Shop On Site & Update

We did not see any marketing literature until after we had decided and signed up to buy on Corvera. We liked the location, low density and style of properties plus the local village and that is why we chose that developement, certainly not because a 5* hotel was going to be built.

Sorry but each to their own choice.

Well said Shudi it will be a wonderful resort when it is finished and well worth the wait.The villiage is really nice the tappas bars are very tasty  and cheap. Meet you in the club house for a drink STOP MOANING AND ENJOY THE SURRONDINGS

Spanhod,

I did pick up all the glossy brochures but not until after I had visited the site, looked at the model and paid my deposit on the one apartment that I personally wanted to live in. I will not be able to see the hotel, will have my own spa and a communal ,swimming pool on the ground , do not ride horses, may play the odd game of tennis or paddle and love playing and watching golf (should be able to see about ten holes of the course from my roof terrace as well as the driving range and sports area). I shall be close enough to the entrance gate for a short stroll into town where I can enjoy a quiet Spanish tapas after meandering around the quaint market on a Sunday. Maybe even visit a local bar so that I don't have to pay through the nose for a drink in a hotel lounge. By the time phase 3 is finished, so should the airport be which will allow me to collect my visitors with just a five minute drive. Once our area is completed the only future building site should be at least 1km up towards the mountains so I don't think it will cause too much disruption to me. I never heard of Corvera until 2007 and certainly can't remember seeing that date even estimated as one for completion on any literature. I will say that the man from MRyou know who did suggest an 18 month build time so yes I did expect to be there already. So I may have to wait another 18 months but with the exchange rate and furniture costs etc. this is probably in my favour.

I fully understand the above is not the case for everybody and (Searay) that some really want the hotel built at the same time but this is my personal perspective and hopefully you can now understand why I am still looking through my rosey specs!

Once again I hope that eventually everybody gets exactly what they want from Calidona, whether it be a dwelling, a hotel, riding stables or just their deposit back. I am (at the moment) willing to wait for my dream.

what was i saying?? of course you got the brochure and  by the sound of it you have written your own one to!!

maybe you should pop along to Calidona and offer your services to the customer relations department as a "poster boy" as the perfect client....

those of us that knew about corvera and put deposits down in 2005 were told to expect delivery by 2007..that was the first of many lies spouted by Calidona, but i wont bore you with that

i hate to sound repetitive but with no hotel and reduced facilities and no new sales on top of those that are pulling out do you seriously think you are going to get what you paid for??

just look at Roda and the problems thay have had ( and are having) why do you think its going to be better at Corvera when everything points to the fact that its going to be a whole lot worse...anyway stevey you keep your lovely glasses on and carry on living the dream, i just hope for your sake it doesnt turn out to be a nightmare.

kind regards and all that

from Dave

It really doesn't matter what anyone says - does it Dave?  Steve has just given his reasons for still being positive about his purchase and you just can't accept them, you just have to keep coming up with your derogatory comments.  You keep insisting that Corvera will never be finished, how on earth could you KNOW that.   Obviously, we all know that not all the facilities will be complete, yet.  On completion of our apartment, I never expected them to be.  I was also one who purchased in early 2005.  Yes, I was told that our apartment would be complete in June 2007, but I was buying off plan and was well aware that delays were likely, although not as long as they have been admittedly.  It was 'you know who' that spun us the sales pitch, not Calidonia.

Obviously, as we are in a global recession, it is highly unlikely that there will be many, if any, new sales, but things will improve in time.  Even if certain facilities are put on hold, we will still have a golf course, tennis/basket ball courts, club house with a restaurant and bar, the rest can come with time.   We have had to wait, but our apartment is now complete.  We, therefore, have no reason to moan, surely that is what we all wanted when we signed on the dotted line.  Were you ever told that all the facilities would be in place on completion of your property?  I was told the golf course/clubhouse  would be completed alongside Phase I, other than that it would be approximately a five year project.  We are now in the position we had hoped we would be back in June 2007 - just a couple of years later.  If I had to grumble about something, it would be that our apartment is now costing us more than we had anticipated due to Sterling's weakness, but everyone completing now is in that same boat.  You also mention that those who are pulling out will have an effect on the future of the development, maybe they will but they haven't won yet.

There are many people out there who have already completed on their property.  It was probably a really nervous time for them and maybe still is, but legally their property is now theirs.  Can't you let them start to enjoy their investment?

Anita

Just to clarify my comments that I couldn't see a Spanish judge ruling against a contractor for not providing a hotel and other facilities on a development was not meant to imply that the Spanish legal system is in any way corrupt indeed quite the reverse. I intended to assert that the Legal system of the country should reflect the current economic climate and that it would be criminal to put a contractor under pressure to build something which would put them under financial strain at a time when the facilities would not be used to capacity eg the hotel and commercial centre whilst the current world financial market is in crisis and tourism is dwindling.

I have been in the property business for a long number of years now and have dealt in the Spanish market many times. I have used highly recommended legal representation and always found the legal system in Spain to be at least as good as the Scottish system.

Don

where the flock have i been derogatory Anita??

doesnt it work both ways ??i.e you have your rose tinted glasses on and i dont.. are we only allowed to post if we are on your side? NEGATIVE COMMENTS NOT ALLOWED AS DECREED BY ANITA!.

surely thats the whole point of an active and lively debate.. if you are that sensitive then dont read it..

i think stevey can hold his own without you sticking up for him, infact he is a bit partial to some sarky comments himself !

still whatever makes you feel good about yourself.. there certainly isnt anything malicious on here just different opinions that i am entitled to air whether you like them or not..

fair dues in response to your post,

first of all can i say "anita dont read this as you wont like it and its not a post that is pro-corvera"

I understand the point that you are trying to make but then you are making the assumption that laws are changed to suit the current climate,whether it be financial,political or social.. Inherently that theory undermines the whole legal system that is meant to be unbiased and impartial. After all its not just Calidona that are suffering in the downturn.

I think your earlier (unintended)implication that a spanish judge may not find against a spanish developer in a case against non spanish citizens is probably closer to he truth than we would all wish.

However without going into details the developer has been negligent and has also made serious misrepresentations and not fulfilled its contractual obligations so they will be held accountable.(we hope). If you were contracted to build someone a house with a garage and a garden and a swimming pool and decided 2 years after it should have been finished that you werent going to build the garage or the pool then wouldnt you expect to be in trouble??

regards

Dave

Of course negative comments should be voiced but would be much better if they were not aimed at or about individuals.

But as to your comment of...'i hate to sound repetitive but with no hotel and reduced facilities and no new sales on top of those that are pulling out do you seriously think you are going to get what you paid for??'

What we are paying for from our choice is, without seeing brochure,without heavy sales pitch (we used single individual agent) from an agent or Corvera, "the location,low density and style of properties plus the local village and that is why we chose the developement, certainly not because of a 5* hotel" 

'If you were contracted to build someone a house with a garage and a garden and a swimming pool and decided 2 years after it should have been finished that you werent going to build the garage or the pool then wouldnt you expect to be in trouble??'

All depends if completion dates were written into the contract for the two years, think we were all quilty of signing open ended contracts.

There you go again Dave, I rest my case. 

fairdues

"THE LEGAL SYSTEM SHOULD REFLECT THE CURRENT ECONOMIC CLIMATE "

with all due respect what has the ecomomy got to do with the legal system ? perhaps you could enlighten me .    it is clearly obvious that in a vast number of cases that the estate agents have lied in there presentation ( nothing new there ) and now things have come home to roost people are trying to defend the situation .

AFTERALL  ALL MOST PEOPLE WANT IS WHAT THEY WERE SOLD  why is that so wrong ?

Hi all

I wish all those who have completed every success and will be very happy with their properties, the location is lovely and the development should be a good one.

The problem is that I and others bought as investments, the only reason I invested was because I was promised a De Vere hotel and the PGA headquarters by Calidona (not just by ‘you know who’), this may not mean much for a ‘lifestyler’ which is fair enough, but as an investor it is why I was drawn to it and invested in it. I think it would set a poor precedent if developers promised what ever they wanted and then failed to produce and there was no come back ( I‘ll forget about the terrible communications from Calidona (until recently) and the numerous deadlines that came and went). As far as I’m concerned Calidona have failed on the two main reasons I invested and the fair thing to do would be to give the purchasers the choice of continuing with their investment or be given their deposits back. I certainly will not complete on the vague promise that the hotel will be completed some time in the distant future (and probably not by De Vere), that the PGA connection will come to something maybe and the rest of the development will be completed ‘sometime’. It’s just not what I signed up for.

We should accept that we have different views which doesn’t mean anyone is necessarily wrong, those who have or who wish to purchase I’m sure will have a wonderful lifestyle and I wish them every success, and those who do not wish to proceed will have their money returned and we can all move on.

kev

Having just visited Covera and had a good look round the place

It looks really impressive 1st glance but I have to say when I looked at the aparments close up I felt like I was in an electricity substation

I have to say I am not impressed at all at the build quality, the comunal area floors adj the lifts are all over the place

I think I would get a proper engineers report before accepting handover( no disrespect to Roy) but does he really know apart from obvious snags what he is really looking at.

I work in construction and yes the whole site will have obvious building going on for some time yet so there will be disruption

As I have always said in earlier posts and this is only my opinion

You must have serious amounts of cash at your disposal to throw away or wear really thick rose tinted glasses

This place will never have anywhere near the facilities advertised

Like Kev we wish all those that are completing all the best.  Unlike Kev we ARE lifestylers - however the lifestyle we were looking for - as promised to us by Calidona (not by an agent) - is just not materialising.  My other half is a golfer - can't play or watch golf until next year... and then probably not with the PGA connection we were promised.  I am a swimmer, rider and shopper (!) - no indoor swimming pool or spa (ever?), no equestrian centre, no commercial centre.  None of the additional restaurant and bar facilities that were to go with the hotel and commercial centre, and no clubhouse restaurant or bar until next year, but we are being asked to complete now.

This was to be our permanent retirement home - starting NOW - not just a place to enjoy our holiday breaks.  For less than the price of our villa at Corvera we could have bought a bigger and better one elsewhere but without the additional facilities we were promised - and are not now going to get. 

I rest my case!

Having just visited Corvera I have to say the place looks really nice 1st glance "Howevevr"

I looked at the apts close up and felt like I was standing in a electricity Substation with the large black shutters etc

I was shocked at the state of the comunal areas in the blocks adj the lifts the floors are all over the place, these have been thrown up due to timescales etc and if I was buying on here I would seek a fully qualified engineers report first, No disrespect to Roy but apart from obvious visual snagging defects does he really know what he is looking at, I doubt very much

Because the way things have gone quickness rather than quality is the name of the game here

I think people with lots and lots of money at there disposal or people with very thick Rose tinted glasses are the only ones completing here, anyone completing needs there head testing paying what they are for these properties

WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE BEFORE ITS TO LATE (This is only my opinion though)

Like you I habe also been involved in the construction industry for many years and have checked many properties both in terms of carrying the normal checks internally plus been commissioned by communities to carry out the final checks on the external areas of the blocks, lifts, hallways etc

With the systems in Spain the external areas do not form any part of the snagging process which is about ensuring that the porperty is complete, that it meets specification and is finished identifying the snagging defects and of course including any external areas belonging to the property

Doid you go insode any of the completed properties for an accessment, apart form of course the show house or only look around the site and if so which phases your accessment was based on

The communial areas where I agree today there are some issues where these are not yet complete, where for example the wiring for lights is not completed, where the lifts are being commissioned and are not part of the snagging process and remain the responsibilities of the builder and ultimatley the community to manage

I would be interested on what specifically you base your comments on the requirements to have as you describe it an engineers report, especially as extrernal areas are not part of a snagging report or process or is your arguement  the lack of facilities

Roy

The area I looked at was just past the sports facilities on the opposite side

Adj the first pool you come to

I never actually inspected any of the internal aspects of the apts but with what I seen with the comunal areas as I stated I would be very concerned as these areas and the apts have obviously been done by the same builder

These blocks seem to have been thrown up in the quickest possible timescale!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Difi, I think you hit the nail on the head there. We are being asked to pay £330k for a 2 bedroom villa and probaby would have reluctantly done so if the 5 star facilities were present as promised. Back in 2005 we could have bought a villa 3 times the size for half the price in any sleepy village this far inland. But we wanted the Hotel, shops, security, PGA academy etc etc and knew we were paying over the odds for these facilities. Anita, I always respect your opinion but in your last post you called your purchase an 'investment'. You may enjoy living in it, but an investment.....I think not. Any property on Corvera is probably worth half of what is being paid now and this will never recover. Tens of thousands like us have been ripped off and lied to and I think the end is not far off for the corrupt Spanish construction industry.

Dave

I thnk that it is unfair then to make the general comments that you did based on a walk around outside, especially as an engineers report, or full structural survey for an apartment, would not cover any communial areas ,so please refrain form perhaps making comments that I may not know what to look for

The site and the communial areas are far from perfect, all penthouse apartments are having a threshold step fitted because the areas are open to the elements, and yes you have to pick your way around the debris in some of the halls, but these are being worked on

Just some of the structural defects that I have found on other locals sites have included no footings in place for some supporting, ther fact that a developer had forgotten to install any DPM and another site where the plots on villas were 90m - 120m under size

Also the quality of the phases varies, as you must know from the construction industry and there are 4 diffierent sub contractors

Now if you issues regarding completion fine and if you then come to check your own property, then I am happy to accept your comments but, just giving an opinion afetr looking at the outside of a block, and querying my professionalism and experience and knowledge, i believe, even with the no disrespect comment, is unfair