Don't post on a message board and tell someone not to reply, that's the whole point fo them, to encourage debate. We'll see what happens in the next year.

And as for the difference between amateur and professional investors. Do you mean a professional risks more? Knows more? Risks a higher % of his or her assets? Is self employed? Chooses hisgher risks? What's the difference??? To say I am 'obviously an amateur' does you a discredit. I suspect I have delivered (in my capacity as commercial manager for one of the worlds largest project management and construction companies) more residential and hotel space in the last 2 years alone than most people will ever deal with in their entire life. Then again I may be 'completely wrong' again. But when I use my own disposable income for property investment be assured I treat it with as much, possibly even more, care than I do in my day job.

So as I said, please treat people with a little respect and you and the rest of us may learn something from each other.