I fucking hate renting. Renting is for shit. Renting is when you go check out a place for the first time and think, ‘aah this doesn’t look so bad’ – then move in to find that none of the doors close, the ceiling’s caving in and the neighbours suck. Renting is dealing with a landlord that communicates by way of electricity bills and notices – all other forms of communication – my oven sucks ass, the window won’t close – are duly ignored.
Renting means that you can’t hang up that pic you want, or mark off your kid’s changing height on the door frame. Renting means moving house every other year, which equals a day spent packing and cleaning – as dark and depressing as Mordor itself. Renting means having to keep someone else’s house spotless when your landlord decides he wants to sell it/bring potential buyers around/ruin your Monday.
Renting sucks ass. Period.
The problem is – buying a house is a pipe dream.
Yes, before you get your panties in a twist, I’ve read all the articles about how it’s a ‘buyers market’, and how it’s now or never. Well, darnit, why didn’t you say so – let me just march over to my bank and draw out that 120 000K I had lying around and hand you that deposit you insist upon. I get it – deposits are necessary, banks spend their days trying to figure out how to screw you over – banks won’t lend you anything without a fight – banks are a bunch of dicks.
But, say you have more than enough money, on a monthly basis, to afford a house. Say it’s pretty evident, right there in your bank statement, that you’ll never have issues paying your monthly installment. Say you and your partner have banked with the same bank for the last ten years,and have had loans, and paid them off early – you’ve remained loyal customers despite countless occurrences of shitty service. Wouldn’t you expect then, when applying for a home loan, if not 100% loan, which is never given, despite what they say, at least a 95%? At least a budge – at least a “You’ve been a good customer, let’s trust you”?
Of course not.
Banks expect you to have spent the last 20 years saving every spare bit of hard-earned cash, while, I dunno… living… so that you can have 120 000K in cash readily available to buy a home. That’s normal isn’t it? Everyone has that kind of money, don’t they?
From speaking to a wide range of people over the years, I’ve begun to realise that the only way a normal person could ever afford to buy a home is by a) borrowing a deposit from their parents b) taking out a loan to pay for a deposit on a bigger loan, while bank employees laugh at your face c) cashing out every policy you’ve ever taken d) working for a bank e) selling your soul.
Duly noted Mr. Bankman. Duly noted.
FNB, here’s looking at you.
VTTH 