Thursday, January 29, 2009

New Website for Houses for Sale in Spain

And that is exactly what it is for. "Houses for sale in Spain" is my new website that takes the concepts of Valencia Property, bargain properties that are excellent value, and takes it out of Valencia and into the wider area of Spain. The first property we also feature on our homepage but you will see other properties being sold from other parts of Spain and they will be ridiculously good value. So whether it is repo property, BMV property or simply great value property that you are looking for, the houses for sale in spain website will have something to interest you.

Go and have a look here.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Mortgage Options

The following article has been taken from the Homes Overseas website which you can visit here. Just to say if you are having problems with your mortgage and need to renegotiate with the bank at Valencia Property we can help you as we have already done for many of our clients here.

A number of people who are struggling to keep up mortgage payments on homes in Spain are being offered alternatives to repossession by some Spanish some banks, reports Spanish Property Insight, citing a recent article in Spanish daily ‘El Pais.

Resolutions include switching to renting with an option to buy, or suspending mortgage payments to a later date by electing to take out a mortgage holiday.

The editorial in El Pais looks at the incident involving Salvador Aguado, who was recently made unemployed at the same time as his mortgage payments increased from €900 to €1,100 per month.

After trying various remedies without success, the manager of his branch of Caixa Catalunya, a Spanish savings bank, offered him the option of converting his mortgage into a rental contract with monthly payments of €650.

“As I have an option to buy, even though the rent is slightly higher than market rates, I’m not throwing money away,” Aguado, who lives in Valencia, told El Pais. “Also the bank is paying the rates and community fees.”

The option to switch mortgages into rental contracts with the opportunity to purchase the home at a later date is one of the ways that Caixa Catalunya is trying to assist mortgage borrowers in financial difficulty. The bank claims that rents are often up to 50% below mortgage repayments.

This option is seen as win-win for both banks, which continue to receive an income and avoid the costly process of foreclosure, and homeowners, who each get to keep their property.

Other mortgage lenders are also trying to help struggling homeowners by introducing other potential solutions such as extending mortgage terms, and adapting interest rates to clients’ ability to pay.

Monday, January 26, 2009

More Investment into Valencia Culturally



Now Valencia is one of the most recognised cities in Europe for its recent promotion on cultural events in order to drive tourism. This news about the Arteria project in association with Boston in the States which I missed in October brings a whole new era for the city.

Original source here

BOSTON, Mass. and VALENCIA, Spain, Oct. 16 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- Berklee College of Music President Roger Brown and Sociedad General de Autores y Editores (SGAE) CEO Eduardo Bautista announce an unparalleled cultural partnership to build a new college for global, contemporary music education in Valencia, Spain. Berklee Valencia will be the largest offshore U.S. music college in the world. Programs will offer music education that is new to Europe, focusing on contemporary music, international business, and the latest developments in leading-edge music technology.

Berklee and SGAE officials will break ground October 16, 2008. Berklee Valencia will be housed in a cultural complex called ARTeria Valencia, part of a network of performance and education spaces being constructed by SGAE in several Spanish and Latin American cities. ARTeria Valencia's modern complex will include a 27-story building. Berklee Valencia will open in 2011.


Berklee Valencia will be unlike any other music college in the world. The curriculum for undergraduate and graduate programs will offer five main areas of study to prepare students to meet the challenges of the contemporary music industry:

-- Music for Film and Integrated Media

-- Electronic Production and Design

-- Global Music and Entertainment Management

-- Symphonic Band Studies

-- Mediterranean Music

Berklee Valencia will enroll 1,000 students. Student recruitment will have emphasis on Spain, Europe, Spanish-speaking countries, Africa, and the Middle East.

ARTeria Valencia, home of Berklee Valencia, is one part of ARTeria Multiespacios, a network of multi-purpose spaces being developed by SGAE. The ARTeria includes eight centers in Spain, as well as centers in Mexico City, and Buenos Aires. The centers will have space for dance, music, audio/visual work, and theater, as well as recording studios, classrooms, and SGAE offices.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Just look what you can get for 100k

If you would like a good place near Alicante airport, 40 mins, and just 20mins from the palm tree paradise that is Elche. This six bedroom house with a good sized pool and huge roof terrace is totally modernised and the owners have dropped the price enormously to 100k Euros for quick sale.

It is a total bargain so if you need any more information or want to go and see it then get in touch quickly.



Thursday, January 22, 2009

Feeling So Bohemian Like You. Cool House in Valencia for sale















Sometimes you find a house or flat that is a little different and you just know that loads of people will like it but selling it will be like finding hen's teeth because it requires a certain type of client. This house may be one of them. There are a few reasons but first suffice to say that I really, really liked it when I took photos yesterday.

The basics are as follows, 180m2 house, although it seems more with the huge open spaces it has, 200m2 plot in the heart of the Cabañal area of Valencia right near to the America's Cup Port and Formula One track. These whole houses come up for sale rarely as they are usually divided into two. There are 2 or three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a huge ground floor living area with kitchen and dining area along with a pool table that doubles as a dining table, large outside patio behind and enormous windows at the back allowing lots of light. There is a terrace on the first floor and a raised circular bath with hydromassage looking out onto the terrace. The house has underfloor heating throughout and was remodelled around four years ago.

As everything is open plan and the ceilings are more than just high, upstairs you could probably put a trampoline in and not worry, the feeling of space is excellent. So if you want something different in a neighbourhood full of life and near all of the big events you really should take a look at this house priced at 380k Euros.

So if you are Bohemian Like Me, see video below, then maybe you will take this great house on.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Learn Spanish Part Dos.


If you already know a little bit of Spanish the courses we suggested you start with a few days ago here might not be suitable, if they are then click here for the blog entry. but if they are not and you want to take your Spanish even more seriously then Click here and you will find a much more comprehensive course. Remember that if you know a bit already but want to take it on further then a good solid course is essential to back up your experience in Spain speaking Spanish in everyday conversation.

Rocket Spanish is an online and downloadable course that allows you to interact in a community too. Sign up here to get the first six lessons for free and then carry on after buying the full course.

Experience suggests that if you are able to talk in Spanish then your chances of being successful in Spain are increased exponentially. If you start a business up in Spain marketing to the foreign population alone then you are less likely to have the levels of success you require. As I said last week get learning Spanish now and if you already know some get this course and make it better.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Google Trends and the strange case of MK.

I have just done a search for Valencia Property on Google trends and some interesting facts came out of it.

Firstly, whenever there is a big event in Valencia the searches peak amazingly.

Secondly there is a downward line since 2005 which was only to be expected as prices got higher and fewer people from the Uk could afford it.

Thirdly, and this is very interesting, more people from Ireland are searching than from the UK. Could this mean that the Ryanair effect is greater than I thought?

And lastly just the weirdest stat, the largest number of requests come from Valencia of course and the third is Dublin, a big city, however London is not second as I anticipated it is only tenth just behind Poplar! The weirdest thing is that Milton Keynes is second. Has anyone got any ideas why that could be? Is there a huge server database or something in plastic cow land or is it just so awful that Valencia and anywhere else on the Mediterranean will see the same results? (Sorry if you live in Milton Keynes because the likelihood is that you will find this page)

Friday, January 09, 2009

What you MUST do. Learn Spanish


If you are coming to Valencia or any other region of Spain for that matter what you really must do is to get a basic grasp of the Spanish language so that you can develop your proficiency further down the line. By starting now you give yourself the best chance of getting all of the best deals available without getting ripped off anywhere, very important in today's market of course. Also if you are setting up in business, doesn't it make sense to be able to aim at 100% of the market in your local area rather than just the local expat market (Although there might be a lot of expats in your area, you are still missing the main part of your market without a basic grasp of Spanish)

There are many ways to learn Spanish and all have their pros and cons. However if you are struggling to move on from where you are at the moment or want to start right away these 2 courses will help you lots. They emphasise the importance of certain key words and phrases in the language and get you to perfect them. Click here to find out more about the first course and for the cost of just one or two private classes you have your own online teacher. The second one is here too. Compare contrast and get one. It will serve you well. If you have any questions later you can also get back to me via a quick mail info@valencia-property.com and ask.

Speaking Spanish has been the most useful tool I have in building my life in Spain. Make sure you have the same tool. You may end up speaking like Salvador Dali in the photo but I certainly hope not.

Thursday, January 01, 2009

Living it up in La Eliana





La Eliana is the ambition of most middle class Valencians, a small town just a 15 minute commute away from Valencia giving you the feel of a proper town with the space of a house (Or mansion if you are lucky) without having to be on an estate with no facilities. Therefore there is a premium to be paid to live there. Valencian footballers, lawyers, notaries and richer expats live there (Although you wouldn't recognise the expats as they blend in perfectly as there are such a low number there)

One of our clients bought a house here six years ago and now the children have moved away it is too large for them. So they want to rent it out or sell it. Here are some pictures to whet the appetite. The house can be rented for 1500 Euros per month or bought for a good offer. There are four bedrooms, four bathrooms, large kitchen and living room, covered terraces, open terraces, a large garden with a good sized pool and everything is just a few minutes walk from the metro station and a few minutes from the town of La Eliana itself. Have a look and get back to us if interested on +34 961662892 or info@valencia-property.com

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