I Am Glad Woolies Have Gone Bust....

[Qetesuesi]

Nope, I am employed earning a good 6 figure salary, live in a nice (rented) two bed flat and am in a happy relationship. I also have a huge deposit saved, so yes, the slump is nirvana

Er... why didn't you buy years ago.

[Mish Mash]

Er... why didn't you buy years ago.

He didn't say what the huge deposit was actually of. For my money it's a big steaming pile of ********.

[Guest happy?]

He didn't say what the huge deposit was actually of. For my money it's a big steaming pile of ********.

And he's in a 'happy relationship' - blow-up Barbie's that kind of girl.

I think we're dealing with someone with a deep-seated trauma - possibly the ONLY kid in the country to get caught shoplifting in Woolies?

[darwin]

He didn't say what the huge deposit was actually of. For my money it's a big steaming pile of ********.

['Bart']

I think we're dealing with someone with a deep-seated trauma - possibly the ONLY kid in the country to get caught shoplifting in Woolies?

Scars like that can run deep.

[UrMoneyOrUrLife]

From what I see of most of the staff at woolies, they tend to be female with young children. To be honest, I hope that they get to spend time with their children now rather than having to pass them on to some shite government "scheme". I'm old fashioned, Dad goes out to work, Mum looks after the kids, society and the child benefits from a stable family environment. Damn, shame that house prices are so high that all the family members have to go out to work to put a shitty roof over their heads - shame on the government and society as a whole.

[Smith]

Nope, I am employed earning a good 6 figure salary...

Since £100k a year would class as the worst possible 6-figure salary, and £500k average, you're presumably claiming to earn nearly a million a year.

Yet you live in a 2-bed rented flat and spend your time writing ignorant inflamatory rubbish on web forums.

Just doesn't quite stack up from where I'm sitting.

Not that I really care one way or the other you understand.

Smith

[brassed off brit]

Since £100k a year would class as the worst possible 6-figure salary, and £500k average, you're presumably claiming to earn nearly a million a year.

Yet you live in a 2-bed rented flat and spend your time writing ignorant inflamatory rubbish on web forums.

Just doesn't quite stack up from where I'm sitting.

Not that I really care one way or the other you understand.

Smith

Could'nt have said it better myself.

['Bart']

Since £100k a year would class as the worst possible 6-figure salary, and £500k average, you're presumably claiming to earn nearly a million a year.

Yet you live in a 2-bed rented flat and spend your time writing ignorant inflammatory rubbish on web forums.

Just doesn't quite stack up from where I'm sitting.

Hey, that's nothing. I earn 10x what Pond321 earns yet I live in a council flat.

Admittedly I am typing this on a solid gold keyboard and I employ Stan Boardman as a full-time mobile footrest, but other than that, I don't like to flaunt my excessive wealth in order to bolster my own sense of self-worth.

Did I also mention that I'm happily married to a gorgeous bird off the telly? Well I am!

Edited December 19, 2008 by 'Bart'

[kool4caats]

Since £100k a year would class as the worst possible 6-figure salary, and £500k average, you're presumably claiming to earn nearly a million a year.

Maybe it's 6 figures in pence

[the-sign-jacker]

Heh heh, but all you folks are posting on a houseprice crash forum. I thus assume that you would like a HPC to happen? People need to loose their jobs before a HPC happens. How do you reconcile your desire for a HPC with indignant sympathy for people losing their jobs?

hes right. were all here victims for not much fault of our own. in limbo. etc etc.

for the great HPC to happen deaths like this will have to happen. no need to bash the guy.

i suppose the staff comments were a bit heavy, but like he said. anyone with any spark would have tried to get a job.

working at woolies seemed like you just turned up. stocked some shelves and thought you had a job for life. like tesco.

as they expected to take our savings for overpriced housing speculation, we should be expected to see them fail for our victory.

we are all victims in one way or another. some remain renting and frustrated, others lose jobs. some lose houses. families breakdown.

and now it seems. economies can collapse.

THATS why it was never going to be a good idea to pump up the jam housing so much over the last 5 years.

its built up fake expectations. their loss will be difficult to take for many. STRs sit pretty. its the same thing.

pondy just says it. you try to wash your hands clean of the blood of collapse. and you cant.

the dirt wont come off....

[frozen_out]

Am I the only person that like Woolies?

Good for toys and kids clothes. They were basically the non-grocery section of Tescos. I can't say I ever encountered a rude member of staff in there.

[the-sign-jacker]

Am I the only person that like Woolies?

Good for toys and kids clothes. They were basically the non-grocery section of Tescos. I can't say I ever encountered a rude member of staff in there.

it was a waste of costly high street space to lightly fill it with lots of diddy things with a margin of 14p.

[frozen_out]

it was a waste of costly high street space to lightly fill it with lots of diddy things with a margin of 14p.

A waste of costly high street space that will be filled by......

[Willit]

Nope, I am employed earning a good 6 figure salary, live in a nice (rented) two bed flat and am in a happy relationship. I also have a huge deposit saved, so yes, the slump is nirvana

Yeah, of course you are...!

[Compukit UK101]

Hey, that's nothing. I earn 10x what Pond321 earns yet I live in a council flat.

Admittedly I am typing this on a solid gold keyboard and I employ Stan Boardman as a full-time mobile footrest, but other than that, I don't like to flaunt my excessive wealth in order to bolster my own sense of self-worth.

Did I also mention that I'm happily married to a gorgeous bird off the telly? Well I am!

This seems to be turning into a house price crash version of the 4 yorkshireman sketch.

"Corridor ! We used to DREAM of living in a corridor. We used to live in cardboard box in middle o' lake"

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe1a1wHxTyo

Edited December 19, 2008 by Caveat Vendor

[lulu]

Heh heh, but all you folks are posting on a houseprice crash forum. I thus assume that you would like a HPC to happen? People need to loose their jobs before a HPC happens. How do you reconcile your desire for a HPC with indignant sympathy for people losing their jobs?

I do not think that was necessarily true.

A simple return to normal banking conditions would have been enough, you know lenders actually checking self cert mortgage applicants, sensible use of IO mortgages, sensible restrictions of BTL lending (in fact proper tenancy laws that would put an end to property flipping and speculation), no more 125% (or even 100%) mortgages.

[lulu]

Yeah, of course you are...!

If I earned a six figure salary I would have bought somewhere of my own to live by now, probably would have been able to pay cash for it. Even in London that should surely get you a half decent place to live.

[Mr Ed]

If I earned a six figure salary I would have bought somewhere of my own to live by now, probably would have been able to pay cash for it. Even in London that should surely get you a half decent place to live.

You think? Maybe on the outskirts. It certainly would buy a fairly nice 2 bed flat but it wouldn't buy a decent house in most areas. London is sooo overpriced, it's got a long way to fall.

I totally disagree with the OP's attitude, however it is certainly prudent to rent rather than throw money away on completely overpriced assets.

[worried1]

If I earned a six figure salary I would have bought somewhere of my own to live by now, probably would have been able to pay cash for it. Even in London that should surely get you a half decent place to live.

Not if you wanted to pay cash. A £100k salary would give net pay of £60k p.a. If you lived very frugally, you may be able to save £40k p.a. With current prices, you would have to save that for 10 years to give you £400k (+interest) which should get a you a 2 bed flat in a reasonably central location or a semi in a decent suburb.

Of course, is it was a high 6 figure salary, things would be different.

Lots of parts of central London are so expensive that would they would not be affordable to average earners even after an 80% crash. For example, I looked in an EA window in Fitzrovia yesterday and there were still plenty of 1/2 bed flats with £600k+ price tags. Anything resemlbing an actual house was way up into the £m's.

[Mr Ed]

Not if you wanted to pay cash. A £100k salary would give net pay of £60k p.a. If you lived very frugally, you may be able to save £40k p.a. With current prices, you would have to save that for 10 years to give you £400k (+interest) which should get a you a 2 bed flat in a reasonably central location or a semi in a decent suburb.

That would be living VERY FRUGALLY! Who is going to earn £100K and live like a graduate? Saving £2K a month is more reasonable - unless he's a contractor and being creative with the tax.

£400K won't get you much either - not anywhere central unless you really shop around. I live near Vauxhall and I can't believe the prices in that St George Wharf development - more like £500-£600K for a pokey 2 bed. Madness.

[AteMoose]

Not if you wanted to pay cash. A £100k salary would give net pay of £60k p.a. If you lived very frugally, you may be able to save £40k p.a. With current prices, you would have to save that for 10 years to give you £400k (+interest) which should get a you a 2 bed flat in a reasonably central location or a semi in a decent suburb.

Of course, is it was a high 6 figure salary, things would be different.

Lots of parts of central London are so expensive that would they would not be affordable to average earners even after an 80% crash. For example, I looked in an EA window in Fitzrovia yesterday and there were still plenty of 1/2 bed flats with £600k+ price tags. Anything resemlbing an actual house was way up into the £m's.

on a 100k salary, with 60k PA after tax you could probably save more than 40k PA, depends how many expenses you claim, how many meals you go out, where you live for etc etc .... For example MPs could save there entire taxed salary, and get all the tax back if they are clever....

Edited December 19, 2008 by moosetea

[Lee Harvey Oswald]

Er... why didn't you buy years ago.

To be fair to Pond, he has been quite open about his finances in the past, and his reasons for not buying:

http://www.housepricecrash.co.uk/forum/ind...amp;#entry68197

[JonoP]

To be fair to Pond, he has been quite open about his finances in the past, and his reasons for not buying:

http://www.housepricecrash.co.uk/forum/ind...amp;#entry68197

Blimey! That was a long time ago! And by a good 6 figure salary, I do not mean good on a sliding between 100,000 and 999,999. I meant good as in I consider it a good salary. We are talking right at the the bottom end of the 6 figure range. And also, I currently put 24% of my pay in to my Pension, which does impact disposable impact somewhat.

Anyhow, my original post was controversial. I do not wish economic hardship on ex woolies employees and I do not take pleasure in other peoples misfortune. I do think that people who think we can have significant a significant HPC without it causing a lot of job losses are delusional though.

My main gripe is that we are in this position in the first place. If HPI had not been so extreme the banks would not be so exposed now and would have probably been prepared to continue lending to woolies. I blame the frankly fraudulent government.....

[LivingWithTheInlaws]

I can see your point, however in our town Woolworths is the only place you can buy toys. It's been very handy for taking our son to get a small treat (when he finishes his reward chart for instance). It used to be the same for me when I was 4 so we're all sad that Woolies is going. I really don't want to go to toys are us because we'll never get out of there, most things are too expensive and it's a 20 mile drive. At least Woolies had a nice selection of small toys. Ideal for us anyway.