[derekgas]

My ex wife and I lost a house in 1998, after we borrowed 20k to renovate it was worth 3 times the mortgage and the loan, it would have been paid for in 2000, I got stung for a 40k job (plus a bit), then shattered my wrist and was out of work for 3 months, the loan wasnt covered by payment protection (because I wasnt offered it, or aware of it), and the Halifax couldnt snatch the house back quick enough, I wasnt aware of any help being available until it was too late, I eventually got back on the ladder 3 years ago, so all of this is disturbing to me, as is the fact that Spain is worse, my eldest son and his partner live over there in thier own house, fortunately it is paid for, but is on the barely existant market, so I gain no comfort from the spanish decline either, oh well, onward and upward!