Rosemary

Is that because you like Heinz, if so read the label on the Orlando bottle.

Rosemary

JLFS

I think most posters on here are too hung up on intergration, I read some real twaddle about it sometimes, as though the Spanish sit and endlessly ponder the level of "intergration" of all foreigners as a pastime.

They dont, no more than the brits at home in the UK, discuss if Vlad the plumber from Poland is more intergrated than Olav.

When I was a kid growing up in UK, surrounded by Spanish, Italians, Portugese, I cant ever recall any conversation or measuring our "intergration".

It was probably because the word had not been invented, and most were to busy with their everyday lives to be arsed discussing it anyway.

mayby that is intergration, no need to be analised,natural like breathing, without having to say "breathe in, breath out.

Dick Dasterdly

Exactly, about the only Spanish vaguely interested, are those whose vested interests could be affected by the actions or comings and goings of extranjeros as they will always be looked upon, though not necessarily always in a bad light, regardless of how much or how little, they try to integrate.

jackytoo

integration is a much misused word. Some think they are integrated if the barman says 'Hola amigo to them' Many people have their own definitions. My opinion is that you have to be reasonably fluent, able to know whats going on in the place, local politics, gossip etc. Working alongside them too. If you live in a small village/town then most of the people will have known each other since school and it is hard to crack that closeness. Same in the UK too.

jackytoo

True, it's human nature. Look at the UK. They don't go around welcoming immigrants do they They don't worry that the foreigners down the road may be lonely so lets ask them to Andy's wedding etc.

jackytoo

Yes, we had the same opinion about then. Anyone on the ground on the CDS should have seen what was happening. There could never have been enough buyers for the new developments taking place. I remember one which over some time built about 7 phases. When people were still buying off-plan in around 2006 nearly all the ones occupied in the first few phases were back on sale. What did suprise me was how long the bubble took to burst. Even in 2008 when the market was dead forums and adverts were still talking it up.

HBG

Sometimes it helps to 'integrate' a little with your neighbours.

For the past couple of weeks my Doberman has been concentrating on one corner of the garden at the rear, a place he used to ignore because it didn't pose much of a threat. It got so bad, he ignored the front, which does pose a threat, and went straight round the back, then coming back to get me to have a look.

It's a corner where high walls meet and you can't see into the neighbour's garden, but I couldn't see anything suspicious, yet the Doberman wouldn't leave the spot.

Earlier today I found out why. The elderly man who lived there alone was found dead today, and he had been dead for at least three weeks.

Lynn R

Those figures about house price rises are interesting. They reflect accurately what happened to the price of the one I bought in 2003 (not on a new development, an older house in a town). I know that an Irish guy paid 50% more than I had for a similar sized house in the same street in 2008, and I also know of 2 people who have sold similar sized houses within the last 12 months for 25% more than I paid.

So where do all these stories about people losing fortunes by having to accept vastly reduced prices for their houses come from (if they can sell them at all, that is)? Are they all people who bought at the top of the market, or are they pricing their properties unrealistically and still expecting to get as much for them as they might have in 2008, no matter how little they may have paid for them if they bought years ago?

jackytoo

its difficult to get a clear picture in Spain (no zoopla like the UK). Estate agents don't tell the truth, neither do a lot of sellers. We knew one who grossly exaggerated the price he sold for his villa some years ago. We took a large cut on our villa when we sold. However, it was only a paper cut as the valuation was ridiculous. We bought it around 1998/9 and it was a bargain. It would have been nice to get top of the market pric but we didn't lose out, infact when the money was back in sterling we ended up with a really good profit.

Lynn R

Exactly. I know one woman here whose house has been on the market for 5 years. She has been berating the estate agent who has just sold the most recent house near mine because that one has been on the market for less than a year whilst hers remains unsold. Not only was hers overpriced to start with (they have now reduced it but is still 10,000€ more than the other has sold for) but it has a lot of negative points about it most of which could not be changed (ie no views whatsoever, horrible kitchen with no windows so no natural light or ventilation and a very low ceiling, etc). In fact I looked at it before she bought it, with a friend who was househunting, and we dismissed it out of hand. I asked her once, when she was moaning about not being able to sell, what it was about the house that appealed to her when she bought it. The answer - because it was cheap. Yet she just doesn't get it that the only reason why someone would want to buy it when there are other nicer houses on the market is if it was substantially cheaper than the competition.

HBG

If the lady watches Sky news this evening, or reads the Sunday papers tomorrow, and still wants to sell, she'll have to reduce the price by 50% or more.

Spain has just joined Greece, Portugal and Ireland in the bail-out stakes, and the question in the title of this thread has just been answered.

God knows what will happen next, but none of it will be pleasant.

rugbymatt

100 Billion Euros! Its almost as bad as us!


Still, at least you can now have a choice where to buy a Ferrari in Madrid! (Sorry Steve, couldn't resist mate!)

bobd22

Yes shows no matter what country you can't trust any politicians yesterday Spain's denied this was going to happen although everyone knew it would. I wonder now what the other "piigs" will think of Spain being bailed out differently and allegedly without the onerous conditions they have/are having to apply. Does anyone think this will end the rot? interesting if scary times

JLFS

I dont think there will be many Ferraris available in Madrid, the Tefl teachers have snapped them up.

HBG

I don't like to take sides, but that was funny.