Archives for 2007
December 27th, 2007
Expatriates are so happy in their new lives that nine out of ten would recommend a move abroad to friends and family, it has been reported. As many as three in every four said that their quality of life had got better since making the move, recent research by BUPA ...
Continue reading Expats Recommend Moving
December 26th, 2007
Schools in Marbella have twice as many foreign pupils than the provincial average. Almost twenty schools have special classes for Spanish language lessons, and these are attended by 3,600 foreign pupils. One out of every ten is from Ecuador. German, British, French, Chinese and even Australian. The ...
Continue reading Schools in Marbella
December 24th, 2007
Taking holidays during the winter and avoiding the colder weather is a favourite past time for many Brits. Spain continues to be the top destination for holidaymakers flocking south for the winter, with the pleasant weather making it one of the easiest destinations to get away from it all. Spain ...
Continue reading Spanish Winter Sun Spots
December 21st, 2007
Foreign fields are attractive - but it's your future, not a holiday Spain continues to be the most popular destination for homes abroad Around one million Brits are receiving their pensions abroad, according to figures from the Institute of Public Policy Research, and this is set to more than triple to ...
Continue reading Forward Pension Planning in Spain
December 20th, 2007
The government of Spain has announced plans for a grant scheme to encourage homeowners to make their properties more environmentally-friendly. Speaking on Monday, Spanish prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero promised subsidies of one billion euros to renovate properties for the period from 2008 to 2012, plus another two billion ...
Continue reading Spain Promotes Energy Efficiency
December 19th, 2007
Car dealers, especially those selling four by four vehicles, are reporting a busy end to 2007. Spain’s new “green tax” comes into force on January 1st next year, when the cost of registering a new vehicle will vary according to how much it pollutes the atmosphere. Until now there have ...
Continue reading New "Green Tax" Imminent
December 18th, 2007
Funny how a four-digit-number incrementing it's least significant one seems so special. Can you believe it's almost 2008? This time last year, where did you picture yourself now? Are you there? I wonder if you saw a future for yourself in Spain but, for whatever reason, didn't arrive? If that ...
Continue reading Ring in the New Questions ..
December 18th, 2007
Equity release is a generic term for mechanisms which allow homeowners to turn the cash value of their home into a stream of income or capital payments – or both. They are often aimed at homeowners of retirement age and over because this group often find themselves “asset rich but ...
Continue reading Equity Release or Lifetime Loan?
December 17th, 2007
There are plenty of legal obstacles to be overcome before this island, reminiscent of Dubai's The World, can ever take shape. The World in Dubai is probably the most famous housing development on the planet. However, it's not the only man-made residential island; the are already around 300 others worldwide. Dubai ...
Continue reading Plans for Valencia Artificial Island
December 14th, 2007
The autonomous community of Aragon is tucked away in the Northeastern corner of the stunning Mediterranean nation of Spain - and whilst Aragon is rich in culture, rich in history, rich in traditions and also rich in GDP and employment prospects, it is poor in terms of what is known ...
Continue reading Aragon: Spain’s Wealthy Community of Contrasts and Culture
December 13th, 2007
Procoal have released an exclusive new development in the Almanzora Valley in Southern Spain. Designed by leading architects the villas are now available ‘off plan’. Clover Estates are proud to announce the release of their exclusive Peach Grove development, located less than 5 minutes from the beautiful market town ...
Continue reading New Development for Almanzora
December 12th, 2007
Galicia in North Western Spain finally believes it is starting to emerge from five years of hard work repairing the damage to the economy inflicted by the sinking of the oil tanker “Prestige” off its western shores in November 2002. The disaster which claimed the lives of over 300,000 birds ...
Continue reading Galicia Back in Business
December 11th, 2007
Last week was the longest I've spent in the UK for many years. A combination of business meetings and family events throughout the week saw me dashing in and out of hotels, trains, planes and automobiles. Needless to say, I am now suffering from a cold (man-flu as a less-than-sympathetic ...
Continue reading The Grass is Always Greener ..
December 11th, 2007
Question: The vendor has shown me the original Escritura - surely this means he owns the property? Answer: Unfortunately not. Possession of the Escritura simply indicates that the parties mentioned on the Deed made certain statements before a Notary on the date of signing. Physical possession of the Deeds to ...
Continue reading Spanish Lawyer Q & A
December 10th, 2007
The Spanish government is getting tough on real-estate corruption, with more than 100 investigations opened into suspect public officials and developers just six months after special police units were set up to fight corruption in the sector. So far the civil guard has arrested 57 people and charged 126 others. The ...
Continue reading Spain’s Property Market Gets Clean
