What do you think? Borrow more debt or not?

[AtW]

She's too good for me mate.

[seanraaron]

Just like when you buy shares and watch them appreciate in value from 2009 to 2016. How much effort do you put into the companies to help their share price appreciate? Or do you just sit on them and let central banks QE and ZIP do the job for you?

Or let me guess: you didn't buy shares, you didn't buy property, you didn't buy gold, you didn't buy anything. You just left your money in the bank and possibly in low-yielding ISAs, expecting it to add up to a sizeable 'investment' in the future. Life doesn't work like that - I should know, I missed out on a lot in the past, then I lost hundreds of thousands after that, and now I'm OK.

Put some effort in.

I don't believe in the stock market and refuse to participate in that kind of gambling. It's possible I'll end up buying property in the future (to live in), but I'm not interested in inching up any ladder.

There's every possibility I'll end up a broke-ass pensioner, can't say I care really.

[LondonManc]

She's too good for me mate.

What's her username, AboveAverageLobster?

[ChimpMaster]

I don't believe in the stock market and refuse to participate in that kind of gambling. It's possible I'll end up buying property in the future (to live in), but I'm not interested in inching up any ladder.

There's every possibility I'll end up a broke-ass pensioner, can't say I care really.

Refusing to participate doesn't give you the right to put down those who do, especially if they are doing good for themselves and those around them.

Perhaps you just don't know what your Why is yet.

[seanraaron]

Refusing to participate doesn't give you the right to put down those who do, especially if they are doing good for themselves and those around them.

Perhaps you just don't know what your Why is yet.

I don't care what other people do to make money. I do care if my landlord is a cheap-ass scumbag who can't be bothered to maintain the property I'm paying them rent for, evicts without cause or tries to increase rents outwith inflation because he's a chancer.

Thankfully there's some private rental reform coming to Scotland to cap hikes and do away with the concept of short- or long- term tenancies so that all will be indefinite term and the reasons for eviction will be very specific (e.g. Owner occupancy as primary residence or sale) and help curb a lot of these bad behaviours and discourage anyone who's doing the landlord thing as a lark. These are people's homes, not a piggy bank.

Can't wait for passage; it's currently in the second stage of amendments before final reading.

[AtW]

What's her username, AboveAverageLobster?

[AtW]

Refusing to participate doesn't give you the right to put down those who do, especially if they are doing good for themselves and those around them.

You dirty spekulant!

[ZARDOZ]

I feel sorry for the current generation. I was able to buy my first house fairly cheaply. Student debt was low. First job after graduating paid relitively well. All of the above meant lots of disposible income at a young age. The asset bubble further distorted things.

Now they have been conditioned to think 10s of thousands of debt is normal. They aspire to have by comparison a fairly bog standard of living. They will most likely be poorer than their parents for the first time in generations. Sad situation.

[ChimpMaster]

I don't care what other people do to make money. I do care if my landlord is a cheap-ass scumbag who can't be bothered to maintain the property I'm paying them rent for, evicts without cause or tries to increase rents outwith inflation because he's a chancer.
<snip>.

Sounds like you have had a bad landlord, of which there will always be some. There are always bad apples in any batch. Doesn't mean they're all evil, uncaring moneygrabbers.

As for rent rises, this has largely been supply and demand, in the same vein as for house prices in many parts of the country. A greedy, unrealistic landlord will soon find himself out of business. But the most dangerous time for tenants is yet to come in the next 4 years: landlords will have to increase rents simply to remain solvent, and for that you can squarely put the blame on one of the most ill thought out policies any government has planned - clause 24, removal of mortgage interest relief. This has already been attempted by the Australian government and it failed miserably, leading to vast rent increases, and was eventually repealed.

[seanraaron]

Sounds like you have had a bad landlord, of which there will always be some. There are always bad apples in any batch. Doesn't mean they're all evil, uncaring moneygrabbers.

As for rent rises, this has largely been supply and demand, in the same vein as for house prices in many parts of the country. A greedy, unrealistic landlord will soon find himself out of business. But the most dangerous time for tenants is yet to come in the next 4 years: landlords will have to increase rents simply to remain solvent, and for that you can squarely put the blame on one of the most ill thought out policies any government has planned - clause 24, removal of mortgage interest relief. This has already been attempted by the Australian government and it failed miserably, leading to vast rent increases, and was eventually repealed.

Well in Scotland they seem determined to do away with private landlords by imposing more and more regulations in terms of smoke and heat detector updates, mandating all properties have upgraded consumer electrical units, minimum energy efficiency ratings and soon, regulation of rents and rent control. Should squeeze out the dilettantes nicely and good riddance.