March 30th, 2010
The secret of financial success is very simply buy when a product is cheap and sell it when it becomes expensive. It is a matter of supply and demand and the real estate market is no exception. At present on the Costa de Sol, rural Andalucía and to some extent Spain we have an oversupply of properties. However, I wouldn’t wait too long before you make your move because the situation is changing rapidly on a week to week basis.
Big investment companies are beginning to move into the Costa del Sol buying up large chunks of urban land, whole blocks of apartments, individual villas, rustic properties and even some industrial and commercial sites. These companies do not function on whims or feelings but on solid data that tells them growth, life expectancy, quality of life etc trends. Basically they know that when the world economy recovers which will be soon people in Northern Europe will look for the usual things in their second or permanent retirement residence. Good climate, health and education facilities, efficient transport system and good access from the rest of Europe. Andalucía and the Costa del Sol have all that in abundance. So don’t wait until supplies run out and prices begin to increase. Buy now at the right price.
Tags: Andalucia, Buying Property in Spain, Property Costa del Sol
Posted in Property, Spanish News | No Comments »
March 17th, 2010
This weekend Luna died. An Alsatian cross who had lived with our family for over 12 years. She was fourteen years old and apart from a few aches and pains from old age she kept as far away from the vet she could limiting her visits to her annual vaccination.
To outsiders she did not seem to be a remarkable animal by any means, a bit of a loner who kept herself to herself. She loved our children but kept her distance when they got too noisy. Everyone in the family mourned Luna’s sudden passing, even our three year old, and our seven year old boy has been writing her letters to heaven ever since. This morning I was trying to think what Luna’s best quality was and strangely enough I came to the conclusion that above loyalty and other doggie traits she was a wise dog, who knew her place and was always there when you needed her without fuss. Now she is no more, may she rest in peace.
Our other dog Domino who at twelve still thinks he is a puppy regarded Luna as the boss. He is missing her greatly so we are on the hunt for a companion. I was shocked to find that at every turn there are dogs in refuges that need home. They have been abandoned, mistreated and left for dead. It shocks me to the core that people can treat animals so. I will find a companion for Domino, an older dog to keep him company, but if anyone else out there thinks they can give a dog a home (or cat or horse) have a look at the links below. They are also looking for volunteers and donations so let’s be proactive and do what we can for these wonderful creatures.
http://www.sos-animals.org
http://www.chaininspain.com/
http://www.animals-in-distress.eu/
www.f-a-m-a.net
www.cydanimals.com
Tags: animals in distress, chaininspain, Dog refuges Alhaurin, dogs, Dogs costa del sol, sos-animals
Posted in Local News | No Comments »
March 11th, 2010
Next Wednesday 17th March Malaga will host the meeting of the European Interior Ministers and SOHA will be there also to demonstrate against the Andalucían Regional Government. SOHA stands for Save Our Homes. It has some 300 members the majority of whom are British. They are people that bought rural houses which at the time were perfectly legal, but that subsequently were made illegal by the present government and since then the owners have been living a nightmare of not knowing whether or not the property is going to be demolished.
Mr. Philip Smalley the president of SOHA said that there will be other similar associations demonstrating with them from Almeria, Valencia, Cartáma and Mijas. The British Euro Mp Marta Andreason will also be there to offer her support.
If you feel strongly about this issue why not join us.
For more information checkout:
http://www.theolivepress.es/2010/03/01/peaceful-protest-march-announced/
http://corruptioninspain.blogspot.com/2010/03/marta-andreasen.html
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=332026189288&ref=mf
Tags: Demolition Andalucía, Demonstration Malaga, Marta Andreason, Philip Smalley, SOHA
Posted in Local News, Property | No Comments »
March 5th, 2010
I found this very interesting site on the web and thought my followers would be interested in it. It is for all of you out there who have to holiday with children and would like to go to a safe and secure holiday home. Also interesting for those of you wanting to rent out your home or spanish investment apartment…Check it out!
After several successful years in France, Italy and the UK, Tots to Travel has launched its Spanish arm at www.totstotravel.co.uk. Wendy Shand, it’s founder, an author and lettings expert writes on how people with a property in Spain can maximise yields and extend their rental season by making their property appeal to families holidaying with small children. She has also written a free report, which is available for your readers to download at www.tttowners.co.uk/spain, which gives advice on how to avoid empty lettings weeks and lost revenue. For readers who may be stuck in negative equity, this might be of real interest whilst they wait for the property market to bounce back, or help them make their property stand out from the crowd of identical holiday villas.
If you want to talk about this further, supply photos or arrange an interview with Wendy, her number is 00 44 7789 725 583.
Tags: children, holiday lets, rentals, spain
Posted in Property | No Comments »
February 22nd, 2010
While all of us wallow in the misery of this wet and windy winter on the newly named Costa del Rain there are some people out there who have more important issues to deal with. I have think often about the wonderful people who continue to give their ‘special kind of care’ to the very sick at the Cudeca Hospice in Arroyo de la Miel in Benalmadena. They offer a vital last resort to those suffering in the final stages of cancer. They need our support so anything we can do to help would be appreciated; be it money, volunteered time or even clothes and toys we do not need donated to the local Cudeca shop. Every little bit helps.
The Mijas Playa restaurant in La Cala held a charity night at the beginning of February to raise much needed funds for Cudeca and it was a great success, however the founder Joan Hunt gave a moving speech reminding us that Cancer is not affected by the recession but that “donations are”.
If you think you can be of any help at all please go to www.servicesdirectspain.com and click on the Cudeca link http://www.propertiesdirectspain.com/en_arroyo-de-la-miel-spain-cancer-care-hospice-cudeca-cudeca-www-cudeca-org_serv_2431.html or go directly to www.cudeca.org and see what you can do to help. There are many ways to help these people care for our sick from going to see the Welsh Male Choir sing on the 27th of this month ( the information is on the Cudeca website)to participating in the sponsored walk in May. Let’s make a difference.
Tags: Cancer, Charities, Cudeca, ServicesDirectSpain.com
Posted in Local News, Services | No Comments »
February 17th, 2010
As yet again I write another blog about the weather, I realize that in Ireland, where I was brought up, it is something we talk about on a daily basis (if not hourly). I was reading this week’s Euro Weekly when I happened upon an article telling me I should not be feeling cold, wet and miserable but….Wait for it!! WARM, wet and miserable as the weather in Malaga this winter has not only been wetter but also warmer than previous years. In fact the period between March 2009 and January 2010 has been the warmest on record since 1943 according to the State Meteorological Agency.
Is anyone else out there as surprised as I am?
Tags: Rain, spain, weather spain
Posted in Local News | No Comments »
February 15th, 2010
When Hitler came to power, Germany had a massive unemployment problem which was reduced by implementing an emergency plan to rebuild the country’s infrastructure, renegotiating war debt and restoring national pride via a massive propaganda campaign and of course the rest is history.
Zapatero our glorious leader, self proclaimed champion of the poor and downtrodden has embarked on more or less the same course of action, at least as far as infrastructure goes. Consequently thousands of roads throughout Spain are now closed (see blog dated February 1st) and the transport system has all but collapsed so no one can get anywhere in the foreseeable future. The next step I imagine will be to negotiate with the companies who ‘won’ the building contracts on these roads to lower their agreed payment, so that they all will be left unfinished. Proving for once and for all that this government cannot organize a p*** up in a brewery (as they say in Ireland). Somehow all this does not really bother me for after 11 years of living in Spain you begin to believe it is inevitable. What really concerns me is what our Don Zapatero will decide to do to divert the unrest it’s causing!
Any Ideas?
Tags: Closure of roads, Transport system, Zapatero
Posted in Spanish News | No Comments »
February 10th, 2010
Wise men admit their mistakes and rectify them accordingly. Idiots rectify their mistakes only when it is forced upon them to do so. No sooner had the Spanish government announced in Brussels that the pensionable age was to be increased a further two years than the proposal was withdrawn (the next day!). This behaviour does not necessarily show that Spain is governed by idiots or does it show that it is governed by wise men. It proves one thing beyond any reasonable doubt and that is that the present government does not know how to govern. Let’s hope that the Spanish electorate will prove to be a bit wiser next time and hopefully have learned from their last big mistake and vote in a party that does.
How do you feel the present spanish government is doing and have they let you down?
Tags: Add new tag, pensionable age, spanish government
Posted in Spanish News | No Comments »
February 8th, 2010
Although the rain that has fallen over the last few months has caused chaos on the Costa del Sol and had all of us expats thinking about packing up and heading home (the rain here always seems that bit more miserable) it has been fabulous for the campo…or has it!!
Water levels in the Malaga province’s seven reservoirs are at a 12 year high. The stocks representing 72% of overall capacity are, according to local newspaper reports, enough to last us for the next 12 months. This is great news for home owners and tourists alike as it seems unlikely that we will be subjected to the continuous water cuts of the last couple of years.
The downside however is that the damage caused to the province during the last rains has been estimated by the A.S.A.J.A. (The Young Farmers Association), to have reached a staggering 40 million Euros, with olives and mandarins being the worst affected. This has left the already poor farmers to suffer even more.
Let me know your thoughts and views on the rain in Spain staying mainly on the plain and how it affects your life!!
Tags: Farmers, Mandarins, Olives, Rain, spain, Water Cuts, Water damage
Posted in Local News | No Comments »
February 1st, 2010
Apparently it is not all doom and gloom as February begins down here on the Costa del Sol. Usually January is when we all suffer a finacial hangover from the Christmas season and to make things worse our basic cost of living increases as governments try to lob on more and more taxes. However according to the Sur in English, 2010 has started with the lowest inflation rate in history. To top that a cap has been put on telephone rates, toll road tariffs and (in some places) water rates to help us all try and survive the crisis. I could expand on the news that other prices have increased, like gas bottles and fuel, not to mention the dreaded electricity bills, but I’m going to try and keep it positive. On that note, for those of you employed on a Spanish contract the minimum wage has gone up by 1.5% and pensions also have been increased by 1%. As they say every cloud has a silver lining (albeit a small one). Here’s to surviving the crisis.
Niki Taylor
www.propertiesdirectspain.com
Tags: cost of living., Crisis spain, inflation, Pensions, telephone rates
Posted in Local News | No Comments »
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