Seeking your opinions on a genuine dilemma...

PasturesNew

lostinrates wrote: »

Pastures ,

I've seen four nutritionists.

What do people see them for then?
What do they do?

At least the OP isn't jacking it all in to train to become a financial advisor or mortgage broker ... of which there are aplenty sloshing about the jobcentres nowadays!

lostinrates

PasturesNew wrote: »

What do people see them for then?
What do they do?

At least the OP isn't jacking it all in to train to become a financial advisor or mortgage broker ... of which there are aplenty sloshing about the jobcentres nowadays!

You might see on to help with the recovery of an eating disorder, to help you maintain health and check your diet is balanced and appropriate, or more likely if not why not. In my case the latter two appts were in connection with the weight gain and ill heath.

They all like food diaries and dislike coffee in my experience.;)

msquandary

lostinrates wrote: »

You might see on to help with the recovery of an eating disorder, to help you maintain health and check your diet is balanced and appropriate, or more likely if not why not. In my case the latter two appts were in connection with the weight gain and ill heath.

They all like food diaries and dislike coffee in my experience.;)

We're none too crazy about wheat and dairy either on the whole..... one of the challenges of the work will be that people want to feel better but they don't always want to actually make changes to the way they eat - habits are very hard to change.

To answer Pastures, we would maybe work with pregnant women to maximise healthy pregnancy, or work with people with chronic problems like digestive disorders, arthritis, chronic fatigue which can all be helped with nutrition, or optimise sports performance, or even work with very sick people to help their diet support their recovery from more serious disease (nutrition can't claim to cure disease, but it can help support the body in recovering more quickly). It's a fascinating subject.

PS. I do drink coffee even though I know it's really really bad for me!! Can't help it, I'm addicted.....

RainMaker_2

The bottom line msquandry is where you see property prices going. I was going to suggest you ask 100 economists, but you'll only get 100 different opinions. But we have seen this kind of slump before (1989-1998) and the subsequent boom (1999-2007) and then subsequent slump (2008-?) and the subsequent boom, and so on.

We are a small island with an increasing population (strong demand) and housebuilders aren't building much right now (weak supply). One thing I am convinced of.....is that when (I repeat when) then upturn comes it will be just as swift as the downturn.

My own opinion (FWIW) is that we aren't at the bottom yet, more likely Q4 2009 / Q1 2010, followed by a year or so of being flat, then the upturn.

You've missed the peak of this current cycle. I'd be inclined to hold on to both of your properties through the trough, if you can.

msquandary

Thanks Rainmaker, I really appreciate your input.

Another day another change to the landscape. Gordon Brown has just announced his help to prevent homeowners being repossessed (which of course is a good thing if it prevents thousands of people's misery). Does this mean the HPC is over? The people over on housepricecrash seem to think so - they are incandescent....

Impossible to make decisions with the landscape changing by the day! Aaargh!

Given today's news does anyone think now I ought not to sell??

Mr_Matey

Hi msquandry,
If you're considering working overseas then I would the following point to your reasons to sell one or both properties:
+ Managing properties from overseas is even harder work!

From what I've seen in the UK it's a lot harder than in Aus, as Real Estate agents don't really do anything in terms of renting properties except to hook up the two parties. In Aus, you don't meet the owner, and you pay rent to the agent who passes it on and conducts inspections etc.

I've heard a few stories about "managing agents" in the UK who don't check places regularly and just pocket the fees.

I don't think the HPC is over but I do think the British government is panicking. A lot of companies are going under taking a lot of jobs with them.

The economic landscape may be changing by the day but your personal situation is not. You still only require 1 property to live in, you need some money so that you can study and start up your new career, and you don't want the extra hassle of managing both properties.

If you can walk away from one property with only a small loss (10k) I would do that, keep some cash and pay a bit off the other mortgage.

I really think that selling 1 will make your life a lot happier, and if the housing market does recover, you still have 1 property with a lower mortgage than before!

msquandary

You are right Mr Matey, and of course that is what my head tells me too or I would not have reached this stage (have a buyer and may complete in the next couple of weeks so I was clearly committed enough to selling to get this far). However now it comes to the crunch I just can't shake off a really deeply ingrained belief I have grown up with about the importance of having property for the long term (got this off my grandmother). I'm not someone who wants an empire, but I have been pretty much brought up to believe in having one property to live in, the other as an investment (pension in my case as I have no other investments) and I just can't shake the idea that by selling one now is admitting failure, throwing in the towel when the going gets tough, and then as DD points out, regretting it later. Today's interest rate fall and associated comments about inflation have added to my confusion.
My £50k will now be giving me a better return if it stays in the property than if it stays in the bank (albeit with falling property value, and possible unexpected maintenance costs). I also wonder, if high inflation is on the horizon in the next 1-3 years I wouldn't be better off keeping the money in property. Very confused about this so have posted a new thread in the hope of getting my head around the inflation thing.

Which way will I go? Still no idea! One good thing - 2 weeks from now a decision will have been made and one way or another life can get back to normal. I think the stress of trying to sell this flat, and then doubting the decision, over the last 6 months has caused far more stress than renting it out ever could!

Any further thoughts/comments appreciated....

msquandary

One other thing - I would be selling the flat now to free me up while I study and get set up in my new career. Once I have done that then at the moment I definitely feel I would want to use the £50k to buy again in the next 3-5 years once I'm in a more settled position. I feel comfortable seeing the London flat as the 'long term' investment mainly because I do have quite alot of equity in it still.

I supposed it's down to my age, having only really ever seen a boom, there is that fear that if I do sell now, by the time I am ready to buy again I have missed the boat again and prices are again soaring (especially if you believe Savills who forecast prices at 2007 levels again by 2012...). Or maybe this is just Greed talking because after all a person only really needs one to live in.....:rolleyes:

lostinrates

msquandary wrote: »

I have no other investments...

This is th bitthat worries me for you and a huge number of othr people in this situation, not all BTLers but pople who have jumped in my opinion prematurly into buying to live in themselves. Diversification has to be wise. Whatever you decide to do at this stage getting some diversification into investment/savings at some point soon would be key for me if I were you. I mean, suppose the economic cycle is here at this point again as you want to retire?