[CalRobert]

I somehow managed to lose money because I'm an idiot. I bought a thatched house in Offaly in 2019. Then I lost insurance (like many other thatched home owners in Ireland since the last insurer stopped writing policies) and the house became uninsurable and unmortgageable. Took a huge loss on it and moved to the Netherlands, where it's still possible to get insurance on thatched homes (though I sure as hell will never have one again).

Good riddance.

[anal_reactor]

I'm literally buying an overpriced apartment in the Netherlands right now because I know that the population is only going to keep growing while housing supply will stay limited, so if I keep it 20 years and sell then, I'm going to be fucking rich and I'll just retire to a small town in a poor country with fast internet. The fact that I'm massively overpaying right now doesn't matter.

[rightbyte]

Do I read you correctly, in that the bank in effect foreclosed your home due to a policy change since it had a straw roof?

[CalRobert]

No, I bought the place cash, but it meant any subsequent buyers couldn't get a mortgage. What you're describing has in fact been a huge problem for other people with thatched roofs in Ireland.