'S e deagh naidheachd dha cuid a th' ann an taighean saora

Published on Saturday 7 June 2008 19:48

BUINIDH sinne anns na meadhanan dha saoghal eile fada ro thric. Ma tha biadh, carbadan, iPods, is lèintean ball-coise a' fàs saor 's e deagh naidheachd a th' ann. Ma thuiteas prìsean taighean, tha sinn a' smaoineachadh gur deireadh an t-saoghail a th' ann.

Tha sinne mar luchd-naidheachd as ar ciall. Agus tha sinn a' d-chuimhneachadh c as a thinig sinn fada ro thric. Tha na muilleanan a-muigh an sin a chuireas filte air prsean nan taigh a bhith a' tuiteam. Tha fadachd orra cothrom fhaighinn air ite sam bith far am faigh iad dachaigh.

Tha taigh air oirean Sternabhaigh, a bha roimhe seo air a' mhargaidh airson prsean nas irde na 280,000 air a thighinn a-nuas gu nas irde na 180,000. Droch naidheachd dha cuid, ach deagh naidheachd dha gu ler eile.

D cho tric a chuala sinn mu dheidhinn daoine ann an sgrean iomallach nach fhaigheadh ite fuirich air sgth daoine bhon taobh muigh a bhith a' tighinn a-steach is a' cur nam prsean suas? Chuala sinn na sgeulachdan sin mle turas, sgrobh feadhainn againn an leithid sin de sgeulachd mle turas.

Tha e gu math furasta a bhith nad fhidh nuair a tha cisean air tachairt, ach ghabh mi uallach mu dheidhinn a bhith ro thoilichte mu phrsean taighean a bhith ag irigh. Bhithinn-sa a' coinneachadh agus a' bruidhinn ri feadhainn a thuirt gu robh iad "fortanach" gun do cheannaich iad ite aig an m cheart. Ach ma bha iadsan fortanach, nach iomadh neach eile a bha m-fhortanach cuideachd. Cha robh anns am fs ann am prsean taighean ach dreach uallach dhaibhsan.

Agus d a bha e a' ciallachadh ged a bhiodh prsean air a bhith sor irigh. Nam bithinn-sa a' fuireach ann an ite bheag a cheannaich mi son 50,000, nuair a ghluaisinn gu ite eile, bhithinn gu math toilichte fhaicinn mar a dh' irich "luach" an taighe gu 70,000. Ach bhiodh an t-ite r dham bithinn a' gluasad cuideachd air a dhol suas ann am prs. Aig a' cheann thall, cha bhithinn air buanachadh ann.

Tha prsean son buntta, m, aran, is feil air a dhol suas anns na bithtean. Tha sinn fiadhaich. Tha prsean peatrail is diesel a' dol suas is sinn a' fulang. Ma thid prsean taighean suas tha daoine a' danamh a-mach gur e deagh naidheachd a th' ann.

Fhuair mi comhairle uaireigin. B' e a' comhairle iasad-taighe cho rd is a bha nam chomas fhaighinn, agus earrainn cho mr is a ghabhadh den teachd-a-steach agam a chaitheamh air taigh. Thuirt an duine rium: "Tha airgead cho saor. Theirig cho fada is a ghabhas. Chan urrainn dhut chall. Thid an luach suas is suas is suas. Theirig cho faisg air an oir is a ghabhas, agus theirig beagan nas fhaide."

Cha do ghabh mi ris a' chomhairle ann. Bha mi faiceallach. Cheannaich mi ite a bha saor gu ler agus nach bithinn ann an cunnart as bith d a thachradh. Chan eil an t-ite cho spaideil agus a tha na taighean aig feadhainn. Sin an roghainn a bhios daoine a' gabhail.

Tha fios agam gu bheil feadhainn a' fulang. Ach tha fios agam air an seo cuideachd. Gun robh daoine nam muilleanan a' fulang agus iad a' faicinn prsean a' ruighinn nan speuran, agus gun stad orra. Bha daoine a bha a' cosnadh 25,000 a' call an dchais agus e a' fs do-dhanta dhaibh taigh a cheannach aig prs ndarrach. Ciamar air thalamh a tha an riaghaltas a' danamh a-mach gur e call dhan roghachd gu lir a th' ann ma thuiteas prsean mu 10%? 'S e faochadh a bhios an sin dha gu ler.

Chaith cuid fada cus airgid is iad den bheachd gum biodh prsean ag irigh gun stad agus gum faigheadh iad an t-airgead air ais le prothaid. Carson a gheibheadh? Tha iasgairean, tuathanaich, is luchd-reic anns na bithtean uile ann an cunnart nach dan iad teachd-a-steach gu ler a-mach as an stuth a tha iad a' ceannach is a' reic. Is ann mar sin a tha a h-uile cil a th' ann.

Cheannach fear, coigreach, taigh beag bodach air Taobh Siar Ledhais. Cha robh ann ach taigh beag le d rm. Fear de na taighean geala as sine anns an sgre. Chosg e 12,000 a cheannach ann an 2000. Dh' fheuch an coigreach ri a reic son crr math is 100,000. Bha e gun sgot. Cha d' fhuair e air a reic, annas nan annas.

Tha iomadh taobh air a h-uile sgeulachd. Cronadh prsean nan taigh cuideachd.

For millions, the portrayal of falling property prices as unmitigated bad news is mystifying. The past two decades have seen families on average wages pushed out of buying homes at reasonable prices and the Highlands and Islands have been gripped by a housing crisis as locals have been unable to afford homes because of soaring prices pushed up by outsiders' money. Rising food prices are bad news for consumers, so are rising housing costs.

Caraid: friend

Pronounced karr-rratch, this word comes from the same linguistic root that gives us such words as the Latin 'caritas' and English 'charity'. In older usage, the word meant both friend and relative, and the meanings could be interchanged. However, over time, meanings have changed.

Caraid normally means friend in modern Gaelic. However, the plural, cirdean – pronounced carr-dann – has changed the other way and now normally means relatives. A Gaelic proverb is 'S fherr caraid anns a' chirt na crn anns an sporran – sharr karr-atch ins uh khoorsht na kroon is in spor-ran – a friend in court is better than a crown (unit of money) in the purse.