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Foreign buyers are more important than ever for the Spanish property market as it continued to shrink in the second quarter of 2013.

house in Alicante1 - Number of Foreign Buyers Surge in Spain, Government Data ShowsData from the Spanish department of housing shows that home sales fell by 4.2% compared with the second quarter of 2012, but they were up on the previous quarter.

The data shows that it is foreign buyers who are keeping the property market propped up, especially in popular coastal areas where foreigners tend to buy second homes. Overall purchases by foreign buyers increased by 29% over 12 months and 49% quarter on quarter.

In popular areas like Malaga on the Costa del Sol the number of foreign buyers increased by 61% year on year and foreign buyers were up 52% in the Costa Brava, up 50% in Murcia, up 45% in Valencia, up 35% in Alicante on the Costa Blanca and up 25% in the Canaries.

Alicante leads the way in terms of number of sales to foreign buyers, with 4,001 recorded in the 12 month period, followed by Malaga with 2,028 sales and the Canaries with 1,600.

The figures back up evidence from estate agents who say they have seen an increase in the number of foreigners buying property since the start of the year.
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5 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, Swimming-pool, Seaside Resort, Luxury property, Ultramort, Girona, Cataluña

Amazing house three independent flats. The ground floor consists of 150m2, 2 bedrooms, living room with fireplace, kitchen and access to garden. The first floor consists of 170m2, with two bedrooms, dressing room, bathroom and living room with fireplace. The penthouse consists 110m2 suite with dressing room, bathroom, kitchen, living room with fireplace and terrace with stunning views. The pool is salt water and there is 400m2 of private garden with open porch. The house is 25 km away from Girona and 15 from the beaches of L'Estartit.

Price: 3,000,000 €

More information on the following link: spainhouses.net

house in Girona - Beautiful House For Sale in Ultramort, Girona
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Nature and architecture converge in breathtaking fashion at this cliffside residence in Calpe (Alicante), Spain. Designed by the Valencia-based firm Fran Silvestre Arquitectos, the stucco-clad home features living spaces projected above the steep terrain, with a crisp exterior staircase linking them to the minimalist pool terrace below. If architecture is experienced as a series of moments, what could be more invigorating than the instant of emerging from a dip in this extraordinary setting?

casa del acantilado1 - Architecture in Spain: Cliffside House in Calpe, Alicante

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Spain’s mortgage market continues in the doldrums due to low demand because of rampant unemployment and stricter conditions imposed by the country’s banks.

house in spain 300x224 - Mortgages granted in July drop to new record lowsAccording to figures released Thursday by the National Statistics Institute (INE), the number of home loans granted by banks in July fell 42.7 percent from a year earlier to 13,777, the lowest figure since the INE began the current statistical series in 1995. Home loans granted in June were down 42.2 percent at 14,053. Mortgages disbursed have now fallen for 39 months in a row.

The amount of capital lent by banks fell by 42.2 percent to 1.380 billion euros, with the average mortgage down 4.3 percent at 100,180 euros. House prices in some parts of the country have fallen by over 40 percent from their peaks around the end of 2007 and the start of 2008.
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3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, Penthouse, Fuengirola, Costa del Sol, Built 120 m², Terrace 100 m²

This fantastic house is facing the south and it presents excellent conditions.

Features: Covered Terrace, Fitted Wardrobes, Near Transport, Private Terrace, Solarium, en suite Bathroom, Wood Floor, Air Conditioning, fully fitted kitchen, garage, etc.

Price: 425,000 €

More information on the following link: spainhouses.net

17491288 1174775 foto 504614 - Gorgeous Penthouse For Sale in Fuengirola (Málaga) ...continue reading "Gorgeous Penthouse For Sale in Fuengirola (Málaga)"

Built on two identical existing structures, these three-storey glass cube Siesta Houses, were redesigned by the Ibiza (Islas Baleares) based Zuccherodesign Architects who took inspiration from the breathtaking sunset of Santa Eulalia bay. In a small densely inhabited island such as Ibiza, it is a challenge to find a hilltop location near the sea that is free from daily tourist activities.

The tranquil feeling of seclusion was the first design objective when positioning the Siesta Houses. The second objective was to bring the feeling of the sea inside the house metaphorically painting the walls with delicate colors to reflect the sunlight. Constructed with open concept interiors (kitchen, dining-room and living-room plus master-suite, all in the main floor) and joining rectilinear forms that seemed to float on a cliff, these spaces feature spectacular views from every vantage point in their interior. A floor-to-ceiling glass wall expands the conceptual impact of the living-room while offering direct access to the open-air terrace which features a hanging-pool. The house entrance is accomplished from a small private street approached from behind and connected by a bridge, allowing total privacy to the inhabitants. In the evening, the home’s slat-style facade allows the interior light to permeate and merge with the exterior lighting system, bathing the house in a dramatic and glowing aura of its own.

ultra modern house in Ibiza1 - Architecture in Spain: Ultra Modern House in Ibiza

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In the crisis years the construction and development industry practically disappeared in the province, where at one point it had employed as many as 100,000 people. Property sales, however, have started to show signs of recovery in 2013 thanks to foreign demand and a continual drop in prices. Violeta Aragón, of the Association of Builders and Developers, admits that the market improvement is greater than expected especially as they “had thought that things would get worse with the increase in IVA (value added tax) and the end of the tax rebate.

56991 949387 foto 1 300x205 - House Sales Surpass Expectations in Málaga ProvinceTraditionally foreign buyers have been regular tourists who end up buying a holiday home, but now there are new clients who don’t answer to that profile. This is the case of the Russians “who are not all buying villas worth a million euros,” Aragón is quick to point out.

“It’s true that there is a segment with very, very high spending power, but the truth is that many are small investors who are spending 200,000 to 250,000 euros because what they want is for their children to have an education in a European country.”

For 2014, she estimates that apart from the cases of people building their own homes, which now contribute in a modest way to the slight recovery in numbers of construction projects approved, “we will also see the start of new projects, but that depends on firms and households getting access to credit and on public investment.”
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7 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms, Area Lot 5,000m2, Built area 1,500m2, Swimming-pool, Luxury property, In Urban Area, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid

Spectacular Villa of 1,500 m2 on three floors connected by a spectacular lift coated in shiny black panels. Located in the best area of the farm account with a foyer that gives access to the spectacular dining room, downstairs to the kitchen with high-end appliances and a glazed corridor will reach two bedrooms suite with attached bath. Upstairs is the master Suite with a living room with spectacular views, a double bathroom with jacuzzi bath and a spectacular dresser. In the plant basement has a spacious heated indoor pool with views of garden, a Turkish bath, gym, a classroom ready to install a home theater and all service area with two bedrooms with their own bathrooms, wash and iron, a huge garage for 10 cars and a storage room. The Lakes is a community within exclusive estate, consisting of a total of 185 houses and 90 pitches. This house is located in the best area of this exclusive complex of luxury homes distributed in several urbanizations next to golf course, Reebok Sports Club, etc. Located just 8 km from Madrid, and awarded as one of the areas with best safety of Europe. The price is 7,500,000 €.

More information on the following link: spainhouses.net

1165228 629541 1 - Outstanding Villa For Sale in Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid)
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The centre of contemporary art Matadero in Madrid, Spain, hosted an amazing musical event Red Bull Music Academy during the September and November 2011. It sheltered concerts, audiovisual projections and various other creative workshops. The spaces for this event were prepared by the young architects of Langarita-Navarro Arquitectos. A large object with steel framework, concrete facade and a working infrastructure ready for unexpected scenarios was dedicated for this purpose.

The architects created a design with suitable acoustic and technical conditions, which amplifies the artistic experience of the participants. Taking the restricted budget and time constrains into account, the architects strived for a simplistic solution, with further spatial reorganisation possibilities. The design consists of several pavillions, with walls made of bags of soil, which also serve as acoustic isolation and provide spaces for offices, rehearsal rooms, recording studio, conference rooms, radio station and a lounge with refreshment.

127 - Architecture: The centre of contemporary art Matadero in Madrid
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These days, with the crisis still raging, seven out of every 10 home purchases in Spain are paid in full. Credit has dried up, and most of those properties still being bought up are paid for with savings or donations from family members.

house in Alicante 300x199 - Thanks to a fall in prices, many savers are opting to buy houses outrightThere is another explanation for all the upfront payments: the rise in foreign buyers, who now represent 17 percent of the total, according to figures from the Public Works Ministry. These international clients are paying with funds of their own or with bank loans secured in their own countries.

Before the real estate bubble burst, upfront purchases represented 37.3 percent of total sales, according to the Higher Council of Notaries. That rate has doubled, and in June it represented nearly 68.6 percent of all sales. A study by Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) shows that in the first quarter of 2013, just over 60 percent of transactions did not require a home loan.
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