I wish you all the luck in the world John with the sale.
Yes we here know the benefits system is abused,these are called toe rags.But you really dont get a lot from it John,just enough to live on.
One of my sons had an accident and he was off work for 18 months,he was paid sick pay and topped up with other things,(he is married with 2 children) when he finally got his compensation for the accident the state took the £6000 off him out of it,£6000 is not a lot for a wife and kids for 18 months is it ? luckily they had family to fall back on.

I read yesterday of the leaflets the poles are putting out in Poland,it tells them how to cheat the system.........thats not right is it ? when they come here to work or so we are told !
Another grey day here....whats new !keep 

I suppose that while we are here we can mak ethe most of the intereting time that we are haoving trying to find the real Britain. It lies somewhere between the sensationalism of the newspapers the delight of the immigrants and the despair of the people.  There is, on the face of it, an amazingly effective information  source in local councils, if you look at the websites but if you phone them it is like talking to an Ethiopian detergent call centre. I am of course talking about finding out about Shared Ownership again. So, bearing in mind that we are half the world away in Darkest Africa I thought I would see if there are any forums on the net in Britain, concerned or enthusiastic about the joys of Shared Ownership. Guess what??? Everyone is asking everyone else and nobody, including the councils (Ooops, Housing Associations) know anything at all.  I read tales of someone buying a 50% share in a "refurbished" terraced house that turned out to be re-tiled and repainted but with the roof needing extensive repairs. Poor fellow, he didn't read the small print where it said he accepted the property as is and accepted that any repairs were entirely for his account and he had an obligation to ensure that such repairs were done timeously or he would be considered to be in breach of his obligations.  Another chap was told that he did not need a solicitor as the HA had one (Haha) and they rang his bell nicely too. The biggest moan is that they build a tiny house, value it at double it's worth and then you go in head first.  I really don't know, I would have thought that by now there would be some legislation with standard guidelines but it is not so. And it appears that these matchboxes are valued in line with the present over valuation of all properties so the buyer is likely to buy a share in something guaranteed to devalue.

Oh well, never mind. I see immigration is still not being addressed and the doors are open to all just like before.  Does Mr Broone forget what he has said?? Anyway, warmming up out here, no woolly on today,

Have fun

J+J

Hi all, it seems that there is no national plan for this Shared ownership at all, conditions vary, whole agreements vary and the initial qualifications vary. I am now failing to see how it is cheaper. Let's take a look at an example, a 2 bed flat in Portsmouth. The price for 50% share is 72500 pounds and it seems that the mortgage on your 50% share wull cost you 360 a month. Then it is 150 for the half you rent plus 62 for the service charge. At this point they do not mention your share of the building's insurance . Now that is 570 a month before you switch a light on, and deeming this flat to be worth 145,000. Well, we have seen much better flats than these for 30,000 less, but of course Mr Average would not qualify for the full loan. And this way he can get a lease on a half share of something for which he can never become the owner.

Now, let's say you already have 72,500 ... your half share. You can get 7% on that which means it pays you  422 a month.  Where we are looking you can rent a lovely flat for another 100 and keep your money.  So can someone, somewhere show me anyone who scores from S/O?? Other than the builders?? It seems that once again the have-nots stay that way. IT's just like the '60's where you just could not uplift yourself legally, but as kids we were used to having nothing. These days the kids expect it all.  Another scary aspect is that it is more than possible that by going into S/O one could exclude oneself from certain benefits payments to which you could be still entitled if you were renting and not having sufficient income to buy. Imagine having to learn all this in Polish!!!

Anyway, we are regarding what we read  to be in the same category as Treasure Island, until we get there but we were really surprised that nobody anywhere had anything good to say about S/O because it should be the answer these days.

Lovely weather now.


Byeeeeeeee

J+J

The way that S/O is marketed it sounds as though one is only going to pay for half of what you get, but it is only a lease anyway so ou==you get nothing, at a higher price than renting. In one of the forums I looked at there was a debate on about whether it is better to rent or buy. One very informed fellow pointed out theat if you buy on a mortgage you are actually only renting someone else's money. I believe that in UK they have "Interest only" mortgages whereby they calculate the interest on the basic loan for 25 years then divide that by 25 times 12 and that is your monthly payment. Then you have to take out an endowment policy to pay off the loan itself after 25 years. That doesn't seem very fair, but I suppose fair does not come into it.

Over here there is a scheme for older people who no longer need their full home. They have retirement villages, which are very nice, behind high walls and with security. When you "buy" your cottage you "buy for life" which means you "buy till you die" after which the property reverts to the complex. So before you move in the cottage is repainted, retiled and all that just how you want it. There is a frailcare centre there and if the time comes when you  can no longer look after yourself then you can transfer there.  That actually sounds quite reasonable to me, you get a redecorated home with care, security and can live in the sure knowledge that when one of you passes on then the other will be able to continue being looked after. This place is constantly being extended and is now about the area of a village all on it's own. How does that sound???

We had a nother long chat this morning, weighing it all up and it is becoming more and more clear that any form of property purchase at senior citizen stage or at this time of the "Credit crunch" would be very unwise. In fact, we have been unable to identify one advantage. And it does not end when you die. My father's estate had to fork out over 14,000 in carers' costs after he died.

Naw Alistair, darling, says the country is in the dwang. Did he just get kissed by a prince and woke up???

Have a great weekend, all, thinking of you


J+J

Hello John and Jacqi, I have been reading your posts with great interest, and, not a little bemusement.  First off, if you carry a gun anywhere in Britain, it means ten years in jail if you get caught, (which you will).

"Sheltered" Accomodation, is also owned by the Local Council, and most of the "Complexes" are very nice. I live in one such place, and have done so ever since reaching the age of fifty-five.  This was eight years ago. The only drawback to my particular place is that I am on the first floor, and our complex does not have any lifts. Whilst I am lucky enough to be able to use stairs without any problems, perhaps this won't always be the case.

I stopped work at sixty, and since then have been living pretty comfortably on Pension Credit, and the little I manage to make each month from my writing.

I get help with paying my rent and Council Tax, which does help, however, my gas central heating has just risen from 1st. Sept by another £6 per week. This will make a dent in my finances.  I own my own car, (a twenty year old Rover), which is fully paid for, so I only have to find the cash for the tax, insurance, and MOT every year. I do some minor jobs on it myself, and those I cannot do, I have a friend who does them for me, much more cheaply than any garage.

As you probably know by now, Britian is staring a Recession full in the face, and things are far from easy for most people.

Wiltshire, is among the most expensive Counties to move to, although there is nowhere cheap in Britain these days.

Thanks for your posts, I have enjoyed them.

Hello Sandie, and thank you for your information and the kind words. Your circumstances sound very nice, it is good to know that Britain still helps where help is needed. so you have been following our quest, it is very interesting and in some ways challenging. One always tries to make good choices and perhaps having lived for 40 years in a country that offers no welfare, benefits, health service, effective policing or  other civil benefits we have become not only accustomed to having to do everything for ourselves but that we do our utmost to ensure some level of forward assurance for ourselves. I was surprised to read that in Britain the average family has only enough money for 12 days lliving. I am not surprised that it could be because I lived with 6 days worth, but amazed that it could be so in the light of the apparent levels of affluence that is eveident whenever we have visited there.

Yes, Wiltshire is for some reason quite highly regarded as a plaace to be. Perhaps it is the proximity to the M4 and the mainline railway station to London combined with the comparative peace of rural England but although I spent the best part of my young life in the area I cannot declare with any sincerity that it rates highly for scenery, facilities or any other attractive aspect. It is the only area that I know and where my family is, no more.  Where to look in the quest for senior citizen comfort is  the important issue and    I WONDERED WHERE THIS HAD GONE!!!!!   It appears that the south of Ebgland is far behind other areas when it comes to accomodation. Is one being a traitor to one's roots if one moves to another area in order to have a better chance of accomodation, or would one be considered an invader in the new area? I know so little of anywhere north of Oxford other than through our authors, poets and artists. I have only been north of Oxford twice.

Perhaps I shall take a friend's advice and rent what suits us best for six months and spend that time looking around for what fits us. There are nice people everywhere and if one is friendly, one usually gets the same treatment in return, Just like in this forum!!! Thanks again Sandie, and everyone enjoy themselves.


J+J

Sandie,its funny my son lives in Essex,he has been there only a short time with his family,I actually liked it when I was there,he lives in Corringham Stanford le hope,do you know it ?
Glad you mentioned the north it is very easy to get on with people here we are renowned for being friendly.