freehold

For the most part, though, in the english-descended world, the most you can have in a property is freehold tenancy.

Yes, it is a different system than freehold property in Europe and America, but that doesn't make it unworkable.

It seems, to me, that freehold is not as common in London as in other parts of the country.

This is not false but the majority of people and properties are freehold, not leasehold.

But that doesn't invalidate the dream of being a freehold farmer in today's world.

No wonder it is expensive- I believe they keep the freehold and only give 100 year leases.

That is the reason houses are primarily sold freehold as opposed to leasehold.

My dad owned his first home freehold after working for 5 years.

The right of a leaseholder to force sale of the freehold to themselves was introduced a few years ago, so this system will slowly fade.

That is why residential property is almost entirely freehold not leasehold.

An individual or company may own the freehold (the building and the ground below), whilst the 'owners' of the individual flats have 99-year or 150-year leases.

In Singapore, the government owns everything, even ostensibly 'freehold' land.

It's the difference between "ownership in fee simple" and a "freehold lease" or "freehold tenancy".

(Freehold covenants are another interesting example, as starting in the mid-19th century, they've sortof morphed from purely being personal, contractual rights into being property rights)).