The Dutch increasingly want houses and cottages in the Šumava

Plzeň - Three million crowns or more are willing to pay for a house or cottage in the Plzeň region by the Dutch, who increasingly prefer mainly the border areas and Šumava. The regional Mladá fronta Dnes reports this.
    "I know of families who are staying here permanently," said the Klatovy real estate agent Karel Müller, who specializes in Šumava. He reliably sells three to four recreational cottages to the Dutch each year.
    "When negotiating, the Dutch are not tough. If you speak English, you are theirs," said Milan Mrázek from the Domažlice real estate agency.
    According to real estate agents, the Germans have already bought property in the region. "Sometimes they request, for example, hundred-hectare plots or hunting grounds," stated Marie Němečková from the Domažlice real estate agency. According to Müller, their interest is stagnating. "In fact, a few Germans have even come to say they want to sell their property. They thought its price would increase after entering the EU," he added.
    Currently, there are 1,260 Dutch living in the Czech Republic. 39 percent are registered for permanent residence, among them ten in Domažlice in December 2005, 15 in Klatovy, and nine in Tachov.
    A year ago, there were 813 Germans reported in the Plzeň region, including over 200 in Tachov, followed by Klatovy and Domažlice. In the last three quarters of last year, 431 foreigners moved to the region, including 125 Germans.