Very good John...... we need to keep her cash solvent so to speak, as if the cottage next door to us comes up for sale we wanna buy it just to get rid of the awkward neighbours...... oh, that and split off the garden then re-sell the cottage....LOL!!!

Property is on the bottom right now, bumping along - vendors are getting more realistic and places are starting to sell.

Property is probably as good a place as any, with the pathetic rates available!

Depends where you buy your property, at auction one recent study quoted on Radio4 said it was 48% off the peak, but this is forced sales. Presently the income multiples and rental yields around here are nowhere near making me want to buy. There is unlikely to be a rush for property any time soon I think - in fact I'm banking on it.

I don't mind a low interest rate on savings, it is less tax to pay, as long as I don't continue to be robbed by inflation.

Not sure I agree there mate! (or do you been bottom in terms of volume of sales?) I think sellers have been holding out for some time thinking prices might pick up, but now its clear things are certainly not going to pick up, and the fact that banks will never be lending like they were doing means people are going to start being more realistic with asking prices (ie slashing them!), and this means volume of sales might start going up a bit.

Bottom in terms of the bottom of the house price crash is at least 18 months off IMO. We're only now starting to see widespread job losses as well, so the economy is probably in for an even rougher 2009 than predicted! (and the predictions are pretty dire!)

I am seeing property I have been following going under offer now, after dropping their prices about 25% in the last 3 months. (What they actually accepted I do not know).

Nationwide show a November fall of 0.4% which is nothing (ie. the rate of decrease has fallen).

The next 6 months are key I believe - a big increase in unemployment could drop prices further.

Those of us who have no difficulty in raising finance for property should 'probably' look to buy within 6 months given a fair wind .. IMO