Best jokes

Could only be from that year. :wink:

3 Likes

That’s pretty much the only way a person can exit a McCarthy & Stone lease :frowning: …and unfortunately it then passes to any inheritors, often with running service charges attached.

Be very afraid of dedicated retirement home/complex leases - I know this is in the ‘Best Jokes’ thread but it ain’t no joke to see some much ‘equity’ often destroyed in these assets…and there’s only one winner!

2 Likes

What it’s called when a chamaeleon can’t change colour?
A reptile dysfunction.

10 Likes

One for any actuaries or accountants on this forum

11 Likes

When I was working a lot in San Jose in the ‘90s the bar near the office sold Sam Adams at $2 a bottle or $3 with a free glass.

6 Likes

old

4 Likes

2 Likes

8 Likes

image

2 Likes

6 Likes

Who, or what, are McCarthy & Stone?

steve

I had to look this up as it drew a blank from me as well.

It’s retirement flats, a bit like sheltered housing for the Middle Class , horrific maintenance charges though

McCarthy & Stone was a 1970’s US television series about 2 detectives in New York

A UK retirement/elderly (generally >55 y/o) homes developer, where the flats (their general m.o.) aren’t classified in planning terms as general residential properties.

These are sold on leases, often with relatively onerous management charges (given sometimes there are warden services), which often involve very limited exit arrangements, made worse if someone has a lease over a unit without parking and/or is an unattractive unit. In a housing market where general residential demand is soft/reversing, these units can become unsaleable IME.

I could say more…safe to say I wouldn’t encourage anyone who wants to protect the value of their housing equity to go an buy a unit in the dedicated retirement housing market. As @Ian2001 records, you have no idea of exit values and ability to re-sell, and the carrying costs from charges can be very painful.

There’s a good number springing up around here, so as “me an’ 'er” are in that age bracket, I did some research. We reckon our detached 4 bed, double garage, 2 conservatory, freehold “dive” would go for £550K.

One of the local “retirement villages” was offering a terraced 3 bed, no garage, no conservatory, leasehold property for £675K. A car parking space would be £250/year and annual “maintenance” charges would be £6000. And as @HappyListener noted above there were restrictions on future sale, which had to be done through the management company.

Edit: We both thought it was a “good joke”, so suitable for this thread!

1 Like

Perhaps best discussed/commented on in a new dedicated thread?

…I suspect many of us are in/around the target demographic?! :slight_smile:

Agreed, if there’s enough interest perhaps @Richard.Dane could split the thread?

image

6 Likes

More like legalised robbery.

1 Like