You never forget your first house!
 

I picked up what Margaret said in a previous post about buying a house and it got me thinking. I know progress and technology have moved things on. Now you can get a mortgage by simply by ringing the bank, speaking to some acned youth whose last job was school milk monitor answer some questions and so long as you have the massive deposit your in.
My first mortgage. We were living in married quarters. I came back off operations with a shed load of unspent money. Some wiser bunny said that's probably a deposit on a house. Transfer funds into Northern Rock, find house, agree to buy it, THEN I have to go into the building society IN PERSON for an interview with the branch manager. We sit at a table he has a file an inch thick ( Ive been with the Northern Rock at this point 3 weeks). We have this half hour chat/interview/interrogation discussing my finances health and career prospects and my long term savings plans after which the chap says yes subject to survey blah blah. First home we thought it was brilliant. Sadly as we moved around had more income and grew the family our starter home faded into obscurity. If ever I'm in the area I take a drive past it. The area has gone down hill, from being a nice area full of young families starting the lives together it has become very run down. However like my first car I will never forget the sense of achievement I felt walking in the door of my home with my keys for the first time.

Re: You never forget your first house!
 

our first house in Sydney, Aus. a little weatherboard three bedroom cottage, we bought in 1975 for $30.000. went back to have a look just before Christmas, it was for sale at $400.000, hadn't change only for being painted nice colors. my how time fly's and the dollars.

Re: You never forget your first house!
 

Our first house was in Church, Got the mortgage from the Council, ive forgot 1 or 2 houses we had, but like yeh said never forgot the first un, to be honest the street dont seem that much different today.

Re: You never forget your first house!
 

Our first house.... brick built (Nori) mid terrace, Dill Hall Lane, cost all of £1350, took us ages to save £135 deposit, & then faced with £9.10s a month mortgage payment!
(mind you, this was in 1966!)
Fond memories, often drive past.

Re: You never forget your first house!
 

We had two red brick in Dill hall one semi, one mid terrace,drive past em every time i go Stanley, always look.:)

Re: You never forget your first house!
 

I am glad that my ruminating has awakened some memories for you Big Joe...if you want some more inspiration then you could head over to my blog...who knows what memory stones a read of that would loosen.
Like Cashy our fisrt home was bought with the aid of a council mortgage...we took a while to save up for the deposit and we were cash strapped for a good long time afterwards.

We are still in our first house. My husband wishes we had moved into a semi(?) years ago,,,but I am quite happy where I am.
Today, youngsters pay more for their mobile phone than we paid for our house...that must say something(and it isn't that houses were cheap back then)

Re: You never forget your first house!
 

I have an example on how the price of houses have leaped up over the years:
My Brother purchased his newly built bungalow on Edinburgh Drive Oswaldtwistle in 1961 for £1'400. He’s been living for the last 30 years or so in the South. Some 2 to 3 years ago he noticed that his old house was on the market for £180'000!
All in all, property is a good investment.
Cheers
Philip Kenyon

Re: You never forget your first house!
 

sad to see my first house that used to be in a nice quiet street and area is the worst area of hartlepool now. rag and bone men make deliveries and not pick up in borrowdale street.

Re: You never forget your first house!
 

My wife's parents bought one, no. 38, same time, she lived there until we were married in '66, her parents until, I think, early 80's, maybe your brother might remember the Taylors?

Re: You never forget your first house!
 

Hi KitChener,
Was Your Father in Law Tommy Taylor, who worked at the English Electric in Clayton-le-Moors?
If that was the case then I knew him very well. During my apprenticeship (1958 – 1963), I spent some time in the “Spar Milling Dept.” where Tommy also worked.
If the above is the case, then I’ll let my Brother know. Maybe he can remember your Wife!
Cheers
Philip Kenyon

Re: You never forget your first house!
 

We didn't buy our first house until I was 37, still with 2 years service to go. Always thought it a bit daft to buy a house when in the RAF as you never knew when the next posting was coming along, knew quite a few chaps that got burnt. During my last 8 years I was posted 5 times - fortunately only had to move house 4 times. No regrets whatsoever.