jackytoo

This weekend 12 families, about 40 people who have recently been evicted have moved into apartments owned by a developer. Good for them.

http://www.diariosur.es/20130217/loc...302171433.html

Lynn R

I'd say the same, but it's interesting that quite a lot of the comments below the article are very disapproving to say the least - sound just like the critics of benefit claimants in the UK with much talk of people having cars, motos, large TVs, the latest gadgets, etc. and saying why bother to work and pay your mortgage, just break into somewhere and squat!

agoreira

There's quite a bit of it in Spain at the moment, there's at least five blocks with 70 families in Sevilla. This blog has been going for quite some time, okupas in Sevilla. An interesting blog to read!
http://corralautopia.blogspot.com.es...ta-puerta.html
Another link from an artist living in Sevilla that wrote about the same place, nice article.
http://dibujosypegoletes.blogspot.co...%20Utop%C3%ADa

jackytoo

It's the not in my backyard syndrome. If you were paying about 1000€ pm. and struggling would you like nex door neighbours paying nothing

Domino

been there, in my back yard
we were paying off mortgage whilst those next door were living on benefits or a secret income, 3 kids shortly followed by the 4th, all under 6, neither parent working, always had new toys for the kids, had 2 new beds in 6 months one double one single.
also somehow managed to upgrade car from 10yo mondeo to a 3yo mpv thingy.

rachelk

Maybe in this particular case the question should be "Would you rather see these families without a home or would you rather have them move into the empty block at the end of the street which has been standing empty for 2 yrs and is being gradually stripped for scrap "

That there are families (and individuals) without homes while so many buildings stand empty is a disgrace.

Domino

conversely in my home town there are 9,000 on the waiting list and a shortage of houses.

jackytoo

Good point I agree with you...I did not make the above comment I was trying to point out why people make those comments in Sur

Lynn R

I thought people might be more sympathetic towards their own, given the scale of unemployment here and the minimal benefits system, but it seems a sizeable proportion are not.

I did note the report that the building had been empty for 2 years and was being stripped for scrap. The squatters I am aware of in my own town have tended to go for properties which have been repossessed by banks, so the neighbours don't really care so long as the squatters don't cause them any problems. There was one case last year where a second home owned by foreigners was broken into and squatted, but they were evicted in less than a month.

Pocaloca

Well, one of the proposals in the new law is to use bank repos to provide "social housing" for people who have been evicted. So the squatters are just jumping the gun I guess.

In a less insane world, the banks would be making these properties available to rent, rather than have them sitting empty, and all those unemployed builders could be given work finishing off the half-built ones.

billgates

In an even less insane world the banks would put these properties on the market for sale at a price people could afford.

cricketman

How much can a family with no job and no official income afford?

On a different note, I've been looking into buying, but given the government have slapped even more tax on buying and running a house then I think I'll stick to renting.

On a 300K flat in Oviedo:

24K property purchase tax
3k mortgage documentation tax
2.5k per year IBI (0.78% of property value/year)
No tax deductables (we get 1k back per year from renting)

As you can rent out a 300k flat for 700 or 800 euros per month then buying makes absolutely no sense especially as the landlord pays 100 euros per month community fees and is responsible for all repairs

Domino

there are 100 or so terraced houses in Atarfe, adjacent to the Cordoba road, been "completed" for over 4 years but either the builder went bust or something. seem to be finished, have water, over a dozen were "borrowed" by Gitano's causing a big fuss with those in the next street which is occupied. Eventually moved on about 18m ago by police, the yellow tape is still there showing which ones they were in.
Atarfe seems to be littered with part finished blocks of flats and terraced houses, stripped for anything that was sellable.

But as billgates says, the prices of repo's etc seem to be astronomically high. Is that to maintain the prices for those who are still paying off their mortgages ?? If so, they can't sell, many many houses with Vende on indicate a desire to get out one way or another.

and despite all this I can't find a suitable detached property..................

billgates

300K for a flat????

The sooner all these empty properties are put onto the market the better.
Get some sanity into the housing market and make houses affordable for people on average incomes.

Then your 300k flat might only be "worth" 100k.
Smaller mortgage, lower taxes. Easier to sell on if you have to move.
Win, win.

Domino

so if I have just bought the one next door for £300k what chance do I have of getting my money back ??