Jon

god, you've got me Trent. Simply could not answer!! if ai had a gun, and had to shoot one of them, i think i'd try to line them up together and see if the "magic buller" could penetrate the pair of feckers.

Voted for Lois. she seems quite cute, were she real ..... surely there can't be any votes for marge? :shock:

agree entirely Mike. So do I. I think. Is grass not valuable to cows then? why would it be? Cows don't smoke ..... :winkold: on the flip side, i'd say no, Grant. I'd say it was essential to their existence. Not "valuable", as it has no actual "value" as such. Needed/required, rather than valuable, would be my take on it.

agree entirely Mike.

Oi! I'll have you know Macc are doing their level best to get themselves our of that division. Conference here we come! :winkold:

Indeed. If you don't financially HAVE to sell right now, then people shouldn't, really. The market (for many areas) really is a buyers one right now, and if you're in a position where it would be preferable but not necessary to sell, then i'd ride it out, and try to let the property out. In terms of couples moving in together for example, then i'd guess they don't financially need to sell the property straight away. TBH before i was "forced" to remortgage and let out, i was not a fan of landlords that would buy up properties solely to make money by letting them out and then maybe selling on at a profit at a later date. I think it skews the market, especially for first time buyers. I still think there's something not quite right about Buying To Let. I think it needs to be addressed at a national governmental level.

indeed :winkold: not really by choice though. Sort of forced on me, really , by being unable to sell it for a decent price. not really making much on it either. Covers the mortgage and then a little extra, but not much, especially when/if things start "going wrong".

not your fault Snowster! Seems Greenz's neighbour struck it v lucky. Full asking within 5 days, when it's generally accepted that the market is in decline. stuck my flat on the market in July, and couldn't sell for anywhere near asking so have rented it out. It's worked out quite well, as have got decent tenents in, but a good sale would maybe have been preferable Gonna have to bide my time i think......

Newcastle for me. Justice of sorts for Allardyce .....

it hasn't mate. even though his house is "on the market" at £125, he/she might have to accept and offer of say £110 or so, if they want to sell anytime soon. So, in reality, your house value may even have fallen, at this current moment in time. so, all i'd say is, don't look to be selling right now. Fair enough, if you're mate is looking to go to OZ, then he has to sell now, in which case this property is ripe for someone to make a bit of cash on. But i'd be very surprised if it got anywhere near asking, in the current climate.

Stagflation? Inflation during a period of stagnation in the economy? TBH i think there will be a little cooling in the economy and housing market, but medium term i think both will recover, but i think we could be in for year or so of belt fastening. S'pose it could depend on what happens to the States over the next 12 months or so?

Sorry 'bout all the commas. I probably need to take a bit more time, and re-read them before posting. no, we like them, Pete. It's those damn apostrophes that get my goat! :winkold:

greAT, report, Pete. from what i saw, these, marks look, spot, on. we're becoming, one hell, of, a team, these days, with some, great individual, performances, too. I, also, thought, Ozzy, was, excellent, when, he, came on. A real find, this, kid. Great, engine, box to, box, a bit Taylor-esque almost. Love, the, commas, too, :nod:

the Green Cross Code Man? :winkold:

what, like when Major replaced Mrs T? Where was the GE then? There does not have to be a GE after a change of PM/leader Nick. You know that. There is nothing in the UK constitution that necessitates that. Could you explain therefore why there WILL be a GE in the next 12 months, as you won't find much support or evidence for that view, IMO.

hey? :? there is no looming GE in this country. Not for the best part of 2 years, anyway. Do you know something we don't? If the independant BofE were to lower IR as a GE sweetener, i doubt they'd be doing it now.

Not for the next 2 years, anyway! :winkold:

what do you base that on, though, Nick? I mean, interest rates rose in this country for 3 years up to the end of 2007, and in the last few months have actually been cut twice. So they are coming down, albeit only slowly and by small amounts.

where's this boom and bust evident? :? where are these high interest rates? :? apart from that, excellent post. :shock:

I agree. Its a great time to invest in property and thats exactly what I'm doing. kinda agree trent. I've just bought an apartment (complete next weekend), and have managed to hold onto my existing one for the time being as it's not the right time to sell. It's a stretch, but for the moment i'm an owner of 2 properties, and have managed to get tenants into the one i've just left. Prices in my area have dropped quite a bit these last 6 months, so around here it is defeintely not the right time to sell, but is possibly the right time to buy. Depends if you think prices will continue to fall off, or just level out or recover. I don't think for hereonin we are going to see big price drops. I'd have my money on more of a leveling off, followed medium term by a slight recovery. I think the market is still trying to find a new equilibrium.

Yes, then I left work that day and went straight back on it there speaks an Oirishman! :winkold:

very true Pete. how to "outlaw" tramp juice might be more of a step forward.....

eh? :? you've got me here tone. Petrol is usaully more of a necessity than a luxury. People need petrol to get from A to B, to get tow rok, to the supermarket, to deliver goods to factories etc, etc. The luxury petrol spend i'd guess is a very small part of the petrol market. Alcy-hol, on the other hand, is a want, not a need (unless you are an actaul alocholic, which is weher the line is more blurred), and so this is not, IMO, a valid comparsion. Putting the cost of alcohol up would probably mean i would buy a little less, which would be no bad thing, but i think they are talkimg about the cheap end of the market here anyway, the special offers and the ludicrously cheap "lighter fuel" type ciders & beers, so this wouldn't affect your "standard/adult" drinker too much, if at all.

might do for someone who's had both arms amputated :winkold:

you also get confused about your age after 30, it seems .... :winkold: