Dub Nerd, many thanks for your incredible advice - so valued. Guess I am the fool here 'cos people don't use property for pensions even though a high percentage of pension funds are both directly and indirectly invested in property. Guess they are wrong too.
Remember those who lost on pensions got tax relief on the contributions so those losses have been subsidised too.
It is fine, the normal joe soap without the absolute sickening and bankrupt inducing pensions of the civil service has three options; invest in property, invest in pension or do nothing. I did the first option, it failed but it was logical at the time. Not everyone is in a situation where a teacher can retire in mid 50s with a pension essentially worth €1.5m when valued against an annuity - that is the real injustice not the normal guy who took on a second property to assist for the future years.
Civil Service pensions are mandatory, they are not an option.
If Civil servants invested in property, then they too either borrowed money they didn't have or used the money they earned, after tax to do so.
Unlike you though they may not be able to opt for the PIA.
If they do then you can be sure that any "write-downs" they get will include a chunk of their income and their pensions as part of the deal.
The reason this country is broke has nothing to do with CS pensions. The reason we are broke is because too many people borrowed long term money on the basis that house prices would only ever rise.
@Honest. He could have chosen to sell both properties when he met his OH.
He chose to borrow to buy another one. Then he made another choice to buy yet another one.
His cribbing about Civil servant pensions is pretty ironic. He feels "entitled" to buy property out of money he didn't earn for
his pension, yet at the same time he lashes out at Civil Servants who work and pay actual money into these pensions.
He also says that even those people who have lost pensions had "their losses subsidised" - so while he moans about losing money he didn't earn and that he doesn't have to pay back (3 investment properties), he shows an absolute lack of regard for people who invested and lost "real earned" money into pension schemes.
He says that he "had to save for his pension", but that isn't what he did. He didn't save, he didn't use money he "earned". He speculated.
He says he "invested" in property. No he didn't.
He wants (and is getting) his 3 investment gambles written off.
He wants (and is getting) his loans written off.
But that is not enough for him. Because he now wants his "new" mortgage to be based on the current value of the home, he wants the NE written off.
He sympathises with the normal "Joe Soaps", yet who does he think is picking up his tab?
He rages against Civil Servants - who are also picking up his tab.
Much like in the boom he (and many others) wanted the "easy" way in.
No he wants the easy way out.