Real Estate / Banks in Poland selling fewer mortgages in 2011, down 49% [285]


in our house this was lovingly coined "the rectal exam"

News / Gap is setting up shop in Arkadia in Warsaw [20]

It will do well here, no question. It doesn't matter about the quality- all that matters is the logo. My husband had a business trip to London not too long ago and all of his colleagues desperately wanted to go the the Gap. duh- it's American, not British. Doesn't matter- they needed to get the logo.

Real Estate / Banks in Poland selling fewer mortgages in 2011, down 49% [285]

we have a mortgage with mbank- we didn't go through this hassle at all. when we sold our previous house we had a bunch of people come from the bank to take photos - it seems to me this was more of an insurance thing. We have owned two houses in Poland that required mortgages and neither time did we go through the hassle you described. When we bought our second place there was a long waiting time before we got approved- the bank went through all of mine and husbands financial details with a microscope.

Life / Need the name of a Polish comedy series and Poland movie recommendations [22]


me too. not only a great Polish film, but a great film in general. One of my fav's across the board.

News / Gap is setting up shop in Arkadia in Warsaw [20]


you have got to be kidding me. It doesn't take a real estate genius to predict that gap in warsaw will fly here. mark this date and time- I predict gap in Poland will exceed all european gap yearly sales within the first six months.

anybody care to make a friendly wager??

Language / Naming / Nicknames for Aleksandra or Alexandra? [24]

honestly, either one. Canada (I am Canadian) is so multicultural- people will get it.

Life / Need the name of a Polish comedy series and Poland movie recommendations [22]

from the three colours series - white is the best one. there is also red and blue- but I like white the best. krzysztof kieslowski

Real Estate / Demand for apartments low in Poland's main cities [89]

fair enough, but that is with everything, no? just because he is speaking at a real estate conference as an expert in residential doesn't make people rush out and buy his product.

I can tell you from my own experience working with developers in Warsaw- there is still demand but it has changed. For example, I worked with a developer in Piaseczno- he has a few buildings there- four years ago they were selling themselves- now they are selling but the size selling is about 50 m2. People or families are not buying bigger apartments- so he actually split his larger 100 m2 apartments into two smaller ones.

I also worked with an American developer that had amazing success with his first osiedle. The second one- he can't give the houses away- the price started at the average for Warsaw and he has since lowered them 2 times. This is because the market is saturated and people are able to shop around for a better price in the same area.

I don't live in these areas and the houses in my area haven't gone down.

Genealogy / Is Aleska a Polish baby name ? [42]

the question is Aleska- not Aleksa.

Real Estate / Demand for apartments low in Poland's main cities [89]

whatever. my point is that this guy has actual experience and not some random newspaper article written by some bonehead who knows nothing about real estate.

I am listening to a radio station in Warsaw and they are doing a huge promotion on some development in Pruszkow. The size has gotten bigger and the price has gotten smaller. This is the leveling out due to saturated market- and apartments are not selling themselves like they did 4 years ago.

News / Gap is setting up shop in Arkadia in Warsaw [20]

I posted this a few weeks ago.

Real Estate / Property management in Poland - does it exist? [10]

so did you recommend taking a mortgage in Euros?

Real Estate / Demand for apartments low in Poland's main cities [89]

just looking at this place- it seems to me that it would be mostly small apartments for sale.-50 m2 and less. nothing like 100 m2 and above. This size apartments are still selling and will continue to sell.

Real Estate / Demand for apartments low in Poland's main cities [89]


I live in Warsaw and have never met the man- nor have I ever been to Wroclaw. my husband was also speaking but he is in commercial. no vested interest.

Real Estate / Demand for apartments low in Poland's main cities [89]

for those who keep at it with the "bubble" crap. fyi, my information comes from a Wroclaw builder and residential expert who spoke at a real estate conference in the north of Poland last month.

Real Estate / Demand for apartments low in Poland's main cities [89]


but that is not what it is. the market is saturated. People are still buying- just not the same way they did in 07, 08. If the market is saturated than buyers have more choice.

Love / I'm a black African man and can't cope with my Polish mother in law [34]

I disagree. It is not a cultural conflict but a personality conflict. Polish mothers in law think the behaviour is ok because it was done to them. it has been passed down from generation to generation- it is time to stand up and say that the behaviour stops now. "It is my house and my rules- thank you for your input but I am quite happy the way I live. If I want advice you will be the first person I ask."

As for doing daily shopping...well again falls under culture. The older/middle age generations grew up like this and they are rather grossed out by supermarkets...and again age and time has taught me that fresh is best.

you can't be serious when you say supermarkets don't have fresh food.--what you put in your basket is your decision. there are fresh foods there, probably more so than a corner store because the turnover is faster.

Older people are not grossed out either. Have you been to Tesco on the day the pension comes in? All seniors.

I don't think your advice is accurate. She should stand up for her rights and beliefs- why should everyone accommodate the mother in law? The moment I laid down my rules and the moment my husband finally stood up to his mother (she cries when anyone disagrees- ancient Polish trick) was the day that our lives got easier. respect goes two ways and in my opinion, when the mother in law sticks her nose in your business it is her way of saying that your methods are all wrong, you don't know what you are doing and she knows better. Sorry, she raised her kids- her turn is over.

Real Estate / Demand for apartments low in Poland's main cities [89]


there is loads of building going on everywhere- there are still homes being sold but they are getting closer to market value instead of the inflated prices of 07, 08. However, there is no bubble. it is a leveling of prices because of a saturated market.

Real Estate / Demand for apartments low in Poland's main cities [89]

don't act desperate with her!! she is going to highball you for sure!! we have a family situation with my husbands house in Sopot. it has been divided into three and the crazy aunt sold her piece- now my father in law wants to buy back the third and the current owner asked for twice its market value. now there is a court battle.

Real Estate / Demand for apartments low in Poland's main cities [89]

a wikipedia source. you can't be serious. and from 2007.

some added info.
in 2007 and 2008 the prices of homes were hugely inflated- builders were making crap loads of money. then 2009 the world wide crisis hits and banks are making it more difficult to borrow money.

so now we are at a point where the prices are leveling out. buyers are able to be picky about what they buy and builders need to provide quality products. the market is saturated and it works on the side of the buyer.

because the banks are not lending large amounts- a first time buyer may only be able to afford 50 m2.
people are still buying, prices are leveling out.
there is no bubble.

Real Estate / Demand for apartments low in Poland's main cities [89]

there is no bubble. why does everybody keep saying there is.
there is a saturated market and the prices are leveling out. they are not going to fall drastically- which is the definition of a bubble. They will level out and developers will finally have to charge fair market value- not the inflated prices they have had.

Life / The Blame Game (Have you ever noticed that a Polish person is never wrong!?) [205]


perhaps it sounds like it- but it wasn't at the time. this was a single event in a whole slew of events that happened- this was the proverbial icing on the cake. cutting of hair- no big deal. but it was not her decision to make regarding my child. she had raised her children and it was my turn to raise mine. My husband asked her point blank "did you like it when your mother or mother in law made decisions about us without your consent?" this worked. ultimately those who do things like this have had it done to them- they think it is ok- even though it seriously pissed them off at the time it was happening to them. the vicious mother in law cycle.

I now have a very good relationship with my mother in law. she knows what her role as a grandparent is.--every so often she needs reminding, like over christmas when she was spoon feeding my 6 year old, not ok with me or my husband. But all something like this takes is a reminder and all is good again.

Real Estate / Who designs houses in Poland? [66]


you think these are visionary and versatile? That is quite sad.

ark-l-m.fi

this is visionary and versatile and just plain genius.

Real Estate / Who designs houses in Poland? [66]

ok whatever you say. edit why would I post a link to the architect when I know him and have worked with him- then only to slag him off. not very nice.

I know what I posted. I did it on purpose.

Real Estate / Who designs houses in Poland? [66]

I have never been in Malta- it looks ok on the website, I have seen worse. Warsaw has some ugly buildings. I have been inside- it is a hideous mess. luckily it is not a public building.

bem.plo.pl/projekty-zrealizowane.php?id=65 here is the architect. notice all the buildings look the same.

Life / The Blame Game (Have you ever noticed that a Polish person is never wrong!?) [205]


no, i was really foaming at the mouth. she has since but put in her place and she understands what her role of babcia is- life is much better.

Real Estate / Who designs houses in Poland? [66]

right. and architects usually plan for this while still keeping the integrity of their design. not to mention that foreign investors are getting polish architects at good prices comparable to ones from their home country. is it not standard practice to aim high then settle in the middle?

but there is also a huge difference between something that is built in warsaw centrum as opposed to something that is built next to the airport.--if you know warsaw, poleczki business park is a square mess- but it does the job where as the projects that aig lincoln did on grzybowska are modern but take into account the surroundings. so if an architect is designing something on the outskirts i am sure he doesn't give a rats about the changes that will be made but something built in the city that will get a lot more notice will have more thought behind it.

I am sure the architect behind stary browar would be seriously pissed if somebody altered his design.

Life / The Blame Game (Have you ever noticed that a Polish person is never wrong!?) [205]

ok- back to the op. perfect example. when my daughter was 2 years she was at her babcia's house. my mother in law decided to play dress up and cut her hair. not a lot but about 1 cm. I was livid. Mil came over when she found out I was furious and brought the hair saying it was such a small amount and they were playing. My response was that I am the mother and I decide when she has a hair cut- not babcia. Of course, I was a terrible daughter in law and she left crying. Then for the two years following she would have comments like "I am only the grandmother" and other jabs at me.

But it wasn't her fault for cutting my daughters hair.

Real Estate / Who designs houses in Poland? [66]

I am fully aware how the process goes. So what you are saying is that investors design the buildings? Don't think so. So all the architects that put offers in when a new building is being constructed don't mind if their designs are changed. sorry- don't think so.

so when Sir Norman Foster designed the gherkin, the sony centre in berlin, hearst tower in nyc or the metropolitan in Warsaw- he didn't give a rats ass about the finishes in the common areas?- it was the investors who decided? seriously?

Work / Telecommunication jobs in Poznan ? [6]


I disagree. I think that he could find work knowing the languages he knows. I would suggest doing your initial job search where you live now - don't move here until you get a job.