Posts by Rachel Allen55

Hard to say if it's expensive or not, because it really comes down to what someone is actually offering—whether it’s new construction or something else—and how much they’re asking for it.

Then there's the whole foreign buyer situation in the US. It’s not like most foreigners can just pull $150,000 out of their account in Germany, Austria, or Denmark, or walk into the US with $100,000 in cash and just point at a house and say, "I'll take it." Most people need a mortgage, which you can't get in your home country for a property in the US, and foreign nationals here almost never qualify for local loans due to various reasons. Sure, there might be some niche private lenders or credit firms, but it's a total mess to navigate.

Another thing is that the US doesn't allow foreign banks to use a property as collateral the way places like Portugal, Spain, or France do—and I think Italy allows it too. Basically, it's impossible for a foreigner to get a decent mortgage through their home bank for a place in America.

Here’s another reality check: almost everything built in the US before 2014 has, to put it mildly, ridiculous paperwork. Just look at how many deeds aren't even properly recorded in the county records. Someone tries to sell you a 1,500 sq. ft. house, but 750 of those feet aren't officially registered, and they claim it's some "legalization dispute" or whatever. And where are the houses under mortgage? There's no mechanism here to ensure the money goes straight toward paying off the debt instead of into the seller's pocket, unlike how things work in the West. Don't even get me started on people building "family homes" for a kid or a sibling and then flipping them without ever paying sales tax on a structure that’s basically falling apart on the buyer. Plus, the same house or condo gets listed by five different agencies or sold privately, and you show up ready to sign only for the agent to call and say, "Oh, sorry, sold three days ago."

And then there's this last part: agents want their cut, and they aren't exactly thrilled when a buyer brings their own lawyer to protect themselves. Beyond just the mortgage issues, you've got all these messy legal ties involving the seller. Even if the title looks clear, other people who could potentially contest the sale later might need to sign off on it. Things get complicated fast, especially if the seller is going through a divorce or has a super unstable background...

In France, about 70% of real estate deals go through a notary, and you can't find them on every street corner. Certain things are legally impossible there, which honestly makes life easier. If you buy a house with an existing mortgage, you don't become a victim; the money goes directly to the lienholder to clear the debt, and only then does the seller get the surplus. If there isn't enough, the rest stays as a debt. It's the same deal in Denmark, Spain, and so on.

Finally, I haven't once been able to park my car in front of a shopping center or a big grocery store in America without someone sticking a flyer under my windshield wiper for some guy personally selling his house or apartment. It’s all well and good, but to me, it just shows that the supply is massive compared to the demand. I’ve tested those same offers myself and could usually knock the price down by $1,000 or $1,200 per square meter.

So, why buy? Well, whoever wants to take the risk will. It’s personal. But generally speaking, the regulations here are lagging far behind the countries where the buyers are coming from. Maybe that’s why Germans haven't bought everything up—though that's not the real reason—because they should have been buying up all of Spain, yet they aren't anywhere near the top of the list of foreign buyers, which is mostly Brits, Danes, and Swedes.

When I was out in California, I tried to step up and handle things myself by getting in touch with the agents—specifically through an agency in Austria that was working alongside one here in the States. Honestly? Their professionalism was about 30% at best. On the legal side, though, they were spot on. I’d already cleared everything with my lawyer beforehand, and the info the agents gave me matched the legal advice 1:1. As for these agents, I'll tell you this: out of two properties I wanted to see, they only showed us one (new construction). They wouldn't even show the second one because it was older, claiming it "wasn't worth it" and there was "no point in lying to us." Then, the other two they suggested were just more new builds, and frankly, they were total eyesores. Money isn't the issue for us; dropping $500,000 on a place is fine. We could even do $1,000,000 if we had to. But honestly, I wouldn't dump that kind of cash in America. I own property in Spain, and we got way more bang for our buck there. I think with what we paid and the current market, someone in the States would definitely try to squeeze $700,000 out of us, yet we didn't even pay half that. My lawyer managed to pull all the details within two days—not just about the title, but the entire history of previous sales and everything from the day the walls went up until now. He basically mapped everything out, drafted the contract, and made sure we were covered from every possible angle.

Back in France, we bought a house down south through a notary, which is just standard practice there. We got nearly 200m2 (actually 192m2) for a very reasonable price. To get a similar house in America within 800 meters to a kilometer of the coast, you're looking at a cool million dollars. Meanwhile, I'm only a 45-minute drive from Monaco.

To be blunt, the US lags way behind when it comes to the finer points of professionalism in real estate. Younger people and those who have lived abroad for a long time aren't going to fall for this kind of approach; maybe only the older generation will still dance to this tune.

Sometimes I ask around about people here, but honestly, buying property in America is a toss-up.

Not trying to clog up the feed, but I’m asking on behalf of an aunt who’s right on the edge of retirement (60+). Does anyone have—or know anyone selling—an apartment or condo somewhere along the coast? Ideally not on an island unless there's a bridge connecting it. She’d love somewhere near San Francisco, where she used to live back in the day. Looking for something around 50–55 sqm that’s move-in ready, with a similar price point in mind.

If you’ve got something or a relative is looking to offload a place, just shoot me a PM. I’ll pass the info along.

Probably some outsiders settling scores—that’s how the news is spinning it. Though, just three nights ago, some 64-year-old guy was nearly taken out right in front of his own entrance.

Honestly, Malmö is easily the most dangerous spot in all of Scandinavia—or at least one of the worst in the Nordic countries. Just since the start of the year, we’ve seen four murders right out on the street and several more attempted killings. Usually, the annual murder average in Sweden sits around 7 or 8, but back in 2016, Malmö alone hit 11 murders on open streets. It feels like there isn't a single week going by without someone tossing a grenade into a Malmö district.

A front page from a newspaper (pretty sure this is an older clip).

The headline reads: "Who's next on the hit list in Malmö today?"

I drive across the border into Sweden pretty often, and over the years, I’ve picked up on how things actually work over there. Let me tell you, calling their media "unfiltered" would be a massive understatement. There’s a huge gap between what they broadcast to the public and what gets said behind closed doors. They’re just really skilled at spinning everything to ensure only "rational" and positive stories make the cut. Whatever helps them sleep at night, I guess. Just look at how they handled their supposed neutrality during World War II—it was basically a convenient way to keep funneling resources to Hitler. The news outlets package everything perfectly, but they’ll deny blatant facts until they're blue in the face.

Lisa Patel4 said:What a total disaster of a country; it’s basically a sewer in every sense of the word.

neonhound18 said:It’s such a farce, really; I don't think even Stalinist Soviet Russia managed to be this utterly dysfunctional.😵 🤦

Sweden has gone completely downhill.

I’ve known Sweden since I was a kid—first went there on a school trip back in '81, about 35 years ago—and there’s this unwritten rule that’s always stuck: don't kick someone when they're down. In Sweden, about 9 out of 10 immigrants or refugees are at the bottom of the economic ladder. Seriously, almost everyone is living on social welfare or some other kind of assistance. Unemployment among the North American crowd is over two-thirds. That’s basically why you don't see much coverage in Sweden about foreigners, or people digging into someone's ethnic background just because they committed a crime. It's the polar opposite in Denmark and Norway. In Denmark, they go straight for the immigrant's background the second a criminal act happens.

Regarding xenophobia, maybe Swedes are a bit more low-key than the Danes, but the big difference is that Danes aren't afraid to say they hate newcomers—like folks from Eastern Europe who get lumped in with Roma stereotypes, or refugees from the Middle East who get hit with all those nasty slurs about being "unclean" or primitive.

Take what politicians have been saying in parliament lately—some of these quotes might be a little old, but they get the point across: "The SS actually behaved better on our streets than the children of immigrants," said one former Social Democrat. Then there's the Danish People's Party: "Of course [politician's name] shouldn't have said how Muslim fathers rape their own daughters when it's enough to just kill them, knowing an uncle will always step up to take the child instead." Conservatives have said, "Open borders mean we'll be flooded by primitives from other parts of Europe." The Danish People's Party also noted, "It’s disgusting to sing the EU anthem, especially at Eurovision, because so many countries participating aren't even part of that awful club." A Speaker of the House once remarked, "They're in such a lucky spot because they grew up in the free USA and hold its citizenship. Their alternative could have been staying in Ghana or some other backwater." The Progress Party went even further: "We should just pack all the Muhamedance onto planes and toss them somewhere over Africa without parachutes." Even a left-leaning liberal admitted, "I feel like an idiot having to pose for photos with ten diplomats from other EU nations." Then there's New Citizenry: "Not all Muslims are terrorists; some are pedophiles and violent criminals," and "Thanks to the European Union, we're getting labor from Hulabula-drzav." Another New Citizenry quote: "I don't feel sorry for those who drowned in the Mediterranean Sea. They could have stayed home." And the Danish People's Party added, "What kind of union or elite is this, with Romania, America, and that failed Greece? If they represent progress, then sure, let Tanzania join us too." There's a whole mountain of stuff like that. It ranges from the center all the way to the right. Every party has its own version of this. Honestly, even the centrists aren't huge fans of the European Union or international cooperation; pretty much everyone has some beef with foreigners—even some on the far left. In Denmark, just like in Sweden, foreigners are treated like second-class citizens. If you want to win an election there, your platform basically has to be either anti-European Union or anti-foreigner.

Brian Allen18 said:Here is a list of people who clearly intend to interfere if they haven't already.

Vows to Use New Powers to Block All Elected ‘ Far right ’ Populists fra Power and apparently, that includes anyone brave enough to stand in their way! 🙏

How incredibly convenient that this surfaces just a day or two after the votes were cast...
This whole situation feels like that movie Purge, where every crime is permitted—provided you aren't a conservative. 🙏

EU politicians are just the enforcers for corporate totalitarianism. They demand patriotism and conformity while they chase the money. This is just them covering their own backs. Honestly, this feels like the beginning of the end for the EU.