B B C Radio 2 Jeremy Vine Show 06.08.08

[bkkandrew]

I would like to see is the issue of mortgage interest relief at source (MIRAS) bought back into the picture which the previous generation enjoyed but which was scraped by this government around 2000 I think.

1988

[Come On Down]

Well done! I was listening to it on my mobile phone & headset and I was nodding in agreement as I tucked into my packed lunch.

The lady who phoned in who bought a property in Belgium made a good point. They get stung 15% tax 'stamp duty' , and I believe its also higher in other European countries too. Stamp duty in the UK per se isn't the problem, its high house prices in the 1st place.

Yeah I made the comment via the "send in a comment" link on the website for his show, whilst streaming it through windows media player listening to it through headphones at work!!

Yeah I think most people went ouch when the woman mentioned 15% stamp duty!!

Makes our 1, 3 and 4% look fairly miniscule. Interesting point about just having one band for all house purchases. I cant see the logic for having a high percentage stamp duty on a higher value house. Apart from that is, to make more money for UK plc. It would also stop those stupid games around the 250k mark.

[JoeDavola]

I was actually surprised at how bearish the EA was - I think he was as bearish as you could ever expect an EA to be, given that selling houses is how they earn a living.

Even when he mentioned rents rising and the 5 year thing at the end, he didn't really sound like he believed what he was saying!

Here in Belfast there is an EA that seems to be trying to get sellers to undercut each other to drive the market down to a level where people can afford houses, as quickly as possible. It will be interesting to see if more EAs accross the UK start to do that in an attemt to get sales.

Although this depends I suppose on whether buyers will allow their houses to be listed at below 'market values'.

Edited August 23, 2008 by JoeDavola