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Germans panic-buy over-priced Swiss houses

Published: 24 Jun 12 11:50 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/money/20120624-43347.html

Wealthy Germans are being pushed into panic-buying property at sky-high prices in Switzerland as fears grow for the safety of their euro assets, a newspaper reported on Sunday.

“Do something before the euro finally splutters its last cough and dies, taking your assets down with it.” This is the message Swiss investment companies are sending to wealthy Germans, Die Welt said on Sunday.

“Transfer your assets to the most secure democracy in Europe. To Switzerland, where private assets are respected,” reads one newsletter sent out by one unnamed company quoted in the article.

And in the uncertainty of the crisis, some Germans seem to be open to panic, and decide to convert their euros into bricks and mortar, snapping up Swiss property at any price.

Germans seem willing to pay much more than locals for Swiss property, Phillipe Müller, partner at Zurich-based estate agent Kuoni Müller & Partner (KMP) told the paper.

Popular areas with German investors include the historic city centres of Geneva or Zurich or prominent locations on the shores of Lake Geneva – where property can cost up to €52 million.

Unlike during the housing booms seen across Europe in the past decade, said the paper, buyers are not looking for a short term return on their investment, but for long term security – a solid asset that can be passed onto their children.

“A lot of the time its rich German families, very wealthy industrialists, who have floated their companies on the stock exchange or sold them and now have large amounts of liquid assets,” said Müller.

The Local/jlb

What do you think? Leave your comment below.


Your comments about this article:

20:30 June 24, 2012 by smart2012
Well done merkozy!!!
22:21 June 24, 2012 by IchBinKönig
Well done EUros.

I guess this is what you were talking about, how prices were going to increase for those outside the EuroZone, SmartGuy.
23:53 June 24, 2012 by quiller
This must be Plan B. After that we have Plan C - How to take your money with you after you die ! The old Celtic saying of "there are no pockets in a shroud" still applies for thos who are still concerned.
00:27 June 25, 2012 by smart2012
No no I meant merkozy. People are panicking cause the person who is thinking to lead Europe ie merkel is panicking even for a small pond like Greece
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