Soothsayer predicts property bust

Apr 13, 2004 63 Replies

But they're not "spending" their gain. They can only spend their gain if they sell their house and either don't buy another or buy a cheaper one. Otherwise they are simply spending borrowed money. The increased value of their house enabled them to borrow more money, but it's still simply borrowing.

It's no different in principle from your credit card company increasing your credit limit or you bank increasing your overdraft. You are able to borrow more, but you haven't actually gained any money. The rate will probably be a lot better with a remortgage, but it's the same principle.

Those who've borrowed more simply because their house price has increased are probably the same people who spend more every time their credit card company increases their credit limit. People who automatically grab credit which becomes available are doomed whatever happens...

"Andy Pandy" wrote in message news:nftic.34850$ snipped-for-privacy@stones.force.net...

Precisely. This worked in a high inflation / high interest rates climate because the extra debt got eroded relatively painlessly. In a climate where this doesn't happen those people who treated inflation as free debt are going to get into a lot of trouble.

I refer the Hon Member to the reply he/she gave earlier [April 2004 to be exact] and saved for posterity.

Hmmm. I was a better writer back then. The only thing I would change is the typos.

I was perhaps also naive about just how willing the government would be to borrow a huge amount of money that it didn't have to throw into the maw of the bubble.

Cheers

FoFP

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