One of the first episodes of “Zi Filip Antonowicz” ended with quite a media storm. The presenters had the opportunity to talk to the flippers. They didn’t ask what “cleaning” apartments bought at off-market prices meant (and it wasn’t just about cleaning up the dust), they listened with a smile that flipping was a job like any other.
. Katarzyna Dowbor spoke. She admitted that she didn’t really know what she was talking about.
“Question for breakfast”. Katarzyna Dowbor about the pinball episode
Katarzyna Dowbor gave an interview to the website. There were questions about the episode, which aroused great controversy. A pleasant morning conversation with a flipper about “cleaning apartments”, buying them cheaper to sell them for a higher price and acting on the verge of the law – it’s a somewhat risky topic for your morning coffee. In a conversation with Przemek Gulda, Dowbor admitted that before the episode she had to do a quick “press” on what flipping is:
I had to start by checking on the internet what it even meant. It wasn’t my idea, I’m not writing the script. Both Filip and I (…) were in shock. We agreed and did not admit that our interlocutor was right. On the other hand, we couldn’t say ‘thank you’ and ask her to leave the studio,” she said.
Unfortunately, snippets of the episode have been circulated on the internet and there is definitely no shock involved. What’s worse, the guest – Elżbieta Liberda – . She said that “developers are screwed” due to – as she claims – excessive rights granted to customers. These potential clients, who, thanks to flipping, cannot afford apartments in larger cities anyway, criticized the legal adviser’s claims from top to bottom.
As you can see, Katarzyna Dowbor’s internet search did not bring any results. However, later in the conversation with Teleshow.wp.wp, the journalist and long-time host of the “Our New Home” program stated that selling houses works basically the same as selling vegetables – anyone can buy cheaper and then sell at a higher price:
After all, this conversation was primarily about making money by buying something cheaper, improving the quality of it and selling it at a higher price – Dowbor began, omitting the issue of, for example, tenants being thrown out of the “new” owner’s apartments. – It’s hard to blame anyone for that. It’s exactly like at the vegetable market, where you buy some products cheaply, process them, and then sell them at a higher price. What’s wrong with that? Especially since the assumption that everything must be done honestly was repeated several times in this conversation. It’s basically a job, like many others, and hard work at that.
She called the fact that flipping drives up apartment prices in cities a “far-fetched theory” and put most of the blame on the authorities who do not introduce appropriate regulations. At the end, however, there was some reflection, as Katarzyna Dowbor thought that “maybe we shouldn’t advertise such people. This is a lesson for us. We should definitely avoid such situations in this program.”
What is flipping?
Flipping in Poland operates almost without any regulations and is an increasing nightmare in large cities. Wealthy investors buy the cheapest apartments on the market – often with an uncertain legal situation, tenants renting them out or in a terrible condition. They adjust them for later sale and make money from the considerable price difference they manage to achieve.
It sounds like ordinary money, but according to many, flipping is not ordinary money. Adjusting the sale of premises, which are not always purchased at the market price, also involves replacing large-sized premises with two, three or even four smaller ones, which are on the verge of being suitable for living. The price, of course, remains very high even for microscopic clinics. Clearing apartments of tenants often means making their functioning so difficult that they have no choice but to leave the premises they rented. This is supposed to be a sacred property right, but morally it is not as pure as it could be. In addition, there is also the issue of renovations – carried out completely at cost, using the cheapest method possible, so that the apartment looks good until the transaction is signed.
Flipping, however, is a chance to make instant money for those who have the money to invest in such a system. It is especially profitable considering the skyrocketing prices of apartments, which is not necessarily realized by the owners who sell their apartment to “a nice couple who want to live in this area” and have immediate cash.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
