Who should be able to buy property?

ukcarper

ad9898 wrote: »

I voted everyone on a full time wage, the reason ?, the average wage should buy the average house (3 bed semi), this is how it always was before this particular bubble, as I've said before, I know because I did it !, so people on less than this should be be able to buy, terraced, 2 bed flats, 1 bed flats, depending on income.

People who shouldn't be able to buy, part time workers or benefit claimants, but that should be fairly obvious, I doubt no one in history has been able to buy a house working 16 hours a week a Macca's, and I wouldn't think they'd expect to either, unless of course money given to them helps their cause.

I'm not sure where you live but you have never been able to buy a 3 bed semi on an average wage where I live not unless you are moving from a smaller house and have some equity

Harry_Powell

carolt wrote: »

Personally, I don't think property ownership should be limited to the well off - after all, there are lots of extremely below average areas and properties.

I think in areas like London where only the far above average can afford to buy currently, prices will have to fall a long way until it hits normal affordability.

I agree, but I'm nto sure how you can legislate for this in a free market economy. It would have been nice if Labour had removed the tax breaks for BTLers, put up interest rates when house prices went crazy, increased stamp duty, but in reality they can only do so much to try and control the housing market. If they do too much then it becomes counter productive and hurts the people they're trying to help.

I certainly think home ownership is a priviledge to be earned rather than given.

ILW

StevieJ wrote: »

You lot seem to be hooked up on the size of the house, surely the most important driver should be where it is I would rather have a one bed flat in Mayfair than a four bed house house in some crap hellhole.

I had a 1 bed flat in a crap hellhole.

LydiaJ

roseland69 wrote: »

I think an average working couple on an average salary should, at the very least, be able to comfortably afford a modest 2 bed home. An average working single should comfortably afford a modest 1 bed home. To start off with. And as they progress up the career ladder, they should be able to trade up to a larger property when they can afford more.

If an average salary makes you just about able to buy a 2 bed home, then that still leaves home ownership realistically out of reach of average people. Remember that average salary means average for people of all ages - average young people without families won't have got an average way up the career ladder yet. And by the time they are an average way up the ladder - half way through their working lives, so in their early 40s - many of them won't fit into the homes this suggestion proposes - the couples with teenagers of both sexes who want at least 3 bedrooms, those who've had kids and then got divorced and now have a single income but wouldn't fit into a 1 bed home - and many other variations.

The only way home ownership can be within reach of average people is if you can buy a starter home (however defined) on the average salary of a person in their 20s or early 30s.

[I am not saying whether this is possible or desirable or how it should be achieved, or defining "average" or "starter home" or anything else, so please don't read into my post anything other than the specific point I'm trying to make. ]

ETA I agree with the rest of your post, though, roseland69

kennyboy66_2

ad9898 wrote: »

worst places to live in my opinion urban Liverpool

Why you little..............

For interest, what do you consider urban & when were you last in Liverpool.

1echidna

Everyone

carolt wrote: »

Not really - the 'should' refers to people's views off this Board. I don't think I ever imagined them being in a position to legislate, thankfully. :eek:

OK the word 'should' doesn't mean anything other than some vague aspiration of where people would like to see prices?

1echidna

Everyone

I have voted for everybody. Why be mean spirited and indulge in a sort of reverse jealousy? More likely though the market will determine that in the future hard economic times make will make it difficult for large segments of the population to buy.

ad9898_3

Everyone with a full time wage

kennyboy66 wrote: »

Why you little..............

For interest, what do you consider urban & when were you last in Liverpool.

Having had second thoughts about my post I've deleted it, as it may have caused offense.

carolt

Other - please describe below

1echidna wrote: »

OK the word 'should' doesn't mean anything other than some vague aspiration of where people would like to see prices?

Not quite.

Not where they'd like to see nominal prices, where they'd like to see prices relative to earnings.

1echidna

Everyone

carolt wrote: »

Not quite.

Not where they'd like to see nominal prices, where they'd like to see prices relative to earnings.

Yeah sure, that is what I meant.