My alter ego, Scoop, aka Dick, has written an interesting article on the housing market, on his blog, here. I feel I am a prime example of the blinkered house seller who thinks the whole price crash will pass him by. Yes I put it on at a lumpy price, but I expected people to be willing to haggle, but in London that does not seem to be the case.
I started the blog 18 months ago as a chronicle of my house move, and unfortunately the whole experience has been blighted by the worldwide economic disaster which commenced with the collapse of the US subprime housing market, embraced the failure of Northern Rock and well, the rest is history.
I can relate to the fact offers are few and far between, and yes, I turned down an offer which I would jump at accepting now, but, hindsight, and all that....... so I still have a house to sell, and await the chance to negotiate a price with somebody willing to at least make an offer.
I am currently in Chicago, and it is interesting to get the natives view of the world. First they don't see a housing problem, and second, they don't see the world economic challenges as anything they have contributed to, but then the man on Main Street USA has always had a narrow view of the world.
I was surprised, however, that the rescue package put together by the smoking gun, George Bush, was initially rejected by the Senate and has only today been passed by the House of Representatives. I suspect they are afraid that they may become a third world country themselves if they are not careful. Their reluctance to protect the rank and file American citizens though was something I thought they would jump at the chance to do.
Still its all sorted now, lets just hope our Gordon has made sure we get a fair percentage of the $700bn to regenerate some interest in Chiswick real estate. Fingers crossed.
Showing posts with label Northern Rock. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Northern Rock. Show all posts
Friday, 3 October 2008
Tuesday, 13 November 2007
Kipper Tie
Well what an eventful few days on the property ladder, and I don't mean just Silver Cres. lets start there though!!
So far you will remember that since I put the house on the market there have been two mortage interest rate hikes, a sub-prime mortgage crisis in the States highlighting the Northern Rock exposure, and a subsequent financial market nervousness which has affected house prices and shares. Couple that with the two properties next to mine going on the market for less that I am asking, the plumbing springing a leak, and the toilet seat breaking, and all in all its been a fretful selling process. Can it get worse?
Well, kind of. Last week Transco scheduled to replace the gas in the Crescent, and Thursday was my day. What they do is replace the main under the pavement, and then feed a new pipe into your house through the old pipe. Sound plan if the old pipe can be navigated, but, and you are all ahead of me here I can tell, mine had a 90 degree turn in it so their draw string broke inside the old pipe and they could not get the new pipe out as it was wedged tight.
So, they are now digging the garden up as I speak, they need to install an external box for the meter, and lay new pipe under the front door and into the kitchen. Nightmare!!
Luckily nobody is schedule to view today, but on the plus side, the house next door but one is now under offer, so I am the last man standing so to speak. They are getting divorced so needed to sell fairly quickly so their price was a bit below mine, a situation I was happy with, although my agent may not have been.
Elsewhere on the property ladder our youngest daughter took ownership of her new flat in Birkenhead on Friday, and she and her Brummie boyfriend have been working to get it habitable. Big sister, mum and his family have been doing most of the painting and decorating. I need a bit of isolation when I do DIY, a fact well known to her, so I will get the snagging list and can go and do it at my leisure!!
Her sis is also quite chuffed at the moment as it seems she is about to move into a new rental property in Jesmond in the centre of Newcastle. Jesmond is know as a shrine to the Virgin Mary, where apparently an apperation was seen many hundreds of years ago and a church has stood on the spot ever since. The Liverpool Catholic Mothers will be over in a shot to visit!! She is moving in with a work colleague and leaving the countrified environment of Yarm for the bright lights of the City, Whey Aye Man! Bryan Ferry used to live in Jesmond, not many people know that.
It will be the end of an era as her current house mate is moving in with her boyfriend, so both girls are embarking on a new life challenge.......surely mine can't be too far behind?
So far you will remember that since I put the house on the market there have been two mortage interest rate hikes, a sub-prime mortgage crisis in the States highlighting the Northern Rock exposure, and a subsequent financial market nervousness which has affected house prices and shares. Couple that with the two properties next to mine going on the market for less that I am asking, the plumbing springing a leak, and the toilet seat breaking, and all in all its been a fretful selling process. Can it get worse?
Well, kind of. Last week Transco scheduled to replace the gas in the Crescent, and Thursday was my day. What they do is replace the main under the pavement, and then feed a new pipe into your house through the old pipe. Sound plan if the old pipe can be navigated, but, and you are all ahead of me here I can tell, mine had a 90 degree turn in it so their draw string broke inside the old pipe and they could not get the new pipe out as it was wedged tight.
So, they are now digging the garden up as I speak, they need to install an external box for the meter, and lay new pipe under the front door and into the kitchen. Nightmare!!
Luckily nobody is schedule to view today, but on the plus side, the house next door but one is now under offer, so I am the last man standing so to speak. They are getting divorced so needed to sell fairly quickly so their price was a bit below mine, a situation I was happy with, although my agent may not have been.
Elsewhere on the property ladder our youngest daughter took ownership of her new flat in Birkenhead on Friday, and she and her Brummie boyfriend have been working to get it habitable. Big sister, mum and his family have been doing most of the painting and decorating. I need a bit of isolation when I do DIY, a fact well known to her, so I will get the snagging list and can go and do it at my leisure!!
Her sis is also quite chuffed at the moment as it seems she is about to move into a new rental property in Jesmond in the centre of Newcastle. Jesmond is know as a shrine to the Virgin Mary, where apparently an apperation was seen many hundreds of years ago and a church has stood on the spot ever since. The Liverpool Catholic Mothers will be over in a shot to visit!! She is moving in with a work colleague and leaving the countrified environment of Yarm for the bright lights of the City, Whey Aye Man! Bryan Ferry used to live in Jesmond, not many people know that.
It will be the end of an era as her current house mate is moving in with her boyfriend, so both girls are embarking on a new life challenge.......surely mine can't be too far behind?
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