Alexander (Sandy) Milne

It was a pleasure to see the name of former Beacon reporter Keith Melville in the same March 21 Beacon letters column as mine.

I was a friend of Keith's parents when I was chair of the Whakatane branch of Forest and Bird.  Keith's mother was on our committee, and his dad was a well-known local identity and a friend of mine who, along with several others, helped introduce my recently arrived Scottish family to bird and bush life in our new homeland.  

Mr Melville’s letter was headed, "Not all landlords are driven by greed", and I can accept that.  

But I am not a landlord or an investor and yet if I sold now, I would gain more
profit in 10 years from the purchase of a one three-bedroom house than I was able to save by working full-time in healthcare for 35 years.  

I will not sell yet.  My new tenants (one a hospital nurse) would be hit with a $200 a week rent rise.

I wish to “lord” over nobody.  I own one rental property and know of wealthy Whakatāne residents who own multiple properties and charge rents around the $700 per week mark.  

Mr Melville went on to recommend that I visit the website interest.co.nz,which I did.  But I do not wish to make more money out of less well-off people; I'd sooner help them if I can.  

And I know that in the past, property investors screwed up the housing market and made homes unaffordable for my friends and workmates.  

We have a housing crisis.  The state or district councils ought to build rental houses for those who cannot afford to buy.

The market has let them down for far too long.