I wrote here a few weeks ago that there might be a tiny consolation prize for the well off from Scottish independence. The huge influx of lobbyists and pointless politicians into the new nation's capital would mean that Edinburgh house prices would soar. So anyone with a nice Georgian townhouse in the centre of the city would at least be quids in on their house, if not on their tax bill.
However, several of you wrote in to say that you wouldn't be so sure. Much of the financial industry would be likely to up sticks and head south post-referendum in order to avoid falling foul of the endless regulatory problems that might come with cross border sales (you can't sell life assurance cross border, for example).
So there would be at least as many smart houses for sale as there might be in demand particularly if the SNP stayed in government and followed through on its land tax threats.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
These are all good points, and it is true that the financial companies in Scotland are not short of exit plans. Shame.
On the plus side, that does mean that those of you who insist on betting on property prices going up in one place or another might take a look at some of the places on the southern side of the border places where those who might negotiate working in Scotland for only a few days a week, and who want to keep their affairs English, might fancy living.
The average numbers for house prices in the UK don't tell us much in the way of regional truths, but in many parts of the north there has been a genuine property crash readers have written in to tell me of prices down 40% plus in much of Northumberland, for example.
The Independent on Sunday picked up this idea at the weekend with Clive Aslet suggesting that Scots might head for these areas in much the same way that the French have reacted to high taxes there with an "exodus into the promised land of Belgium."
I like to see it a bit more like Denmark and Sweden high land taxes in Denmark mean that a good many of the people who work in Copenhagen actually live in Malm.
So where is Edinburgh's Malm? It could be Berwick, which is a mere 45 minutes from Edinburgh by train and which, from the window of said train at least, looks quite nice. There you can get a nice detached Georgian townhouse with four bedrooms for a mere £300,000. You don't get that in Edinburgh.
If you have more to spend, £800,000 will get you this rather splendid mansion.
And if you have rather less, you can have this delightful little cottage for under £200,000. I'm not convinced that doing this will make your fortune (don't forget that interest rates can rise as well as fall ) but if you are Scottish and scared, it wouldn't be a bad way to hedge your bets for 2014.
-
British Airways revamps Avios scheme bringing down flight prices to £1With the new Avios part-payments scheme you can now bag a British Airways flight for as little as £1
-
RBS to close a fifth of branchesRoyal Bank of Scotland plans to shut 18 branches across Scotland, resulting in the loss of 105 jobs. We have the full list of closures.
-
House prices to crash? Your house may still be making you money, but not for much longerOpinion If you’re relying on your property to fund your pension, you may have to think again. But, says Merryn Somerset Webb, if house prices start to fall there may be a silver lining.
-
Prepare your portfolio for recessionOpinion A recession is looking increasingly likely. Add in a bear market and soaring inflation, and things are going to get very complicated for investors, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
-
Investing for income? Here are six investment trusts to buy nowOpinion For many savers and investors, income is getting hard to find. But it's not impossible to find, says Merryn Somerset Webb. Here, she picks six investment trusts that are currently yielding more than 4%.
-
Stories are great – but investors should stick to realityOpinion Everybody loves a story – and investors are no exception. But it’s easy to get carried away, says Merryn Somerset Webb, and forget the underlying truth of the market.
-
Everything is collapsing at once – here’s what to do about itOpinion Equity and bond markets are crashing, while inflation destroys the value of cash. Merryn Somerset Webb looks at where investors can turn to protect their wealth.
-
Value is starting to emerge in the marketsOpinion If you are looking for long-term value in the markets, some is beginning to emerge, says Merryn Somerset Webb. Indeed, you may soon be able to buy traditionally expensive growth stocks on the cheap, too.
-
ESG investing could end up being a classic mistakeOpinion ESG investing has been embraced with enormous speed and zeal. But think long and hard before buying in, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
-
UK house prices will fall – but not for a few yearsOpinion UK house prices look out of reach for many. But the truth is that British property is surprisingly affordable, says Merryn Somerset Webb. Prices will fall at some point – but not yet.
