Do you want house price to rise or fall?

chucknorris

ukcarper wrote: »

I've never rented although I was bought up in rental properties at first private and then Council. But when I left my parents home to get married it really came down to buying as there was very rental property available. I think younger people would be surprised how difficult it was to find decent rental property on the early 70s.

I agree, that it is nowhere near as easy as younger people think it was back then to buy, although I do of course accept that it is more difficult now. My wife arrived in this country as a Vietnam boat person, picked up in the sea by a British ship, she couldn't speak English when she arrived here aged 10 (1979), and none of her family could either. So obviously they ended up on benefits and in social housing. But she picked herself up, worked hard, and got a first class honours degree in maths, and then became an actuary, and bought a house for her family in Hackney.

She had a lot to cope with because, from a family of 5, her mother and one of her brothers had a mental illness (both were occasionally sectioned) and the other brother did not help) he even stole off his mentally ill brother). Her father was also very ill, because he was interned and medically neglected by the North Vietnamese (he was previously a chief officer in the South Vietnamese Navy) So it was far from easy for her. Also both her mother and father, and the mentally ill brother never learned to speak fluent English, so she had to spend a lot of time looking after them (attending doctor's appointments, paying bills etc etc.)

lookstraightahead

An amazing story well done her. But I would have been just as impressed if she hadn't bought the house. I have a maths degree and see that as the most important thing lol x

ukcarper

chucknorris wrote: »

I agree, that it is nowhere near as easy as younger people think it was back then to buy, although I do of course accept that it is more difficult now. My wife arrived in this country as a Vietnam boat person, picked up in the sea by a British ship, she couldn't speak English when she arrived here aged 10 (1979), and none of her family could either. So obviously they ended up on benefits and in social housing. But she picked herself up, worked hard, and got a first class honours degree in maths, and then became an actuary, and bought a house for her family in Hackney.

She had a lot to cope with because, from a family of 5, her mother and one of her brothers had a mental illness (both were occasionally sectioned) and the other brother did not help )he even stole off his mentally ill brother). So it was far from easy for her.

I first bought in 70s boom in the area I was looking prices almost doubled in just over a year, if I had not bought when I did I would not have been able to buy for some time. But the point I was making was the lack of rental property, if you looked at the property pages of local paper there were pages of properties to buy but hardly any to rent.

I also accept its more difficult to buy now in fact I'd say in the areas were we live which aren't that far apart it's impossible for to many people.

chucknorris

lookstraightahead wrote: »

An amazing story well done her. But I would have been just as impressed if she hadn't bought the house. I have a maths degree and see that as the most important thing lol x

I know how hard it is for second language students, because I am now (a chartered quantity surveyor previously) a university lecturer. I imagine you got your degree in your first language, as I did, although I also got a first, as she did, but because of the language problems, I think her degree trumps mine.

lookstraightahead

Definitely trumps yours

chucknorris

lookstraightahead wrote: »

Definitely trumps yours

Obviously, because my degree was also in my first language too, but I achieved what I wanted, that was a first class honours degree and the top student prize. As I tell my students though, obtaining a degree is not the end of something, it is just the beginning.

andrewf75

chucknorris wrote: »

Who is obsessed with it? I own my own home because I am free to do in it what I want, and it is much cheaper. It is both a lifestyle and financial choice, once the choice was made, I have barely thought about it, never mind being 'obsessed' about it, for god sake it is just a house, just somewhere to live.

I can be obsessed about things, in fact, I use it as a tool to do better times in runs and cycling, and lifting heavier weights, but obsession has nothing to do with my house. If you asked my wife, she would probably tell you that sometimes I neglect our house.

Not suggesting you personally are obsessed, but that this country on the whole is. House prices make newspaper headlines often, TV channels are filled with shows about buying property, people talk about the need to “get on the housing ladder” a phrase which I doubt exists in any other language. Obviously people across the world like to own their own home, but the UK is fairly unique in its obsession and its pretty well known not just a random observation of mine!

(My attitude to my home is the same as yours by the way)

chucknorris

andrewf75 wrote: »

Not suggesting you personally are obsessed, but that this country on the whole is. House prices make newspaper headlines often, TV channels are filled with shows about buying property, people talk about the need to “get on the housing ladder” a phrase which I doubt exists in any other language. Obviously people across the world like to own their own home, but the UK is fairly unique in its obsession and its pretty well known not just a random observation of mine!

(My attitude to my home is the same as yours by the way)

I don't think that is obsession, it just gets a lot of attention because it is probably the most expensive investment/purchase that most people will make during their lifetime. So it does merit serious attention, when buying or selling, but not the rest of the time. Of course some people will be obsessed, Crashy is the first person that comes to my mind. He is obsessed about house prices, yet has no intention of ever buying! If that isn't obsession, I don't know what is.

lookstraightahead

Needing to buy stops young adults becoming independent. They stay at home because their parents tell them they can't afford a house and renting us out of the question. So instead of seeking independence they stay with their mum til they are forty.

andrewf75

chucknorris wrote: »

I don't think that is obsession, it just gets a lot of attention because it is probably the most expensive investment/purchase that most people will make during their lifetime. So it does merit serious attention, when buying or selling, but not the rest of the time. Of course some people will be obsessed, Crashy is the first person that comes to my mind. He is obsessed about house prices, yet has no intention of ever buying! If that isn't obsession, I don't know what is.

well call it what you want, but other countries don't have this thing with housing as investment. People buy houses as homes. I'm not familiar with "crashy" my comment was about the country as a whole though not slightly odd individuals!