u/mronionbhaji

*is?

Say your actual maximum budget is £400K.

When you have that first call with an estate agent and they ask what your budget is, are you giving away your hand telling them that? They work for the seller after all.

Or do you say higher, lower, and why?

Thanks!

I have been watching American bodycam videos, and when people get arrested, sometimes they say something like "I need to speak to my attorney."

This really confused me. It means they must already have an attorney before they even got pulled over.

Do Americans have attorneys in the same way they have a family doctor, dentist, optician etc? They hire attorneys in advanced in case one day they are arrested? How normal is it to already have one?

Edit: this can be marked as answered. Just to clarify, I understood Americans are entitled to a free attorney. But i had misunderstood that people already seemed to have "my attorney" as in one they already pay for. But turns out "my attorney" is just asking for the one they're entitled to. Simple phrasing misunderstanding. Thank you!

If so, how did it work out for you?

I keep hearing these horror stories of unsellable flats, rocketing service charges, build quality issues, lease renewals, management companies etc.

Is it a more financially sound option now just to rent?

At least with renting you have security in how much you're paying each month. Yes it's "dead money", but so is interest on a mortgage. I understand home ownership technically means you won't have a mortgage to pay at the end, but with falling flat prices people are getting less than they bought for anyway. Also you'll still be stuck with unregulated service charges even once it's all paid off.

Genuinely, what's the point in owning a leasehold anymore?

I would be interested in hearing how mums who have had to return to their workplace and are still breastfeeding have been managing this. This is something my partner is really struggling with and has to find a room during work breaks to pump and dump so to speak. Also means she doesn't really get time for lunch. Is this what most woman in this scenario do?