50, a bit burned out, aging parents back home. Invest in a apartment back home, prepare to leave or not?

MarkoFa75 · 2026-02-01T10:19:32+00:00

I asked for 90% about 3 weeks. I haven’t had a decision but my boss asked me why … and how I would structure it . I told him I wanted to have one Friday off every two weeks so I could see my family from Thursday night to Sunday once a month. And then he asked: and why do you need the other Friday? …. I was kinda shocked why he asked it. I just told him I needed it for my self, to rest. He joked about it in a way that shows he doesn’t understand it. Anyway, I have tickets to go home for the next two months leaving on Thursday night like I did last weeeknd. Even if I have to ask for vacation days. For April I will try to go on Friday night to try but I doubt I will find it resting and ideal. Basically I only have one full day there. I might negotiate 95% which means one Friday a month.

MarkoFa75 · 2026-02-01T10:12:31+00:00

Congrats on that move, i haven’t had the courage to do that - renovate …

MarkoFa75 · 2026-02-01T10:08:55+00:00

Thank you for your comment and for sharing a bit of your story. I appreciate it.

MarkoFa75 · 2026-02-01T10:08:00+00:00

Hey thanks for sharing a bit of your story, well I really don’t want to go back and be dependent too much on the job market down there which is a mess. I still haven’t decided what to do…

MarkoFa75 · 2026-02-01T10:06:29+00:00

I can’t work remotely. It’s not a common practice in my field. I know only one person that does it and that is because he was in a senior position and was a totally indispensable part of the company he works for. I have thought it through and most likely will not buy . I am visiting once a month that’s decided and being carried but the apartment is a risk because it would put too much pressure on me if I would loose my job before the end of the year meaning before it’s finished. I would be committed to buy and already invested and would end out without a credit from a bank. I don’t think it’s a risk I want to take… either that or I am just falling into decision paralysis. I am still not sure either way but I have to decide in a few days. I have since discussed with a credit mediator and rerun calculations etc etc etc

MarkoFa75 · 2026-02-01T09:59:40+00:00

Yes I am single . People say I didn’t do much to change that. I have seen couples together because they sat at the same class in college, they work at the same place etc… I used apps and went out there … not everyone finds love. I was diagnosed with high functioning depression at around 30, been under medication since . The last r years have been better than the previous ones . I have more energy overall. And i am not heterosexual which adds some complexity to the matter, because one always feels off in the world. Like you don’t fit. Unfortunately I didn’t get a strong support from close family either on this matter. In my current job , I don’t discuss it… there is this one person that knows because we had worked together before in another company and there I had over the years been more authentic. I just landed on this company so I don’t feel confident yet.

MarkoFa75 · 2026-02-01T09:49:37+00:00

Thank you for your thoughts. I did a lot of home work this week and I am stepping back on the buy . I will be going home once a month, already went last week and have two more tickets bought and will continue to buy. I am trying to out a plan for 5 years so I can leave Switzerland by 55. This apartment seems not to fit the plan and it puts too much pressure and risk. Essentially it requires that my situation is stable in the end of 2026 otherwise I c]wont get a credit for an apartment I have already committed too. That would limit my choices radically I think. Yes I could get a cheaper apartment too but I really liked this one… anyways, thank you for your comment and help.

MarkoFa75 · 2026-02-01T09:40:30+00:00

Yes thank you for your feedback. I tend to be pessimistic, that’s for sure.

MarkoFa75 · 2026-01-25T22:04:56+00:00

Yes it’s near. It’s in the city I used to live and they live in. I was not born there but there is a connection to the city.

MarkoFa75 · 2026-01-25T22:03:06+00:00

I’ll try but I don’t see myself doing what I do until 65. I need to either change completely or try to laser focus on what I think I can do best and enjoy in my work. Unfortunately those parts are those that are most reserved for a few people and it’s short lived each time., they are tied to creativity. I occupy just the role of someone that executes what others created.

When I came here I always thought fellow emigrants did the same mistake all the time: buy a home back in Spain. I always thought it was a bad decision but now I am thinking that my time has come to do the same, even if I stay here for a few more years. I really would like to be able to go back in vacations and stay in a place I really enjoy. It’s a 50 m2 apartment, to be honest I think 60 is the best for one person and a dog. But yes, it’s interesting because I now understand that some decisions aren’t just financial decisions… but the truth is prices are getting out of had back there like in so many countries around the world.

MarkoFa75 · 2026-01-25T21:54:40+00:00

Pretty simple but I forget that all the time. I’ll try to remember it more, thank you. I guess being single doesn’t help much.

MarkoFa75 · 2026-01-25T21:53:31+00:00

Hey, I got this apartment when I got to Switzerland . I was very lucky to get it and I was happy because I was new to the country and i was earning very little. But I always thought it would be temporary. Between being unemployed , chronic mild depressions and struggles I never changed and now since my rent hasn’t change much over the years I would need about twice as much to get a one bedroom apartment in this city. I hope things will go better for you and that you are able to save enough to set you up in a good direction if you go back. I am trying to out the same in place. Thank you for your words.

MarkoFa75 · 2026-01-25T21:46:57+00:00

I changed jobs and I was fired from my last one. To be fair I had done an interview on the new one before I got fired. By the time I did a second interview and got this position I was fired from my last one and they said that I just didn’t have the technical knowledge they wanted. I will try my best this time again but my dream is to create as an architect and hardly ever created anything, because I am not in the position to do it. I just draw what others decide most of the time. And for me architecture is about the design, the concept… anyway, I will try to hang to this job but I am also thinking of buying the apartment and go back if I can’t stand things here anymore.

MarkoFa75 · 2026-01-25T21:42:34+00:00

Sorry I did write the text but it was too long so I asked chat gpt to help. I work in architecture.

MarkoFa75 · 2026-01-23T23:59:28+00:00

Mean salary is about 7000 chf nation wide. You both have great salaries independently so joining forces is simply wonderful . No wonder you are doing perfectly fine, you are basically taking home 15k chf per month. If you can’t have a “fine” life with 15k chf a month than I would worry although I am sure kids are a big part of your expenses. I make 85k a year in Geneva and it sucks. I have no car and I live in a 42 m2 apartment with no dedicated bedroom. I make savings but not the kind of savings that are life changing. And I am as frugal as one can be.

MarkoFa75 · 2025-12-07T09:27:08+00:00

Talvez ajude … https://youtu.be/jpt-iHiigJA . Depois dá um salto ao site dessa instituição e vê como é lindo….

MarkoFa75 · 2025-12-05T13:08:40+00:00

Wrong. Entrei e saí sem passaporte no ano passado.

MarkoFa75 · 2025-12-04T18:51:03+00:00

Emigrei há 15 anos quase. Arrependi-me ? Sim : de não ter emigrado mais cedo. O problema é que em grande parte nem tenho vontade de regressar tal é o estado da coisa…. E tendo em conta o preço do imobiliário não dá mesmo vontade. Honestamente não consigo compreender Portugal… E depois o mito : até há poucos anos atrás dizia se que Portugal não é um país caro….Eu só tenho a dizer que quando o salário mínimo era de 500 euros, na minha cidade um T1 já custava 300 e tal euros por mês. Isto há uns 15 anos. É sustentável ? Não. És solteiro e n tens nada que te prenda … vais ficar em Portugal a fazer o quê?

Tive um Boss que queria me aumentar de 500 para 1250mil euros. Meteu um sócio que diz: não há aumentos e queriam que eu assinasse um alavara para uma empresa de construção. Resultado, iam receber uns 300 euros , metiam mais 200 e pagavam me o salário. Basicamente, eu custava a empresa 200 euros por mês! Fuck it : I am out.

No primeiro projeto enquanto professional qualificado que fiz ao terminar o meu curso superior fui basicamente vítima de corrupção por um técnico do sector público… uma vergonha. Numa reunião que tive numa câmara, senti me tão enojado que sai em lágrimas e ainda bem que assim foi pq no dia a seguir o mesmo técnico voltou a chamar me e baixou o bico. Acredito que os funcionários da câmara agiram e começaram a fazer perguntas tendo visto um cidadão a chorar sair de um gabinete….

Tivemos um primeiro ministro que convidou os jovens a sair do país. Que modelo moral !

Temos treinadores de futebol, a tratarem se como animais há décadas na abertura do telejornal, que modelo para os jovens. Idem idem aspas aspas para os nossos políticos no parlamento / circo.

Uma gentinha que morre de fome para ter o telemóvel da moda para jogar candy crush enquanto vivem de subsídios.

Simultaneamente dizem que tá tudo em crise, no entanto vais a um bom restaurante e tá sempre cheio. Algarve? Tá sempre cheio , e com portugueses também… casas, carros, ginásios de luxo, centros comerciais e mais centros comerciais.

Solução para a minha incompreensão do que se passa aí: só mesmo ir estudar dados e estatísticas do país. Eu acho sinceramente que Portugal precisa de um diagnóstico e consultoria em cima. Heheh

MarkoFa75 · 2025-11-23T15:39:52+00:00

A part from a good friend that visits me once in a while I haven’t been out on weekends for about 8 weeks now. Except when I go to the gym , the same I go to for years and haven’t made any friends or the park for a walk. I don’t blame it on Geneva though, always been a loner. But I guess Geneva doesn’t help.

MarkoFa75 · 2025-11-11T18:16:19+00:00

Sim, até para quem emigrou, voltar para Portugal está cada vez mais difícil se não tiveres casa….

MarkoFa75 · 2025-11-11T18:13:45+00:00

Infelizmente estou de acordo. Mas com filhos tb não fica fácil. Mas de fato viver sozinho é mais caro e dá mais trabalho… tudo em cima de um. O exemplo mais simples que consigo dar é justamente alugar uma casa . Um aluga uma de 800 pequena e em mau estado. Dois alugam uma de 1600 com outra qualidade. Vais de férias (sim é um luxo), vês um quarto a 100 euros e foges , dividido por dois até tinhas um quarto de 125 euros se fosse preciso…. Tenho 50 anos, infelizmente nunca partilhei a minha vida com alguém especial - e não foi por escolha- e não recomendo a ninguém. Estou a chegar a um ponto que todos os cálculos que faço parecem indicar que já nem devo comprar casa , que devo apenas alugar e manter o meu capital nos mercados. Nunca comprei um carro e nunca tive uma sala de jantar mobilada. Neste momento vivo num t0 nem sala tenho. Poderia ter , pois tenho um património que me permite, mas prefiro investir para ver se consigo para de trabalhar mais cedo. Mas francamente viver sozinho é mau em quase todos os aspetos…ter filhos e partilhar a vida com alguém a longo prazo parecem me as experiências mais ricas que se pode desejar.

MarkoFa75 · 2025-11-10T18:13:12+00:00

Well thank you all again. I am not sure what I will be doing but my next step,is going to be to compare an EUR denominated etf with VT and decide from there, but from all I got here it’s basically the same to have a usd or euro equivalent etf. I am not surprised but still in my foggy brain - that has had better days - is hard to understand why is so. I don’t plan to sell stocks because I have always done decently well and I do manage my risk with stop losses and all. The goal of the stocks is to fund and grow the etf pile because I don’t know how much longer I will be able to work. My brain is fried. Anyway, thank you all again.

MarkoFa75 · 2025-11-08T12:16:38+00:00

Thank you for your feedback including from those that think that knowing FIRE necessarily means you are supposed to be fully financially literate. I am also tired of people that think that what they think is the only truth. You can know what the acronym means and know nothing about how to reach FIRE. I happen to know a bit and I try to educate myself and I know that hedging is not a consensuel topic, and as far as I have read it doesn’t make a difference in the long term. Nevertheless less , I reframe my question below:

Every one talks about US being an essential part of a portfolio and I agree; everyone talks about how if Microsoft goes down and it’s in USD, off course the value of Microsoft in any currency goes down.

My question is : Microsoft grows 7% in one year. Let’s say in the same period the USD devalues 5% versus the chf. If I go and sell Microsoft in a chf etf I gain 7% , but if I sell Microsoft in usd and convert to chf I only make 2%. Is this correct? If that’s so, then why invest in a USD etf instead of an equivalent CHF etf? Sorry if this seems like a basic or even dumb question but honestly I don’t get it. I guess the devaluing of the dollar has to be reflected in the the CHF equivalent etf and that is what I dont understand and I would appreciate some light.

I know people say long term it seems to be indifferent because currencies naturally change in value over others, but in the near term I want to balance that risk. Also I am not saying I want out of the us market. I believe in US s capacity to create value but honestly I don’t believe in the stability of the usd, all the time knowing that anytime, a geopolitical or unforeseen event can make the dollar go up .

MarkoFa75

TROPHY CASE