Eric it was exactly the same in 1974 when I bought my first house, interest rates through the roof and mortgages as scarce as hens teeth. It has all happened before and no doubt will happen again.

I suppose Jim that I do live above the poverty line, not because it was "given" to me but because I worked for everything I have got, I saved, I invested, I was prepared to move to wherever work was and subsequently spent a great deal of time away from home in nearly all parts of the world. My priorities in spending centred on my family - Roof over their heads - Food on the table - their education (Non State because the state schools in the England where we lived were crap) - University. I still continue to assist them whenever I can as at my age the money I earn would be wasted spent on me and I'll be damned if I gave a single penny of it to the UK Inland Revenue in the form of Inheritance Tax when I die.