The title is a beautiful Burt Bacharach song. Recorded by Dionne Warwick and Luther Vandross.

Normally I would Twitter on this subject but the content of many Tweets have reached Facebook level. And that’s an insult for FB, which I left years ago. Luckily there are a few a few Twitterers that still have their marbles together and post decent stuff. I took a Twitter pause, but house prices rocketing in Holland alerted my built-in curiosity. One of my Twitter friends (yes, I’ve got 2), tested the market just for fun and got inundated by requests if he really wanted to sell.

“Buyers” outbid asking prices offering almost any price you want. Like oil prices during the petrol shortage in the 1970ties. Are all the outbidders desperate for a roof over their head or are they rich property collectors gambling with homes that should normally go to a family with kids for an affordable price.

This reminds me to the property ladder hype in England during 1990 till 2010. Bankers told their naïve clients to buy a place costing far more than they could afford giving them a 150% mortgage. Promising that within 5 years their home would be worth the double. Forgot to mention that if they would sell their dwelling with a large profit, they would have to pay the double to get a similar roof over their head. Nevertheless people believed in the property fairy tale and paid any price for a house. In 2015 the house prices dropped and people lost fortunes. The bankers got away with it.

Only London escaped the price drop thanks to rich Russian Oilygarges and lately new Chinese billionaires. They still pay a million for a London broom cupboard.

I am curious how long this house gamble will go on in the Netherlands. Normally the government used to regulate the housing market and rent prices. But the regime is busy elsewhere. It’s a pity, having a decent home was always a social right in Holland. The majority of the people living behind the dikes rented their home for a lifetime and treated is as if it was their own. I followed that principle all my life living in different countries. The landlords/house owners always regretted our departure and since 4 years our Spanish landlady has a peaceful siesta every day. Knowing her property is in good hands. Now I return to the piano, honouring Burt Bacharach playing more of his fantastic compositions.

Theo R.