Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Sunday, May 27, 2007

Monday, May 14, 2007

Should I stay or should I buy?



Me and GF are living in a nice one bedroom flat with a massive living room/kitchen in Herne Hill. The rent not quite cheap is 1000 quid a month. Are we wasting our money every month? Should we get on the property ladder?

What can you buy for 1k a month ?

Thanks to Mortgage calculator, assuming we can get a loan at rate of 6% - it would probably be more... - on 20 years - do you really want longer ?



for around 1000 you can get a mortgage of 150000 with monthly repayment of 1089.80.




So now what can you buy for this price?



A renovation project, or a flat in the big nasty towers! I think I'm better off renting !



Wednesday, May 9, 2007

Le totalitarisme mauvais perdant

Extrait du monde
Cinq jeunes se précipitent sous un pont pour tabasser un jeune militant UMP avant de le jeter dans le Rhône. Des voitures de police banalisées se ruent alors sur les berges et leurs occupants brandissent leurs flash-ball pour faire fuir les manifestants. De nombreux cars de CRS postés à une encablure, aux abords de la préfecture du Rhône, prennent ensuite position.

Trouver grace a Tipota

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

The crash is coming and it could be soon


The Bank of England must act decisively and swiftly to curb the current house price madness

Will Hutton
Sunday May 6, 2007
The Observer


Who remembers that only 15 years ago the British housing market went badly wrong; prices plunged and nearly a million buyers were trapped in their homes for years because the price was lower than the value of their mortgage? A crippling 15 per cent mortgage rate had been imposed to quell an unstoppable burst of lending that was pushing a dangerous rise in inflation

Saturday, May 5, 2007

The commuter

Commuting by train has its code. You wait at the same place because you know the door stops there, so you can enter first and grab a position that will maximize your confort during your journey. One of the most wanted positions is the 'button manager' one. You don't have to move all the time when people go up and down the train, you've got enough space to breath and sometimes to read a book !! But this position is challenging, you are in charge of pressing the button to open the door, that's what garanties your privilege. You should not take this role too easy, if you're too eager to press the button people will know you can't cope with pressure, but if you're too slow and the next time they'll make sure your sacked from this strategic position.

What makes a good button manager ? You must know the journey, so you can prepare yourself for the next arrival, is the correct platform on your side? otherwise you'd look stupid preparing your self for the wrong side. You must learn the timing of the train, the position it takes every day and most important- watch the light. You don't want to look like the amateur that presses the button before the light is on. It's an art and people are depending on your skills. If you don't feel like it one day, it would probably be at your honour to refuse this position. If you're good enough, after months of hard work you will gain the respect of your 'commates', and this day, the day you achieve the mastering of the door opening, they will look at you with envy!!!

Friday, May 4, 2007

Watch out for the cracks

Housing market - Watch out for the cracks

The boom has built upon itself, which is why it will not last

The past decade will be remembered not just for Mr Blair's domination of British politics but also for the most sustained housing boom in post-war history. After the slump of the early 1990s, the market turned in early 1996, a year before Labour won power. In the 11 years since then the average house price has risen by 240%, according to the Nationwide index; in real terms it has increased by 155%. In contrast, the big upturn in the 1980s lasted for seven years, and real house prices rose by 80%.

Free to choose, and learn

New research shows that parental choice raises standards—including for those who stay in public schools

FEW ideas in education are more controversial than vouchers—letting parents choose to educate their children wherever they wish at the taxpayer's expense. First suggested by Milton Friedman, an economist, in 1955, the principle is compellingly simple. The state pays; parents choose; schools compete; standards rise; everybody gains.