Orb

ur up l8 m8. mortgage worries?

@scottbeard I must admit, I'm now buying own brand Bourbon biscuits rather than McVities. Reason? They're a bit cheaper. Same with beans.

I spent Saturday night in a medium sized Northants town called Kettering. Wages aren't great. Every pub was heaving. I had trouble finding a table in any pub I went in. Before going out I went to a restaurant which was charging £6.50 for a 330ml can of IPA. Every seat taken by 6:30pm. My bill for a main with 1 side, 1 drink, and 1 dessert was £39. The nightclub I went to... packed out. I was really surprised as I thought Kettering would be dead. But it's not. Northampton is exactly the same on Saturday nights. The pub near me (I live in a well-to-do village) is a gentrified country pub - I can't park my car on Fri and Sat nights, nor Sun afternoon for how many people visit it. I even join them for 2 or 3 pints (at £5.60 per pint). However, I do think there are a growing demographic of people who are panic stricken and in serious financial distress. I think we're polarising. The well off are getting wealthier, and the poorest are getting poorer.

I could, yes, and better than you.

I respectfully disagree, and would like to agree to disagree. Agreed?

Mumsnet seems like a place to stealth brag to other women than hating men. Threads such as "what should I buy my cleaners for Christmas?" or "AIBU to tell the kids they're only having 4 holidays this year as our mortgage has risen from £6k per month to £7K?????" or "Why isn't my house getting any viewings/interest???" followed by a RM link to a £1-million show house.......... they seem insecure attempts to showcase and validate 'success' by one-upping everyone else. I've never seen one of those links go to a RM link of a bedsit above a kebab shop in Grimsby.

Looks like a posh knocking shop to me.

Islam is having a good go.

A negative cut! I like it.

That article sounds like something a panicked VI who recognises flats are dive-bombing would write. I'm seeing flats in scummy areas with service charges as high as the mortgage. I'm also seeing plenty of flats with hefty reductions in my particular search areas. Flats are not back in vogue. 'They' just want us to think that.

The phenomenon seems to be spreading from London. Here's a 2-bed flat in Hull city centre. They're asking £130k and the service charge is £5436 (£453 per month) Yes, you read that right. Add on council tax, bills etc and you're looking at probably over £700 per month on top of any mortgage. A 25 year 90% LTV mortgage would be just over £700 per month... so £1400+ per month... to live in Hull. The flat is above a Wetherspoons however, so not far to go to blot it all out. https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/133000457#/?channel=RES_BUY

Politics of intimidation, fear, and threats. The kind of politics found in Pakistan for example.

Ahem....

They were the council leaders having a pub meeting/lunch. Used to see them all the time around midday.

I do hope there's clear transparency for whoever takes over, and they look through everything. That's a real pane for the 350 employees too.