A serious question for the Bears....

ninky_2

carolt wrote: »

We're looking at secondary schools for my oldest - another year to go, but as we may move to be in the right catchment for our ideal school, we're checking it out now. One advantage of renting is it's easy to move into the catchment areas for the top schools at short notice to secure a place - we did just this at primary level, and we're now visiting 9 potential secondaries - 9! - in the next couple of months, in a variety of areas.

.

wow what an ordeal...has it really come to this? i'm feeling very relieved not to have kids. i know for a fact that my parents never considered this when i was younger. we just followed my dad's job and got sent to the local state school whatever it happened to be. i'm sure my schools weren't always the best. when we moved from surrey to rural oxfordshire i remember a big leap in standards downwards for what i was expected to do but i don't know if it made that much difference in the long run. i think parental influence probably had a bigger effect.

there's also this issue that for some kids being top in a weaker class will be a bigger positive motivator than being average or lower down a strong class - so actually sending them to a very competitive high achieving school might not always be what's best for them.

SingleSue

julieq wrote: »

People afford it by being couples. Whether you like it or not, any singleton is in competition with couples, and many couples will choose to combine incomes to buy somewhere to live.

So maybe plan B is to meet a significant other and work together. Thinking about it, that's certainly more or less what I did.

Which is slightly skewed and shows just how far out of touch with reality things have become.

Some people are always destined to be singletons but it never used to mean they were always destined to be renting a property...back in my parents days of buying a house, you could still buy a property easily (well as easy as taking on a mortgage usually is anyway) as a singleton or as the single earner in a family (my parents home was purchased on the basis of my dads earnings alone at a sensible 3 times salary).

Blimey, even in my day of buying a property, I could have done it on my salary alone (we had to put hubby into the equation so his name was on all the paperwork but his salary was not needed to get the funds required)!

purch

we're now visiting 9 potential secondaries - 9! - in the next couple of months, in a variety of areas

My youngest is due to move from his Middle School to High School next September.

We got the forms to choose the School yesterday.

There is 1 choice. (or should that be no choice) :eek:

I think we will be staying put a while longer.....:rolleyes:

chucky

Pobby wrote: »

I am still surprised at how housing has held up so far.

because there is buying demand

Afriend_2

SingleSue wrote: »

Which is slightly skewed and shows just how far out of touch with reality things have become.

Some people are always destined to be singletons but it never used to mean they were always destined to be renting a property...back in my parents days of buying a house, you could still buy a property easily (well as easy as taking on a mortgage usually is anyway) as a singleton or as the single earner in a family (my parents home was purchased on the basis of my dads earnings alone at a sensible 3 times salary).

Blimey, even in my day of buying a property, I could have done it on my salary alone (we had to put hubby into the equation so his name was on all the paperwork but his salary was not needed to get the funds required)!

House prices will remain high while there's too many people competing over too little resource.
Better it's house prices than a more essential resource such as food or water though.

purch

House prices will remain high while there's too many people competing over too little resource

House Prices will go Up and Down, but one thing you can guarantee.

They will always be a little higher than they should be, whatever the situation.

the_ash_and_the_oak

HAMISH_MCTAVISH wrote: »

Do you have a "Plan B"?

And what is it?

I'm not meaning this to be a thread about whether or not we have reached bottom, or whether or not prices will rise or fall.

Just a hypothetical thread about what those of you that don't currently own would do if it turns out that the botom was last February, and prices that are now 8.5% higher than then actually keep rising from here.

At what point would you admit defeat, or rather, if prices keep rising at what point what you feel that you can't risk letting them get back to peak prices without you acting and at least realising some of the gains you could have had?

Is there such a point? Or are you willing to let prices get back to peak or higher before you finally buy?

And if so, is it because you have a greater fear of buying and then losing as prices fall, than you have of paying more as prices rise but at least being sure that prices won't fall?

Genuinely curious as to what your motivations are.

i'm a bear because i think prices will fall further, not because I want them to (i'm ambivalent about what i want to happen as it whatever happens will affect different members of my famiiy in different ways). If i did not feel prices would fall further, i wouldn't be a bear, I would simply be someone who finds it cheaper to rent.

There's not really any 'defeat' to consider here imo tbh - housing isnt the kind of market its easy to dip in and out of imo to take advantage of various price fluctuations. anyway its cheaper for me to continue renting in a houseshare and put the difference away (even considering the recent rises) - even if i were able to obtain a cheap mortgage.

questions kinda loaded imo (but its understandable) but the idea of waiting until prices return to peak to buy kinda doesnt make sense. any returning to peak makes buying less likely (and less achievable), not more.

its all kinda swings and roundabouts because rises would help parents out, but from personal pov prob buy in maybe 5 years

the_ash_and_the_oak

chucky wrote: »

because there is buying demand

you think?

i guess relative to supply mayb

chucky

the_ash_and_the_oak wrote: »

you think?

i guess relative to supply mayb

this is what i see

2009 demand is supporting 2009 house prices
2008 demand did not support 2008 prices

Gorgeous_George

[Plan B]
Wait for next recession.[/Plan B]

Simples.

GG