"...it is becoming clearer by the day that the whole hare-brained idea is going to be one huge, costly, failed experiment, the expense of which will be borne solely by the consumer." It's strange that the pig headed government will press on with this idea, when it could easily precipitate a housing crash followed by a depression. Their brilliant idea to speed up house purchases will only be brilliant if mortgage lenders are happy to lend on the say so of the sellers HIP survey (which they probably won't), and if the buyers accept the HIP survey (which many won't). So I see no benefits to anyone, a vast increase in bureaucracy, and a likely housing crash.