* Would you sacrifice where you WANT to live in order to buy a home? *

brainiac44

just wait 2-3 years, save your money. sit tight. avoid credit.
you will be able to have a pick of repos in croydon when the whole buy to let lending bubble has crashed. 20% of that market is based on btl. for now rent in croydon and drive a deal on something thats been empty for a while and the landlord is desperate,.(theres lots).

it just takes a while and a good steady frame of mind.
wait and save is my advice. the economy is already turning.

you have NOTHING to lose by waiting now. you cam ethis far. dont settle for second best. YOU are as more deseriving as the next citizen.

this is a MASSIVE speculative BUBBLE.
open your eyes.

ginger_nuts

only move if you would be happy in a different area .
Would you be happy for your children to grow up in this area .

I was offered the option to buy a council house many years ago .
I knew where I was living was not a good area and I was lucky enough to buy a repossessed house .Three weeks after I moved my old (now vacant ) house was burnt out .It was never lived in again .

folkestonelisa

Hi just to add my little bit in.

Im a New addington girl but havent lived there for over 18 years. When i lived there it was a bit rough (quite a lot actually) hence why my mum and dad moved me and my 2 sisters on a council exchange to canterbury.
We never went to the schools there, i actually went to Thomas More. I would really research it very well, especially at night time. The bunkers knob used to have fights nearly every night (what a name for a pub)

Me and hubby have looked into buying but cant afford to buy in the area we are in now, so have decided to stay put here. Luckily we live in a 3 bed semi detached house in a lovely area (housing assoc).
Its a big move and once there will you be able to get back to Croydon.

space_rider

We moved from one of the worse areas in nottingham when we had a
child for obvious reasons. Bought a nice house in a nice area and all was good for a few years until drug dealers moved next door (detached). It was obvious and when I alerted the police they weren`t interested. We had my childs swing undone at the top, glass left on the ground and car was torched all because I stood my ground with them. when our car was torched that was the last straw so we put house up for sale. This was the time of the crash in the 90`s so we couldn`t sell it. Thankfully police eventually raided house and they were locked up and we had our peace back. After relationship split I moved out into a not so decent area as that was all I could afford to buy and when it was obvious rowdy kids were getting worse I rented house in very nice area. What did I get, teenage child from hell, doing drugs and taking alcohol while parents out 12 hours a day to keep this lovely house in lovely area.

I have now moved to a new estate near a not so decent area. Doesn`t bother me in the slightest as I know what difference bad neighbours can make.

It is really quiet and you hardly see anyone around. Every now and again you see a police helicopter with search light hovering.

My children go to a very nice school in a decent area. There are only 20 children in my 7 year olds class so as it`s not oversubscribed I shouldn`t have any problems getting her in the feeder school. My teenage daughters school is over subcribed but I`m hoping when my youngest is due to go there it will be ok.

I don`t mind this area as long as I am guaranteed that my children will get into a good school.

vansboy

After reading that lot, Space Rider, I won't complain about picking up the litter, dropped by the school kids taking a short cut by our place!!

VB

MortgageMamma

I did the opposite, I sold my home in an OK area to rent a home in a nicer, more beautiful rural area and i've never been happier.

There's a lot to be said for location.

I see people buying homes and getting obsessed by property value and mortgage payments etc etc etc every single day. I dont see what all the fuss is about with home ownership, really, its only money and you can't take it with you when you go. You won't have "owned a house" on your gravestone!

Life is for living, think about whats best for your lifestyle and then make the decision

space_rider

mortgage mama too right and what will happen to all us home owners when we get elderly and cant stay in our own home? it will have to be sold to fund our nursing home fee. When I retire I plan to sell up and enjoy the money and rent a property.

space_rider

Vansboy, I thought it was bad when the local kids knicked our car aerials. Little did I know that I should have been grateful for just that.

MortgageMamma

Yes you are right space rider, the only problem I have now is lambs in the garden (was bit by one this mornign) and a flock of thousands of wild geese that have decended on the field opposite

Alan_M_2

You couldn't pay me to live in New Addington.

I live somewhere now that I couldn't possibly afford to buy (an expensive part of Surrey), but I'm comfortable with my decision as quality of life here is so much better.

A mortgage on the property in which I live would be nearly treble the rent. So it's an easy decision for me.

I do however have investments elsewhere, so I plan to buy in around 5 years time depending on what the market has done and what my personal situation is.

I grew up in Coulsdon and have lived in Purley and Caterham, all of which are nicer than Croydon and in easy commuting distance.