Romanian Real Estate market, Autumn 2008 (All Time Classic, 02.09.2008) “What happened, did you find anyone, damn you?”. It was 06.32 in the morning and I had forgotten my mobile switched on. The sound of the sms woke me up (good sign, means I was not snoring…) and I took it in my hands with a mechanic move. I didn’t really understand what was the meaning, I thought it was a mistake. Later on, after my fresh orange juice, I realized that this sms was sent by a friend of mine, a very important businessman here in Romania, who has a land to sell in Bucharest. He bought it in a high price and still [...]
When I fought with… “Diego Armando Maradona” Major problems MUST be solved before we invest on a property
(part 2, for the first part please click here) All time classic, 10.11.2008 “More possible for Nicoleta Luciu to love me next week” Perhaps I was a malakas, a big one. My client’s order was to finalize the transaction without to mention at all the part of the sports base problem. “Our lawyers will take care of it, this is not your business” he told me several times. “In the end of the day, you will be paid your commission, A LOT of money, why do you care? It is OUR problem, not yours”. “If your lawyers will be wrong, you will not blame them for their mistake, you will accuse ME for selling to [...]
When I fought with… “Diego Armando Maradona” Major problems MUST be solved before we invest on a property
(part 1) All time classic, 10.11.2008 I never met an old, low class bureaucratic officer of Ceausescu times. I was not around that time (my first trip abroad without my family was at the age of 14, back in 1989, when I travelled as part of a folklore dancing group to Italy and France). But as I was looking to this gentleman, I was sure that if I would be able to travel back in time, lets say to 1978, I would have found him in front of me, sitting in an uncomfortable chair, in the back of an old desk, holding the title of “very important – vital deputy officer, taking care of spreading the ideals [...]
“Mister Ilias, I will resign, I can not work after 18.00, my boyfriend doesn’t allow me”
Filed Under: Hiring Personnel, Noticing more than I should, Real Estate Adventures on Apr 25, 2010 @ 6:00 AM
A really successful businessman… (All time classic, 14.10.2008) Sunday afternoon, in Radu Beller area, Bucharest. The coffee places are half full, thus lots of parking lots are available. A young guy leaves, driving his Maybach (I guess he wanted to feel more secure, this is why he bought a 600.000 euro car – hopefully not by leasing…) and now there are three available parking places. Two seconds after, a big Mercedes illegally turns left and now it stands in front of the three parking plots. After mature thought (I guess), the driver chooses to reject all three and park his car exactly [...]
Miss Piggy’s husband, the… “sexy nun”and the seventh sin: Greed
Part 2 (to read part 1, please press here) Introducing “The Hero” I named him “The Hero” because this client proved out to have incredible sums of patience. After the first meeting with “Miss Piggy’s husband”, we were asked to meet with a lady, “in charge for all the documents and all the details, the real head of the company”. A new meeting was scheduled in order “to sit down and proceed our deal with her”. (This happened also with the third client, but I had not joined the meeting – ill – and unfortunately I was informed that things did not turn out as we were expecting them to). “The Hero” [...]
Miss Piggy’s husband, the… sexy “nun”and the seventh sin: Greed
Part 1 “Office building with 14% yield” “Hello, are you the Greek who is buying properties with income?” “I can be this one too. With who am I honored to talk, please?” “I am… and I work for … company. I have a super opportunity for you, an office building in the center of Bucharest with 14% yield. Can you handle it? It is a big deal”. “My dear friend, this is why I was born. In order to come in Romania and handle this office building with 14% yield”. “Do you have clients for something big like this?” “I do, send me papers and let us meet”. This was the first time I heard about “a company [...]
The Italian, the Greek, the old man from Timisoara and the gypsy fugitive
(part 2, to read part 1, please press here) Describing the procedure… It was not difficult for me to guess that the discussion was about the property in the expensive area. That “opportunity of a lifetime”, offered to me by the Greek. After I ordered my usual still water (the bored assistant brought a very cold bottle, so I could not drink it) we were ready to listen to the “facts”. “The old man is ready to die…” “…who is the old man?” “Elias, please, Elias, don’t interrupt”, my Italian client asked me to let the gypsy gentleman narrate his story. “The old man is ready to die. I [...]
The Italian, the Greek, the old man from Timisoara and the gypsy fugitive
“I am sorry, are you Greek?” I turned around to the voice behind me at the queue. I saw a man asking me in Greek about my nationality. “As I am talking Greek, it is probable, no?” “I do not want to sound rude, but I heard your discussion over the phone. You work in Real Estate, yes?” “Indeed”. “In a big company?” “Not really, I started by myself about one and a half year ago and my company’s size is quite small. But we try to be the most efficient though”. His instant silence allowed me to study him. Quite short, definitely over 50 years old. (Successfully) painted black hair. Thinner than a traffic [...]
Q: How did 2012 start for the residential market in Iasi?
Dan Mihoci: The real estate market is headed towards normalcy, without “sentimental” pretentions of the seller or unfounded requests from buyers with an evident need for consultancy, for both buyers and sellers. Despite the bad weather and the economic and political instability, the real estate market is an interesting chapter for everyone.
Q: In 2011, the year started with a high level of interest but few transactions. How did the market evolve ... 
