On Wed, 01 Sep 2004 19:55:57 +0100, Mike Mitchell
wrote:

On Wed, 01 Sep 2004 14:00:00 +0100, Andy Hall
wrote:

It's not a gentlemen's club.

You're dead right, there! In Scotland at least, it's a rip-off in
shark-infested waters! We are not talking about multi-million or
multi-billion pound contracts or tenders to build a bridge or a tunnel
under the Alps. We are talking about domestic dwellings which happen
to be, for most people, the one and only large asset they will ever
acquire. And it is simply not fair for the system to allow the kind of
practice to go on where the buyer simply does not know beforehand what
the vendor is willing to accept. You can dress it up any way you like,
but that is how I see it. Not only me, either.

MM

It isn't really an issue of dressing it up. This is a perfectly
reasonable commercial practice and the rules of the game are
completely clear to all concerned. It really doesn't matter that it
is the one large asset that somebody will own either. I see no reason
why the buying and selling of that should differ from normal
commercial practices. After all the vendor is not a charitable
organisation operating as a benefactor to the buyer, and I don't see
why the buyer should expect that.

Also you are assuming that the vendor will provide a figure for what
they are prepared to accept in the English environment.
If I were selling a property and I thought that there will be multiple
offers coming along, I am certainly not going to tell any of them what
I am willing to accept. That would be giving my negotiating position
away, and why would I do that? I'm not a charity either. If such a
question were to be asked, the obvious answer would be the askinging
price but then I would invite offers. I have the choice as to whether
to accept, refuse or wait. If it's a rising market and plenty of
competition among buyers, then I'd wait. Otherwise I might be tempted
to accept.

If you feel that life should be any different, you really shouldn't be
in the property market because you will have difficulty buying and
give away the farm on selling.




..andy

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