Valencia Property Comment

New Podcast Links

2008-05-19T12:40:00.005+02:00

Our third podcast should be up and running now at www.vpaudio.jellycast.com. It discusses various issues about living and working in Spain with emphasis on language learning, working and types of jobs available, Polaris World and BMV Property opportunities. (However I noticed when listening back to it that it plays slowly and I sound more Orson Wells then he did. Therefore to listen to it in all its glory go to iTunes, then to Podcasts, search for VPAudio and subscribe so that you will know when there are any new editions.)

Here are the links mentioned in the podcast.

www.valencia-property.com Our main site where you will find many BMV properties now but not all of them.

www.notesinspanish.com The language learning site we recommend in the podcast.

www.notesfromspain.com Good things and not so good things happening in Spain.

www.tanksinspain.com The majorly strange business in Almeria

www.casa-la-celada.com Excellent B+B run by Amanda down in Córdoba

www.fourhourworkweek.com Lifestyle design talking about living anywhere and working smartly.

www.positivespain.blogspot.com Our website with the amazing video from malaga and positive things happening in Spain.

If you need to download itunes to listen to the podcast series or any of the language courses you can find it here.
www.apple.com/itunes/overview iTunes is the daddy.

The Real "On the Ground"Market Overview

2008-04-27T14:20:00.008+02:00

If you have been following developments recently in Spain in the UK press you could be mistaken for thinking that the sky was falling in as the country grinds to a halt. The British press loves giving grief to others when ignoring problems at home except when it is politically expedient to point out the problems. Look at the news in the UK last week about mortgage approvals being down 47% year on year and prices down 2.5% in a month and you have a much truer comparative picture with what is happening there. Here in Spain, much the same really but mortgage approvals have dropped about 20% despite the banks seriously cracking down on credit. Prices are dropping as many sellers were asking over the top prices. On our page we have some sellers who are British who need to take out money because of the huge increase in the cost of living in the UK. That allied to the weakness of the pound against the Euro has given them the opportunity to drop their prices to achieve a quicker sale.

So what about quality of life. Here we generally wake up in the morning knowing that it will probably be sunny and warm and knowing that when we use the water or gas for our morning shower, go to do the shopping or even fill the tank with petrol that, despite the fact that the Pound has depreciated against the Euro 15% recently, it is still much cheaper here to live a simple life. Public transport is cheaper and you can get about happily by metro, train or bus for pennies rather than pounds. It's not all good news though, electric is roughly equivalent to the UK and phones and mobiles cost more. Crime is lower, people are generally healthier and the World Health Organisation recommends Valencia and the surrounding area as one of the best places to live in the World from a health perspective.

According to the UK press the Brits over here are all bored as they do nothing all day except drink. Untrue again, many of our clients here work in multinationals, in the oil industry, in I.T, in international sales and development roles and they are given a choice of living anywhere as long as they have good communications. Believe it or not they choose Spain and more particularly Valencia as their base and have a thoroughly great time.

So what will your money get you currently? Evidently you have to spend fewer Euros to get a great property because sellers are more willing to accept offers whereas previously they would only sell at asking price. Factor in the need of the seller and you will generally get good discounts but don't set your heart on one single property as there are plenty on offer. Take a good look through the main site at www.valencia-property.com and see for yourself what you will get.

(The photos illustrating this article are of two houses at the following links, Almansa, La Pobla a typical Valencian Paella, an image of the current America's Cup holders Alinghi and the end of a rambling route by Olocau.) For more info get in touch on info@valencia-property.com

Back Again

2008-04-16T17:23:00.003+02:00

Sorry for not posting more recently but the blog keeps getting blocked by Blogger for some reason. However we now have a tranche of news that may be very useful for you when purchasing your Spanish property.
Firstly, we have a lot of new property in and away from Valencia. Keep an eye out for our Polaris World offers as they come in. Some areas are looking at a slowing down of sales but quality and location will always sell and Polaris World is a huge success that keeps growing day after day. Backed by a new ad campaign in the UK Polaris keeps up its impeccable standards and looks to the future with confidence. The gated golf resort at a good price still maintains its allure for buyers. If you want to arrange an inspection trip get in touch and they will look after you well.

Next we have managed to get hold of a lot of BMV(Below Market Value for the uninitiated) properties that we have negotiated with some banks here. We have cherry picked the best deals at under 60% of valuation and if you have cash to proceed then we can get you a really good deal which you can then refinance, flip or use as a cashflow property as you wish.
We have been in touch with many of our sellers to get them to drop prices, especially the English sellers as the pound rate is favourable for them on sale at the moment. Therefore many great value properties are now on site at much lower prices than comparable properties in the market. Check through the pages at www.valencia-property.com for examples.

So have a look at everything, get clear on what you want and get in touch with us to view.

Tickets Please?

2008-03-17T00:06:00.004+01:00

Well a lot of our clients have asked us to keep them up to date with the Grand Prix ticketing arrangements. Finally we know. They go on sale from the 1st of April and no this is not an April Fool's Joke, prices range from 190-480 Euros. Apparently they are expecting them to go quickly so if you are here...

Meanwhile Fallas is in full swing and lots of people are in the city as it runs straight into Easter. Chaos ensues of course.

New Podcast

2008-03-10T12:11:00.002+01:00

Our second podcast should be up and ready to listen to here. (Just having a few problems uploading) This one contains info about Fallas, the elections, our Lanzarote offer, news from Moneycorp our currency partners and a market overview.
Hope you enjoy listening to it and you will get in touch very soon to purchase your own place here or possibly elsewhere.

I have just listened to it and for some reason it has recorded a little bit slower than it should do. Therefore bear in mind that I talk a bit faster not so low and I am not putting on a voice! The feed is at http://vpaudio.jellycast.com/ Listen to it at itunes by subscribing to the podcast and you will hear it at the correct speed.

Well That Was a Hectic Week

2008-03-04T10:19:00.008+01:00

Last week was hectic, back to the days when we had so many people visiting that there was no time to have a life outside of the business. So many things going on but in effect the following were interesting for the clients that came over, refurb projects in Valencia, villas around 250000 Euros outside Valencia by around 20 minutes and flats in and around Valencia at around the same price. Therefore we have started to upload more flats in the villages and firstly as you can see here we have some that we have got from my town La Pobla de Vallbona. New flats here with all amenities to hand in a very friendly little town are around 190-250000 Euros. The illustrations for this article range from 195 to 239 so have a look and get in touch and buy a place here.

(We also have villas, terraced houses and other stuff in and around La Pobla, which you can find just 18km away from Valencia to the North West but to finish off the article I thought a comparative in La Eliana might be apt. Lovely rustic style on a large plot with indoor swimming pool for a cool 1.2 million Euros. Check out the last photo)

Off Plan Mountain Flats

2008-02-17T11:46:00.007+01:00

Teruel Exists! The people of Teruel like to remind everybody that their community exists as the central government seems to have spent years ignoring them. Motorways are now appearing, and even railways and the fast ones may soon make an appearance. Off the beaten track is the word. So why write about them here? Well Teruel has skiing in the winter, is cooler in the summer and is a rural dream activity holiday place. We have been approached by a friend who is developing a project there of seven flats to sell them for him. There are six flats available from 127000 to 151000 Euros of one and two bedrooms. The building will be finished by the summer, it is set in a lovely old village and will match the village as it will be a stone block. See the latest pictures as it moves along but here are the latest. If you are interested then send us a mail and we will get back to you. Just an hour away from Valencia.

The Curse of The EMails

2008-02-11T16:16:00.000+01:00

If you have tried to get in touch over the weekend please send your mail again as the dreaded e- mail curse struck again. However we have now discovered why and this will make you laugh or cry depending on your affinity for technology.

We get spam, a lot of it and most of it is caught but now we have discovered why we keep getting problems with the email and it tends to be at the weekends. Every week our server purges the spam at the end of the week so that it is not left on the server. Everything that has been sent to any Valencia-property.com address is there. We should only get mail to existing mail addresses but for some reason we get other stuff too addressed to Mitch at vp etc... Now no Mitch has ever been seen in our offices! This goes into a folder which acts as a catch all I found today. Well it turns out that things didn't work at the weekend because the folder was full. We have had over 84000 spam e-mails in the last week. 84000!!! That is a few too many I think. So if you want to know anything about erectile dysfunction, cialis spelt in any number of different ways, the NatWest bank wanting me to send them my details, Viagra, Pfizer, or any other number of common spam mails then just send me a mail and I will respond to them for you so you too can try and beat my 84000 Spam mail messages in a week.

New Financing Option

2008-02-04T12:09:00.003+01:00

Our sister company Devanio has just completed its first financing agreement. Check out our website at www.devanio.blogspot.com for details. If you have a property for sale and want to release some cash or if you are an investor looking for a safe haven for some money then read about how it is done on that page.

How to get ahead in selling your Spanish Property

2008-01-22T12:28:00.001+01:00

The pound has flopped, dropped like a stone and left many Spanish property owners who wish to sell and repatriate their money in a strong negotiating position. What? I hear you say. How can the economic problems mean good news for me?

Currently the Spanish property market is very slow for Spanish buyers due to higher than usual interest rates, the price of properties versus the average income and the uncertainty surrounding the market. Therefore, if you are a British seller who will be repatriating your money into pounds, now is a great time to cut your price and still get the same amount of pounds out that you would have a month ago at a price 10% higher in Euros. The price cut will have two positive effects for differing buying groups.

The Spanish or European buyer who purchases in Euros and doesn’t have to think about the exchange rate will see your property at a lower price than competing properties being sold by non UK nationals who will not be repatriating their money. This might tempt them to visit and make offers.

The British buyer who has seen prices rise when doing their calculations by 10% will find that your property is not more expensive than it previously was. They may well be willing to go the extra mile to purchase their dream house in the sun.

So what are the risks? Well, it is perfectly possible that in the future the pound will go back up but as a 1% cut in interest rates in the UK is being talked about after the carnage on the stock exchanges yesterday don’t expect that to happen very soon, giving you a window of opportunity now to sell at a lower price. Secondly, someone may offer you even lower. It is currently a buyer’s market and this is going to happen anyway at the higher or lower price. However you will get more offers on the property at the lower price obviously and if you are doing a relocation to another property here in Spain then remember that you too can offer a lower amount and expect to see it accepted at the moment.

Bear this in mind when pricing your property and if you want to sell then look seriously at your asking price as you have a compeititive advantage there. This is particularly important in areas where all of the houses are similar in style and build, for example two bedroom flats bought off plan a couple of years ago. We do not handle many of these properties as they are more prevalent in Alicante and Murcia but if you want to see the price cuts we have in place then go to our January sales at www.valencia-property.com and have a look.

More About The January Sales

2008-01-19T21:36:00.000+01:00

You may have the wrong impression by the site at the moment as so many properties have been reduced. This is actually because we have been ringing up the owners who are selling, especially the English owners who will be taking their money back to the UK. The changes in the exchange rate mean that UK based owners can drop their prices somewhat and still receive the same money in pounds. Therefore it is a good time to buy even though in principle it may seem otherwise. Bargains abound on our site so have a good look through. The photos that accompany this piece belong to some of those reduced price houses in different price ranges. The top is of a house in El Rebollar in inland Valencia. Current price is 279000 Euros and it is in effect two houses with 7 bedrooms. The second is a village property near Casinos at 125000 Euros. The third is a central Valencia flat at 218000 Euros and the last a beautiful B+B place for 325000 Euros near Villamarchante and the racetrack at Cheste.
Make an appointment to see them.

The January Sales

2008-01-02T17:57:00.000+01:00

We have been consulting with our sellers and getting the best deal for you as a buyer. Therefore if you go onto the main page now you will see many houses with the prices on the front page. These are all offer prices for the New Year. Whatever your budget we should have something that is good to view and remember that these price reductions may bring something into your budget that was previously too expensive so have a good look through the site and let's see if we can find you anything juicy.

The properties photographed here range from 125000 Euros up to 333000 Euros and are all below valuation price so you can get good mortgage deals too.

Merry Xmas

2007-12-24T10:32:00.000+01:00

Another year over and a new one about to begin so just to say to all of you who come back to the blog on a regular basis and for all of you browsing, have a great Xmas and a very happy and prosperous New Year.

We will be putting up a new post between now and the new year with details of the VP New Year Sales. Lots of houses reduced in price all collated together so that you can start the year off by grabbing a bargain. Keep looking at the site.

Our first Podcast (Sort of)

2007-12-13T13:11:00.000+01:00

vpaudio.jellycast.com/

Welcome to what hopefully will work as our first podcast. (In the form of an MP3 file show this time. Just click on it and then listen to it in iTunes. For those of you who know me you can hear my dulcet tones over the airwaves now with the scouse accent a bit modified for easier comprehension. For those of you that don't know me, I always sound like this!

Just a basic introduction to Valencia and the company and some background information. Hope you enjoy it and will subscribe to the Podcast through iTunes so you can listen to the latest episodes as they appear.

Polaris World

2007-12-06T16:07:00.000+01:00

Polaris World have various resorts in Murcia which are becoming more and more sucessful. Their Jack Nicklaus designed golf courses, in resort facilities and outstanding design principles are marking them out as the developer of choice in the region for anyone wanting to deal with a serious developer that gets their projects done on time, as described to the same qualities as promised and with all legal documents in place so that there is no doubt as to the building being legalised. Peace of mind and then peaceful holidays, letting or living near to San Javier airport just a couple of hours from the UK.

We are proud to announce that we are now authorised agents for Polaris World and are able to offer all of their developments. Availability changes by the day so the main web page will have general details only. Have a quick look, get back to us and tell us what you want. We can arrange PDF brochures being sent and visits to the area at hugely discounted prices. If you visit there you could come up and see us here in Valencia too.

Have a good look at their properties and get back to us. Prices range from just 120000 Euros and properties overlooking the new Isla del Condado development are just 144000 Euros. Not bad for a second home in Spain.

It's back on

2007-11-29T02:19:00.000+01:00

It's the Hokey Cokey America's Cup but instead of in out in out it's on off on off. More to follow in the following days to be sure but at the moment it is back on in Valencia in 2009 probably.

EDIT.
Six days later and still no news. Reports on Radio New Zealand have suggested that Team NZ was cranking up the pressure on Alinghi by demanding 50 million dollars (About 3.50 pounds sterling at current rates!!) if the Cup isn't celebrated in 2009. This report has now disappeared off their website. Rumours and counter rumours abound and meanwhile the team members sit around confused as to their role, do we work hard or is it a waste of time? I will keep you posted.

It's Off

2007-11-23T22:41:00.000+01:00

So the huge egos couldn't get their act together on time and now the America's Cup is off for the time being. 2009 it definitely won't be, should give Alinghi time to find a sponsor, 2010 doubtful due to coinciding with the World Cup, sponsorship issues and 2011 looking most likely.- however there are issues to be resolved as regards the extension of the commercial port so whether that is feasible in Valencia is an unknown at the moment. Keep coming back here for more news. I should imagine that Rita and the local govt are none too happy at the moment.

Our Current Position

2007-11-20T17:56:00.000+01:00

Welcome once more to the Valencia Property newsletter. (We put it on the blog this time) We only send this out irregularly as it was taken over by the blog you are looking at but today I wanted to indicate to you the latest changes to our site and possibilities.

By now you will have seen that we are here for the long term. Journalists researching stories about Valencia and the Spanish property market come to us. We are considered the authority on this area by many journalists in the national press in the UK and we have also been interviewed on local television here whenever they need a foreign perspective. We have worked with various TV shows in the UK and rejected the chance to work with others because they give a false view of what is available, yes you "A Place in the Sun" stand up.

So now we have started increasing our reach, giving you other opportunities within Spain itself and also internationally. Check out our international property page at this link. It is a work in progress but already there are fantastic investment opportunities here and more will follow. One of the developers that we work with also have investment products that give excellent returns. They are a UK based PLC and supported by one of the most respected lawyers in the UK.

We now work with Polaris World within Spain and very soon all of their properties in Murcia will be available on our website. This is after looking into many different developments around Murcia and Almeria and discarding most because of quality issues, lack of building licences or just a feeling. We will continue to look into what is available but will retain quality control at all times. Our off plan developments within and outside Valencia are ready to put on the site, we are working with Bancaja one of the most respected banks in the country, but we don't have the time to get them there yet so ask us what we have on graham@valencia-property.com

We have a new finance scheme that will allow you to release equity on a property you are selling right now, allow you to buy a property before selling your current place, invest in equity on properties with low leverage, refinance your current property or release equity and bring in a residual income. Ask us how especially if you are currently selling a place and need to get some money in now for whatever reason. We understand each person's situation is different and can respond well to your needs.

We have a rentals page that is vibrant and high quality as we work with companies on finding properties for their executives giving the owner a reliable tenant and the tenant a reliable house.

We will soon have a business opportunity page with projects, requests, business sales and purchase opportunities and other things.

Our sister company Devanio acts as a conduit for exclusive properties and markets clients' properties to over 100 agents and through our PA in India splashes those properties all over the internet in order to increase the exposure given to those properties.

Now I want you to do one thing. If you want news of reduced properties, new properties that come onto the site, business ops or international investment ops then fill in the following and send it back to us at sal@valencia-property.com and as these things happen we will immediately send them out to you.

Name
Primary E-Mail Address
What you are looking for?
Do you want your free ebook?

As things come in that should be interesting to you then we will send them out to you and you will have first access to them before people discover them on the web. (By the way, the free ebook is all about investing in property in Spain, with emphasis on Valencia, and contains more useful information than you will ever find on any website in this region. It was written by myself earlier this year and is very current)

As you can see we are moving forward rapidly. There is nobody better for you to work with when you are buying, renting, working or living in Valencia. Get in touch with your needs and we will work together to find you your perfect opportunity here and get you started in living the Spanish dream or international property dream correctly.

Bye for now.
Graham
www.valencia-property.com
www.valenciacomment.blogspot.com

The America's Cup May Well be Off

2007-11-20T17:19:00.000+01:00

Two huge egos, two massive fortunes and an argument of "My dad is bigger than your dad etc..." means that the next America's Cup in Valencia may not be in 2009, may not be in Valencia and may not even happen in normal boats, catamarans being the preferred option of the Oracle team I will keep you informed as things develop but it looks like the only way it will be in Valencia in 2009 is if the American judge rules in favour of the Swiss in a New York court instead of the American challenge. Fat chance maybe but the judge will probably want it sorted before he goes away for Thanksgiving this weekend.

Keep your fingers crossed that Alinghi win but even then it may not happen in 2009 because loose tongues in the Spanish press suggest that they are doing everything possible to delay as they haven't got any sponsors and therefore could not moneterize the event in 2009. 2010 may well be out as they would coincide with a small event called the World Cup. Therefore does 2001 ring anyone's bell?

Accompanying picture is of a boat of course!!!!! Maybe the Oracle team would like to try and fit their team on this!

Formula One Virtual Tour

2007-11-05T11:44:00.000+01:00

The Formula One racetrack is now planned and work has started. However if you want to know more or less it is going to go then have a look at this virtual reality tour of the track. Not perfect by any means but it will give you an idea of what the track and venue will look like.

The link can be found here but I have taken it down from here as it takes forever to load.

24 Months

2007-11-02T15:46:00.000+01:00

Well it looks like I have been proved right (Not blowing own trumpet just commenting). After two years and 24 months of increasing mortgage costs the Euribor index, that used for mortgages in Spain in general, fell in October to a level below August and September. 4.64% is the latest figure and that is expected to fall to 3.9% by the end of 2008. This is a relief for all those people who were expecting an increase in their mortgage repayments next year and also makes the market more certain for those wanting to buy here.

I have been saying to all of our clients for the last couple of months that the Euribor will not go any higher and will start to fall as European interest rates follow American ones as European exports are becoming uncompetitive. Therefore it is good to see this happening now. Look forward to more reductions in the coming months and then the market will start to pick up more as Spanish wage earners are moved back into the market. Pick up your bargain now.

Valencia in the Autumn

2007-10-23T09:46:00.000+02:00

One of the things you are really going to love about Valencia is the climate. At the moment we are well into Autumn and here is an idea of what Autumn means. You get up in the morning, and if you get up early like me then it is still dark until the clocks go back next week. You then decide to get dressed and usually you dress totally inappropriately for the day. Why? Well if yesterday was raining for example and you expect the same you get dressed up nice and warm and by the time 10 or 11 in the morning comes around it is well over 20 degrees and you are starting to lightly perspire. By 2pm it is hot and perspiration has become sweat. The opposite is also true. Yesterday was sunny and hot so you put on a T-Shirt and jeans and spend the rest of the day dodging from balcony overhang to balcony overhang in Valencia and having too many coffees as you wait for the pouring rain to ease off. As I write this it is 10am and sunny. Do I dare risk just a T-Shirt today?

The rest of the year is virtually guaranteed sunshine with the odd cloudy day, over 300 sunny days per year here. But Autumn is different and because it is so, it is a special time in Valencia. The last three years have been worrying because of the ongoing drought but this year has been the sixth wettest since records began in 1857 and there are still two months left.

Website Issues

2007-10-11T21:20:00.000+02:00

Our main website www.valencia-property.com is down and also we are not receiving any mail because the server is totally junked. Therefore temporarily if you need to get in touch or you have a mail that you have sent since last night and have not had a reply please resend to valprop@gmail.com
Thanks

Don't Believe The Hype

2007-10-09T22:43:00.000+02:00

So we have a client in tomorrow who wants flats around the Port and future Formula One track. If you have a look on our website you will find a good load of flats around there and i think of four immediately that will suit. I phone the first, sold yesterday. I phone the second, sold three days ago. I phone the third, they will get back to me later so I breathe a sigh of relief. I have the keys to the fourth and know it isn't sold. Three hours later i get a phone call and the third was also sold last week.

So property in Spain is not moving eh? Don't believe the hype. Valencia is happening and the Port and beach areas are moving fast.

The photos represent the three sold properties by the way. Prices ranged from 220000 Euros to 238000 Euros.

The America's Cup Building Was Up For Award

2007-10-08T22:55:00.000+02:00

This article is taken from the press release by the Royal Institute of British Architects. More fantastic architecture in Valencia being given the recognition it deserves.

Article

The Royal Institute of British Architects' (RIBA) Stirling Prize winner has been announced,. The debate surrounding which building the jury picked to be the 2007 winner is hotting up. The betting odds published by William Hill, had placed British architect David Chipperfield's America's Cup building in Valencia as the favourite, with odds of 3/1 but it lost out to his other entry.

The £20,000 prize, now in its 12th year, is awarded to the architects of the building that has made the greatest contribution to British architecture in the past year. The winner of the RIBA Stirling Prize in association with the Architect's Journal was announced live on Channel 4 on Saturday 6 October at 8pm.

Joint second favourites were a striking concert hall in Portugal, a modern pavilion in Windsor Great Park, and the Museum of Modern Literature in Germany, also by Chipperfield, the one which took the prize. The final two in the running were the reconstruction of London's Young Vic Theatre and the redevelopment of Dresden Station.

The six buildings competing for this year's RIBA Stirling Prize with William Hill's odds were:

America's Cup Building, Valencia, Spain by David Chipperfield Architects (odds:3/1)

Casa da Musica, Porto, Portugal by Office for Metropolitan Architecture with Arup-AFA (odds:7/2)

Dresden Station Redevelopment, Dresden, Germany by Foster + Partners (odds:5/1)

Museum of Modern Literature, Marbach am Neckar, Germany by David Chipperfield Architects (odds:7/2) (This won the prize just in front of the Young Vic Theatre)

The Savill Building, Windsor, by Glenn Howells Architects (odds:7/2)

Young Vic Theatre, London SE1 by Haworth Tompkins (odds:7/1)

The RIBA Stirling Prize jury, which had visited all six shortlisted buildings and met for a final time on the day of the presentation to pick the winner. It comprised architecture specialists and lay judges from the arts. The 2007 judges are Tom Bloxham MBE – chair, Urban Splash; Alain de Botton – author and philosopher; Louisa Hutton – architect; Kieran Long – Editor, The Architects' Journal and Sunand Prasad – architect and RIBA President.

Previous winners include Barajas Airport by Richard Rogers Partnership, The Scottish Parliament by EMBT / RMJM Ltd, 30 St. Mary Axe by Foster + Partners, the Laban Centre by Herzog & de Meuron, Gateshead Millennium Bridge by Wilkinson Eyre Architects, and Peckham Library and Media Centre by Alsop Architects.