[awjr]

I would agree that my interest only mortgage is storing up trouble for my future. However given I bought my 1st house in 1996 with no deposit, the reality is that interest only has worked well given that I have leveraged the housing market over 20 years and have now have a mortgage that is around 40% of the value of the house and is probably enough to move somewhere significantly less expensive and retire.

However I recognise that my gain is also a problem for my teenage daughter who will struggle immensely to get on the housing ladder. In the UK, it really does not help that housing is considered an investment opportunity. I have a feeling rent control is the only way we will ever get to the point where we remove this 'investment' opportunity.

More interestingly, it's within landlord's interest to work with developers to ensure whole developments are primarily bought up by landlords to maintain the value of housing stock.

[conanbatt]

> I have a feeling rent control is the only way we will ever get to the point where we remove this 'investment' opportunity.

And also remove the opportunity to live in the city. Rent-control is one of those policies that the economic community has consensus that its one of the worst things you can do.

"In many cases rent control appears to be the most efficient technique presently known to destroy a city—except for bombing."

[GordonS]

Interest-only mortgages can work well - but only if you know what you are doing. Historically at least, the biggest issue with these kinds of mortgages is that most people simply don't.