Domino

Fellow next to me sold his apartment for €80,000... one across the pool is going for €120,000. I asked him why so cheap.. He told me it only cost him €10,000 when build.. and no way will they the other people get €120,000.[/QUOTE]

looking at some if not most estate agent websites, many of the houses have been on the market for 5 or 6 years and are ridiculously high. We made an offer of 20% off on one and were refused immediately.
Problem is the property is the only investment so they need the inflated price to buy in the UK where despite falls the prices are much higher than SP.

I made an offer on a property in Almeria but because it turned out to be Illegal withdrew. The property was back on the market inside a week, they will keep trying to sell it until someone makes a mistake and misses the illegality. Sheer desperation.!!

it is only those legal properties that are value for money that are selling

`

cricketman

It's not fact at all, it is complete nonsense

Spaniards under 40 are exactly the same height as Brits, Americans or Dutch people under 40

The small Spaniards are those who grew up in hard times when nutrition was limited, mainly the over 60s

As for being blonde and blue eyed, there are plenty of those up here! Northen Spaniards are of Celtic descent, but even Andalucians can be blonde and blue eyed, remember El Cordobés, the famous bull fighter?

The seperate point about "losing your true identity" if you integrate into Spanish society is absolute rubbish also. I have only speaken Spanish outside of my home in the past 6 years, I havent lost anything, but I have gained a lot of insight and a lot of friends. I am the same person as 6 years ago, only a little wiser

me me

I always have a little chuckle, when I read on of the points in Spains favour is "no rat race".

It is as though there is a strongly marked divide, UK mad rushing crowds, Spain no mad rushing crowds.

Could the "no rat race" opinion come from the fact that they no longer work?

There are millions of people in the UK who have never been in the rat race, living in a sleepy Cotswold village, and working in the local gift shop for example.

And there are millions of people in Madrid and Barcelona who are in the rat race, long crowded commute, gridlock traffic, rushing about trying to get the kids to school, high rents, big mortgages, shopping on the run etc.

Do people actually believe that there is no rat race in Spain, or in any other country in the world?

Just because some posters don´t work in big towns and cities in Spain, have they really forgotton that those who do face the same conditions as those in the UK and all other countries.

The people who are suffering most in Spain are the working poor with kiddies, the mileuristas (amount now reduced due to cuts).

No free dentists for the children, terrible charges for pprescriptiondrugs, for the lucky poster who only pays 3 euros for an inhaler that would cost double in the UK, that is not the case for many.

Not even free prescriptions for chronic conditions, it all has to be paid for by the hard working locals.

Some on here actually make me gasp at the shortsightedness that they show in their posts about the relaxed lifestyle in Spain, they have not got a clue, just because they sit and look out at the olive trees from the terrace, most Spanish people don´t.


Get real people and let´s not paint Spain as being ideal even when talking about the weather.

Most of Spain does not have the MED climate.

In the north and centre the weather can be a freezing.

And for all those who claim not to have moved to Spain for the sun, can I ask why, as there are far more beautiful places than the southern costas, but the weather is not great (very similar to the UK).

jennieJ

looking at some if not most estate agent websites, many of the houses have been on the market for 5 or 6 years and are ridiculously high. We made an offer of 20% off on one and were refused immediately.
Problem is the property is the only investment so they need the inflated price to buy in the UK where despite falls the prices are much higher than SP.

I made an offer on a property in Almeria but because it turned out to be Illegal withdrew. The property was back on the market inside a week, they will keep trying to sell it until someone makes a mistake and misses the illegality. Sheer desperation.!!

it is only those legal properties that are value for money that are selling

`[/QUOTE]

It's odd when you read modern prices and try and put it into context in the here and now, the first place we bought in Spain was the equivalent of £5000 although obviously it was in Pesetas at the time as it was 73/74 it's hard to make a loss on something like that. At least the fella next to you took the realistic and sensible view and so didn't end up sitting on a property for six years that he didn't want, so good for him.

Domino

well written by someone who has "come home"

didn't know there were millions of gift shops in the Cotswolds
perhaps that is why so many people get on the motorways at 0530, to get away from them and drive/train into the big cities.

and once again I have to remind you that even in Andalucia the weather can be freezing in the winter, and the spring this year with snow falling in Granda in April and IIRC May as well.

Despite the differences in the past twixt kings, queens, religions, etc there are reasonable ties between Sp and Uk, perhaps because we don't have a common border.
Pull out the expats of all nations living in the Iberian Peninsular and see how quickly the income will go down.
Pull the expats out of the UK and see little differences, other than corner shops will not be open long hours 7days due to religious tolerance, perhaps there would be an improvement in healthcare if we did away with all the expats who are making a bad job of taking over the NHS.
Perhaps we should stop off-shoring jobs to places like India and the Philipines and do them in the UK instead.
but then some Brits would have to work for a living to keep the expats in Spain to the manner they are accustomed.

cricketman

I never knew you were so racist Domino! You've shocked me

jackytoo

I know someone who bought a place for around €27,000 equivalent in the 90's. Just a holiday home they decided to sell it as they wanted to travel the world. 4 years ago they put it on at €250,000. last year they reduced it to €199,000. I can't understand why they don't drop it more instead of sitting on it when they are old.

steviedeluxe

I don't think Domino is being racist. He's being unrealistic perhaps (eg stopping all outsourcing) and anti-immigration to the UK. But it's not quite the same thing.

cricketman

Domino is saying that all immigrants have a negative impact in the UK, but all British immigrants in Spain have a positive impact

I can't think of anything more racist than that wrong assumption

jimenato

Actually I don't think he is saying that - I think he is saying that that's what the net results are. He might be wrong about that as well...

Domino

how can you call someone else racist after this................

and once again you are trying to read between the lines that aren't there. it isnt a racist comment, but then if in doubt use the R word and see people run for their NAH-NAH-NAH-NAH sound blocking device whilst sucking their thumbs.

`

Domino

oh probably will be wrong - just not allowed to actually put it into operation to find out, so it is all projections and algorithms

Elle1971

We lived in the Canaries for our first 6 years outside of the UK. Yes, the weather took us there initally. It was either Canaries or Italy... and a safety net of friends swung it for us.

Last summer we moved to the Mainland and are very happy so far. We are no longer in the goldfish bowl resort lifestyle, which had many benefits... but we much prefer our little home in the hills. Only 3 or 4 sets of neighbours live in our tiny aldea (all Spanish), and it's very quiet. For some, being 8km from the nearest shop or bar would be hell - but it suits us perfectly. We won't be there forever... as we want to buy at some point and are open to other parts of the country... but it will be home for the next few years at least.

What's Spain got that the UK hasn't? For me personally, it is a better standard of health. The air is cleaner here than where we were, and I have some space on which to grow our own goodies (not that I do - I manage to kill everything). My asthma is all but gone, and I no longer have to live on certain types of medication. That would be different if I were comparing a large Spanish city with a rural area in the UK... but I'm not, I'm only speaking from a personal standpoint.

Oh yeah - Spain also has a national footie team that actually wins stuff

Elle xx

amideislas

Hmm. I was always led to believe native Europeans were pretty much all of the same "race". Different nationalities, perhaps, but race? Well, it makes a good argument when you disagree with someone else's opinion, I reckon.

Anyway, I still haven't figured out why so many seem to list their houses for far above their legitimate market value, leaving it there for 5 or more years, whilst every immobiliaria tells them it's extremely overpriced and there's no chance of a sale. But they won't budge, and the property just sits and depreciates.

I've overheard the locals discussing it at times, and the general impression I get of their attitude is that they seem to believe their properties are worth millions, and the €600K they are asking for a property worth €200K is already a 50% discount. Perhaps they seem to be sure of this because of the fish tales told by their neighbours and friends, "I got over a Million for mine" (when they actually were forced to accept a 200K offer to cover their debts).

But there they sit. I know one place in the neighbourhood that's been for sale and empty for over 7 years. It's all overgrown and looking very shabby now, but he still won't budge on the price.

Again, I still tend to think competition is a rather new concept here. Overpricing, however, is and age-old practice.

Domino

what is unrealistic about shipping jobs to India and Bangladesh that CAN be done in the UK. And more unrealistic after shipping the jobs out, getting the national govt to pay subsidies under the pretext of "Aid" and the EU govt to also pay subsidies under the pretext of "Aid" whilst also allowing such countries to trade tariff free.
This pushes the bubble into the wrong shape, people in places like Spain and UK lose jobs whilst their hard earned is going to support the people who have undercut them because of subsidies from their own govts.

lets get a bit of balance on this, lets get each country to stand on its own two feet, without all this aid slushing around (less than 50% actually gets to the right people anyway).
Stop the UK from stealing trained nurses and doctors from other countries to "make quota's" when they are needed in their own country.
Stop offering residency and nationality to people from across the world who work as slaves tending the sick and elderly when there are people around who can do the job - but won't because the benefits aretoo high.

rant over, out to the pub for a tubo............