Be Excellent To Each Other

No, triple dipping.
Income tax
Stamp duty
Inheritance tax

Except the buyer effectively pays stamp duty. And what if it's property that was inherited in the first place? No income tax paid on that.

Glad I got a bite though.

It's one of the laws that is I think is wrong.

A Beex commune.

Let's see how Sim Beex Brother pans out, huh.

I predict it will end with death.

So a fairly realistic indicator.

First time buying isn't an indicator of when the Grimlet will move out and start renting of course.

SIXTEEN

Double it, mate.

SIXTEEN SIXTEEN

I think he means have another kid, but I'm not sure how that would help.

Yeah, Bodger goes in 4416 days.

Bodger the Lodger

Been thinking about this some more. Of all the laws in the land that could be perceived as unjust, inheritance tax is the hill you choose to die on. Amazing.

Wouldn't go quite that far.

Learn to read, Myp.

I know you like that phrase, but your trolling goes too far this time.

It's my honest view mate, just calling it as I see it, you're most welcome to differ.

whut?

Nobody knows

I... oh never mind.

Yup. The last three posts pretty much sum up politics right now.

Indeed. London is the worst example, where average house price is now 13x average salary; that's the textbook definition of an economic bubble (where goods are traded for more than their inherent value.) The inherent value of a house is that someone can live in it and get to work from it. 13x average salary prices is clearly unaffordable under sustainable circumstances. Similar stories apply across most major parts of the UK, albeit with less extreme values.

I worry that bubbles often end in years, and housing bubbles doubly so as property is an illiquid asset.

There may still be a little slack, though (not exactly, real 'slack' but still, bear with me). We move further and further into economic growth being built on credit, and people's monthly routine being 'salary comes in, debt is serviced, see what's left'. If that model is the norm, then the deal becomes not 'what can we afford' (assuming we actually invest for the future and live within our means), but 'how much debt can we service', which helps more people pay mortgages they can't afford long term, at least not if the surrounding circumstances change for the worse.

13x isn't any more affordable under that model, though. Even a 95% LTV implies you need to save 65% of your annual salary for the smallest of deposits. That's simply out of reach of many people.

Related to that: "Millennials earn 20 percent less than boomers did at the same stage of life, despite being better educated.

Certainly true, and long term (I'm not sure how long, but not more than a generation or two) it just can't work, but I'm just suggesting people will continue to stretch themselves more and more, and some will do just that, living on credit cards in order to start on 'the ladder'. We're already at a point where houses are unaffordable, but that situation is being subsidised by low interest rates and people getting further into debt, after all.

It's just laziness.

Is Myp having an argument with someone that's never posted on Beex?

That sounds familiar!

No, Interwebs, I do not want to see a picture of Messers Trump and Gove over breakfast.

Interesting that Trump has come right out and said he'll be looking to do a trade deal with the UK post haste.
From his POV, this kicks off his foreign policy with a good dash of gravitas (and politically, is one in the eye for his predecessor who would have us 'at the back of the queue'...), and from the UK's perspective, it's surely good news under the circumstances.

Some pretty harsh words for Merkel, too, not just in her immigration policy terms, but also the remark that the EU exists as a vehicle for Germany. In terms of the Euro at least, I'd almost entirely agree, as long stated.

It's not looking great on the NATO front either; most of the member states' free ride has just juddered to a halt, I'd say.

Huh. It's almost as if those are the exact things that would be drawn up in a Best Possible Case Scenario That Is Better Than Our Wildest Dreams by Vladimir Putin.

Arguing for increased defence spending in the other countries of the alliance is fair enough. What's worrying, and destabilising, is his utter lack of regard for NATO and mutual defence. I don't think his comments are going to please anybody other than Mr Putin.

I'm horrified that right-wingers are now anti-NATO and anti-European cooperation. Don't they realise how both European cooperation and NATO kept the peace in Europe, and Europe free from Russian invasion, during the postwar era?

Cavey, presumably you support the far-right AfD gaining power in Germany?

Isolationism, along with nativism of the sort we see from Mr Trump, has a long history in US politics, going right back to George Washington. It's not really a practical option when you're the big superpower: I'm sure China and Russia would love to fill the void if the US retreats in on itself.

You're shouting into the void, I'm afraid.

Mr Trumps statements about NAFTA and TPP make me doubt his whole-hearted commitment to Free Trade.

I think it's fairly clear that he doesn't believe in fair trade and the attendant globalisation.
For whatever reason, it seems the term "Special Relationship" even actually has some basis of truth with Trump and the UK, but in more general terms - especially with the Chinese, Koreans and Japanese, he's a lot less keen, on level playing fields at least.

Ask him directly yourself then.

What's the point? He won't give a straight answer…

No, strangely enough, I am not a supporter of the Far Right in Germany. Fucking strange that, huh.

Now please, pretty please - kindly fuck off from this thread? Please? Thanks.

Hi Cavey!

Yeah, Trump seems a lot keener on the UK at the moment then he does of elsewhere, and a UK - US trade deal would be a real boost to the UK. However, with Trump I think it's a case of "believe it when you see it" - he's hardly above saying things without any intention of fallowing though.

Oh come on, Trump is dangling a carrot, we'll still be screwed over as he will get May to say something so stupid about Europe that we have no choice to go the US, then they will have us over a barrel and royally shaft us, before leaving us out to dry as they don't give a fuck, they are the US.

I don't think it's that clever, he's just carrying on with blurting out the opposite of everything Obama said regardless of any other consideration.

The US likes us economically because we're the English-speaking doorway to the European Union markets. Once we lose that unique selling point, well, you can fill in the rest.

I thought it was hilarious that the Herald published a story about how the whole world thought the Herald was really funny and awesome.