Castellon is Different

The following article has been written by my colleague Simon who lives and works around Castellón. Have a look and if you want to know more information then get in touch and we will put you through to Simon, an expert in the area.

ARTICLE
"Seriously Spanish.........

Do you want crowded beaches, identikit apartments, fish and chips, dodgy builders and even dodgier agents as part of your future home in Spain? If so, don't read on! Spain and the property front have been getting bad press recently for a wide number of reasons but I think it is only fair to take up Graham's gauntlet (See http://www.positivespain.blogspot.com) and say something positive and inspiring about Spain. I have been here 17 years and am still under forty (just) so I think I have the authority to share the following views and experiences....



I live in the province of Castellon and although there are some unwelcoming things happening to the north of Oropesa, Marina D'Or comes to mind, fortunately not all is like that and the province is still unscarred by “Benidormitis”. I invite you to go inland where there is outstanding countryside, masias and land to be found and renovated for the same price as a rabbit hutch on the beach. Castellon is the second most mountainous region in Spain and there really are some breathtaking views to be seen and there is a slow trickle of British discovering that now. What is more, there is a style of village life to be found that has long since disappeared in England...



If you take up the following recommendations, you could indeed find that ultimate place in the sun or is that Location, Location???....

Most people buy with such care in England and then get on a plane to Spain and either leave their common sense at Heathrow or the sun addles their brain once they are here...

My advice is the following :

Caution and research!
Use respectable and experienced agents (not someone you meet in a bar looking to make a quick buck!)
Always take legal advice (clear title deeds are essential)
Use local builders or those with lots of experience and great recommendations (they have the know-how and contacts).
Check building regulations
Rent a place in the area for a while to get a feel of the place if needs be, after all, it is a big move!
Make an effort to fit in!!!!!

Rural Spain is a great experience if you use your common sense and the advice above and I can assure you that you will not regret it. Get in touch with me, we can have some wine and you can just ask away. How good does that sound???



For more information on this area, just get in touch with Graham and he will put you through to me"

Simon.

Hopefully you like the article. The accompanying photos are from Vall D'Alba as little town there called Villafames. The last picture I chose because it features a bull run and a Liverpool top!

Positivity

I have had enough of the constant stream of negativity coming out in the press and media about Spain so I have decided to put together a blog with positive news. It will be filled with news about ecology, environment, people stories and general good news that will enable you to be uplifted and get away from the negativity that encompasses our everyday lives. Obviously we are focussing it on Spain and it is called Positive Sp(a)in. Have a look at the link here

If you have any positive news that you would like featured here then do send it to us on devanio66@gmail.com. If you have a website then we will give you a plug too. Read it and smile.

Still Valencia is living the America's Cup, there were over 120000 people at the port over the weekend to follow events, and currently the teams are locked at 1-1. The whole of Valencia still hope Alinghi win so the event stays. They only lost the second race after making a mistake. Hopefully they will not make too many more because it seems that in straight line pace they have the beating of the New Zealanders. (Of course I know little or less about yachting so I am quoting verbatim here from a couple of friends who have been to watch the racing)

Phone Works Now

Well finally the phone is working again so you can now phone me on +34 961662892 or the movile number of +34 657994311. To me it comes into the same phone so it doesn't really make that much difference.

Today I spent the morning mooching around the Notary's office waiting for a bank to turn up. Eventualy we were able to sign and cancel a prior mortgage. Nice offices though.

This weekend will be a busy one a I need to go down to Elche on Sunday and it is family birthday time on Saturday. Meanwhile next week i have been offered three more flats for sale in Ruzafa all at good prices so more photos to come on the site then.

Phone Problems and Pigs

I have moved my office phone number onto my mobile so you can get me at any time even when I am out... that is the theory anyway. The line is down and has been for two days now. Telefonica have cut me off before Vodafone have connected me up. So if you want to get in touch with me on +34 961662892 forget it for the moment and dial direct on +34 657994311.

Hopefully this will be sorted very soon.

Today was a strange day. I went to see a couple of new houses for the site, you will see them in the next couple of days, and one of them was a cats' home. Seven bedrooms of which four were just for cats. Huge house with a couple of pigs in th large gardens too. Now I don't know about you but many years ago I saw the Aussie film Razorback so I was a bit wary of them but they were very friendly and not at all smelly.

Summer is Here

I have still not ventured into the pool but a first visit to the beach now confirms that summer is here. The longest day is next week after all. The mercury is rising and Valencia is preparing itself for the America's Cup Final between Alinghi the hosts and New Zealand the challengers. I am not going to try and drum up too much enthusiasm, after all it is yachting, but the words of Bertorelli, the boss of Alinghi, this week suggest that he thinks he is more important than the rest of the Valencia economy. He said that it is not guaranteed that the next trophy will be in 2009 even if Alinghi wins and then it might not even stay in Valencia, after promising this for a very long time through Bonnefus his acolyte and head of ACM, America's Cup Management. The reason. It is not ideal having a commercial port next to the bases! Obviously not but then again they might have noticed it before. Could it be that they have had an offer they cannot refuse from Dubai? At least he did say that taking it back to New Zealand is commercial suicide. With Ecclestone confirming the formula one racing here for eight years around the port you can be sure that the local politicians will have taken the hint and will do their utmost to try to convince them to stay in whatever way they can but moving the commercial port!!! The route to the World for Valencian ceramics and other products? If they listen they are bigger doormats than they have already proved themselves to be. But then again money talks.

NEW WEBSITE NOW UP

We were experiencing a problem with uploading the new site in the last day or so but now we are up and running. Nothing majorly different but more dynamic with changes happening on a daily basis now. We hope you like it. Keep coming back and bookmark the page www.valencia-property.com in order to keep up to date with what is happening.

Free Book

Hi There

I have decided to give away the book about buying a property in Spain. This was written by myself, Graham, and uses a lot of the experience we have gained over the years through Valencia Property to help you with your property purchase here. If you would like a copy send me a message to graham@valencia-property.com with the message "GIVE ME MY FREE BOOK PLEASE" I wouldn't want you to make any mistakes on buying property in Spain and especially Valencia so the book which is also available on ebay at Devanio Shop if you would prefer to make a payment of 2.99 Euros will help you out. There is more useful information in this book than on any badly put together documentary on ITV!

Regards and Have a Nice Day

Trevor McDonald

Absolutely shocking programme from Trevor Mc this week. Shocking in the sense of badly done, badly researched and badly presented with laughable conclusions.

To cut to the quick, the market has definitely slowed down and those looking to make a quick buck may well be stung as prices off plan don't rise as they were promised by the promotors. Bear in mind that profits from these flips are usually promised in B money so we don't touch them really.

Nevertheless, let's look at the actual situation. If you have bought a legal property from a reputable source in a good area then you really have got not much to worry about apart from learning the language because life is still good in Spain, even if more expensive than a few years back, the sun still shines, the quality of life is unbelievable if you like Menus of the Day at 7-12 Euros, cheap fresh produce in season, fantastic blue flag beaches (Both Malvarrosa and Cabañal in Valencia have just been awarded the accolade this week for the first time, great public transport at cheap prices (You can get to these beaches from outlying towns on the metro in less than an hour for the price of a couple of beers)and a thriving cultural and sporting life, Levante stayed up and Valencia will be in the Champion's League next season. Take the long view, relax with a Sangria and live a much higher quality of life in a much more relaxed atmosphere. If it means that only those who really want to live in Spain will come here through programmes like this then so much the better.

So from Valencia, home of the America´s Cup, a new Grand Prix, the best Millenium Project in the World and the place considered to be the best place i the World to live by the World Health Organisation goodnight and hope to see you soon.