I have yet to meet a Spaniard wo does not own property some

[frank]

We obviously move in different circles! The Spanish have a very high rate of adult children continuing to live with their parents simply because they cannot afford a property.

About 57 percent of Britons aged over 18 live with their parents, compared with 90 percent in Italy and Spain and 60 percent in Germany and France. Fifteen years ago, the average young Spanish man stayed at home until the age of 28. That figure has now risen to 30. Other Spanish 20-somethings protest that they would move out sooner if property prices were not rising so quickly, especially in larger cities like Madrid or Barcelona.

Javier de Castro, 28, says he would readily have moved out if it were not for the higher prices of homes, both to buy and to rent in Barcelona.

He has, at last, managed to buy a flat with his girlfriend and they will move in later this year when some renovation work has been completed.

Javier said: "The reasons why I have stayed with my parents are many but the principle is the elevated price of houses in Spain and until I got to 24 or 25 I could not get a job which would pay me enough money to be able to afford a house."

[silver]

I have found that the ones who "look" poor, in the country villages, have lots of properties, and a lot more money than one would imagine (they never tell). The ones who live in towns who "look" like they could afford to own properties are the ones who have trouble raising funds to buy property since the price rise, as property prices have gone up but the wages have not moved at the same rate. For a 18/30 year old the curent rate of pay is around 750€..how can they move out?

[jpinks]

Frank seems to think Barcelona is in Andalucia. This forum is about Andalucia, not the whole of Spain. Quoting "whole-of-Spain" survey results are inappropriate here.
Silver made a very salient point in that the villages are full of property owners who look poor -- and the towns are full of people who do not own property but have a new car, computer, all the latest gadgets and very smart clothes. So are we not seeing a difference in personal priorities?

[frank]

You said you have never met a Spaniard that does not own property. That's a sweeping statement. However, if you now want to isolate it just to Andalucia, if everyone already owns a property in Andalucia, perhaps you could explain why they are building more and more VPO's (Viviendas de Protección Oficial ) in an effort to get people onto the bottom rung of the property ladder. Do you think they are building these for people that already own a few houses? You may be affluent, and even have affluent Spanish friends, but there are still a lot of Spanish people out there that have not benefited from the huge rise in house prices. I know you think your move has benefited the average Spaniard, and they all should be eternally grateful to you for that, but to suggest that every andalucian is a property owner is a nonsense.

[jpinks]

I can only speak from my own experience. I choose not to quote survey reports, I would rather this discussion was concerned with the realities that have been met with by the people discussing the topic. It is very easy to find a report which will support one view or another, but the reality is what you meet when you step out into the sunshine and talk to people. Mind you - that pre-supposes that you do actually live in Andalucia.

I did not say that every Andalucian is a property owner - I said that all the Spaniards I have met own property. I live in the deep campo near a very small village and everyone has a bit of property somewhere - - sometimes a lot more than a "bit" too.

To imply that Spaniards should be grateful to me is gratuitously condescending on your part. I made no such claim and quite the reverse is true. I am eternally grateful to Spain generally, Andalucia specifically, and the Spaniards I have met for allowing me to live in their lovely land.

[katy]

How can you say everyone in Spain has property? Perhaps the older generation in the campo did but what about their sons and daughters. You don't have to live in Andalucia to know whats happening. The older people had property in the pueblos because it was virtually worthless until Brits came along.

I have a friend who is an eye surgeon at the CDS hospital and he lives in a poky apartment in Marbella because its all he can afford just now.

[jpinks]

How can you say everyone in Spain has property? .....

Who said that?

[frank]

How can you say everyone in Spain has property?


You're forgetting this man moves in very exclusive circles Katy! Every person he has ever met, owns at least one property. So I assume the waiters,supermarket check out girls etc he comes across, are doing very well in his neck of the woods, or perhaps he just turns a blind eye to them. No such thing as VPO's in his area. He wants to get out more, and meet some of less well off in his area.

Perhaps the older generation in the campo did but what about their sons and daughters.

Precisely. These are the people I am on about, it's not only happening in Barcelona or Madrid.

You don't have to live in Andalucia to know whats happening.

He seems to think so!

[spanish hopes]

How can you say everyone in Spain has property? .....

Who said that?

Not word for word but you will have to wriggle a bit to say that is not what you implied...

jpinks said:

I have yet to meet a Spaniard wo does not own property somewhere, even if it is just a share in a house with his/her siblings which has been left to them by parents

[lis48]

I always thought that rather like in France, many Spaniards owned a SHARE of a property in the campo rather than own one outright as in UK. The reason lies in the inheritance laws where property here is left shared among the children and not given to anyone outright. My Spanish friends talk about the houses they own in the campo but if questioned further usually admit to their siblings sharing use as well. Hence the probs often in discovering who actually owns a property when you are trying to buy.

[jpinks]

How can you say everyone in Spain has property? .....

Who said that?

Not word for word but you will have to wriggle a bit to say that is not what you implied...
jpinks said:

I have yet to meet a Spaniard wo does not own property somewhere, even if it is just a share in a house with his/her siblings which has been left to them by parents

Amazing interpretive powers - does this mean that you think I have met everyone in Spain?????

[winkie]

Many Spanish do own property, but often it is only a percentage of that property, often shared with various other family members, who often can't agree whether to sell or keep it. That is why some campo/village property is often over priced, and on the market for many months. Happy to wait for an unsuspecting, often overseas property purchaser prepared to pay that inflated price.

[spanish hopes]

Who said that?

Not word for word but you will have to wriggle a bit to say that is not what you implied...
jpinks said:

I have yet to meet a Spaniard wo does not own property somewhere, even if it is just a share in a house with his/her siblings which has been left to them by parents

Amazing interpretive powers - does this mean that you think I have met everyone in Spain?????

sorry jp you'll have to wriggle better than that.

[nevada smith]

...it would seem as though a number of members can't read either...

[jpinks]

Unfortunately true, but I have a reasonably thick skin

[Guest]

We obviously move in different circles! The Spanish have a very high rate of adult children continuing to live with their parents simply because they cannot afford a property.

About 57 percent of Britons aged over 18 live with their parents, compared with 90 percent in Italy and Spain and 60 percent in Germany and France. Fifteen years ago, the average young Spanish man stayed at home until the age of 28. That figure has now risen to 30. Other Spanish 20-somethings protest that they would move out sooner if property prices were not rising so quickly, especially in larger cities like Madrid or Barcelona.

Javier de Castro, 28, says he would readily have moved out if it were not for the higher prices of homes, both to buy and to rent in Barcelona.

Frank, I think you'll find that the numbers of immigrants (from anywhere) in places like Barcelona and Madrid and indeed any major city in mainland Spain are extremely low, foreigners therefore cannot be blamed for rising house prices in those areas!
Please stick to the essentials of the discussion!

He has, at last, managed to buy a flat with his girlfriend and they will move in later this year when some renovation work has been completed.

Javier said: "The reasons why I have stayed with my parents are many but the principle is the elevated price of houses in Spain and until I got to 24 or 25 I could not get a job which would pay me enough money to be able to afford a house."