Hi everyone
Welcome to a New Year…decided to post a few thoughts!
Just for a minute, whilst you read this try, if that is possible, to forget all the depressing economic problems which seem to be ahead for 2009
There is the odd good thing out there if you are in the position to finance a holiday/part or full time life style home, interest rates are exceptionally low and make the cost of buying lower than it has ever been!…and likely to remain so for some time
And prices are low
The sun still shines in Spain and the life style is still good and ‘to repeat’ there are some excellent buys to be found
I have bought in Spain because I think medium to long term there are many plusses, not just the weather and life style but because the fundamentals for the future are positive and better than most other countries…and to be blunt by spending my winters mainly in Spain I will live longer!
Spain and France are established EU economies [OK in trouble like the rest of us just now], have always been the most popular with buyers from UK and are expected to remain so
Personal choice, which you choose and my choice is Spain near Huercal Overa for my part time home
So I am perhaps a bit biased when I say that these are the two best countries within easy access from UK best suited for life style buyers
And in most locations in Spain I think you get the best value for your money…so it is Spain for me
All developers have to make sales so just now almost everyone is prepared to negotiate when they see a potential buyer come through their door!
Whilst no one ever knowingly buys at the bottom of the property cycle, getting a good deal now may just turn out be pretty good when in the future you look back at the price you paid!
Off plan may suit some peoples time scale and they are still there to buy but the attraction of buying at today’s price for completion in 2 years has gone for the time being…unless of course you get a really good price!
Certainly when there are some very good ‘new ready now’ just waiting to be snapped up
Just now there is a big attraction in ’seeing what you get’
You can find some good re sale bargains but many sellers are just sitting tight, so to get a good deal you have to find a seller who has to sell or accepts the fact that they can drop the price in €’s substantially because of the exchange rate, if they are going to repatriate the funds to UK
And if it is a UK seller you can always do the deal in £’s to cut out the fluctuations in rate
Everyone is asking why buy in Spain in 2009?
If you are 60 and approaching retirement and have decided to spend time in the sun then waiting for the recovery in say 2 years time, is a lot of lost life style enjoyment when the clock is ticking!
But work your finances out and get a good deal
Families in secure jobs but with an eye on value for money where a holiday home can produce some very cost effective holidays long term compared with other alternatives
And you are helped, if you have a good deposit, because there are still some very good mortgages available, with good interest only periods to keep the payments low in the early days
Everyone can benefit from low interest rates
So if you are wanting a part/full time retirement home or a holiday home the opportunities in Spain still compare very favourably with what is on offer in UK, France and elsewhere
And very importantly, the regulations governing developments have tightened up so it is just as safe to buy in Spain as in UK…..as long as you allow your head to rule your heart!
Let also hope that those developments where buyers have problems will in the end get sorted…the recession may help in this direction
So I suppose the point I am trying to make is that even with the doom and gloom there are opportunities for many people to take advantage of just now in Spain!
I accept that by nature I am pragmatic [well I like to think so and certainly adopt that approach to property]…..but also optimistic
A cynic would say [& possibly quite rightly] that as an agent I am bound to be optimistic but you know when you get to my time of life and now working in my 4th recession you have to be!!!!!……..
Now back to real time
For me and I think for ‘life style buyers’ …..life is for living…..provided of course you can get your finances sorted……but 2009 is certainly not a year for taking a big risk
This message was last edited by rowlandsbb on 1/9/2009.