear Boots Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 I don't talk about HPC. My girlfriend mentions it to my mates, when they ask why we haven't bought a house yet. And I cringe and wish she hadn't said anything. I have one friend, who has never bought a house that refuses to believe a HPC could actually happen. Him: The economy is strong. Me: HPC will take the economy down, not the other way round. Him: But we have computers and stuff now, so they'll be able to fix things. Me: America has computers and stuff , they're going down. Him: I don't believe there is a crash in the states, my girlfriend sold AFTER this so called crash and got more than she paid for it. Aparently, we are just in a blip at present and things will sort themselves out and things will be back to normal in a few months. His girlfriend is in Texas. Where house prices went from 162K to 160K on average in a year. No boom, no bust. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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