General moving to Spain advice (Polaris??)

Hi,

I am new to this forum and have just begun looking at moving to Spain.

I would be grateful for any advice you can offer.

We are considering moving to the Alicante/Murcia region, and are looking to purchase a 2 bed villa. I work away from home fairly often, so I am considering buying a property on a Polaris world resort as I know that they have security, which would give me piece of mind leaving my girlfriend.

I see from internet searches that there are many agents offering repossessed properties on Polaris world with 90-100% mortgages. Does anyone have any experiences of these agents, and are they the best way to purchase, or can you go direct to the banks? If so, what ones?

Thanks in advance

Paul

Hi Paul - yes you can deal with the banks directly but their idea of customer service is pretty poor - even as a registered agent it can take a week for someone to find the keys for us, and then you discover they have the wrong address and the wrong photos!  Often their 100% mortgage deals are only for residents and they only offer 80% or less for non-residents.  Also their prices can often be arificially high, and you need to know the actual market value to know if you are getting a good deal or not. 

We don't deal with Polaris, so you may feel that my comments are biased, but I think that you need to consider more than the fact there is security.  Many communities have good security and you may find that Polaris estates are quite far away from towns and villages and can be very quiet and lonely off season.  If you are concerned about your girlfriend being alone, then a remote resort which is half-empty may not be the best option.

Have a look at all the coastal resorts - there are lots to choose from - and spend some time there on holiday before making up your mind.  Prices are low for resales as well as repossessions and you generally get a resale property fully furnished - many of the bank properties will have been totally stripped and you will have to refurnish them, adding to your costs.

Don't get me wrong - I have sold bank properties and the clients have been delighted with their deal - but there is a huge amount of property out there so my advice is to take your time and have a good look around before you make the decision.

I agree 100% with the statement about the out of town places being lonely and isolated off season.

Brilliant for parking and playing your music as loud as you want but the downsides of an off the beat complex in offseason far outweight the few benefits.

Claire, could you recommend any other coastal communities that offer decent security?

We were on holiday last year and stayed at La Torre, we found it very nice but agree it was quiet. We toured around a bit and really loved the area in general, so if you know of any suitable towns in that area, I would be grateful for some advice.

Thanks

Have you thought of looking North of  Alicante ? Denia and Javea are nice places . Having neighbours around is important, ours act as the 'eyes and ears' of the community and keep a check on all the comings and goings which is reassuring. We have a security gate and our small development is enclosed but it's nice to know everyone is watching out for each other.

Having shops and restaurants nearby is also an advantage, you don't want to have to drive everywhere and it's also a good way of getting to meet people and know who lives near you.

Someone we know has an apartment in a block which is not occupied during the WInter , he is  the only permanent resident so he daren't use the lift to the 4th floor in case it breaks down. Things like this are worth considering.

Hi Paul 1981 - it is hard to recommend particular places and you will find there are secure gated communities in most areas.  If you are keen on the Murcia area then I think Los Alcazares is a nice resort on the Mar Menor, but you do need to be careful about the property being fully legal so do use a good agent and lawyer.  A lot of the resorts around that area are quite Spanish, personally I find that a plus, but you may prefer somewhere with more expats.

I work in the Torrevieja and Orihuela Costa areas, which is a bit further north, and there is a huge variety of properties here to choose from, and prices are very low just now.  There are lots of amenities and there is a year-round population, which is important if you are re-locating permanently.  There are also some nice small towns a few kilometres inland, which are also busy throughout the year and very Spanish.

As I said before, you would be best to come out for a holiday and get a feel for the different areas and then begin to look at properties once you find an area that is right for you.

Happy hunting!

Hi Paul1981,

You may be missing out by wanting to live on a large estate.  We live out in the 'Campo' about 10mins from San Javier airport and although it's not regarded as a 'community' like the golf resorts we think it's the best place to live.  We have a very diverse set of neighbours who we are good friends with.  We have Spanish, French, Americans and Dutch even Brits!  We all help each other out when anyone has a problem that they cannot solve, our dutch friend is a qualified mechanic and our French friend is like the yellow pages of the local area!  We know that when we are away from our property then there are people around who will keep and eye on it.  A lot like the UK used to be!   So keep an open mind and good luck in finding your property!!

Maria

HI PAUL I  BOUGHT A VILLA ON LA TORRE, IM  SO GLAD I DID, NOW IS A GOOD TIME IF YOU ARE THINKING OF BUYING SOME VERY GOOD DEALS TO BE HAD.. TRY TO AVOID BANK REPOS  IF YOU CAN, MY FRIEND GOT A BANK PROPERTY LOTS OF PROPLEMS  LATER DOWN THE LINE.

 My reccommendation would be Torre de la Horadada, which is very popular with Spaniards and Norhten Europeans alike. Plenty of amenities, promenades and arguably the best beaches in the area, all within a 5/10 minute walk. 

We live inland, about one hour's drive from the coast, and are very happy in our predominantly Spanish community where we feel very safe.  My advice though would be to rent first in an area that you think would suit you, before committing to a purchase.  See what it is like in summer and winter before making a financial commitment that you may end up regretting.

Sue