Talking about being flexible, have you seen the recent interest rates? Our mortgage just rolled over and our payment is now half of what it was last month. The papers say that rents are unable to be dropped to respond to current interest rates until 2010.
Yes, late '09 is when rents are expected to drop, because they are no longer directly tied to mortgage interest rates, but to some artificial pricing index that adjusts more slowly.
Good question, one we're wondering too so thanks for posting it, and thanks Lucy for putting the links to other threads discussing this, Thanks all!
(bigging up the love on the EF forum!)
My wife and I bought a swiss holday appartment for skiing, the cost of 10 days in a hotel for a family of four was not far off the equivalent to the costs of owning an appartment. After buying it, I had a gut feeling that it would have been about the same to rent an appartment for the year. However since the pound has fallen, renting or hotels would have been a painful option.
Owning a holiday appartment is superb is when you spend 2-4 weeks on holiday.
Also for kids to take their friends out - priceless. Obviously they will trash the place once! I know - I was a teenager - wont do that again.
The romance of getting through the tax system and all the other bureaucracy was made enjoyable and easy by a very helpful bank team and estate agent. (Zweilütschinen Valley / Interlaken)
That is today, what about, tomorrow, next month, next year?
Agree with your point, I didn't buy until I had tried many locations and bought with the intention of keeping it for 20-30 years. Time enough for the glaciers to retreat!