Jon

I think MON has more petrol in his car than you give him credit for ...... and is confident he won't need another refuel until The Summer. I'm inclined to agree with him

?? has Ian finally finished his bike ride then? :winkold:

1. the availablity of easy credit (mortageb wise) has been curtailed in recent months, even more so following what has happened in the US of A. That had a detrminental affect on demand, and therefore short to mid term adversely affects house prices. 2. Interets rates have been going up for about 3 years now, and we have had only 1 slight cut a couple of months ago, which is on its own insufficient to really galvanise the market. This makes it more difficult to borrow, and adversely affects house prices. these are the 2 main factors causing the slowdown/drop in house prices in recent months, IMO. This plus the fact that we have had an unprecednted "boom" in house prices these last 8 or 9 years has lewd to this cooling down period. It's just not an ideal time to try to sell your house right now. Good time to buy though......

So why bother selling - if it's profitable, and if you're bullish about the market, it's now an investment. As long as it's in a good renting area, why worry. Over an average 20 year period, it should quadruple in value, so the mortgage reduces in terms of LTV without you having to pay a penny. Once prices start falling, people will delay their entry into the market (why buy now when it will be cheaper in 6 months), and demand will slacken. agree with all that Grings - i think there could well be (and judging by it currently is) a short to mid term slackening of the market, meaning that house prices are indeed currently dropping slightly. I beleive this will be realtively short lived, IF the BofE are able to cut interest rates 2 or 3 times over the next 6-12 months. the avaialabality of mortgages has been tightened, which i think is a good thing in terms of financial stability for the economy, but this will necessarily have a detrimental effect on the market short-term too. longer term though i think that a continuing reduction in interst rates plus the demand > supply effect will stave off a housing marker crash. There will just be a slight short term re-adjustment IMO, whcih is what we are seeing right now. as to your first point, you are correct. it's just that a) i wanted the money from the sale to make my mortgage on my new pad more affordable and i don't like the hassle of being a "landlord". But longer term if i hold onto it, it will probably make more economic sense, and should reap greater dividends. Selling right at this moment is not the right course of action anyway.

roughly my thoughts too ian. It's hitting me a little bit at the moment. Have had my flat on the market for just over 6 months now, and not that much interest and only 1 firm bid wich was way to low so had to reject it. I've just bought another property though, slightly more expensive than the one i already have but i reckon a good £15k lower than about 2 years ago, so just within my price range. But now i am in a position of holding 2 properties that i can't really afford (have had to get intyerst only mortgages on them both), becuase i can't sell my flat due to the market really slowing/reversing. i've had to remortgage my flat to get a bit of capital to put down as an advance on my new apartment, and have had to let my flat out to tenants. Tnankfully, just got tenant sin at the weekend, whcih covers my mortgage plus a little bit extract each month. Not ideal, though i am hopeful of an upturn in year or so if interst rates get cut afew times. They've gone up continually for the last 3 years or so, so hopefully we might get 2 or 3 cuts in the next 12 months, whcih can only help the market. Plus, demand still outstrips supply, whcih should ensure we don't have a market crash. People still need/want to buy property, the demand is still there IMO.

pourquoi Mart? if we bring in 1 or 2 class players in the next 7 days, why must they be seen as panic signings? :? i don't think we will BTW, but if we do, then .....

Fully behind the idea, for the reasons outlined by Bri, ml1dch et al. Much, much bettre/more beneficial to wider society than the current system. A few poeple/groups mught not be in favour, but i thinmk the vast majority of citizens will back this. It will save lives, at the end of the day.

1+2 combined = 86 3 = 86 4 = 4 so the majority now prefers a flag other than 3. let's start a campaign! :winkold:

good point. It seems to me like we've come full circle, and having emerged from the era when our history was hidden away, we now seem to have gone over the top in wanting to advertise it to both ourselves and everyone else. I'd prefer it somewhere in between, but for me no. 3 is too overstated. I hate it owhen other clubs try to ram their successes and "bigness" down peoples throats (Utd etc) so would be a but hypocritical of me to then support Villa trying to do the same ....

it's a strange one, as i am fully behind the star on the new crest indicating the european cup win in 82. Yet i hate that new flag with the various trophy wins on it. I think it's the understated nature of the star on the crest, and the overstated nature of the trophies with the counts on the flag, that does it for me. But again, it's not an important issue for me, TBH. t'is the results on then picth that matter, not crests, kits or flags, and MON?Randy are doing us proud in that regard.

whatever happens this season (bar a freak prem league trophy!), it would still be valid for next season :winkold:

indeed. I find it quite cringeworthy.

exaxctly what iw as getting at. opposition fans would just laugh at us, and i'd feel a tad emabarrased TBH .....

voted 1 but happy with 2 also. don't see the need to keep reminding us/the opposition of what we have won in the past. seems a bit "look at us, didn't we use to be a great club, have a look at our trophies" type b*llocks. Villa fans should know our proud history. The opposition couldn't give a sh*t, IMO.

Agbo. potentially the best forward player we've had at the Villa since Dwight IMO.

not sure we were watching the same game last night fella! :? he missed a couple of chances, granted, but IMHO his overall display was pretty good, amd to class that as a lazt display for me anyway beggars belief. I don't think his effort last night could rightly be classed as lazy. Criticise the lack of goals - fine, no problem. But for me the effort was there last night.

yep - i thought he played really well actually. Good movement, good touches, good link up play. He just doesn't look like scoring at the moment, which is not ideal for a striker ....

where is the option for the sense of fair play? :nod:

22 nil now. not surprised either. there are none so blind as those that cannot see. In the land of the blind, the 1 eyed man is king etc etc.

you forgot the Davies present Ian. One of the most expensive presents in the shop, and had to work very hard to persuade the shopkeeper to sell at a realistic price. Once home, was eager to use the new toy, but upon use the end result was hugely dissapointing. Was put back into the box, re-sealed and has not effectively been taken out to play with again. Bought on hire purchase from the shopkeeper with the "promise" of big bucks changing hands next year. Purchaser may me hastily looking at purchase agreement for escape clauses. The Cahill: Lend one of your best presents to the poor kids from the other street, then wish you hadn't as it was actaully a good present and you want it back as, thinking back, it was better than the more recent presenst you bought.

did their 2nd goal pass you by mate? :? IMHO, Gabby by a country mile. NRC did OK sin spells, partuclarly near the end when we pushed forward and he was "holding forte", but for much of the game i thought he was average

agree with all your ratings John. also thought paddy did nothing at all when he came on. Maybe he is coming to the end of his time at the top level.

Nice article Pete, and one i fully agree with. That should now close this sorry chapter. End Of.

I think the Hitman will win it. IF he can get inclsoe enough and bang away to the body a bit early doors. I don't think Floyd is gonna trade - i think he will try and dance his way to a points win. So, if RH can get close enough and land some blows, i can see him winning either by stoppage or on points. Depends if Floyd has slowed at all these days. If not then he could just dance rings around RH all night and coast to a points win. But i'm going with RH, just for the destructive punches.

made me smile. don't know why.