Archives for July 2007
July 30th, 2007
Setting up home in Spain means wading through the usual bureaucracy and form-filling. It’s at this time that you’re most vulnerable to identity fraud - when you’re providing personal and financial details to utility companies, local government and banks. Identity fraud is on the increase. It is one of the ...
Continue reading Avoid Identity Fraud
July 30th, 2007
Retirement is a key time in life to review your financial arrangements. This is particularly true if you have moved to Spain as investments you had working well for you in the UK when you were in employment may not be suitable for retirement in Spain. A retiree’s mind usually concentrates ...
Continue reading Safeguard your Wealth in Spain from Dangerous Exposure
July 27th, 2007
Thanks to the dismal British weather many of the thousands of holidaymakers heading abroad this summer are likely to end up dreaming of their own permanent spot in the sun. But prospective purchasers are urged to apply the same checks to buying property abroad as they would at home, and ...
Continue reading Making it Real: The Holiday Home Dream
July 27th, 2007
Spain’s reliance on construction as an engine of growth poses a “major risk” to the country’s economic prospects as higher interest rates threaten to end a property-market boom, Standard & Poor’s said. “We consider this red-hot and unbalanced construction sector to be a major risk to the economy as a ...
Continue reading Spanish Reliance on Building is Serious Economic Risk
July 26th, 2007
Murcia is touted as one of the most upcoming regions in Spain, and property prices here are almost 50% cheaper per sq. m. than anywhere else in the region. Investors are beginning to see the potential of Murcia as an investment destination as millions are being pumped in infrastructure development. Spain ...
Continue reading Murcia – Spanish Property Hotspot
July 26th, 2007
We’ve all seen them; television documentaries showing hapless couples tottering around ruins. Then the invariably well-bosomed presenter assures them that within months a miraculous conversion will give them accommodation fit for Posh and Becks - and all for peanuts. Buying a property abroad has made sense for hundreds of thousands of ...
Continue reading Stop the dream home turning into a money pit
July 24th, 2007
Prices have soared in Spain’s third city as it prepares to host the world’s most prestigious yacht race. Mention Spanish cities, and most people think Barcelona or Madrid. But Valencia, Spain’s third-largest city, is becoming increasingly popular with British visitors, who come to shop in its designer shops, stroll around ...
Continue reading Tide Turns for Valencia
July 23rd, 2007
A new computer programme will allow the tax authorities to know instantly about the sale of a house, and whether the declared price is fictitious. Big Brother is lending a helping hand to the tax inspector. In the near future, the tax authorities will know immediately of the sale of ...
Continue reading New Controls on Property Taxation Fraud
July 23rd, 2007
Now that Christmas is well and truly over, it seems that Britons are turning their attentions to their summer holidays with nine out of ten people in the UK planning ahead for the warmer months, NatWest research shows. The expense of the whole holiday experience is a factor more than half ...
Continue reading Summer Hols on the Cards for Most Britons
July 20th, 2007
Notorious for tales of ‘land grabs’, Valencia is now building a new profile based on cheaper property prices and a wealth of tourist attractions and events. Following the success of the America’s Cup hosted by Valencia, the city is keen to cast off the notorious “land grab” label and ...
Continue reading Letter from Valencia
July 20th, 2007
This report aims to provide a snapshot of the current state of the Spanish property market, from an independent, and non-sales perspective. To this end it reviews the Spanish government’s latest figures on the performance of the Spanish real estate market, and contrasts these with observations and anecdotal evidence from ...
Continue reading Spanish Property Market Q1 2007
July 19th, 2007
For me, the biggest news this week was the VIVA Estates announcement to reduce their commission on property sales to a flat rate of 2%. While a 2% commission may still sound high to those of you used to UK sales commissions of around 1%, it’s certainly a positive ...
Continue reading The Cost of Buying Property in Spain
July 19th, 2007
What a battering the Spanish property market has taken in the media. Spanish construction firms recorded losses on Madrid’s stock exchange - but did this warrant the “nosediving” headlines about Brits’ number one second-home market heading for a “crash”? Within 24 hours of Astroc’s news, Medsea Estates - ...
Continue reading OPP on Responsible Reporting
July 18th, 2007
The Spanish parliament has passed a law designed to improve the status and protect rights of self-employed workers. Since Brits discovered the benefits of moving to Spain, the majority of younger expats have lived the dream of being their own boss, starting up companies such as construction firms or holiday ventures. ...
Continue reading New Law Aids Self-employed Expats
July 18th, 2007
Few people would deny that Spain’s Costa del Sol - literally the Sunshine Coast - is one of the most popular holiday resorts in the world. In the last half century, the region has grown astonishingly in popularity. In the early days, the area was home to small traditional Spanish ...
Continue reading Sunshine coast is long-term investment
