How much is your hoose

[ICTChris]

Any P&Bers living in Kirtling might want to get their home on the market pronto

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/travellers-cambridgeshire-land-racing-live-13573704.amp

[Ross.]

43 minutes ago, ICTChris said:

I looked at buying a flat in Clydebank a few months back as an investment. It was in the market for £15,000, I'm not sure if that area does a council scheme where they will guarantee your rent if you let them use your property, they cover insurance etc. I know a few people who have done that in other parts of Scotland. If you needed s mortgage for it it'd be paid off in a couple of years and then you'd have an asset you could either make income from or sell.

I did feel a bit of a spiv looking at it, you would be making money from people who were really in the shit. But then, you are also helping them so swings etc.

I bought mines as a long term investment and a fall back if I end up having to move home for any reason. It's paying for itself quite well and barring an absolute holocaust of an economic melt down will continue to do so for quite some time. I also charge below market rate for rent because I'm a pretendy left winger type spiv.

[Am Featha Taigh Nan Clach]

House prices are laughable. They just keep going up and up and up. How are folk meant to ever afford one these days? Each new generation will just find it harder and harder to be able to afford a property, and lenders don't seem to be helping. It's hard enough for folk having to save up a mental deposit, as well as all the other expensive shit that goes along with buying a place (legal fees, stamp duty, surveys etc).
There's surely going to be a time, and it could be in our lifetimes, where the majority of the population simply can't afford to get on the property ladder. I can't see house prices ever falling, and they certainly won't stay still for long. They'll continue to get more and more expensive, and the gap between this increase and the increase in wages will grow as well.
Someone like me is fucked and will never be able to get a property, so I can only recoil in horror at the thought of someone in, say, 20 years time looking to get a property.

I certainly think property prices are increasing at a silly rate, but I don't think you can blame lenders for wanting a deposit and a good credit rating. Given the sub prime mortgage disaster, it only seems sensible.

In these situations, people often wrongly that 'people like me' are the average. People with a poor credit rating and a low paid job will struggle to afford a property. I'm not saying that's fair or right.

There was an excellent bbc news article a few months ago which featured 5 or 6 people who earned less than the average wage and how they had managed to get on the property ladder

[pandarilla]

I bought mines as a long term investment and a fall back if I end up having to move home for any reason. It's paying for itself quite well and barring an absolute holocaust of an economic melt down will continue to do so for quite some time. I also charge below market rate for rent because I'm a pretendy left winger type spiv.

Definitely the best type of spivs...

[welshbairn]

I don't think property prices are much different from what they were ten years ago in Inverness, maybe because of all the new builds.

Only reason I would buy would be to avoid nosey landlords. I'd be wary of buying now without knowing what Brexit might do to interest rates unless I could get a decent rate on long term fixed interest.

 

 

 

[chomp my root]

43 minutes ago, Ross. said:

I bought mines as a long term investment and a fall back if I end up having to move home for any reason. It's paying for itself quite well and barring an absolute holocaust of an economic melt down will continue to do so for quite some time. I also charge below market rate for rent because I'm a pretendy left winger type spiv.

I've got 3 rentals, 2 were let through an agent from the off but my old flat was let cheap to mates for years until I ran out of mates who wanted to rent a 1 bed flat. Its through a letting agent now too. Its frightening what the going rate is in some areas but the market finds its place I guess. As a nation we need a shit load more affordable housing and if we're going to continue with 'right to buy' we'll need to find the space for even more homes. 

I was a lefty spiv but I've turned into 'da man' 

[Dindeleux]

1 hour ago, ICTChris said:

I looked at buying a flat in Clydebank a few months back as an investment. It was in the market for £15,000, I'm not sure if that area does a council scheme where they will guarantee your rent if you let them use your property, they cover insurance etc. I know a few people who have done that in other parts of Scotland. If you needed s mortgage for it it'd be paid off in a couple of years and then you'd have an asset you could either make income from or sell.

I did feel a bit of a spiv looking at it, you would be making money from people who were really in the shit. But then, you are also helping them so swings etc.

I don't really understand what you mean by this.  Let who use your property?  The council to rent out to scum?  By scum I mean junkies, trouble makers etc - not people who are struggling.

[pandarilla]

 
I was a lefty spiv but I've turned into 'da man' [emoji20]

A well worn path I fear!

[chomp my root]

3 minutes ago, pandarilla said:

 

A well worn path I fear!

 

There is an element of "what can you do". I can't be bolloxed managing them myself.

[pandarilla]

There is an element of "what can you do". I can't be bolloxed managing them myself.

Sell up, donate the money to the homeless, and become a vegan.

[ICTChris]

I don't really understand what you mean by this.  Let who use your property?  The council to rent out to scum?  By scum I mean junkies, trouble makers etc - not people who are struggling.

I didn't explain it very well. Quite a few councils in Scotland have schemes where the council rent your property for a fixed period, guarantee you a set monthly rent and take on responsibilities for damage, breakages etc. The landlord will still have responsibilities of course, but generally you just let it straight to the council. My mate did it with one of his flats and it worked fine for a long time until they sold it. It means that for the fixed period, usually one or two years, you get money no matter if the flat is occupied and don't need to worry about finding tenants etc.

One of the 'things' is that often these flats,because they are flexible and not council owned, can get used as emergency housing. That could be for all sorts of people a small number of whom could be covered by your descriptions. It's pretty difficult - a property in Inverness near to some friends of my parents was taken over by the council and when enquiries were made the residents were told that it was going to be used for vulnerable single mothers. As soon as people were moved in, some of them were a nightmare, drinking, littering, fighting, police being called out. I think it was eventually shut down. When I lived in Leith a flat in my old tenement was owned by a firm who let it out to someone who they classed as vulnerable, the first night they were in the flat riot police were called and the place got destroyed.

It's a shame and I know there are P&Bers who work in housing who will know the prejudices that can be faced in finding accommodation and getting people's houses.

[ICTChris]

Here's the Highland Council page regarding the scheme

https://www.highland.gov.uk/info/997/housing_advice/267/leasing_your_property_to_us

[throbber]

I never had you down as a Tory Chris.

[Dindeleux]

1 hour ago, ICTChris said:

 

I didn't explain it very well. Quite a few councils in Scotland have schemes where the council rent your property for a fixed period, guarantee you a set monthly rent and take on responsibilities for damage, breakages etc. The landlord will still have responsibilities of course, but generally you just let it straight to the council. My mate did it with one of his flats and it worked fine for a long time until they sold it. It means that for the fixed period, usually one or two years, you get money no matter if the flat is occupied and don't need to worry about finding tenants etc.

One of the 'things' is that often these flats,because they are flexible and not council owned, can get used as emergency housing. That could be for all sorts of people a small number of whom could be covered by your descriptions. It's pretty difficult - a property in Inverness near to some friends of my parents was taken over by the council and when enquiries were made the residents were told that it was going to be used for vulnerable single mothers. As soon as people were moved in, some of them were a nightmare, drinking, littering, fighting, police being called out. I think it was eventually shut down. When I lived in Leith a flat in my old tenement was owned by a firm who let it out to someone who they classed as vulnerable, the first night they were in the flat riot police were called and the place got destroyed.

It's a shame and I know there are P&Bers who work in housing who will know the prejudices that can be faced in finding accommodation and getting people's houses.

 

I still don't really understand why you would have an issue with this.  Based on your earlier post it seemed that you felt it was somehow unfair for people to live here and for you to profit over their vulnerability but it would seem that you are helping these people by providing cheap housing to the council which they can in turn pass to the people who need it.  You get your bills paid, the council get the property at a reasonable price and the person in need gets a roof over their head.  Surely everyone is a winner?

[Dindeleux]

3 hours ago, pandarilla said:

 

I certainly couldn't do it. I know a few folk who can't afford to get a mortgage and they're effectively paying someone else's mortgage. It just doesn't sit right.



 

 

I missed this point earlier - what a strange way to look at it.

[ICTChris]

I still don't really understand why you would have an issue with this.  Based on your earlier post it seemed that you felt it was somehow unfair for people to live here and for you to profit over their vulnerability but it would seem that you are helping these people by providing cheap housing to the council which they can in turn pass to the people who need it.  You get your bills paid, the council get the property at a reasonable price and the person in need gets a roof over their head.  Surely everyone is a winner?

Yeah I think it's perfectly justifiable. The flat I looked at was a total pit though and would no doubt only have been suitable for the "insane junkie" demographic.

[chomp my root]

3 hours ago, pandarilla said:

 

Sell up, donate the money to the homeless, and become a vegan.

 

If you toss in being a lesbian I might be tempted.

[RH33]

I rent my flat. When my marriage ended it was difficult to try and get someone who would take tenants who are DSS. Thankfully this one came on and I emailed the couple explaining I wasn't junkie/alchie/scum bag. 

 

I remain on rhe mortgage of what was the marital home and he has another yr to sort it or I force the sake. It's 3 bed end Terrance and maybe worth £105k. On the edge of ferguslie park!

[The_Kincardine]

3 bed flat worth £300K in a shite part of a shite town.  The upsides are that a. I don't have a mortgage, b. transport is easy and c. I have a decent pub and a myriad of food options on my doorstep.

[welshbairn]

3 hours ago, ICTChris said:

 

I didn't explain it very well. Quite a few councils in Scotland have schemes where the council rent your property for a fixed period, guarantee you a set monthly rent and take on responsibilities for damage, breakages etc. The landlord will still have responsibilities of course, but generally you just let it straight to the council. My mate did it with one of his flats and it worked fine for a long time until they sold it. It means that for the fixed period, usually one or two years, you get money no matter if the flat is occupied and don't need to worry about finding tenants etc.

One of the 'things' is that often these flats,because they are flexible and not council owned, can get used as emergency housing. That could be for all sorts of people a small number of whom could be covered by your descriptions. It's pretty difficult - a property in Inverness near to some friends of my parents was taken over by the council and when enquiries were made the residents were told that it was going to be used for vulnerable single mothers. As soon as people were moved in, some of them were a nightmare, drinking, littering, fighting, police being called out. I think it was eventually shut down. When I lived in Leith a flat in my old tenement was owned by a firm who let it out to someone who they classed as vulnerable, the first night they were in the flat riot police were called and the place got destroyed.

It's a shame and I know there are P&Bers who work in housing who will know the prejudices that can be faced in finding accommodation and getting people's houses.

 

I worked for a while delivering furniture to people moving into Council or Housing Association flats in Inverness and around the Highlands. It was a shock to see how neglected the shared spaces were, in some isolated areas and blocks, I don't mean everywhere. It looks like funding has been cut to way below the minimum for upkeep and maintenance. The private sector would have to struggle to be any worse.