Scots - would you go back ?

[Panda]

Rumzigal wrote:

Been through this before, Benjamin.   My "landlady" is 24.   Left school at 18, got her degree in 3 years, started earning, and here's her house.   21-year-old niece has just bought a house with her boyfriend, no degrees involved anywhere, not even A-levels.  Loads of young people (mid-20s) at work, they've all got their own houses.   

It's probably true of London, but London's a capital city, and you would expect it to be expensive, just as Paris is more expensive than la France Profonde

Rumzigal, you never answered the question unelss I missed it, where on earth do you rent ??  I'm with Benjamin on this, it is impossible for people in their 20's to be on the property ladder where I come from and no it's not anywhere  near London, average first time buyer is 34. 

As an aside what has having a degree got to do with owning a house when 21, either the houses where ever it is are dead cheap or this non educated 21 year old is doing something that's bringing in a lot of money, which is it.....

 

[Russethouse]

As for the notion that England  is being run by a Scots mafia the English already had their chance to be on the same footing with the proposed regional assemblies that were rejected so I really don't see how folk can moan about it now. TB (if I make him sound like a disease then it's purely intentional) never envisaged the Scottish and Welsh assemblies as national ones they were to be regional assemblies the same as Northumbria or Mercia would have been and there is a tradition of trying out new things such as the poll tax on the celtic fringe.

If the SNP has managed to turn the assembly to their advantage then power to them.

The regional assemblies were not an elected body - it doesn't matter which way you cut it, the situation now is that people living in the constituencies in Scotland benefit (or not, as the case may be) from an extra elected body. With a the PM and probably at least one other minister having Scottish seats together with the presence of Alex Salmond in Scotland I suspect the issue to be re-visited

Panda, If we were to help my daughter with a deposit and she was to have a lodger then she probably could afford a small place of her own. 2 bed flats start around £160,000, terraced houses usually in the £180,000 + mark. Our dilemma would be getting closer to retirement and needing to take care if our own money, having two children and wanting to treat them equally. Of course the deposit isn't the end of it, there is also stamp duty, legal fees etc......

I suspect prices where RG is, are similar

[RumziGal]

[quote user="Panda "]

Rumzigal, you never answered the question unelss I missed it, where on earth do you rent ?? 

As an aside what has having a degree got to do with owning a house when 21, either the houses where ever it is are dead cheap or this non educated 21 year old is doing something that's bringing in a lot of money, which is it.....

[/quote]

I'm renting in Romsey, a Hampshire market town.  It is the same price, if not cheaper, than renting something similar in Montpellier, and house prices don't look too different either. 

The 21-year-old is doing something accountancy-related.  I was told the last time that she couldn't POSSIBLY be a REAL accountant, which may be true, but it obviously pays something.

You can be as scornful as you like, but my conscience is clear.  I'm not lying. 

 

[Chief]

[quote user="RumziGal"]

I retract nothing.    People move in both directions over the border, for many reasons, one of which is personal care.  

You all sound very bitter about the situation.  You could always move to Scotland if it's so good.  [:)]

[/quote]

Sorry to disappoint, but i am not bitter about anything.  Just trying to understand your argument.  But it appears you don't have one, hence the need to throw in the curved ball by insisting that anyone who disagrees with or questions you, is somehow bitter.  I am sure your capable of better, so why not formulate a decent point of view, put it forward and lets have an intelligent debate...or would that be bitter as well....not sure, but still having a ball anyway :-)

[Panda]

That's me scornful then and you bitter chief, maybe we should have our own conversation!

I am not at all scornful, I am interested, so if the prices are similar to Russethouses example, 180,000 for a 2 bed terrace, assuming a deposit of 10%, so 18k that leaves 162k on mortgage, assuming she borrowed based on 3.5 times salary means she earns in the 42k a year bracket, not bad for a semi qualified accountant in any town! 

I expect she had more to put down or borrowed way over normal salary combinations which is sadly common these days in the UK (lets hope the prices don't crash).   I don't see that this shows that loads of 20 something year olds can step easily on to the property ladder at all, quite the opposite in fact.

Before anyone jumps on me, I know my numbers are probably way off but it was the statement, it's easy for young people to get on the property ladder outside of London just simply isn't true and I'm not sure why anyone would ever say that it is.

Panda

[RumziGal]

Indeed I don't have an argument. 

The south of England as a region has the UK Parliament, lots of jobs, and a relatively high level of affluence.    Those are its benefits. 

Scotland's benefits are lousy weather, free dental checkups, free public transport for the elderly, a bad diet, and one extra MP.

It looks like swings and roundabouts to me.  [:)]

In France, I live in a commune of 2000 with one Maire, but I wouldn't get upset if you lived in a commune of 200 with one Maire, even though you have a larger share in your elected representative than I have in mine.  

 

 

 

 

[TreizeVents]

Since I know little about Scotland, and can always learn something new, I checked out a few sites on Scotland and population etc.  I left the UK some time ago, and I never even knew that there was "free personal health care" in Scotland.  Bloody good idea I say (from what I have read), although apparently it is not evenly distributed.  It certainly would be a good reason to move to Scotland, but I have read nothing so far about some large number of either Scots or English moving north to get it.  The rest of the Brits should try it.  It keeps people in their homes longer, costs less than keeping them in the old folks' homes.  The French tend to do this as well.  Course it costs money, especially for Alzheimers patients, so the most economical thing is just to let these old folks die sooner rather than later.  Maybe Sarkozy will try that policy in France. 

http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=767242004

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Scotland

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/11/26/nunion26.xml