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Post by georgia on Jun 23, 2004 17:02:15 GMT 1
I am interested to see the views of everyone out there buying up Croatia at such bull rush speed to make more money...
I am just concerned that if foreigners and I am talking from a british perspective are going to rush in with all there ready made equity from the boom in UK prices and snap up all the so called bargains, what on earth is going to happen to the Croatians. WIll they then be forced to rent for ever.
With an average wage of 500 euro's a month how are they ever going to be able to afford the inflated prices fuelled by greedy foreign investors. Or does nobody really think about these things, do they really just not care.. Interested to hear any views on this especially any Croats that read this board.
I can see something in buying 1 holiday home to use and live in the country for a few months a year, or as a retirement home but to buy up loads in a giant shopping spree and just to make a quick buck to me just seems so unethical...
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Post by Nicola on Jun 23, 2004 17:22:41 GMT 1
I agree there is that danger but I guess with any investment in the country by us or any nationality, there follows employment/business opportunities for local Croats (building, tourism and especially estate agents! etc)
Re the bargains, I may be looking in the wrong places but I don't think they exist anymore, especially since I believe the agents often hang out for a higher price from us Brits.
But high prices caused by tourism is a huge problem for the locals in any country (incl here in the UK - ask anyone living in Cornwall!) I notice that South Africa have today announced a plan to restrict overseas buying in order to protect the locals from this very same thing. But as I said, hopefully in Croatia it will be balanced out by the gains the locals make from our investment. My only worry for the country is that the British lager louts don't plunder it.
BTW I have bought in Croatia, not to make a fast buck, but just to enjoy the Croatian culture as an 'insider' rather than a 2 week tourist
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Post by Culchie on Jun 23, 2004 22:14:03 GMT 1
Hi Georgia,
Don't forget for every satisfied buyer, there is a satisfied seller.
It is the same with stocks and shares as well, that's commerce the world over.
As Nicola says, if there were no investors putting their money into Croatia..
(a) Croatia would find it difficult to increase their prosperity from their own population, and
(b) Investors would invest their money elsewhere.
Investing in overseas property is one step further than Tourism.....if Croatia was expensive or poor value for money, it's tourism sector would suffer.
Far better for Croatia that they attract foreign tourists and investment, than the opposite.
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Post by Faye on Jun 24, 2004 14:24:02 GMT 1
My boyfriend of 2 years is from Split and I was just curious what everyone's opinion were as I have heard nothing but negative feedback and opinions everytime I am in Croatia from the locals.
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Post by Faye on Jun 24, 2004 14:27:07 GMT 1
My boyfriend of 2 years is from Split and I was just curious what everyone's opinion were as I have heard nothing but negative feedback and opinions everytime I am in Croatia from the locals about foreign investors in Croatia.
Also to the last person's reply. It may be good for the seller but what about the generations that come after the seller how they ever going to be able to afford anything. I couldn't think of anything worse than the Dalmatia turning into another invasion from the world. There are already enough beautiful places in the world that have been ruined by UK investors. Let's hope they don't go and ruin the spirit of Croatia...
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Post by Graham - Bosmere on Jun 24, 2004 16:45:53 GMT 1
I thought that I was a silent voice on this subject, but it appears not. Living and working in a rural Suffolk village we see the effects of people buying second homes and holiday 'cottages'. The villages 'die' the schools close, the shop and post offices shut because they do not say Tesco on the front, the local garage shuts because the visitors prefer to purchase in town and the youngsters can not afford to live in the village where they have grown up. I just do not want to see this happening in Croatia (nor do I want to see golf courses, but that is another story!).
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Post by Faye on Jun 24, 2004 17:02:13 GMT 1
I agree. It is terrible what has happened in the UK in the country area, unfortunately though people just don't seem to care, they are all after away to make a quick buck. It is greed at its worst.
And how people can go and do it in countries where there wages are so so low is unspeakable to me. Are they trying to wipe out whole communities ??
All I can say is that I would be surprised if you find your neighbours hospitable as they are really against foreigners moving in.
As to the person who made the second comment, the country will benefit from you going there for a holiday and spending your rich money not from you buying up their country and keeping the profits in your pocket out of the country. Why don't you leave the business opportunites to the locals and stop the greed before the whole of Europe is taken over by the UK.
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Post by Nicola on Jun 24, 2004 17:02:18 GMT 1
I would say the negative effect on local economy and the reduction of local facilities is not really due to local tourism/investment - it's more down to government policies (closure of schools/post offices due to lack of funds/priority etc) and the ridiculous purchasing power of the supermarkets which affects local producers.
My guess is the tourist is more likely to buy local 'traditional' produce whilst on holiday in the area than shop in Tescos (don't we do that in foreign local markets when on holiday?) I'm sure the locals spend far more time in the large chains than the tourist.
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Post by Nigel on Jun 24, 2004 18:39:06 GMT 1
Its not all brits doing the buying. The Germans and Italians got the real bargains 5 years ago. Also when Croatia joins the EU in 2008 price parity is inevitable, 10-15 years from now Croats will all be driving Mercs and living in big new well built houses, while we foreigners will own all the breeze block and concrete post communist junk.
PS the croat family that I brought from are happy that I did so, they can now afford to divorce!
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Post by Nicola on Jun 24, 2004 21:29:44 GMT 1
I am surprised by these comments - the farmers I have bought next to have welcomed us with open arms and are happy to sell us their produce and be paid for helping look after our property. They probably take us at face value as I wish more people would do instead of assuming we are 'plundering' the country.
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Post by Graham - Bosmere on Jun 25, 2004 0:31:37 GMT 1
Nicola, I think you have missed the point slightly. Small scale sales of property do not create a problem, it is when foreigners become the dominant owners of properties in one area that problems occur. The same in the UK. In my village we still have the basic services which are supported by local authorities and local residents, by in other villages where the number of holiday homes dominate the village then things fall apart due to lack of a stable community. The other side of things is as Faye said regarding foreign investment in property speculation where the profits do not stay in Croatia. Which ever way you look at things it is like life and it is always worth having a long think about the possible effects of ones actions. Debate is good for the brain anyway  |
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Post by Culchie on Jun 25, 2004 1:30:32 GMT 1
I can see your argument Graham, but don't necessarily agree.
I myself am from an extremely rural background, and if it was not for 'City Folk' moving to our area of the country, our post offices, schools etc....would have closed 10 years ago.
Also, I am a simple 9 to 5 PAYE (Pay as you earn) taxpayer, paying 42% tax, not some multi-millionaire property mogul.
Faye....If we were to follow your logic "Why don't you leave the business opportunities to the locals"....I think that is a bit extreme, that can also be thrown back to you as " Why doesn't your boyfriend stay in Croatia, and leave the jobs in the UK to the British?".....I don't agree with that view at all, but that's what your comments suggest.
People travel around to find prosperity and find opportunites, be they jobs or property, to improve their lives and those of their families.
Graham...I see you have a property in Sipan...why not me as well? Just because you were there first?
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Post by Nicola on Jun 25, 2004 7:54:32 GMT 1
Graham
Perhaps we could say you are irresponsible setting up a travel Co which encourages us to experience the delights of Croatia!! If we hadn't all been, we wouldn't want to buy there ;D
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Post by Graham - Bosmere on Jun 25, 2004 9:43:04 GMT 1
Culchie, I do not own anything on Sipan, it is just a place where I have a lot of Croatian friends and am able to relax away from work.
It is a long story about how we got involved in the travel business Nicola, but it was not us encouraging people to go to Croatia, it was people pressing us to help them go to Croatia. We even manage to upset some potential clients by refusing to arrange things for them in certain resorts during high season if we think that the local infrastructure means that the resort is not the quiet place that they expect.
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Post by Faye on Jun 25, 2004 10:06:04 GMT 1
Re: Cultchie's comment:
"Why don't you leave the business opportunities to the locals"....I think that is a bit extreme, that can also be thrown back to you as " Why doesn't your boyfriend stay in Croatia, and leave the jobs in the UK to the British?".....I don't agree with that view at all, but that's what your comments suggest.
People travel around to find prosperity and find opportunites, be they jobs or property, to improve their lives and those of their families.
Cultchie you totally missed the point. My boyfriend does not live or work in Britain. He has never even visited the country. He lives in Split, in Dalmatia if you are not sure where that is in Croatia. He has lived there all is life. And has his own business there. So you are wrong in assuming he has come to Britain to work and make money.
Some people do move around to find jobs or opportunities as you say. There are however others where they would much rather stay in their own country and whose values revolve around a lot more than money. Thank God there are still people that value family and communites more than money.
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