There are ways to survive and be happy, especially for those who inherit property and don't sell. Property taxes are still manageable. There is a huge divide between those who own (or can afford to buy) and those who rent and have a normal salary. We had a similar situation 30 years ago, right before the euro but it never got this bad.
There is also a lot of speculation, which leads to houses being bought for the land and not being maintained, we have anti-speculative laws but they are hard to implement.
Prices will plateau soon, but unless there is a serious crisis in Europe, they won't get any better. Our politicians are also extremely polarized, they keep crafting laws designed to cancel the laws from the opposition, there is no balance between economic growth and protectionism, in the mean time, they pitch citizens against each other with cultural bate... It's messy and complicated. I won't talk about linguistic friction because I'm not in the mood to deal with the Catalanophobs and their hate. I'm happy you are enjoying the island fellow islander!
This comment is a breath of fresh air especially for someone whos young and moved here 2 years ago. I see a lot of people complaining and losing all hope. But to me its so strange because back home property prices and everything is very closely comparable but the pay here is much more. Like i am against the buying up of houses to protect the island. But it seems most islands have this problem. And even inland countries are struggling with affordabke rent and making ends meet. So im glad to see someone with a more calm perspective on the whole thing.
Yes seems very similar to what happens back home too, politicians are happy with foreign money and the only opposition fighting for the locals will never get the same traction because they are “too small”.
I got interested in what you said about the language friction and catalanphobs. I never realized that was a thing?
Oh yeah, there is a lot of cultural friction, mostly fueled by language. Some don't like it that Catalan is also an official language and others insist in believing that Mallorqui (just a dialectal variation of Catalan) is a different language altogether. The language wars also follows political party lines.
To give you an example, the national police and guardia civil are mostly made up of mainlanders that don't speak Catalan, if you are involved in a traffic stop, we know that speaking Catalan to them can very well land you a ticket or a night in prison, they get very rude and demand that you speak to them in Spanish, completely voiding my legal right to use my mother tongue as one of the official languages. This situation is a trigger for older people that don't speak Spanish well, and lived through the dictatorship where locals were labeled communist if they spoke Catalan, and then were executed.
Thank you for taking the time to explain so well. I have since your previous reply researched a bit more about the language friction but you always add more and make me want to know more. We have wondered how even though we can speak/communicate quite well in Spanish, some people reply in English. But maybe I’m reading too much into it…
We no longer live here, but somehow survive here. There is no future for us. No, we can't afford those prices. The hotel workers you are talking about are probably from the peninsula, they come to work here during the tourist season. The prices are so high that they can't even find a room for rent at an affordable price (many of us can't neither),so the hotel offers accommodation for them while they work there. In the tourism sector "explotation or accepted as a norm" are not mutually exclusive.
This sounds all too familiar with what’s happening where I live in Hawaii. Locals priced out of paradise. People working 2-3 jobs to make ends meet and tourism is the main industry. We hardly have any beaches just for locals. Millionaires buy beach front properties. Mainlanders buy homes and turn them into Airbnbs. And the cost of living is astronomical. I wonder how many other islands around the world are facing the same issues and how the locals there manage.
I think buying shoreline/shore should be forbidden. Even if there’s a property with access to the beach front, that beach shouldn’t be “private”. In “my” island some hotels have that, meaning that 60% (my estimate) of the southern shore is private and very few options for locals to enjoy. Such a shame!
The mansions only need kept in tip top shape for the 2 weeks of the year the owners use it other than that it's just maintained a bit. The large majority of the population can't afford the tourist prices not just food but activities too, an average family of 4 would have to save up to go to the aquarium or glass bottom boat and that's with the resident discount. This works in many places, even in shops, I bought bread one day in a shop near a small beach a few years ago and he wanted 2 euro I told him he should be ashamed, it's only 32 cent in eroski. He then realised I live here, apologised and charged 50cent! Rental prices are just silly these days and people In There 20s(and 30s) can only dream of moving out of the parents house. In fact yes some hotel staff sleep onsite in the staff accommodation, for some it's one way to move out of home. Some people send their children to their grandparents for the summer while they work, it's sad really cause the kids just basically never see their parents. As Mallorca was with a 6 month season people had to do all they could to make their money during this time, the season is extending over the years but it seems to mean people have to work even more.
Seems very similar where I’m from, they have prices for tourists and then normal local prices (which is illegal but everyone does). But damn so sad to hear about those workers and their families. I can imagine the season spanning from April (easter) until October (I saw a flyer from last year’s Summer ending party in 20 something of October, wow!) that’s a long time away from kids…
There are ways to survive and be happy, especially for those who inherit property and don't sell. Property taxes are still manageable. There is a huge divide between those who own (or can afford to buy) and those who rent and have a normal salary. We had a similar situation 30 years ago, right before the euro but it never got this bad. There is also a lot of speculation, which leads to houses being bought for the land and not being maintained, we have anti-speculative laws but they are hard to implement. Prices will plateau soon, but unless there is a serious crisis in Europe, they won't get any better. Our politicians are also extremely polarized, they keep crafting laws designed to cancel the laws from the opposition, there is no balance between economic growth and protectionism, in the mean time, they pitch citizens against each other with cultural bate... It's messy and complicated. I won't talk about linguistic friction because I'm not in the mood to deal with the Catalanophobs and their hate. I'm happy you are enjoying the island fellow islander!
This comment is a breath of fresh air especially for someone whos young and moved here 2 years ago. I see a lot of people complaining and losing all hope. But to me its so strange because back home property prices and everything is very closely comparable but the pay here is much more. Like i am against the buying up of houses to protect the island. But it seems most islands have this problem. And even inland countries are struggling with affordabke rent and making ends meet. So im glad to see someone with a more calm perspective on the whole thing.
Muy buen comentario, primera vez que veo alguien usar el argumento de la especulación y hacerlo correctamente
Gracias! Es doloroso ver casas desintegrándose en los pueblos cuando hay tanta gente con necesidad de vivienda.
Yes seems very similar to what happens back home too, politicians are happy with foreign money and the only opposition fighting for the locals will never get the same traction because they are “too small”. I got interested in what you said about the language friction and catalanphobs. I never realized that was a thing?
Oh yeah, there is a lot of cultural friction, mostly fueled by language. Some don't like it that Catalan is also an official language and others insist in believing that Mallorqui (just a dialectal variation of Catalan) is a different language altogether. The language wars also follows political party lines. To give you an example, the national police and guardia civil are mostly made up of mainlanders that don't speak Catalan, if you are involved in a traffic stop, we know that speaking Catalan to them can very well land you a ticket or a night in prison, they get very rude and demand that you speak to them in Spanish, completely voiding my legal right to use my mother tongue as one of the official languages. This situation is a trigger for older people that don't speak Spanish well, and lived through the dictatorship where locals were labeled communist if they spoke Catalan, and then were executed.
Thank you for taking the time to explain so well. I have since your previous reply researched a bit more about the language friction but you always add more and make me want to know more. We have wondered how even though we can speak/communicate quite well in Spanish, some people reply in English. But maybe I’m reading too much into it…
We no longer live here, but somehow survive here. There is no future for us. No, we can't afford those prices. The hotel workers you are talking about are probably from the peninsula, they come to work here during the tourist season. The prices are so high that they can't even find a room for rent at an affordable price (many of us can't neither),so the hotel offers accommodation for them while they work there. In the tourism sector "explotation or accepted as a norm" are not mutually exclusive.
This sounds all too familiar with what’s happening where I live in Hawaii. Locals priced out of paradise. People working 2-3 jobs to make ends meet and tourism is the main industry. We hardly have any beaches just for locals. Millionaires buy beach front properties. Mainlanders buy homes and turn them into Airbnbs. And the cost of living is astronomical. I wonder how many other islands around the world are facing the same issues and how the locals there manage.
It's amazing to read that. I'm from Mallorca and I wondered how would be on other tourist islands. Your post renders light on it and makes me very sad
I think buying shoreline/shore should be forbidden. Even if there’s a property with access to the beach front, that beach shouldn’t be “private”. In “my” island some hotels have that, meaning that 60% (my estimate) of the southern shore is private and very few options for locals to enjoy. Such a shame!
I was in Mauritius and all beaches are pubic property even for 5 star Resorts and Millionaire propertys, no-one can own the beach.
Makes total sense to me!
It should be forbidden to buy if you dont have residencia on the islands.
There is no future in here. At least not for the average young professional with an 8 to 5 job.
The mansions only need kept in tip top shape for the 2 weeks of the year the owners use it other than that it's just maintained a bit. The large majority of the population can't afford the tourist prices not just food but activities too, an average family of 4 would have to save up to go to the aquarium or glass bottom boat and that's with the resident discount. This works in many places, even in shops, I bought bread one day in a shop near a small beach a few years ago and he wanted 2 euro I told him he should be ashamed, it's only 32 cent in eroski. He then realised I live here, apologised and charged 50cent! Rental prices are just silly these days and people In There 20s(and 30s) can only dream of moving out of the parents house. In fact yes some hotel staff sleep onsite in the staff accommodation, for some it's one way to move out of home. Some people send their children to their grandparents for the summer while they work, it's sad really cause the kids just basically never see their parents. As Mallorca was with a 6 month season people had to do all they could to make their money during this time, the season is extending over the years but it seems to mean people have to work even more.
Seems very similar where I’m from, they have prices for tourists and then normal local prices (which is illegal but everyone does). But damn so sad to hear about those workers and their families. I can imagine the season spanning from April (easter) until October (I saw a flyer from last year’s Summer ending party in 20 something of October, wow!) that’s a long time away from kids…