Thursday, March 14, 2024

Investing in real estate occupied by squatters in Spain

I listened a podcast episode by Wall Street Wolverine where real estate investor Pau Antó explains how he deals with squatters also know as "okupas" in Spain. Many people consider owning property very risky in Spain because the local law protects the habitants of the residence. I wrote for example blog post about it called "how to live for free in Spain". Still Antó has invested in real estate properties which were occupied by squatters. He classified squatters in three categories: squatters who see occupying a residence as a right, squatters who do business by occupying residences and squatters who do it because they don't have any other way to find a roof on top of their head.

Antó explained how you have to negotiate with the squatters before you invest in the property. Often you need to pay the squatters some thousands of euros to make a deal with them. You have to be able to trust their word, because legal contracts don't weigh much in their case. In Barcelona there is a valued neighborhood with good location called Grácia, where some buildings have been occupied for years and would interest investors. Still reaching a deal with squatters has been impossible and the buildings remain occupied. For example buildings where there are living squatters from different ethnic groups makes negotiating complicated. For the landlards Antó adivces to always have an insurance in case the tenant doesn't pay the rent.

Sunday, February 25, 2024

Does eating in a lunch buffet help muscle gain?

Last year on March I went to InBody body composition analysis. 9 months later on December, I went to the same analysis to see the results. I kept my training regime the same as before the 1st analysis but I started to eat more by eating in the lunch buffet 3 times a week. Eating enough to gain mass has been a challange for me. The result was that I gained weight 2,5 KG. My muscle mass increased 0,6 KG and fat mass increased 1,7 KG. Which means that the rest of the difference was water. During the 9 month period I would have liked to have longer training sessions. I felt that it would be nice to train more. Basically I ate too much or I should have trained more in order to avoid gaining fat mass. My coclusion is that gaining muscle mass is tough.

Monday, January 29, 2024

Lack of workforce

In the Finnish media there is a discussion going on how workforce is needed in Finland. Many politicians say that Finland needs more immigrants but in the same time there are educated immigrants in Finland who say that how difficult it is to get a job in Finland. Often the lack of fluency in Finnish leanguage makes entering the workforce difficult, especially in the white collar jobs. Reasons what I have not seen discussed in media why Finland is not attracting highly educated and skilled workforce is progressive income taxation and comparatevily low income level. If you are a top earner in Finland you take care of your own house work for example take care of the garden in the summer, clean the snow in the winter, clean your house, take care of your kids etc. In India or in Colombia you might get paid about the same in similar level job but you can afford to pay someone else to take care of these kind of things. One with high level of income can think is it nicer live with benefits of a society with low income level differences or in a society with high income level differences.

Saturday, December 30, 2023

Winter cycling

Winter road home

The landscape has been covered with snow the whole December in my sourroundings but I have been still cycling to work regularly. Though I have had to walk to work few times because the snow had not been cleaned from the roads due a heavy snowing during the night. Some people change for the winter tires with spikes but I cycle through the winter with the same hybrid bike and summer tires. As I go throug the streets of Kauniainen and Espoo regularly I have noticed how the streets of Kauniainen are maintained in better condition during the winter months. That might change in the future because Kauniainen is looking for savings as the health care system change led Kauniainen in financial trouble.

Tuesday, November 28, 2023

The Amazing Race Finland

I remember watching The Amazing Race as a teen ager and I believe that the TV-series has inspired me to travel and live abroad. Now about 20 years later the first Amazing Race Finland is aired. It has been entertaining to watch the Finnish show and witness the couples competing in diffrent countries. The tasks give nice insights to the local cultures and traditions. In the Finnish show the competitors have been strugling the most with the music related tasks. I would like to see transitions between the tasks being travelled more often by public transportation like local bus lines, metro or train. I feel like travelling by taxi is giving easy way out to the next destination. The competition also makes you speak to the locals in order to progress fast in the race. Though the interaction is very short as competitors want to advance fast to their next destination. As the Finnish competition is approaching to the end I feel like the physically strongest couples have been able reach the top positions.

Sunday, October 29, 2023

Reading list 2023

I had a break from reading but now I have returned back to reading. Here is the list of read books in alphabetical order from past year.


Casanova, Giacomo - Autobiography 1 - 6

Coelho, Paulo - Vakooja

Druckerman, Pamela - Mademoisellesta madameksi - Tarina keski-ikäistymisestä

Ferguson, Alex - My autobiography

Järvilehto, Lauri - Mestariajattelijan työkalut

Lafon, Lola - Pieni kommunisti, joka ei koskaan hymyillyt

Luyendijk, Joris - Rahan ruhtinaat

Markiisi de Sade - Justine

Perry, Philippa - Kunpa vanhempasi olisivat lukeneet tämän kirjan (ja lapsesi kiittävät, että sinä luit)

Pulkkinen, J.P. - Täydellinen keksintö: polkupyöräesseitä

Saahko, Lotta-Sofia - Matkalaukkulapsuus

Standage, Tom - Ihmiskunnan syötävä historia

Starnone, Domenico - Kepponen

Vimma, Tuomas - Ruutukymppi


The previous list from 2020

Sunday, September 24, 2023

Trip to Sweden

 

Falkenberg

Eventhough Sweden is neighbour of Finland. I have visited Sweden just few times. This time the reason was a business conference on the west coast of Sweden. A nice resort but the sauna in Swedish style without steam is not a proper sauna experience for a Finn.

Thursday, August 3, 2023

Is it worth buying or renting home in Finland right now?

Last few months you have been able to see headlines how the housing market is in favour of the buyer because housing prices have lowered. Finish newssites HS, MTV and YLE. I saw an apartment on sale downstairs of my current rental building so I decided to do the math. I calculated what would be the monthly cost if I bought the apartment that is now listed for 300k EUR debt-free. The current 5 % interest rate with 30 years payback time for the 300k EUR mortgage would mean 1 576 EUR monthly down payment. Together with the fixed housing costs monthly costs would be 2250 EUR if I bought the apartment. Now I'm living in a rental apartment which is exactly the same size 55 squere meters and upstairs in the same building. My rent is 1 200 EUR so thanks to living in a rental apartment my monthly costs are 1 050 EUR below house owners monthly costs. My conclusion is that for me it doesn't make sense to buy an apartment with the current price level. Naturally numbers are not the only factors whether you decide to live in a rental apartment or not but in my case that would be basically the only difference.

Also Finnish FIRE blog Omavaraisuushaaste published a nice post about the topic, where some addtional examples from various cities in Finland are shared. 

Friday, July 14, 2023

Suitcase childhood

The author

I just finished reading a book called Matkalaukkalapsuus by Lotta-Sofia Saahko which tells stories of five people who have grown up in different cultures during their lives. I started this blog in order to write about cultural differences so when I saw a book written about cultural differences I wanted to read it right away. I enjoyed reading the book a lot and it lit up strong emotions many times.

I could relate many times even though I have lived suitcase life mostly during my adult life. Therefore I haven't had the identity battle where I am from, like the people in the book. Having solid roots in Finland has given me a different perspective to adapt to a new place. The book gave examples how moving to a new country can give a chance to reinvent yourself by being more outgoing and social like Nicholas. Or moving to a new place can lead to an isolation which happened to Karoliina. Might be surprising that a person who has Finnish parents and speaks Finnish might feel like a foreigner in Finland. Especially I like how many anecdotes with details were connected to point out cultural differences. 

There was some story lines which I was hoping to be elaborated more. For example Karoliina had eating disorder but I was wondering how did she actually got hold of it. Mother of Shuichi highlighted the importance of studies but Shuichi finally ended up choosing a career where the good grades do not have that big importance. I wonder how that battle was between mother and her son.

Even though all the stories are connected to Finland I believe that anyone who is interested in cultural differences, wants to understand better foreigners living their home country or has themself lived abroad would enjoy reading the book. After finishing this book I would be interested to read the suitcase lifestyle story of the author called Koti kulttuurien välissä.

Friday, June 30, 2023

Holiday in Kuopio

View from Tahko

It had been about 4 years since I last time visited my home city Kuopio. I had forgotten how mosquitos are bothering you there more than here in the capital area. Even though my current neighborhood is surrounded with plenty of trees and nature I don't remember being bothered by mosquitos.

Recently I discovered a football game called sub soccer which I liked a lot. You play it seated with your feet against one opponent facing you about 2 meters away. Another football variation which I like is played in about 6 diameter round panna arena. Would be fun to make and play also floorball variation of these games.