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UK House prices: News & Views


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What do people think of Hillingdon?

 

It sounds like a big improvement in transport (in that area) is coming...

 

I won't bore you with the details ... I grew up in Hayes and, even as a child, could not wait to get out.

 

I last went there a few years ago to attend a memorial service for an old friend. I got there early and took a stroll up to the town - along Coldharbour Lane and Station Road. I closed my eyes and memories of me as a primary school child flooded back. I could see myself standing at the bus stop waiting for the 204 or the 98. Belfields the bakers where you could buy a stale iced bun for a penny at the end of the day. The newsagents where the old lady who owned the shop sold Woodbine singles. And then I opened my eyes and thought 'who turned this place into Beirut?'

 

I grew up on a council estate where nearly everyone kept neat front lawns with white alysum and blue lobelia along the edges - with marigolds, fuschias and prized roses behind. With back gardens where men grew potatoes, peas, carrots, cabbages and runner beans. Where everyone had a compost heap.

 

On that same estate now many of the houses have brick walls with wrought iron fences and gates - and bloody great 4x4s everywhere. Drug dealing and crime certainly does pay.

 

I could not tell you to what extent the whole area is now one big chav infested shitehole with almost none of the original inhabitants left. From my peer group, almost everyone got out of there.

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Oh and mortgage rates set to fall it seems.

 

 

Mortgage rates set to tumble as banks' borrowing rates fall to a record low

Wholesale mortgage rates that banks use to underpin mortgage deals have dropped below 1pc for the first time.

 

Not sure if the lower costs will actually be passed on mind, we will see.

 

 

http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/mortgage-rates-set-tumble-banks-111410426.html;_ylt=AoRC0jM4JfcwVCPUWxa5W4PSr7FG;_ylu=X3oDMTRqaHVudm8wBG1pdANGZWF0dXJlZCBDYXJvdXNlbCBIb21lIEZQBHBrZwM2NGE5Zjk5Yy0yNDBiLTNmOTYtYTdkMS05ODdiYzQzYzA5ZGUEcG9zAzQEc2VjA01lZGlhRmVhdHVyZWR

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Mortgage rates set to rise as Moody's downgrade UK banks.

 

So says the Telegraph today.

 

I have had an offer of £364 on the house (on at £395). Minimal chain, no mortgage required. Any thoughts anyone?

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Mortgage rates set to rise as Moody's downgrade UK banks.

 

So says the Telegraph today.

 

I have had an offer of £364 on the house (on at £395). Minimal chain, no mortgage required. Any thoughts anyone?

Negotiate for better

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Mortgage rates set to rise as Moody's downgrade UK banks.

 

So says the Telegraph today.

 

I have had an offer of £364 on the house (on at £395). Minimal chain, no mortgage required. Any thoughts anyone?

 

Offer to meet them half way and see what they say?

 

On the banks, apparently, as all the big boys were downgraded together (and it was widely expected), the effect will be minimal. Indeed, Lloyds and Barc etc rose on the news today (maybe because BoE are about to give them loads of, essentially, free funding to offset any increased funding costs?).

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We took the lowest valuation of 395, probate is 375, so I guess 375 would make it neat and tidy.

 

I'd give it to a local agent and let them have a go. Where I live near Guildford they're still getting away at daft money ... and I go back to where I lived until a couple of years ago regularly to see family. A house on an estate where my sister lives is being sold by one of these £495 fixed price agents and they have not had a sniff according to my sister. Other stuff on her estate is still selling in the 400k to 700k price bracket.

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On that same estate now many of the houses have brick walls with wrought iron fences and gates - and bloody great 4x4s everywhere. Drug dealing and crime certainly does pay.

 

I could not tell you to what extent the whole area is now one big chav infested shitehole with almost none of the original inhabitants left. From my peer group, almost everyone got out of there.

 

Hayes and surrounding areas are not as wealthy due to drugs and crime, as you might think.

 

Remember many non western familys live around Hayes and many were into buy to let very heavily in the 90's well before buy to let became a mania.

They seemed to have a good understanding of fiat money

And gold is part of their culture.

 

I wonder if they swapped gold for property in the 70's etc ?

 

I could introduce you to multiple family's who have benefited from multiple rentals and own businesses.

 

Seeing their offspring driving around in top of the fange vehicles

Is something that often left me baffled as a kid.

 

How could the locals of a " poor area " have more wealth than many of the other upper class local areas , and further.

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Hayes and surrounding areas are not as wealthy due to drugs and crime, as you might think.

 

Remember many non western familys live around Hayes and many were into buy to let very heavily in the 90's well before buy to let became a mania.

They seemed to have a good understanding of fiat money

And gold is part of their culture.

 

I wonder if they swapped gold for property in the 70's etc ?

 

I could introduce you to multiple family's who have benefited from multiple rentals and own businesses.

 

Seeing their offspring driving around in top of the fange vehicles

Is something that often left me baffled as a kid.

 

How could the locals of a " poor area " have more wealth than many of the other upper class local areas , and further.

 

Amazing change in 50 years. When I was growing up there in the 50s and 60s the place was full of immigrants working in the factories - EMI, Callard and Bowser, Walls, Nestles etc. All those immigrants came from Ireland,

Wales, Scotland and Liverpool - and we had a community. Times have changed. Then the place was full of Scots, Irish and Welsh people - now the Scots want nothing to do with us. It's very sad.

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Hurray! Cameron to show Two Fat Fingers to (social) Landlords

 

Under new welfare reforms to be announced by David Cameron, housing benefit for under-25s is expected to be scrapped to encourage youngsters to get a job or move back in with their parents.

 

The Prime Minister will use a speech in south-east England to outline future radical changes which are aimed at saving an extra £10 billion by 2016 on top of existing plans.

 

In an interview with The Mail on Sunday, Mr Cameron said: "We are sending out strange signals on working, housing and families.

 

"A couple will say, "we are engaged, we are both living with out parents, we are trying to save before we get married and have children and be good parents. But how dies it make us feel, Mr Cameron, when we see someone who goes ahead, has a child, gets the council home, gets the help that isn't available to us?

 

"One is trapped in a welfare system that discourages them from working, the other is doing the right thing and getting no help."

 

/more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9352432/Stripping-under-25s-of-benefits-will-knock-young-families-off-career-ladder-claims-Labour.html

 

It is about time these benefits were cut.

 

That will grow Household size and reduce demand for property

 

F--- the F---ers !

What a revolutionary programme he could launch:

"My policy will be to Terminate the unfair subsidies that go to people who do nothing to earn or deserve them.

We cannot afford any longer to support waste and recklessness. I will F--- the F---ers, who have been living

off the taxpayers. With a year or two we will be restored to being a fairer and more sustainable economy."

 

If house prices fall, as I expect they will - It will be a great help to First-Time-Buyers, who should

applaud that some sense is being restored to the market.

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The AB doesn't like it much...

 

 

Archbishop of Canterbury slams big society as 'aspirational waffle'

 

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has rubbished David Cameron's big society idea as 'aspirational waffle'.

 

He also questioned the motivation for what was portrayed as the Conservative leader's flagship policy at the general election and suggested it represented an attempt by the state to ignore its responsibility to look after the most vulnerable in society.

 

The archbishop's scathing attack on the prime minister's ideas will feature in a new book, Faith in the Public Square, to be published ahead of his retirement in December.

 

In an extract quoted by the Observer, Mr Williams said: 'The big society, introduced in the run-up to the last election as a major political idea for the coming generation, has suffered from a lack of definition about the means by which such ideals can be realised.

 

Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/news/903053-archbishop-of-canterbury-slams-big-society-as-aspirational-waffle#ixzz1yirl4emw

 

Keep on donating at church, will you ?

You cannot expect them to support themselves, can you?

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We took the lowest valuation of 395, probate is 375, so I guess 375 would make it neat and tidy.

 

That seems fair enough. If I was buying it I’d be happy enough to meet you there.

 

Then again, I'm a nice guy :D

 

But seriously, I just don't understand why people looking to buy a >£350,000 house (which I'm guessing they have their heart set on) quibble over a few grand.

 

In the grand scheme of things, for the buyers it's pennies, and pales into insignificance over the years.

 

I’ve bought/sold a few over the years and if I like a place, of course I try and negotiate the best price I can, but if the seller is realistic and is prepared to meet me half way between what they think it’s worth and what I think it’s worth, then I've generally been happy enough with that.

 

I also do the same when I’ve been the seller.

 

Good luck!

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We're paying pennies to the agent (online only set-up) so we're happy. One of the high street ones wanted 1.5%.

 

Sounds good.

 

I be interested to know how easy it was, as when I come to move next I'm going to try and avoid the EA's up here as much as possible.

 

However, I would still like to get the place on Rightmove etc so am planning doing all the marketing stuff and viewings/negotiations etc myself (as we ended up doing last time when we went through a crap EA!) and asking a family friends relation (who's an EA down south) to put my stuff on RM using their account (hopefully for whatever it costs them, plus a drink).

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The Psychology of Falling Markets

 

 

We have seen that in Ireland, Spain and the US.

Will it take hold to London too (within the next 12 months) ?

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Sounds good.

 

I be interested to know how easy it was, as when I come to move next I'm going to try and avoid the EA's up here as much as possible.

 

However, I would still like to get the place on Rightmove etc so am planning doing all the marketing stuff and viewings/negotiations etc myself (as we ended up doing last time when we went through a crap EA!) and asking a family friends relation (who's an EA down south) to put my stuff on RM using their account (hopefully for whatever it costs them, plus a drink).

 

Our online agent listed on Rightmove, we had three viewings over 7 weeks. I actually sacked them over this, and went with a local independent firm, but the first agent's applicant came good on the offer. I made it clear to agent 2 that they have no claim via the sole selling rights clause!

 

It all went smoothly. I did the viewings, but I would urge you not to negotiate directly, I think agents are useful here. I hate dealing with large sums of money, but then that's me.

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Our online agent listed on Rightmove, we had three viewings over 7 weeks. I actually sacked them over this, and went with a local independent firm, but the first agent's applicant came good on the offer. I made it clear to agent 2 that they have no claim via the sole selling rights clause!

 

It all went smoothly. I did the viewings, but I would urge you not to negotiate directly, I think agents are useful here. I hate dealing with large sums of money, but then that's me.

 

Ah right, cool.

 

How much was the online EA (if you don't mind me asking) and did the local one do much better (and did that cost anything considering you were already advertised etc and the buyer came from the first one)?

 

I'm guessing the local one had a number of potential buyers on their books?

 

On the negotiating, I've directly negotiated all but two of my house buys, and all but one of my sells. I used to regularly negotiate on £1m+ semiconductor fab tools 10 years back and I still really enjoy it (actually get a buzz from it). Horses for courses and all that :D ).

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Nationwide data out

 

http://www.nationwide.co.uk/hpi/historical/June_2012.pdf

 

Down 0.6% MoM

 

Down 1.5% YoY

 

So, seems John Doe is still odds on favourite to bag the "guess for the next year" two years running :D

 

 

On a side note, (warning, about to rant) I am really really really pi**ed off with the latest b(w)anker shenanigans.

 

FFS, asfter all that has happened over the last 5 years, not only does Barc’s manipulation of the LIBOR emerge, but within 24hrs, it seems they (practically all) not only ripped of the public with miss-selling of insurance, but, once they had been caught, went on to rip off our SME’s and fledgling companies too! :blink:

 

AAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

FFS!!! come-on!!!!! Enough is enough!!! They're just taking the p*ss and laughing!!

 

Lets nationalise the bas*ads NOW!!! :angry:

 

I don’t care if they go bust, we can nationalise them for free then.

I don’t care if my house price falls, it’s worth it to get things right again.

I don’t care if my pension is reduced because of it, as it means my kids (and the rest of the country) will be far better off.

 

Fuk*n wan**rs :angry:

 

(Rant over, for 10 mins)

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House prices drop 0.6%

 

UK house prices fell by 0.6% in June (May: +0.2%), according to Nationwide, leaving the value of the typical home 1.5% lower than a year ago, at £165,738.

 

The lender attributes the monthly decline to the difficult economic backdrop and the temporary boost to the market seen earlier this year prior to the ending of the stamp duty holiday.

 

As for the year ahead, Nationwide regards the coming months as “highly uncertain” for house prices because economic conditions are likely to remain challenging.

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