A bite to eat perhaps....

I have found some strange things when visiting vacated properties.

Bits of clothing, furniture, books, cd's, letters, electronics, the odd pound coin, even bits of hair and scabs !

I've not yet been left a pet, thankfully. Unlike the American landlord who on arriving at a vacated property to clean up before the new tenants arrived, found a surprising bit of unwanted tenant property.

The landlord from the Wisconsin town of Beloit arrived a month after the tenant had vacated the rental property, only to discover a hungry two-year-old alligator in one of the rooms.

The landlord got the assistance of a local animal charity who took it in and said that although it was unwell it would probably make a full recovery.

The animal charity said alligators made bad pets. "They are going to look at you as food at some point," he said.

A further incident of tenants trying to take a bite out of their landlord !

The question is would this be covered under landlord insurance policy ?

Just off now for my lunch at Ord Ban in Aviemore, the one I recommended in my blog a month or two back. I'm pleased to say the standard is still excellent and the cakes to die for ! A pear strudle for me today - Thankfully they don't yet serve aligator steaks.

Well worth a trip out if you get the opportunity.

Ord ban restaurant cafe

Yours mouthwateringly.....

Mr Jackson.

Hopeman's a star !

The sleepy fishing / seaside village of Hopeman was on the TV twice last week.

I was fortunate enough to meet Fiona Bruce when she was filming in the village in the Summer. Fiona's links with Hopeman are widely known in the village, where she still has relatives, but these were broadcast to the nation in the new series of 'Who Do You Think You Are?

Her great-grandfather, John Bruce, was the skipper of a fishing boat, while her great-grandmother, Isabella, had a family of eight children to support and would go around selling fish from a huge basket that she carried on her back.

What a lovely lady she is too, I joined her and the crew at at the Harbour Tea rooms in Lossiemouth - I think Mrs Jackson may be slightly jealous, as when we next saw her on the news she kept referring to her as 'my other woman'.

Hopeman was again centre of attention when the Channel 4 show 'A Place In The Sun - Home or USA' filmed in the village, they visited a cottage that was up for sale for ages, which strangely enough I had considered purchasing myself.

The shows presenter Jonnie Irwin showed the couple around and also took them on to Towiemore and Tomintoul, this being the place where the couple decided to purchase a second home.

Now if only Amanda Lamb was presenting this episode and had come to Hopeman, that would have truly made my Summer. I would share a fondant fancy and a pot of Rington's with her any day of the week.....

'You've no Hopeman' as Mrs Jackson tells me, smiling to herself.

Yours 'Hope'fully

Mr Jackson.

Hero to Zero....

I'm fully recovered from my bout of 'Man Flu' you'll be pleaseed to know. (Thanks to everyone for their good wishes). Unlike the economy and the interest rates which seem to be in freefall, plummeting to their doom ?

The Daily Mail (I'm not a reader by the way - It was in the Bakehouse Cafe at Findhorn, and I couldn't resist a read) reported some homeowners could see their monthly mortgage payments drop as low as zero this week.

The Bank of England is expected to cut interest rates to just 1 per cent on Thursday, bringing a windfall to those with interest-only tracker loans.

If it does, Cheltenham & Gloucester customers who took out a deal at 1.01 percentage points below the Bank's base rate will be paying no interest at all. For technical reasons, they will still have to make payments - 8p a month for a £100,000 loan - but the money will be refunded.

Those with repayment mortgages will need to pay around £333 a month on the same-sized loan.

When they have reduced the interest rate to zero and it still hasn't fixed the problem - what do they do then?

The crash will go into overdrive as soon as it's realised that all the government's headline grabbing manoeuvres with interest rates etc have close to zero impact on the dire state of the economy.

I've buried my head in the sand (not literally) and thought I'm too old to be worrying about all this. I simply cheered myself up with a hot chocolate and a double chocolate muffin.

Hope that you can do the same - many I fear will not, soon it seems we may have to print more currency, lets hope it does not go the same way as the Ugandan Dollar !

Keep Safe,

Mr Jackson.

Man Flu....

'There's a lot of it about', says Mrs Jackson as she brings me another hot lemon and honey drink, with not a bun or cake in sight. That's not much consolation to me as I languish in my bed, with Copernicus my ever faithful hound curled up at my feet.

I've had this bad cold or 'man flu' as David at Moray Rentals calls it, for at least a week now. He brought me round his netbook and wirless card, so I could keep up to date on the Internet with the local property market and my blog of course.

Technology is marvellous, well it is to an old codger like me. From under my duck down duvet I managed to order Mrs Jackson a lovely bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolate truffles, (in the hope that she may share one or two with me).

I then took in the latest news, exchanged e-mails with my family in America. Viewed the live webcam at Bondi Beach, Australia and looked at an old Morgan 3 wheeler for sale. Don't ask me why - Just because I could I suppose.

I've not much news on property this week, only that I have new tenants in one of my apartments in Forres. This is one of the first times I've never met my tenants, everything was done for me on my behalf (And very well too, may I add - thanks Paul at MR's).

I suppose I'm still very much 'old school' in this respect, as I'm often reminded. Not for much longer though - I intend to get myself a netbook of my own. Think of all the cakes and pastries I could have delivered to my door. I'm going to look up 'man flu' remedies next, in the hope that I'll be up and about soon, to introduce myself to my new tenants.

Take care & Keep wrapped up out there, I wou;dn't want you to catch it !

Mr Jackson.

Park Life....

While I was away, there was a fascinating piece in the Telegraph about seven London lodges, all in the Royal Parks, which have been spruced up and are being made available to rent. They're not cheap, of course, but the perks, combined with the originality of the addresses, are impressive... and include Royal Parks gardeners tending your plot, detached living and parking in central London and acres of parkland on the doorstep.

At the "bargain" or cosy end of things as the estate agents might say , try West Lodge in Hyde Park: a double bedroom, off-street parking and garden near Knightsbridge and South Kensington, for £550 a week.

You could get your own stately home in Moray for that, aren't you glad you live 'up North' !

Though the way things are going at present it can be difficult to secure a property to rent, due to the exceptional demand. Paul at Moray Rentals has advised me that quality rental properties are being snapped up, quicker than they can be advertised.

'We don't have many properties left on our books at present, due to increased demand in December, which is unheard of. And of course there's the ever present 'annual separation' market in January - which can always be relied upon to swell the prospective tenant numbers'.

All makes for unhappy reading if you are currently a prospective tenant.

Take solace with a strong coffee and an 'elephant's foot' cream bun and call the agents to see what they have available, as many properties are offered out to a waiting list before they are advertised.

Bon Chance ! Mr Jackson.

Merry Christmas !

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my readers a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

Thank you especially to those that have sent me Christmas cards, cakes and mince pies ! Much appreciated - as my ever increasing waistline will confirm.

And of course my thanks go to the genorous guys at Moray Rentals who have enabled me to write this blog, using their wi-fi connection, knowledge base and expertise.

They've made an old man very happy and I've really enjoyed writing this and chatting with them over the last year - I will continue to do so, as long as people are willing to read my opions and ramblings !

I'll be back early in the new year. I'm spending Christmas with my family in America - The best present I could wish for.

Hope yours may be just as enjoyable !

Until next year.

Mr Jackson.

At risk of losing your home ?

It's a sad fact that there's a lot of people out there who are struggling to keep up their repayments in these somewhat unusual times.

If you are at risk of losing your home, there are other options for you to consider before jumping for a “quick sale” company that will offer you up to 80% of your homes value - that may hurt more than help.

Here are some things to consider for keeping your house if you are struggling at the moment :

Communicate with your lender- this is the first and most important step. Your problems begin at the first time you miss a payment but often they will work with you if you communicate with them. There are situations where you can seek extensions or other arrangements may be available but you cannot seek these options if you don’t communicate.

• Set up short term repayment plan to make up the deficit.


• Add the unpaid balance to the principal of the loan and slightly increase your payments to make up the difference.


• Temporarily reduce or waive your payments.


• Offer a deal in lieu of foreclosure.


• Consider a legitimate credit counseling service.


• Consider your refinance options.


• Consider government aid options (more about this later)


• Before you think your only option is a “quick sale” company, make sure you take time to research other possibilities.

The Government can help too.

Recently the Government announced to the banks that they will be helping people who are in danger of losing their property for non payment. It’s possible you could qualify for one of these programs or for some type of government assistance to help you keep your home.

Before you run out for a quick sale option, get all of the facts. Beware of the “quick sale” companies, regardless of what you may have heard or what they may promise they can do for you. If you’re in danger of losing your property due to non payment or just seeking to sell your home quickly, consider all the options you have first.

Like me, I'm sure you would carefully consider the sweet trolley and the prices before deciding upon the Double chocolate Gateau. Rather than selecting the day old Battenburg, at a premium price, without considering what else is on offer. (Most quick sell companies can be likened to the latter.....).

Lets be careful out there !

Mr Jackson