estate

A Moroccan sued a real estate agency for not showing him an apartment just because of his origin. Now they will have to pay 10,000 euros

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The story sounded so strange, so much like an ‘improvised excuse’, that Hamid Hmata decided to do an experiment. In January 2024after seeing how the umpteenth real estate company closed the door on him after finding out about his Moroccan origin, Hamid asked a co-worker to help him out. His friend (with a Spanish name) called the same agency asking about an apartment in Mataró that Hamid had been interested in shortly before. He had no problem. They confirmed that the home was available, gave him information and scheduled an appointment. Shortly before, Hamid had been told the opposite, that it was already rented. The story could have stopped there, but what the agency probably did not take into account is that Hamid has been battling discrimination in access to housing for some time. Now that episode of 2024 has led to a pioneering sentence by “real estate racism”. a dozen complaints. The statistics They suggest that Hamid is not (far from it) the only immigrant who encounters obstacles or outright racism when looking for housing. His case is different in something: this man of Moroccan origin, father of two minor children and with the necessary income to pay for a rental house, has been denouncing real estate racism for some time. And he has also done so in an active way, calling out against various agencies and presenting a dozen complaints before the Mataró City Council. “For being a migrant”. His case was revealed ago just a month and a half the DESCA Observatory, one of the entities that has accompanied Hamid in his peculiar real estate crusade. At that time, the platform explained that the man had been looking for an apartment for four years, a long period during which he had dealt with “great difficulties.” The reason? Everything indicates that its origin. “Different real estate agencies, allegedly, would have covertly avoided providing him with their services (showing him the apartment, evaluating his candidacy, managing a contract, etc.) due to the fact that he was a migrant,” details DOWNLOAD From office to office. Despite his efforts, most of Hamid’s claims were unsuccessful. Their complaints to the City Council ended up being filed and they undertook a “bureaucratic journey” by different organizations, such as the Housing Agency of Catalonia, the Consumer Agency and finally the Office of Equal Treatment and Non-Discrimination. Almost all of Hamid’s complaints ended up being dismissed, but last month DESCA recalled that there were still three live files: two “in the administrative procedure phase” and another “in the preliminary proceedings phase.” And the big surprise came. We have now known the next chapter in Hamid’s real estate odyssey. a few days ago DESCA revealed that the Office of Equal Treatment and Non-Discrimination (OITND) of the Generalitat of Catalonia has imposed a fine of 10,001 euros on a real estate agency in Mataró for, the association claims, “a case of real estate racism in access to rentals.” The reason would have been the episode with which we started this article. Same floor, different answers. In 2024 Hamid was interested in an apartment for rent, so he contacted the real estate agency that owned it to visit it in person. He couldn’t. A day and a half after requesting the interview they told him that it was already leased. The explanation did not convince Hamid, who asked a colleague (in this case with a Spanish name) to call the agency to inquire about the home in question. Same agency, same apartment… different answer. Him, ensures DESCAYes, they made an appointment for him. Click on the image to go to the tweet. “True, but it has nothing to do with it.” Determined not to let the matter go, Hamid attended the visit scheduled by his friend to ask the head of the agency for explanations. Specifically, I wanted to know if the problem was that the owners of the apartment did not want to rent it to a person of Moroccan origin. “The administration admitted it: ‘That, that’s also true, but it has nothing to do with that. It’s reserved,’” reveals DESCA. The phrase is reminiscent of the one he received recently as well. another moroccanin this case from Irún, who was looking for a home. Mosqueado recorded the explanations of the head of an agency that had slammed the door: “The owner doesn’t want anyone from outside.” A figure: 10,001 euros. Hamid’s experience demonstrates several things. To begin with, proving an episode of “real estate racism” is not easy (he has denounced a dozen agencies). The second is that when it is detected it is expensive. DESCA explains that, in this case, the OITND has fined the agency a fine of 10,001 euros, although that is only part of the punishment. For one year you will not be able to receive any public aid or subsidies, nor establish contracts with the Generalitat Administration. “The OITND resolution recognizes that the reported facts consist of a case of discrimination in access to housing for ethnic-racial reasons and/or origin, which according to Law 19/200 on equality and non-discriminatory treatment is a serious infraction,” argues the observatory. The standard to which the platform refers clearly states in its section 14.3 that real estate agencies and their clients “must respect” equality and not discriminate. Why is it important? For several reasons. The first, the pioneering nature of the sanction. At least in Catalonia, where according to the RAC1 chain There is only one similar precedent. In 2022, Barcelona City Council revealed that the court had ratified a fine of 90,001 euros which he had recently imposed on “a real estate agent” for “excluding a group of people from access to housing due to their origin.” On that occasion the trigger was an advertisement for an apartment that only accepted Spanish tenants. The fine that the OITND has just imposed is interesting for another reason. There are studies that suggest that real estate racism is far from being a one-time phenomenon. In … Read more

Michael Burry just shorted NVIDIA. All good except because he was the one who predicted the 2008 real estate bubble

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Michael Burry, the well-known investor and fund manager who predicted the 2008 financial crisis, has recently shown his bearish positions against NVIDIA and Palantir just after launching on social networks a warning about excess optimism in the market. Warning which the Bloomberg media has qualified ‘cryptic’, for several reasons. The movements, made known in regulatory documents filed on Mondayhave reopened the debate on whether artificial intelligence is generating a speculative bubble. What exactly has Burry done. His investment fund, Scion Asset Management, has bought put options (puts) worth $186.5 million against NVIDIA and $912.1 million against Palantir, according to mandatory filings with the SEC. These options benefit if the stock price falls. Burry also took bullish positions (calls) in Pfizer and Halliburton, two stocks that have underperformed the market this year. Why does it matter? Burry is not just any investor. Its history is marked by having bet short against the US real estate market two years before the 2008 crashenduring criticism from his investors until Lehman Brothers went bankrupt and his fund multiplied its profits. His story inspired the film ‘The Big Bet‘. Having gained that fame, when Burry bets against something, the markets pay attention, although his track record is not infallible, as he has been wrong in the past with other bubble predictions. Click on the image to go to the post The context of their movements. Days before these positions became known, Burry broke two years of silence on social networks with a disturbing message: “Sometimes we see bubbles. Sometimes you can do something about it. Sometimes the only winning move is not to play,” accompanied by an image of his character in the film. On Monday night he posted again, this time sharing a Bloomberg chart about concerns about circular financing between OpenAI, NVIDIA and other AI companies. Market reactions. Palantir shares fell more than 10% following the news, even though the company had just raised its annual revenue guidance. NVIDIA also fell by up to 2.9%. Palantir CEO Alex Karp responded in an interview with CNBC calling the idea of ​​shorting against companies like Palantir and NVIDIA, which he says are doing “noble tasks,” “crazy.” The bubble debate. For months, many investors have expressed concern about whether the AI ​​boom is being artificially sustained. Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates, warned recently told CNBC that “there are many things that look like bubbles,” although he clarified that bubbles do not usually burst until the Federal Reserve tightens its monetary policy. According to its “bubble indicator”, approximately 80% of market gains are concentrated in large AI-related technology companies. An important nuance. It’s not entirely clear whether Burry is betting directly on the downside or whether these options are part of a more complex strategy to protect other investments. And just as share Bloomberg, regulatory filings only reflect long positions, so if you were using these puts as a hedge for other investments, we wouldn’t know. The curious thing is that its first quarter presentation did include a note explaining that puts “could be used to cover long positions”, but the third quarter presentation does not say anything about it. Scion’s recent history. This is not the first time Burry has bet against NVIDIA. During the first trimester He has already liquidated almost his entire portfolio of listed shares and bought put options against the chipmaker. However, it has also achieved success: in the third quarter it closed positions in Alibaba (with a 36.5% profit), Estée Lauder (27%), ASML Holdings (45.7%) and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (10.8%). Canary in the mine or false alarm? The question on Wall Street is whether Burry is once again detecting a bubble before anyone else or if he is wrong this time. NVIDIA is up 54% this year until reaching a capitalization of 5 billion dollarswhile Palantir has soared 173% thanks to its expansion in AI-related businesses. Valuations are high, but both companies continue to grow and expand their business. Be that as it may, if there is a bubble, we will find out in the worst possible way: when it bursts. Cover image | Solen Feyissa and ‘The Big Short’ In Xataka | The geopolitical irony that we are experiencing in the chip war has an unexpected beneficiary: Russia

Marcus Licinius Crassus was the richest man in the Roman Empire thanks to an old business: real estate speculation

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Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg and Larry Ellison are the richest people in the world. Your personal assets It exceeds the annual GDP of many countries, which gives an idea of ​​the size of their wealth. However, that proportion of wealth is not exclusive to modern fortunes. Marcus Licinius Crassus was one of the richest men of the Roman Empire and his fortune was estimated to be equivalent to the entire annual budget of the Roman treasury. The most curious thing about the history of this Roman millionaire is that the way in which he amassed his fortune would not be out of place in Spain in the 20th or 21st century. Millionaire on father’s side The historian Plutarch was responsible for recording the life and work of Crassus in different chapters of ‘Parallel lives‘. Thanks to this work we know that Crassus amassed one of the most formidable fortunes in Ancient Rome. Marcus Licinius Crassus was born around the year 115 BC in Rome, into the Licinia gens, a family of plebeians with roots in the early days of the Roman Republic, so, although they did not enjoy a great fortune, let’s say that their economic situation was comfortable. His family had already held important consulates during the Republic, so they had a certain presence in Roman political life. His father, Publius Licinius Crassuswas consul in 97 BC, but during the civil war between the supporters of Gaius Marius and Lucius Cornelius Sulla (which took place between 88 and 82 BC), his father and brother were killed in those clashes, and the family lost their property. Bust of Marcus Licinius Crassus After the death of his family, Crassus inherited a small fortune, but had to flee to Hispania, where he hid for months. Later, he joined the side of the general and dictator Lucius Cornelius Sulla, a Roman general and dictator who defeated his rival Gaius Marius and ruled Rome from around 82 BC. Sulla supervised the entry of Marcus Crassus into the Senate and thus opened a way for Crassus to start building your wealth from a position of power and began to be known as Dives“the rich one.” According to his biographer Plutarch, Crassus began his political career with a fortune of 300 talents. According to the inventory of his fortune on the eve of his last campaign, his fortune reached 7,100 talents. Real estate speculation is not a modern invention The basis of Crassus’s extraordinary wealth was the massive purchase of property confiscated from political enemies during Sulla’s rule. When Lucius Cornelius Sulla took control of Rome, those who opposed him lost their properties, and these were sold at very low prices. Crassus bought almost all of them for prices well below the market price. In Rome it was common for the insulaebuildings built of wood and cement crowded together on several floors, they would burn to make fire inside, and it would jump from building to building burning entire neighborhoods. Remains of a Roman insulae As his fortune grew, Marcus Crassus bought more and more slaves that he would use to make his fortune grow even more, forming a small army of more than 500 highly qualified slaves such as architects, bricklayers, carpenters, etc. The Roman millionaire, aware that the fires of the insulae They used to extend to several buildings, he created a brigade of slaves who acted as firefighters and, it was rumored, also arsonists. As and how did he count The CountryCrassus arrived at the fires and offered the owners of the burning buildings and their neighbors ridiculous amounts of money for the property. Faced with the imminence of being left with nothing left over from the flames or having it collapse, they could at least recover part of their investment, so many accepted the sale. Only at that moment, his army of slaves went into action and put out the fire. Afterwards, the rest of the slave architects and builders restored the building, and then resold it, making an enormous profit from its sale because, after all, slave labor was free. As and how do they count In National Geographic, his slaves were even more valuable than the silver mines and land he also owned. According to Plutarch’s story, this strategy helped the skillful negotiator Crassus to gain a good part of the insulae from Rome. Plutarch said that Crassus always built for speculation, never for his own enjoyment. Crassus’ excessive ambition led him to negotiate with Julius Caesar and Pompey the creation of the First Triumvirate, although in reality Crassus’ aspirations were more about obtaining the granting of public contracts and perks for his businesses than the good government of Rome. In fact, hated Pompey. His downfall: exchanging ambition for envy However, as his fortune and political position increased, Crassus yearned for more than wealth. He sought military glory. In 72 BC he received command to end the slave rebellion led by Spartacuswhich had the support of an army made up of between 70,000 and 120,000 slaves who rose up. Marcus Crassus managed to defeat a large part of the rebels and crucified 6,000 slaves along 200 km of the Appian Way as punishment and warning to the rest of the rebels. However, many of them managed to escape, and it was his hated political partner Pompey who managed to hunt them down, putting an end to all the work that Crassus had done. By giving the final blow to the revolt, Pompey took all the credit for the victory, being received in Rome with all the honors of the laurel crown, while Crassus had to settle for a discreet owatta minor recognition. Orodes II, king of the Parthians Crassus did not give up in his attempt to demonstrate his superiority against Pompey and tried to expand his conquests and fortune by facing Pompey. to births in Syriabut his defeat in the Battle of Carras (53 BC) was catastrophic on a strategic level. There he died along with … Read more

a company limited in equal parts and various real estate investments

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The reunion of La Oreja de Van Gogh with its original vocalist is raising a lot of comments, perhaps not all as positive as the band itself expected. The terms in which it was done not all fans liked thembut the truth is that if we look at the group’s accounts, it makes all the sense in the world: this is the underground economy that beats behind Van Gogh’s Ear. A controversial return. Why so much conflict? The long-awaited return of Amaia Montero, the group’s original singer between 1996 and 2007, has emerged after a separation with vocalist Leire Martínezwho left the band after 17 years, in a context marked by constant rumors. The official confirmation of the reunion has also brought with it another announcement: the departure of the composer of most of the group’s hitsguitarist Pablo Benegas, which implies a significant change in the group’s historical formation. The return of Amaia Montero has been accompanied by the announcement of a tour for 2026, which at the moment is resulting in considerable success. The economic background. One of the main factors behind Amaia Montero’s return to La Oreja de Van Gogh are reasons that are not necessarily economic, since the singer has very healthy accounts, according to it has been possible to go away knowing in the last few days. Amaia, in fact, has been away from live music for approximately seven years and without new record releases, precisely because she doesn’t need it. However, the economic attraction of this return is very juicy. Limited Company. The truth is that La Oreja de Van Gogh is a company, not a typical pop band. La Oreja de Van Gogh SL, established by the five original members and still active, has a 20% stake for each one, and assets valued at around 2.9 million euros in 2022. The band’s return promises to substantially increase income derived from sales, concerts and advertising contracts, but the truth is that the company has allowed its partners to receive income even in seasons without tours or releases. Amaia too. But there is more. Amaia Montero has her own personal business company Poquito a Poco SL, which has a turnover of several million euros annually (more than 2.3 in 2023, and total assets valued at 3.7 million). Esya will see notable growth thanks to new activities linked to the band, although the singer has maintained a solid financial capital even during her periods away from live music. As? With real estate investments. The singer has: An apartment in San Sebastián valued at around 400,000 euros, acquired in 1999, when the success of La Oreja de Van Gogh was starting. A luxury apartment in the Salamanca neighborhood in Madrid, purchased in 2009 for 1 million euros and currently valued at approximately 3 million. It has about 289 square meters. An exclusive land in Guipúzcoa with a tennis court, swimming pool and fronton. A whole rosary of investments that allow us to discuss the reasons for a return to the band’s stages. But the economic ones do not seem to be among them. In Xataka | Rosalía, from virgin to martyr: the artist has embraced Catholic iconography in ‘Lux’ and controversy is served

Openai is already worth half dollars, its employees are selling shares … and the San Francisco Explorado real estate market

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OpenAI has closed a secondary sale of shares of 6,600 million dollars that places its valuation at 500,000 million. In addition to a financial milestone, this is also an earthquake in the San Francisco real estate market, where employees more than two years old are monetizing part of their participations to buy properties. Why is it important. The operation allows current and old workers to sell Equity to investors eager to access the company’s shareholders or increase its presence in it. They are actors like SoftBank, Thrive Capital or MGX of Abu Dhabi. Openai had authorized sales for more than 10,000 million, although it finally only materialized 66% of that amount. A year ago, its valuation was 157,000 million. It rose to 300,000 million in March 2025, and now reaches 500,000 million, surpassing Spacex (456,000 million). The context. San Francisco real estate agents They are seeing something they had not seen before: Buyers who sell shares of private companies to pay tickets of $ 375,000 (the average in certain neighborhoods of the city) or directly buy in cash. Neighborhoods like Hayes Valley (renamed ‘Valley brain‘For the concentration of AI startups), Noe Valley and Mission Bay are receiving direct pressure from these new buyers with a deep pocket. Mechanics. OpenAI and other AI companies remain private (that is, without going to be traded in the stock market) much longer than the technological startups of previous generations. Employees cannot wait years in an IPO to access their paper wealth. So secondary markets, where private shareholders sell to institutional investors, have become the fast road to convert cash actions. Between the lines. This secondary sale fulfills two functions: On the one hand, it is a retention tool in the middle of a brutal war for talent: Goal has signed at least seven OpenAi Top engineers This summer, often with millionaire bonds. On the other, it allows Openai to keep employees happy who could be frustrated by the lack of liquidity, without having to go over or dilute the control. Yes, but. The OpenAI conversion into a profit company It has not been reversed by a final sentence. In March 2025, a federal judge rejected Elon Musk’s request to issue a precautionary measure to block that change, although he allowed several of his claims to proceed to trial. On the other hand, some investment conditions linked fund commitments (for example of softbank) to which OpenAi advanced with its restructuring, so that if certain milestones were not fulfilled, those commitments could be affected. Musk, who co -founded Openai and left the organization in 2018, sued Openai and Altman arguing that they had breached foundational commitments by moving away from his original non -profit mission. The impact. The consequences in San Francisco go beyond buyers with a lot of money: AI companies such as OpenAi, Anthropic and company are causing An increase in housing demand in neighborhoods close to their work. The cycle features: more well -paid employees generate more demand, more pressure on prices, and more need for immediate liquidity to compete in a market where cash offers have an advantage. Real estate professionals point out A change with respect to previous booms technological: Buyers not only have a high heritage, but also have access to immediate liquidity through secondary markets. They sell just enough for entry and closing expenses, and maintain their exposure to the company, but ensure a tangible asset that diversifies their risk. The big question. Is this sustainable? Openai right now is The most valuable startup in the worldbut loses money while competing in an AI infrastructure race that needs almost unlimited money. If the valuation bubble is deflated, thousands of employees with huge mortgages based on overvalued shares could be seen in trouble. At the moment, the secondary market is creating a new class of owners in San Francisco: AI engineers who have turned code into houses without waiting for the Wall Street bell to sound. In Xataka | Openai’s new social network is hilarious and addictive. So much that it is easy to forget what hides behind Outstanding image | Joshua Sortino

The idea of ​​the real estate employer so that the children “inherit” their parents’ mortgages

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According to the barometer of the May 2025 Sociological Research Center (CIS), the house is The greatest concern of the Spaniards. On the other hand, the National Institute of Statistics (INE) provides some response from the reason for that concern: housing is, by far, the Greater household expense In Spain. Buying a home implies, in most cases, to assume a mortgage of more than 30 years that places its headlines on the retirement threshold. Some ask to wear that threshold a little further. Given the impossibility of expanding the duration of the mortgages, if the housing rises, only the amount of the quotas could be increased by aggravating the risk of defaults. The solution that real estate promoters have put on the table in the V edition of The great real estate day: 70 -year -old mortgages instead of 30 years. Longer and longer mortgages. The price of housing, conditioned by a mismatch between supply and demand in urban areas, as well as the pressure exerted by its use as holiday renthas made the price of housing shoot. According to INE datain March 2025 the average mortgage was for an amount of 156,698 euros, while in the same month of 2024 it was 137,049 euros. To compensate for that climb, the new mortgages that have been registering do not choose to raise their fees, but have been stretching their expiration date until they are located at an average of 24.47 years in 2023, According to data of the Bank of Spain. That is, it is increasingly common to find mortgages of 30 years or more due to the impossibility of assuming a more expensive monthly fee. So how can it face a more than probable housing price escalation? According to the employer of promoters who met in the real estate forum organized by The economist: “Who says that 70 year old mortgages will be seen.” Two lives to pay the mortgage. Far from assuming the remote possibility that some change in construction costs wave Urbanizable Land Liberation It can make the price of the house be contained, the proposal of the real estate promoters puts the ball on the roof of the financial system. “This will continue until the body endures. It will continue to stress until there is no payment capacity,” declared Ignacio Moreno, CEO of Aurora Homes, in The economist. Mortgages at 70 years involves the assumption of high credit risks of the banking sector since it implies signing a 70 -year mortgage with a holder who, for obvious biological reasons, will finish paying their offspring or heirs. In addition to increasing the credit cost for customers, who would pay an overrun in interest. With the banks that do not count. Banking entities, on the other hand, are not very motivated to increase the flow of credit for the purchase of housing due to the economic uncertainty generated by the US tariff policy. The European Central Bank has applied successive Down in interest rates lowering the price of mortgages. That has generated an increase in the loans for the purchase of a home in what we have been in 2025. According to the INE datain March 2025, new 42,831 mortgages were signed, compared to 29,641 mortgages that were recorded in the same month of 2024. However, bank entities have not improved the conditions of their mortgage products and the average interest rate for mortgages signed in the last month was 2.97%. Inherited mortgages. The proposal of the promoters, in fact, is already a reality in the cases of succession. Mortgages, like any other debt, are assumed by heirs When they accept inheritance. However, there are also Formulas to liquidate the mortgage Inherited using the bequeathed goods to pay off the debt (inheritance for the benefit of inventory) In any case, when Receive an inheritanceall goods are received, but also their loads. In that context, an heir can assume the mortgage and the banking entity will reevaluate the credit risk demanding greater guarantees if its risk profile is greater than that of the mortgage holder, or better conditions if their financial situation is better. In Xataka | In case Madrid had few problems with housing, now adds one more: US millionaires investing in the city Image | Unspash (Joemi Brazier)

Madrid has become his new favorite real estate destination

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Madrid has become one of the favorite destinations For great fortuneswhat they are looking for Invest in luxury properties Out of your country. The arrival of new millionaires, especially from the United StatesUnited Kingdom and France, has caused An unprecedented boom in the high -standing real estate market of the Spanish capital. This trend is promoting Luxury real estate market prices and changing the profile of the buyers, placing Madrid at the international sight. As I pointed Humphrey White, CEO of Knight Frank Spain to Expansion“55% of luxury housing buyers in Madrid are Spanish”, compared to 70% in 2018. Hunting luxury According to the report ‘The Wealth Report 2025‘ Of the Knight Frank consultant, the reduction of interest rates in 2024 has been key to reactivating investment in luxury homes worldwide. The prices of these properties grew 3.6% in 2024 globally, with especially notable increases in Asian markets, the Middle East and in certain European cities. Seoul led the growth with a price increase of 18.4%, followed by Manila (17.9%), Dubai (16.9%), Riad (16%) and Yeda (9.6%). In Europe, the average increase was 2.5%, but Madrid far exceeded this figure until it reached an increase of 5.5% in the price of luxury homes. To put in context the price increase in this type of properties, in 2014, a investment of one million euros allowed to buy a luxury floor of 136 meters in the capital. Today barely reaches for a 89 square meters. “The luxury is now more luxurious,” says the report, underlining how the sophistication of the offer has been increasing along with prices. Operations in this type of housing, with prices that can range between 11,000 and 15,000 euros per square meter. However, they can also reach exceed 25,000 euros per square meter, although these prices remain exceptional and reserved for extraordinary qualities properties. This sustained growth places Madrid among the most competitive European cities in the segment, above other capitals such as London, Paris or Milan. The trend reflects the city’s appeal for international investors and, especially, for Americans who seek to diversify their assets in markets with revaluation potential. Madrid, meeting point for ultra -up He Real estate interest in Madrid 60% shot in March 2025 compared to the previous month, consolidating the city in the 26th position of the Global Prime Markets ranking, while Barcelona occupies position 37. According to Knight Frank’s study on large assets, Madrid is already the main destination of foreign investment in Spain, chosen by 67.5% of investors. In addition, ultra -ups already represent 43% of luxury real estate purchases in the capital, and their number is expected to grow 17.4% to 2028. He buyer profile is changing quickly. In 2018, American investors had barely presence. However, in 2023 they already represented 4% of the operations, and in 2024 they have doubled their weight until they are 8% of the purchases of luxury properties. As the authors point out of the report“Many great heritage are leaving the country and investing in Europe Through Spain. “ However, one of the factors that has most conditioned the price increase in luxury properties in Madrid has been The shortage of supply Faced with a growing demand. The Urban regulations limits the Construction of new homes high -end, which maintains pressure on prices. According The published by The SpanishKnight Frank counts only 13 new high -end project developments, adding a total of 78 homes. All of them concentrated in the Salamanca neighborhood, The most demanded neighborhood For this client profile. Money calls money Madrid’s appeal is not limited to the residential sector. The report ‘The Glittering Power of Cities for Luxury Growth‘From the consultant McKinsey, he places the Spanish capital among the cities with the largest Concentration of the luxury sector. According to the report ‘European Luxury Retail 2024‘ From Cushman & Wakefield, of the eight new open luxury stores in Spain in 2024, six chose the ‘gold mile’ Madrid as location. This phenomenon reinforces the position of Madrid as Epicenter of luxury in Europe and consolidates its attraction for both real estate investors and for large international firms. In Xataka | The new luxury is that the mansions go unnoticed and sustainable: that’s why they cost 10 million euros Image | Pexels (Gotta Be Worth It, Alex Moliski)

An urbanization was deserted in Valencia after the real estate bubble. Some geniuses have made it ‘Call of Duty’

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The real estate bubble It has had, at least, a positive effect: abandoned residential areas are born to be born a sudden and sporadic new life when they are assaulted by groups of Airsoft fans, a kind of ‘Call of Duty’ in real life that could not aspire to more colorful and appropriate scenarios than those of site as seven waters. What is Airsoft? An activity that Simulates tactical fighting using reprisons of firearms that trigger small plastic balines. These weapons are Real -scale replicas but they do not entail danger (they cannot even be manipulated to become real weapons). The objective is to meet missions or eliminate the opposite team, and over time this hobby has diversified in different styles, ranging from the Recreation of historical battles to modern war clashes that remind it of ‘Call of Duty’. The unusual clash between the Airsoft and the real estate bubble. Airsoft is played in closed environments, which can range from areas specially designed to it to more open but security controls. For example, abandoned industrial areas or empty peoples are used. On many occasions the associations that organize Airsoft games run into legal requirements that require the delimitation of the pitch so that the balls do not exceed their limits or the express permit of the land owner and the corresponding licenses. Therefore, an area like seven waters is especially appreciated by fans. What is seven waters? Seven waters is A municipality in the province of Valencia54 kilometers from the capital and surrounded by a mountain natural environment. It has 1279 inhabitants and a remarkable story with vestiges of the Muslim era, but the most interesting for Airsoft practitioners is an unfinished urbanization where only the streets and about 50 homes were built. The constructions (whose future plans included 684 villas, a shopping center, a hotel and a golf course, all with US financing) They were paralyzed in 2007 for the outbreak of the real estate bubble, and although it is not the only area around seven waters that are abandoned (there are An empty village very close, the reatillo), is the only one that has been recycled for Airsoft practice. Legal Airsoft. The treatment that has reached the Airsoft Plairsoft association and the owner of the urbanizations It is simple and benefits all those involved: the area is rented as a space for sports use, which prevents cases of occupation and vandalism; The owner puts the basic elements of security and surveillance, and the nearby seven waters receive a thrust in its economy and dynamization of other activities (in the area It is practiced mountaineering, riding, Mountain Bikeparagliding and hiking), which take advantage of the natural environment. Zombi attraction park. In 3Dguegosour partner Rubén Márquez compared the reuse of this space to what a few years ago He could see in Detroit: a city with neighborhoods so abandoned that in its day the possibility of recycling them was raised as Zombi theme attraction park. That did not set to curdle, but it is inevitable to think of projects like that when we see men disguised as soldiers with plastic guns, in environments that could have been very close to habitability, with villas that on the outside seem almost functional. A zombie amusement park, but where the guns do not kill. Header | Plairsoft In Xataka | A new movement has emerged in the US: Current people with AR-15 rifles preparing for a social collapse

re -estate in South Korea

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If “tariff” does not end up being the word of the year, it will be because something very fat happens from now on. The Trump administration has applied a series of Tariffs to practically all countries of the world, with cases as striking as the Gravamen up to 145% to some China products, with 125% response on their part. That is why Chinese sellers are studyingnot very legal lternatives To skip those tariffs and continue selling to the United States. Among those options is the re -labeling of products. The problem is that South Korea has caught them. Rehewed. A few days ago, and how can we read in Reutersthe customs authorities of South Korea (KCS) reported on a key discovery: a network of re -labeling of Chinese products. It is a mechanism by which Chinese companies carry their products to South Korea, put a South Korean label instead of the classic ‘Made in China’ and export those products to other countries. The effect is evident: China has very high tariffs in some products, South Korea not so much (and they have been suspended For three months), so it is an effective tool to skip those US commercial barriers and to continue selling their products in one of its main markets. The products. Do not think that these are plastic toys or pieces: among what South Korean customs have found are “high value” products. For example, surveillance cameras worth 19.3 billion wones (12.9 million euros) or materials used in batteries worth 3.3 billion wones (2.2 million euros), among others. As we say, they reached South Korean soil, they were processed minimally or even nothing, they re -rectified as if they were of South Korean origin and were exported to the United States. This is because South Korea is a United States partner with a free trade agreement, so it is a very attractive bridge to avoid tariffs. Trend. This is nothing new. During the Commercial War that we lived a few years ago (the one that put Huawei in the focus Of all the conflict), Chinese companies already used these tactics to avoid the blockages, labeling their products under “flag” Vietnamese, Malaya or South Korean. The problem is that, as the South Korean customs service indicates, the recent tariffs are having clear effects on this practice. Only during the first quarter of this year, the country’s customs detected violations of merchandise origin of 29,500 million wones (19.7 million euros) and 97% of them were destined for the United States. To put it in perspective, in all 2024 these violations were estimated at 34,800 of Wones (23.3 million euros), with 62% of those destined for the United States. Implications. The correlation between the recent tariffs and these re -labeling practices seem clear and the consequence is that South Korea will intensify its activity to intercept these products. So much that they have created a special group to investigate and combat these practices through surprise inspections and a closer collaboration with US authorities. Now, this practice can damage the reputation of companies that legitimately export their products. It will be the task of the different administrations to ensure the reputation and security of these exports, putting The focus of suspicion against companies that have more opaque supply chains. Works (they tell North Korea). As we read in EnterpriseSouth Korea is not the only country that would be used as ‘bypass’. In February, it was discovered that some Chinese companies sent their merchandise to Mexico, re -tixed and distributed them in smaller packages and introduced them into US soil. And it is something that simply works. An example outside the current tariffs is North Korea hair. Basically, there are North Korean companies that import post -haired hair from China, they assemble it to create eyelashes or wigs, they return it to Chinese companies in the form of finished product and it is China that is responsible for distributing that product both inside and outside its market, labeling the product as a fact in China and not in North Korea. Images | Xataka In Xataka | The tariff war will shoot the price of a component that nobody speaks: the SSD units

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