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Even though the construction sector is still in a state of coma on a national level, Marbella continues to show signs of movement with regard to property, according to the annual report issued by the Town Planning Department. In 2012, the council issued licences for the construction of 312 homes, compared with 147 in 2011. “This shows that there is activity in Marbella and the town continues to be the focus of attraction for many investors” comments Town Planning councillor Pablo Moro.

Villa in Marbella 300x210 - Permits for new homes doubled in MarbellaOther information appears to back this up, such as a 20 per cent increase in the number of first occupancy licences. These relate to 993 properties with a value of over 138 million euros. With regard to permits which have been issued for minor works, there was an increase of 10 per cent last year, bringing the figure to 2,218, and a budget of 23 million euros.

Another example of the town's economic strength is that about twenty strategic investment projects have been made public, among them the initiative by Grupo Peñarroya to build a tourism complex on a 350 hectare site in Las Chapas area. “These are projects which will give a boost to Marbella and could become the exit point from the crisis”, says Town Planning director Mario Ruiz.
...continue reading "Permits for new homes doubled in Marbella"

There is a town in the province of Cádiz (Spain) where nearly half of the nearly 80,000 residents live in illegal homes. Even the city planning councilor lives in one of them.

This town is Chiclana, and it is trapped in a legal limbo that has forced it to return to a planning regulation dating from 1987 because the courts canceled all its later zoning plans and it cannot grant any new first occupancy licenses, a legal requirement in Spain.

46353 942012 foto 1 300x199 - The Illegal Homes of Chiclana, Cadiz, SpainMarisol Ayala, the local chief of city planning, got the post after creating a political party representing residents of these illegal homes. The party's program included a request for amnesty for their homes, fine reductions and a chance to rejoin legality at a minimum cost.

Nobody knows how it all began, or who took the first step. Chiclana progressively grew while authorities turned their eyes away from the fact that walls were going up on rural land, flood zones and protected areas. Within the walls, homes were built. And people came to live in these homes.
...continue reading "The Illegal Homes of Chiclana, Cadiz, Spain"

Swedish property buyers have become the target of a new property sales drive on Spain’s Costa del Sol after a conference headed up by Malaga real estate representatives in Stockholm earlier this month decided they would push to sell 40,000 properties to the Swedish market.

IMG 0552 300x225 - Spain is looking for Norwegians property buyersTourism director Elias Bendodo and tourist board manager Arturo Bernal liaised with Swedish promoters at the Living Costa del Sol conference in Stockholm drawing up a new deal to encourage Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish and Danish property buyers to purchase holiday or second homes on the Costa del Sol.

On the other hand, plans were recently unveiled by health chiefs to turn the Andalucian city of Malaga into a prominent destination for global healthcare by drawing patients to clinics and hospitals where some of the best surgeons reside.
...continue reading "Spain is looking for Norwegians property buyers"

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Comunidad Valenciana stood at the forefront of home sales to foreigners in 2011

Comunidad Valenciana (Valencia, Alicante and Castellón) stood at the forefront of home sales to foreigners in 2011, accounting for the 30.6% of the national total. So, this group performed 10,730 transactions for an amount of 1,515 million Euros, according to the latest report of the Housing Observatory of the region.

172035 694868 foto 1 - Home purchase by foreigners grew up a 15% in 2011The Government explained that the data from the end of 2011 "endorse the Consell bet to encourage the region home sales to European buyers", in order to increase the number of transactions over the previous year, when there were 9,300.

The total value estimated of these transactions amounted to 1.515 million Euros in 2011, an amount that also exceeds the quantity achieved in 2010, with 1,431 million Euros.

The Consell has highlighted its commitment to value the housing stock available in Valencia for foreigners in Russia, Sweden, Norway and the UK, especially new homes for second residence, located in the coastline and inland towns.

He pointed out that a secondary house purchase by foreigners in the Comunidad Valenciana is "to consider a number of advantages over other destinations, such as security, facilities, distance to markets and colonies of foreigners of various nationalities."

Finally, the same sources stressed that property investment "is a significant source of revenue for our community, and has an important impact on productive sectors such as construction, tourism, hospitality or services"

Source: elmundo.es