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How can people be so greedy?

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Comments

  • neas
    neas Posts: 3,801 Forumite
    izzybusy23 wrote: »
    That is so true. You CANNOT put your life on hold waiting for house prices to fall. I found myself pregnant in 2004 in a really bad situation and low part of my life. I was told by professionals that I could not become pregnant, so here I was going through a mega rough patch in my life, pregnant with the possibility of being homeless due to a messy divorce. Now what do I do.. get rid of that much wanted child that I'd had test for years for just because I was going to become homeless (council would not house me, even pregnant) or abort that much wanted child and stay in the rough patch of my life just for a roof over my head. Guess what, I chose to keep my child and rent privately. Four years on my gorgeous daughter is nearly 3 and although I am still renting, my finances are in much better order and I am so much happier with my lot. Granted, I would love my own home but said daughter starts proper school next year, finances will improve so I will be able to save more. Hopefully in four years time houses would have downturned significantly and I would had saved up enough of a deposit to have a 60% mortgage.

    Renting isn't the end of the world.. and nobody please put your life on hold because you rent. Ok, its carp having to move with 2 months notice, but I would much rather do that then see my biological clock ticking away whilst trying to pay off a huge mortgage.

    That is so true, Material things like houses are nothing if you put on hold something as having children :). You are right, children and family are more important.... sometimes you get lost in the fuss of having a house. Just its easy to be disgruntled when everything seems an uphill struggle these days.

    I know its not specifically the older people who have done this but their generation of politicians and those who have participated in fueling the BTL nightmare have helped hinder the younger generation get on the ladder.. thats just my view.
  • Pez2
    Pez2 Posts: 429 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    At the heart of this... no matter how "hard done by" you are, you ain't gonna starve, or freeze, or be left without medical treatment, and neither is any member of your family.

    Wow, so as long as we're not literally starving on the streets we should just keep quiet and not try to change anyting. How do you think anything would ever get changed for the better if we all took that attitude?
  • neas
    neas Posts: 3,801 Forumite
    Davesnave wrote: »
    I hope OP reads this and begins to understand why I, among others, understood his frustration, but didn't feel particularly sorry for him. Like you, I've been making plans for years now, but my 'biological clock' has struck the hour and those have to go out the window. Doesn't stop me making new plans though.......Adapt & survive.


    I do understand this... I can adapt but it still doesn't stop me having a little whinge that alot of my parents generation can't whinge about how their children cant get a house or are so far in debt they are having to borrow money off them when a general transfer of wealth from the youth to the older generations has occured. I know some people have better jobs, i know some people were lucky... but speaking statistically it is a hard time these days with finances for many young people... And as i said before im not worst off of these people.
  • Badger_Lady
    Badger_Lady Posts: 6,264 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Combo Breaker
    GavP wrote: »
    Wow, so as long as we're not literally starving on the streets we should just keep quiet and not try to change anyting. How do you think anything would ever get changed for the better if we all took that attitude?

    Exactly - there's nothing we can do (at least suggested on this thread) to change it. So why whinge? Change what you can.
    Mortgage | £145,000Unsecured Debt | [strike]£7,000[/strike] £0 Lodgers | |
  • neas
    neas Posts: 3,801 Forumite
    Phirefly wrote: »
    In fact thinking about it, the fact I missed it is actually hugely relevant.

    Instead of bemoaning my circumstances which a few years back were quite similar to the OPs, I'm too mad busy setting up my business with the ultimate aim of financial freedom. Perhaps a few more round here ought to try the same.

    Not everyone can own their own business.. I certainly couldnt open a business for an engineering type job, the amount of quality control and auditing that takes place is immense.

    Also setting your own business in a financially turbulent time is prob not too wise... might work might not. I'd ty and be inventive and think of something that would succeed in a recession as well as todays economic conditions.
  • aztec21 wrote: »
    Ever heard of a part time job?


    Erm, for a medical student? The rigours of training to become a doctor don't actually leave much time for anything else, let alone a part time job! How would you feel being treated by a doctor who perhaps didn't put 100% into his/her studies because they were busy flipping burgers to earn a measly £50 a week? You might be able to get away with that on other degree courses, but I don't believe medicine is one of them - and nor should it be.

    Please think before you come out with sarcastic statements like that,
  • Phirefly
    Phirefly Posts: 1,605 Forumite
    GavP wrote: »
    So it's unreasonable for a couple on an above average salary to be able to afford a house*? Which income bracket do you think people should be in before they should be able to buy? Top 30%? Top 20%? Top 10%? And then what happens to everyone else who falls below that? 12 month ASTs with the landlord able to turf them out more or less whenever he/she feels like it?

    *admittedly the OPs aims for a first home may be a little over-ambitious

    You're disagreeing with me for no reason. In the first post where I quoted you, I said I fundamentally AGREED with you.

    Mr Phirefly and I had an average income (not dissimilar to the OPs) when we bought our first house in April last year. Between us we have about 20k in student debt.

    Heres the facts

    I graduated 5 years ago, had to pay tuition fees and pay my way through uni which I managed by working part time (full time in the holidays)

    We live in the East Midlands, in a town where above average student population has inflated house prices, but I'd say house prices round here are somewhere only a whisker below national average. I'd sooner live in a prettier part of the world, but I appreciate I'm lucky in that friends and family are closeby. Mr P isn't so lucky in as much as he's from Kent so buying a property close to his nearest and dearest is not a viable option financially (thank heavens)

    We researched extensively, made a couple compromises and bought a house valued at 145k for 139k with a deposit of 10k that I raised myself through saving hard, selling my car and a very small loan from my Mum that I finished repaying last month... Its small but perfectly formed home, adequate for our needs for the next 5 years at least. We're paying a mortgage of £750 a month which means we have to be careful with money, but can manage if we have an unexpected expense. I say often on here, we never bought it as an investment. Owning a home is a liability. But I truly love my house.

    All I'm saying is its POSSIBLE. Thats all. PasturesNew is completely right (as ever, o wise one) when she says its very much to do with where you live. Its not ideal that house prices are inflated. And not everyone is fortunate enough to live in a more affordable area. I agree whith the fundamentals of your standpoint. But surely you can see why given my experience I'm perhaps not so sympathetic to the OP? Seems you're not either given your discalimer.

    And to the chap who took offence at my Ocado comment, I said that to be deliberately inflammatory. Student generalisations get my back up too - that was the point I was making. And medical students are quite the exception too, I appreciate you have your extra burdens to bear.

    I wish I could have let Badger_Lady have the the last (so very eloquent) word on the topic, but I'm working on a partcularly grating brief at the moment and I'll glady seize any opportunity to procastinate.

    O and thanks for the advice re: setting up a business in these financially turbulent times, OP. I'll bear that in mind :rolleyes:
  • neas
    neas Posts: 3,801 Forumite
    aztec21 wrote: »
    If you leave university with a 30k debt you have done a very poor job of managing your finances.

    It was a rhetorical 'you'

    I came out of uni with 12k student loans for 4 years course obtaining a master degree in engineering. I also had 6k saved in an isa... so total debt was 6k.... I worked my !!! off at uni 20 hours a week for 4 years I didnt go out much at all... and even now I still.... cant get on the housing market.

    So when people give the reason its student debts that cause students to not be able to get on the housing ladder... its just an excuse to hide the real reason.. that house prices have inflated out of anyones economic control... and now we are probably going to pay for it... and maybe luckily the youth may finally get their turn to lead comfortable lives...in their own homes... while those who were greedy and overstretched themselves on BTL properties will lead to wrack and ruin?

    Wouldn't that be fair?
  • neas
    neas Posts: 3,801 Forumite
    GavP wrote: »
    How can people be so greedy?


    I suspect that there is a recession on the horizon, and much as a recession will cause a lot of damage to many in this country, I'm hopeful that it might force people to re-assess these kinds of attitudes and convince them that there's something to be said for thinking of others and re-investing in the social fabric of the country rather than just being out to improve your own lot all the time, and sod everyone else.


    Yea.. come to think of it britain has become quite a greed orientated society hasnt it... think about yourself and screw others over more?
  • Kaz2904
    Kaz2904 Posts: 5,797 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker Mortgage-free Glee!
    The newly qualified doctors that I've worked with have nearly all needed to work whilst at uni. They got jobs as HCA's so that they could work night shifts and get some on job knowledge.
    (Maybe that's why so many of them have better patient skills than some erm longer trained consultants?)
    Debt: 16/04/2007:TOTAL DEBT [strike]£92727.75[/strike] £49395.47:eek: :eek: :eek: £43332.28 repaid 100.77% of £43000 target.
    MFiT T2: Debt [STRIKE]£52856.59[/STRIKE] £6316.14 £46540.45 repaid 101.17% of £46000 target.
    2013 Target: completely clear my [STRIKE]£6316.14[/STRIKE] £0 mortgage debt. £6316.14 100% repaid.
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