German-Chinese food

You know how North Americanized Chinese food looks like this?

With deep fried sweet n sour chicken balls and wonton skins, *shudder*. I’m not a fan, not just because I’m vegetarian, but because it’s so greasy and gross.

‘Europeanized’ Chinese food isn’t overly greasy. This is how you make it. Take note if you want to start a successful Chinese restaurant in Germany.

Back so soon

Well shucks!

Martin surprised me on Friday afternoon by ringing my doorbell. He showed up earlier than expected – so early that I didn’t buzz him in because I wasn’t expecting anyone (advertisers/sales people ring random bells just to get into the building, so I ignore buzzes if I’m not expecting anyone).

To make a long story short, we had a fun-filled weekend with lots of out and about business, whilst enjoying the nice weather (will post pictures later!).

The crappy part is that I would still be hanging out with Martin in his city if he didn’t have to go to France again this week. He is on his way now.

I seriously thought of going with him this time but I’d have to leave early to make it back for work. It’s too much of a hassle to get back to Düsseldorf by train, which would be worth the time and extra cost IF he were in Paris, but alas, he is not ^_^.

So now I’m back in Düsseldorf with my Martin-time cut short again.  Boo! Luckily the weather is still very nice, and I found a nice park nearby!

Long Distance

Martin is gone to France for the week, and I miss him!

This is his longest business trip yet. Here’s a picture to tide us all over for the time being. keke.

Big City, Small Prices

Sarah asked me what my reasons are for posting so much about German real estate – Is it because I want to buy property here?

My answer is yes, of course I want to buy property here! I also want to buy property in NYC, Hong Kong, and Paris. But will I? Probably not.

I’ve been attracted to real estate since I was in high school, when I wanted to be completely independent but had no place of my own to live. It kinda put a damper on things!

A lot of us in our 20’s still live with our parents, which is common when you live in a big expensive city. I think it’s good to live with parents while you are still transitioning, because it makes you more flexible with career choices. When I move back to Toronto, I will also live with my parents.

But I’m always wondering how my future home will look. Where will I live? What will I live in? How will I decorate it?

Germany’s real estate market is particularly exciting to me, because compared to Toronto prices, it’s so much more affordable.

German mentality for real estate is also impressive to me. Investing in a house or flat is for living in – that is the investment. It’s not about making money and overextending on a mortgage.

I read somewhere that real estate in Germany has appreciated 1% in the last 10 years! Whether that’s accurate or not, the low number is reflective of this old brick & mortar type value.

I’ll end this with another great real estate find. Stephanie asked me about prices in Prenzlauerberg, a centrally located district in Berlin which is also a favourite area of mine.

A 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom flat listed at 49,000€ or $73,500 CAD:

German Work Environments

Boo, it’s half past 7 and Martin is still at his office. He’s preparing for a big, stressful business trip to France next week.

Even though I don’t live with him, I notice his long hours because we talk on the phone when he gets off work.

I used to think Germans lived the easy life: High earners, great benefits, great work environments, and tons of vacation.

While it’s true that Germans have more vacation days than North Americans, it isn’t true that Germans have it easy in the working department.

Every single German I know works very hard. They work long hours everyday, mostly without compensation for any extra work. They do this because it’s a cultural value to get the job done.

I wasn’t like this in Toronto. While I worked hard, I documented all my extra hours with the expectation that I will get paid for it. This is acceptable to me – I’m working, not volunteering (even when I’m volunteering I work within my agreed upon hours).

For my job here, I go to companies to teach business-related English. My classes are small (1-5 people), so I get to know my students well.

Mostly I feel like a work therapist, because people are so stressed with their jobs that our classes turn into an English speaking support group, facilitated by moi.

It’s a neat job. I’m learning a lot. But it totally bursts my bubble on romanticizing German work life.

Düsseldorf Flats

Real estate in Düsseldorf is more expensive than in Berlin (West Germany vs. East Germany), but I think it’s still a good deal.

Düsseldorf was just voted the 6th best city in the world to live! It’s not a huge city, just over 600,000 people – but it’s a safe, wealthy city with an international airport and a transit system that is like WOW!

I found some flats for single people and families if you are interested.

It’s coming along!

Martin and I were sitting on a patio by the lake, enjoying the nice weather and our ice cream sundays. I turned to him and said:

Denkst du der Hund ist hässlich? – Do you think the dog is ugly?

keke.

Family Homes in Berlin

My Mom asked a good question – What about a condo that can fit 2 parents and 2 kids?

So Mom, here’s one in the Friedrichshain district of Berlin. It’s a 918 sq ft, 4 bedroom, 2 bath flat.

There’s a playground in the courtyard for the kiddies!

The nice thing is, there are 2 levels!

Listed at 72,539€ or $108,808 CAD.

Here’s another family home in Berlin Mitte (the city centre). It’s a 1069 sq ft, 3-bedroom, 1 bathroom flat with balcony:

Listed at 149,900€ or $224,850 CAD.

There are cheaper family homes in the Mitte, like under 100,000€ or in the 120’s. I just really liked this one so am showing it off!

Flats in Berlin

What’s the point in talking in generalities (?) when I can show you in pictures and numbers, what I really mean about real estate in Germany.

I chose Berlin because I love Berlin and am more familiar with Berlin’s districts more than any other German city. I would also totally live in Berlin in a heart beat. <3

These flats are all from real listings on the German version of the MLS.

Flat #1 is located in the Friedrichshain district of Berlin:

This district resembles The Annex of Toronto (except better!), meaning the area attracts young, upbeat, funky, and artsy types. It’s 5 minutes away from downtown and near the water.

The flat is a 1-room flat or ‘bachelor’ suite in North American terms.

It could be more updated but I like the original hardwood floors.

The kitchen is terrible (the kind that I use now!), but if I owned this place, I would install a proper kitchen for a few hundred euros.

This is a mid-range flat in a trendy area of a big international city. What do you think it’s worth?

Well, it’s listed at 38,3oo€ or $60,000 CAD.

Bachelor apartments aren’t really my thing, so I also found Flat #2, a 1-bedroom flat located in the city centre of Berlin:

It’s near Alexanderplatz, the “New York City” area of Berlin.

I like the floor plan. There isn’t an annoyingly long hallway (typical of German interior design) that wastes tons of space.

Living room.

It even has a real kitchen!

This flat is listed at 59,500€ or $93,000 CAD.

These prices are incredible to me! We’re talking about Berlin here: population 3.4 million, voted as the 16th best city in the world to live in. It has convenient international and local connections, and is a fun, dynamic city full of culture and history.

You can’t find anything in desireable areas of Toronto that are less than $100,000. The closest I’ve found is $149,000 for a tiny bachelor suite in the Pantages building at Victoria & Shuter (right downtown):

Lots of single people live in 1-room units in big European cities. I know I do! It’s common and practical, so owning a 1-unit flat in Europe isn’t shooting yourself in the foot, or confining your rental demographic to only students.

But a bachelor unit at $149,000 is the absolute low-end of downtown Toronto condo living. So I’m comparing low-end Toronto prices with mid-range Berlin prices. If I compared low-range Berlin, the prices would easily be half of what I listed above. :8

I’ll post some Düsseldorf properties next!

Investing in German Real Estate

For a while, I’ve been researching and comparing Toronto and German real estate markets.

Germany’s real estate market was like Toronto’s market in the 1970’s, where it didn’t make sense to buy because it was cheaper and easier to rent. When Toronto went through the huge baby boom in the 1980’s, real estate prices shot up by a lot. Then it shot up even more.

If Toronto’s market is at all predictive of Germany’s market (which I know it may not be), then perhaps it is worth it to invest in German real estate now, while the prices are still soft.

As far as I can see, German residential real estate remains well below the averages of western Europe. Especially in East Germany.

A big reason for this is the culture and the way Germans view real estate.

Germans don’t look at buying a house or a flat to get onto the “property ladder“. They will buy a place and then live in it for the rest of their lives.  Whether the investment holds is not a concern, because they aren’t looking to ever sell it. Needless to say, the market here isn’t very “hot“. But neither are the prices.

Not yet anyway.

I think continued foreign investment (from UK and USA especially) will serve as a catalyst for a real estate boom in Germany one day. Foreign money will increase demand, but also bring in foreign values – in this case, a British/American perspective on real estate.

If tomorrow you were to buy investment property in Toronto, it is unlikely the rent can cover the mortgage (let alone other carrying costs). But many people invest anyway, because they are building equity. Couple this with the hot(ter) market, and the investment can result in a net profit over time when the market improves and you sell it.

In Germany, it takes a while for the market to improve. But lower prices means a lower mortgage, which means lower carrying costs. With the renting market as it is, it is possible to cover carrying costs through rent alone and then some.

So while you are building equity, you are also turning a profit!

Germans also culturally make good renters because they seek to rent for long term, and are notorious for taking pride in their homes.

I’m curious to see what will happen with Germany’s economy and real estate market in the next 10 years. I’ve been excitedly chatting with Martin about all of this for about a year, and now that I’m here, it’s even more exciting! He’s still not excited though. Ha ha.