I agree with a lot of what you say Smiley but not all investors buy a falling market, some are momentum buyers that pile into a rising market, each to their own.
I live in Belfast, Northern Ireland where property prices have been increasing by 4% per month, yes, per month, approx 50% per annum for about 2 years now!
This little ex-warzone I have lived in for 40 years is becoming more expensive than London/SE England! The "experts" are forecasting a slow down this year but they did that last year too.
This is why I'm nervous of selling immediately and making the move. I want to get out as near the high as possible and join the Spanish market closer to the bottom. At the moment every month I wait adds a year to time I can live in Spain without working, if I move to soon and Belfast property continues to rise at current rates for a prolonged period, I've no way of returning.
By bottom, I don't mean nessacarily Spanish property prices falling just standing still for a period of time. I would love to be in the position of buying in Spain whilst letting my Belfast home but I'm not :(
Your comparsions between Spanish property and UK stock market bubbles are interesting. The main likeness I can see is the attitude of the UK media. In the late 90's the UK media hyped up the stock market especially the technology/internet sector. The TV was full of programmes like "Show me the Money" protraying how easy it was to make a fortune Shares tipped on the show rose 10 or 20% within minutes. In true media fashion, they helped build it up, then knocked it down and of course about 6 years later it has returned to normal.
For several years now the media has been full of property investment programmes, "Location, Location, Location," "The Property Ladder," A Place in the Sun," "Home and Away," etc they've overhyped to whole thing. Now the tide is turning and it's time for them to slap it down.
I don't think the downtrend in Spainish property will be anywhere near as severe as the shock market for a few reasons;
A Spainish property is not just an investment, it's also somewhere to live, holiday or retire to.
Unlike the Stock Market you can't "short" Spainish property in a falling market.
Finally, as Spainish property developers go out of business, supply will eventually dry up.
Stephen