Archive for June, 2010

Property prices in Andorra, second only to Monaco in popularity among Europe’s tax havens, have risen consistently over the last decade by an average of ten per cent a year, and in the last two years by over fifteen per cent.

But a lack of snow and tourists in December and January has stopped the rise in its tracks, according to Andorra property specialists.

‘We normally seen an influx of buyers from the first week of December through to mid April who want to buy ski apartments, but it has been very slow this year,’ they comment, adding ‘It’s been an unusual ski season as there was next to no snow between December and mid January. A lot of tourists, some of whom end up buying a property in Andorra, have delayed their visit or gone elsewhere. We anticipated February and March to be a busier sales period but it didn’t really happen.’

Andorra has unusually high demand for property as there are three streams of buyers:

An active local market, international buyers looking for residency in a tax haven that offers residents a zero rated tax rate, and second home buyers looking for a ski property in the Pyrenees.

And it is the second home buyers, mainly for ski properties, that has seen the Andorra property market stopped in its tracks – for the first part of 2007 at least.

One of the highest rises in recent years was the 19 per cent increase in property values in 2005, with the 2006 increase not far behind at around 15 per cent.

Andorra Residency

As well as being a top ski destination, Andorra is also a tax haven, with many people moving to the country to benefit from her income tax free status.

Buying a property in Andorra is often seen as a route to residency, which entitles people to live in Andorra and benefit from her tax haven status.

To obtain residency in Andorra, applications need to be submitted in Catalan. A notarised copy of the applicants passport, birth certificate and a certificate of good conduct from the home country are submitted at the same time. According to a local travel guide residency normally takes between three and six months to be approved.

Once residency is granted, residents are supposed to spend six months a year in Andorra, but this isn’t policed.

One of the drawbacks for those looking to become a resident in a tax haven when considering Andorra has been that the country has no airport of its own, and is unlikely to have ine future given that it is located in the Pyrenees. The nearest airports are Barcelona and Toulouse.

Recent improvements in the road from Barcelona to Andorra though have cut the travelling time by some thirty minutes to two hours fifteen minutes.

‘Given the tax advantages Andorra has’, note the travel guide, ‘A two and a quarter hour trip to the nearest international airport could be viewed as a small price to pay for those who will be saving substantial amounts of money in tax. Especially when you consider that their properties could be rising in value quite significantly in the years to come, and for those who like skiing it’s a holiday and tax paradise in one!’

The aim is more income, the better. And that means less tax, less operational costs and less risk. One of the investment opportunities that fit these criteria is property investment.

Investment property has gained popularity for both newbie and experienced investors. There are just numerous benefits in investing property and one of which is huge taxes incentives. Nothing can beat the major benefit of investment property as taxes. Properties usually appreciate while IRS writes off the properties as depreciating. This reason alone makes investment property more attractive than other investment portfolio. Another reason why investment property can be the best choice among investment options is that it is allows you to balance the investment portfolio. Unlike investing in stocks or bonds which fluctuates in value, investment property is more stable. If you are considering retiring, you can’t count on the social securities or your private retirement plans anymore. They simply cannot suffice all your needs during retirement. Investment properties can be a good source of retirement income. Investment properties provide passive income so your wealth will continue to build even if you don’t have to work for it anymore. Another benefit of investment property is the deferment of capital gains. You might be required to pay taxes for the capital gains in you property but tax policies allow transferring these taxes to another property investment. In effect, your capital gains tax was deferred to more investment opportunities at your own advantage. Finally, investment properties provide long term growth. Properties invariably increase in time so you can actually hold the property for future use. Given these benefits, investment property can promise sure wealth.

Your next concern would be where to find high quality properties for investment. You have actually two options on this: one could be to find properties within your area or country and the second would be to find overseas property. Both options may have pros and cons. All it takes is the right judgment on where to get property. To get the best judgment, you need to look into clubs or networks to evaluate property investment. Investment property clubs or networks cannot only provide you various properties for investments, but can also help you out in your financial constraints. They match your financial capabilities with the right overseas property or local properties. They simply provide you with the options that make decision-making process easy. One example of clubs that provides overseas property for investment as well as local property is the WPI Investment Property Club. The club searches for properties and do the tasks that the investor would do if he was on site, like evaluating property potentials, creating contacts, and developing mortgage criteria.

Once you have the contacts that can help you find the overseas property and local property for investment, with all the needed criteria for evaluation, you can contrast and compare the best option for capital growth. After all, investing is about earning considerable amount of money with the financial capability at hand. There are many ways that you can put your money which yields potential growth.

Creating a goal plan is half the fun of beginning real estate investing. It’s all about starts at the end, when you are beginning a real estate investing remember to begin with the end in mind, as you start down the path to beginning real estate investing. What kind of lifestyle you would like to have, how much time you want to put in, and where and how you want to live. What you would like your real estate investing activities to provide for you, Spend some time thinking about exactly what you want to accomplish. Don’t think only in financial terms. Be specific, and write down your goals. When you can see them clearly in your imagination, you’re well on your way to achieving them.

In real estate investing goal setting step has fail to notice in short interval, this is very unfortunate because taking a few moments to complete this simple task effectively can have a huge impact on your long term results but also on how seriously you are treated by professionals. A great way to describe creative real estate investing is to describe what it is not, here are examples of what it is and isn’t. Real Estate has classified in five types they are Flipping real estate, Probate real estate investing, Virtual real estate investing, Lease option real estate investing: Part I is Lease option real estate investing and Part II is Flipping real estate. Flipping real estate is one of the most used terms in real estate investing. The term flipping real estate means different things to different people depending upon who you are.

Probate real estate: Motivated seller, an unemotional is one of the great benefits of probate real estate investing. This benefit is usually from out of town, but not familiar with the property and therefore not emotionally attached to it. Virtual real estate investing: There is many an elaborate and systematic plan of action such as virtual real estate investing, it is an ideal virtual real estate investing system would allow you to work and never leave your house. For example leads are automatically generated through automated e-mails, websites and direct mail, which are directed to a prerecorded message and or answering service.

Lease option real estate investing Part One: Now a day investing real techniques are accessible which creates multiple rewards by combining techniques. Lease option real estate investing Part Two :If your are beginning real estate investor making money by doubling cash flows is slam dunk. It gives you what ever you wanted.

The most often asked questions by new or aspiring real estate investors have to do with beginning real estate investing. You would want to read this to learn some specifics associated with real estate investing if you are an avid goal setter, if not a frequent goal setter please read on and consider that setting goals which are really a powerful tool. It does have some magic about it, and is critical to you to become successful in real estate investor.

With gas prices expected to shoot past four dollars a gallon this Summer, a housing market overwhelmed by foreclosures and rising unemployment rates throughout the country, now is the time to start thinking about how to save money and alternative ways to continue enjoying the lifestyle you are accustomed to.

1. Ask if you can telecommute to work 1-2 days a week. You know what they say about boiling a frog: “A frog can be boiled alive if the water is heated slowly enough — it is said that if a frog is placed in boiling water, it will jump out, but if it is placed in cold water that is slowly heated, it will never jump out.” Use the same psychology on your boss by asking to work from home for a day or two and then gradually increasing your request until you are working from home entirely.

The best way to ensure that this will work is by being way more productive at home than you are at work (this will happen automatically for most people). It’ll not only save on gas but it’ll save you the headache of having to talk about American Idol around the water cooler with that lady from Accounting. If you ARE that lady from Accounting then start participating in online telecommuter communities like Web Worker Daily to help fill your social void.

Technologies to help along the way: eFax, GotVMail and GoToMeeting.

2. Start buying your music through online services like iTunes and Amazon MP3. For absolute audiophiles, buy cds and DVD-audio through online retailers like Amazon and Overstock instead of traveling to retail stores.

3. Don’t buy big ticket items until the fiscal quarter reports for retail giants have been released. Familiar big box stores like Best Buy and Circuit City have been going through tough times lately and the first thing they are going to push for after a disappointing fiscal quarter are incentives to lure buyers into their stores.

This could include 0% interest for 24 months and hundreds of dollars off of retail prices. You can also find stellar deals on open box items ranging from tvs to computers and videogame systems after major holiday events like Christmas.

4. Rent movies using PPV/VoD services or through popular living room based online services like Amazon Unbox (TiVo), iTunes (AppleTV), Netflix and Xbox Live (Xbox 360). Less sporadic movie fans can take advantage of mail order dvd services like Netflix and Blockbuster Online which offer unlimited, 3 at a time, movie services for less than $20/month.

5. Shop at outlet centers during the week to find the best deals on clothing, accessories and shoes. Designer brands are still red hot among consumers but that doesn’t mean you should have to push through crowds just to find them at great prices.

By shopping at outlet centers during the week you will run into 75% less traffic, have more selection to choose from (trucks typically deliver goods to stores during the week to restock after busy weekends) and you won’t have a problem finding a parking spot closer to the storefronts. Stores may also offer weekday only incentives so be sure to check coupon books and in-store flyers before making any purchases.

6. Today’s bogged down real estate market has practically handed over great deals on a silver platter. If you’re in the market for a new or resale home, check to see how far mass transit options are from the homes. Most suburban towns offer train, bus and highway access to the closest major city and new home builders prefer to build communities within a few minutes of these locations.

7. While considering that new home be sure to consider the size of the home as well. Not only will you save money by purchasing a smaller home but you are more likely to find a larger backyard, amenities comparable to larger homes and a much more palatable monthly heating bill.

8. If you are looking for space AND amenities then you may want to consider newer townhouses which tend to range in sizes comparable to single family homes and they come with community amenities that you wouldn’t ordinarily find in a single family home community. For example, The Grove at New Windsor offers a state of the art fitness center, tennis court, lounge and outdoor swimming pool. Sure beats spending $80/month just to drive to and from your local gym!

9. Are you already on a first name basis with every gas station clerk in town? You might want to replace your current gas guzzler with a more exciting, yet fuel efficient, car. The Mazda3 and Honda Civic both offer impressive gas mileage while including all the creature comforts typically found in bigger cars like premium sound and navigation systems, xenon headlights and iPod friendly aux inputs. The best part about these cars? You’ll be able to afford them even if your job situation changes unexpectedly.

If the 22/29 mpg EPA ratings of the Mazda3 still aren’t high enough then look into the smart fortwo passion coupe. You will trade speed, space and handling for better gas mileage (33 mpg/40 mpg to be exact) but at least you can point and laugh as you drive by the stiffs filling their fuel hungry monsters in the cold.

10. Purchase all of life’s needs that you don’t need right away through internet juggernauts like Amazon where you will be able to buy in bulk, combine shipping and often pay less than retail. Better yet, the government still hasn’t figured out how to tax internet purchases so you might even save on the sales tax.

Unlike previous economic recessions, especially during the Great Depression, we have the internet to serve as alternative source of content/product delivery and as a remote connection to work. By trading our larger vehicles and homes for more efficient alternatives that still meet our needs we can not only lower the cost of maintaining those items but we can also promote a healthier lifestyle that doesn’t involve suffocating debt loads and mind bending 2 hour commutes.

Apartments and chalet prices in Andorra, second only to Monaco in popularity among Europe’s tax havens, have risen consistently over the last decade by an average of ten per cent a year, and in the last two years by over fifteen per cent.

But a lack of snow and tourists in December and January has stopped the rise in its tracks, according to Andorra property companies.

‘We normally seen an influx of buyers from the first week of December through to mid April who want to buy ski apartments, but it has been very slow this year,’ they comment, adding ‘It’s been an unusual ski season as there was next to no snow between December and mid January. A lot of tourists, some of whom end up buying a property in Andorra, delayed their visit or went elsewhere.’

Andorra has unusually high demand for property as there are three streams of buyers:

An active local market, international buyers looking for residency in a tax haven that offers residents a zero rated tax rate, and second home buyers looking for a ski property in the Pyrenees.

And it is the second home buyers, mainly for ski properties, that has seen the Andorra property market stopped in its tracks – for six weeks at least.

One of the highest rises in recent years was the 19 per cent increase in property values in 2005, with the 2006 increase expected to be not far behind at around 15 per cent.

Andorra Property

As well as being a top ski destination, Andorra is also a tax haven, with many people moving to the country to benefit from her income tax free status.

Buying a property in Andorra is often seen as a route to residency, which entitles people to live in Andorra and benefit from her tax haven status.

To obtain residency in Andorra, applications need to be submitted in Catalan. A notarised copy of the applicants passport, birth certificate and a certificate of good conduct from the home country are submitted at the same time. According to a local travel guide residency normally takes between three and six months to be approved.

Once residency is granted, residents are supposed to spend six months a year in Andorra, but this isn’t policed.

One of the drawbacks for those looking to become a resident in a tax haven when considering Andorra has been that the country has no airport of its own, and is unlikely to have ine future given that it is located in the Pyrenees. The nearest airports are Barcelona and Toulouse.

Recent improvements in the road from Barcelona to Andorra though have cut the travelling time by some thirty minutes to two hours fifteen minutes.

‘Given the tax advantages Andorra has’, note the Andorra guide, ‘A two and a quarter hour trip to the nearest international airport could be viewed as a small price to pay for those who will be saving substantial amounts of money in tax. Especially when you consider that their properties could be rising in value quite significantly in the years to come.’

Doylestown Landscaping www.orserlandscaping.comChris Orser Landscaping 215-249-1236 Bucks County, PA Doylestown Area; Chris Orser Landscaping will do what you want. We listen to the customer! Chris Orser Landscaping is a locally based, family-owned and operated company dedicated to providing excellent service and exemplary designs and installations. Chris Orser started the company in 1992 while attending Delaware Valley College for landscape management. Over the years, the business has grown and expanded to offer a broad range of lawn care and landscaping services with customized programs to meet the needs of our residential and commercial clients. Our satisfied customers are a testament to our success. We provide a wide variety of services to our costumers, such as hardscaping patios, walkways, and retaining walls. Our award winning landscapes cover a range of services between personal designs of planting flowers, trees, and shrubs. We also provide your general property management which consists of lawn mowing, trimming, fertilization and tree care. Seasonal work such as snow plowing, Ice Removal, and fall clean up is also available. Our goal is to provide a safe and lush environment for both homeowners, and animals alike. We enjoy pleasing our customers and seeing the finished products of our designs as much as you do! We appreciate you taking the time to consider us!

According to WikiPedia, Real Estate is:
Real estate is a legal term (in some jurisdictions, notably in the USA, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia) that encompasses land along with anything permanently affixed to the land, such as buildings, specifically property that is fixed in location Real estate law is the body of regulations and legal codes which pertain to such matters under a particular jurisdiction. Real estate is often considered synonymous with real property (also sometimes called realty), in contrast with personal property (also sometimes called chattel or personality under chattel law or personal property law).

However, in some situations the term “real estate” refers to the land and fixtures together, as distinguished from “real property,” referring to ownership rights of the land itself. [clarification needed]

The terms real estate and real property are used primarily in common law, while civil law jurisdictions refer instead to immovable property.
How to Find a Real Estate Agent in a Tight Market:
Step1
Most articles in step one is going to tell you to get a referral. That’s nice if you happen to be moving somewhere that you know someone, but in a lot of situations, this simply isn’t the case. The main two pitfalls with referrals are:

Step2
Go to the web. It is very important in the internet age that your real estate agent be web savvy, so the web will be your first stop in researching a good agent. All of the major real estate companies allow you to search online for real estate agents.

Step3
Once you find the agents on the web, you will be bombarded with a plethora of acronyms like GRI, ABR, and NAR. Here is a quick guide to sorting them out and what will be most useful to you.
And … These are some suggestion steps for you

Real Estate Agent?! Who is this? What it do?

Again according to WikiPedia: Real estate broker or Real estate is:

A real estate broker is a term in the United States and Canada which describes a party who acts as an intermediary between sellers and buyers of real estate (or real property as it is known elsewhere) and attempts to find sellers who wish to sell and buyers who wish to buy. In the United States, the relationship was originally established by reference to the English common law of agency with the broker having a fiduciary relationship with his clients.

Estate agent is the term used in the United Kingdom to describe a person or organization whose business is to market real estate on behalf of clients, but there are significant differences between the actions and liabilities of brokers and estate agents in each country. Beyond the US, other countries take markedly different approaches to the marketing and selling of real property.

In the US, real estate brokers and their salespersons (commonly called “real estate agents” or, in some states, “brokers”) assist sellers in marketing their property and selling it for the highest possible price under the best terms. When acting as a Buyer’s agent with a signed agreement (or, in many cases, verbal agreement, although a broker may not be legally entitled to his commission unless the agreement is in writing), they assist buyers by helping them purchase property for the lowest possible price under the best terms. Without a signed agreement, brokers may assist buyers in the acquisition of property but still represent the seller and the seller’s interests.

In most jurisdictions in the United States, a person is required to have a license in order to receive remuneration for services rendered as a real estate broker. Unlicensed activity is illegal, but buyers and sellers acting as principals in the sale or purchase of real estate are not required to be licensed. In some states, lawyers are allowed to handle real estate sales for compensation without being licensed as brokers or agents.

Real Estate Investment:

Real Estate Investment is now treated as a major case of capital budgeting by using state-of-the-art investment analysis which incorporates the future stream of income it may generate and the associated risk adjustments. It has been the highlight of the investment literature since the 1970’s when investment theorists extended techniques such as probability, time value of money and utility into its analysis.

Real estate is basically defined as immovable property such as land and everything permanently attached to it like buildings. Real property as opposed to personal or movable property is characterized by the right to transfer the title to the land whereas title to personal property can be retained. The investment in real estate essentially depends on the risks associated with it, that is to say, even if the venture succeeds when the future stream of income will accrue to the investor and the alternative investment opportunities. Real estate investment can be attractive if viewed as a business opportunity; it can generate rental income, using it as collateral to secure a loan for a business venture, to offset otherwise taxable income through cash savings on tax-deductible interest rate losses, or simply from the profits garnered from its resale. Notable, in this context is the gains reaped by real estate speculators who trade in real estate futures (by buying and selling purchase options).

A.K

One of the oldest and best-known rules of economics is the law of supply and demand: that supply and demand are constantly seeking equilibrium, but when demand exceeds supply, prices rise and when supply outstrips demand, prices fall.

This law also applies, of course, to real estate and partly explains the cyclical nature of our industry. However, in the medium-term, the scales are almost always in favour of purchasers who buy with intelligent criteria, location being one of the key factors: urban land is usually in limited supply and even more so in the “best areas” within municipal boundaries. Cities grow, and those that are popular with higher income purchasers, who identify with a level of quality such as that offered by Marbella, grow even faster.

This is precisely why real estate investment, carefully made with respect to location, price, quality and timing, is and will continue to be among the most reliable and consistent sources of wealth creation. And at the same time, with respect to residential property, such investment can offer a life style that is highly attractive to the purchaser, thereby combining the best of two worlds.

Buyers, nevertheless, should always exercise caution. Newspaper articles may be misleading and should of course not constitute the sole basis for investment decisions.

For example, those who write “market information” articles equating what is happening in the real estate market on a national scale in Spain with that of residential tourism on the Spanish coasts, (particularly the Costa del Sol and Marbella), have ignored one critical, fundamental fact: that what is clearly a bubble and excess in construction nationally (the Spanish national newspaper El Mundo stated last year that up to 60% of the homes built nationally were sold to speculators) is not fully representative of the market on the coasts, which adheres to substantially different market criteria and sources of demand.

Multi-source demand

The critical factor differentiating the Marbella area market from the national market is that the former is comprised not only of national buyers but also, and especially, of international buyers. It is a multi-source market, fed from all European countries and from others even further afield. Thus, when one country’s demand for foreign property starts to drop (which might soon be the case for the British market), it will be replaced by another source of demand (which currently is represented by Eastern European countries and possibly Germany, which is finally beginning what has already been called its “second economic miracle”, after years of economic problems).  

Such multi-source demand creates deeper and longer-lasting market stability than would be found in any single-source market, anywhere.

Property speculators

Unlike property speculators on a national basis, most foreign as well as Spanish speculators for coastal investments stopped investing for all practical purposes when the off-plan purchases, inevitably and predictably, ground to a halt in the year 2004, when prices of land and construction reached unacceptable levels, preventing buyers from selling on their speculative purchases to an end-user or another speculator.

The consequent oversupply on the coast of new two and three-bedroom tourist apartments and townhouses under the €600.000 to €700.000 price range, especially in areas which are not consolidated or fully developed, has resulted in a price drop in real terms of maybe 20% to 30% for these types of property in the last three to four years. The same types of property in consolidated areas have seen a smaller drop in price, approximately between 15% and 20%. It is indeed a buyers’ market for this category of property in some parts of Marbella and surrounding areas and, one should note carefully, there are some real bargains now appearing at price levels that may not repeat themselves in future years. 

As a result of those off-plan investments cooling down in 2004, many of the original speculators have consequently moved their investments to other countries such as Bulgaria, Croatia, Morocco, Egypt, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Mexico, the Dominican Republic and others that are starting out as second-home destinations. They may well, however, be in for an unpleasant surprise when they find that the construction, in many cases, will far outstrip the supporting infrastructure and necessary services around it, and prices may often be inflated by unscrupulous “get-rich-quick” agents.  Those who choose this type of investment should be careful to use agents known for their integrity and long market experience.

Market consolidation

So, what does all the above mean? It means that the end-user is the dominant player in the market today. The pure speculator for lower-priced, off-plan properties has all but disappeared, leading to a market which is presently, in general terms, consolidating and maturing.

The “in-and-out” speculator buyer to a great extent distorts any property market, and the fact that the off-plan purchaser is influencing the market to a far lesser extent today than in the past is a very healthy indicator of a return to more normal conditions than those experienced from 1996 to 2004.

The speculator, however, hasn’t totally left the scene. Instead, he is more cautious and more demanding. The product he seeks has to fulfill key criteria which include: a well located development, good facilities and security, closeness to amenities, quality in design and specifications, etc. And the timing is important: he seeks to invest right at the start of construction, when he can get the best choice at the best price and, today, he might take a more medium-term view of the market rather than a short-term one.

In addition, the last three to four years have seen a general leveling of prices, an integral part of the consolidation process, and there is less volume of sales than in years past. A great part of this lesser volume is a result of less speculation, as indicated above. Another reason, particularly in Marbella, is that there is now much less zoned building land available for new construction due to the delay in the approval of the new General Plan, which has provided a strong cushion of support for the resale market. And, as the market returns to normal after the “boom” years, properties are taking a longer time to sell today than two or three years ago.

The real estate agencies that have made fortunes in years gone by through exhibitions abroad and “inspection flights”, selling new or off-plan properties especially in the lower price ranges, are having a much tougher time today, and some of the smaller and even larger agencies have closed, especially those without great experience in the resale sector of the market. This is a perfectly normal part of a market adjustment witnessed many times over the past four decades.

Higher priced properties still very much in demand

It is worth noting that properties between the €800,000/€1,000,000 to the multiple million range, which are located in the more consolidated areas closer to services, etc. have been maintaining their value extremely well. They are still in good demand by the classic, end-user client and continue increasing, albeit at normal levels, but sometimes even reaching record prices. 

The reason for the continued strength in the higher priced properties is that there are very wealthy buyers out there looking for quality homes in quality areas. According to the 2007 Merrill Lynch and Capgemini World Wealth Report, there are 9.5 million high net-worth individuals in the world, up from 7.2 million in early 2003, many of whom are only a short direct flight away from the Costa del Sol and who either already own or wish to acquire a second or third home here. Not only are the wealthy becoming more numerous, but the already-wealthy are also becoming increasingly more so, and there are only a limited number of outstanding, appropriately priced properties in the best areas.

With these clients, as well as the tens of thousands of others who are free of economic worries but do not consider themselves jet-set material (nor do many of them want to), Marbella is very much the place to be, with direct and easy flights from most major cities in Europe, a vastly improved infrastructure compared with years past which far surpasses that of other newer resort areas in the world, a 12-month season with activity of all types in the winter months, and the best climate in Europe, even though it is not as cheap as it was in times gone by.

Moreover, there are sales every single day of properties priced between €2,000,000 and €5,000,000 or more, a market which was virtually non-existent before 1996, as most of these luxurious properties have been built since then.  Properties on the beach side of the Golden Mile and in the most consolidated and best areas are very difficult to find, and when they come on the market, at intelligent asking prices, they sell very quickly. Once again, all this goes to show that the age-old rule of “Location, Location, Location” being the three most important words when purchasing property, still holds true.

Recent bad press, already a factor of the past

During the past three years, up until mid 2007, the national and international press have had an orgy of exaggeration and prediction of doom and gloom, deriding Marbella, its surrounding areas and its people due to the unfortunate events and disorder of the recent past, caused by urban planning issues and corruption. The corruption which has been brought to light in Marbella, thanks to “Operación Malaya”, is unique in its magnitude, stemming directly from the enormous demand for properties in this very special part of Spain and the consequent amount of new property development from which this corruption was born and fed.

Corruption linked with politics and city development is not unique to Marbella, but rampant in many Town Halls throughout Spain, as observed in countless articles in the national press: in Valencia province, for example, 31.3% of citizens recently ranked corruption as their most serious problem.  Part of this problem is the system for financing Town Halls, which derive between 40 and 60% of their income from different levels of urban development activities, a system devised by the political parties themselves, of course, and a system which must be modified on a national level as an essential first step to reducing and eliminating corruption throughout the country.

Unfortunately, corruption has not been the only issue affecting the image of Marbella.  In 1997, then Mayor Jesús Gil made an incredibly unwise decision in raising his political aspirations from a municipal to a regional level.  The immediate result was a decision by all of the political parties and their accompanying press of all categories, to destroy him and his party, and Marbella itself fell victim to these politics. Although consensus had already been reached in principle between Gil and the Regional Government with respect to the General Plan of 1998 before Gil’s political expansion, one of the first main steps taken by the Regional Government as part of its anti-Gil strategy was to reject this plan.  Had this not happened, the 1998 plan would be in effect today, and most of the building permit problems of the last few years, would have already been resolved.

Very unjust, politically motivated discrimination and maneuvering against Marbella, with the collaboration of the media, has therefore been one of the principle factors negatively affecting the city in the past decade, a fact which many of the resident and non-resident owners have not yet fully perceived in its real light.  Fortunately, there is every indication that this attitude has changed with the election of Ángeles Muñoz as new Mayoress of the City, and a new spirit of collaboration has commenced between the City Hall and the Regional Government.

Only 752 units cannot be legalized in accordance with the proposed General Plan for Marbella

Much of the press has clearly enjoyed publishing articles stating that there were over 30,000 illegal homes constructed in Marbella and that many of these would probably be demolished, spawning totally unnecessary public fear and insecurity. The real number is around 19,000. Almost all of the owners of these living units bought their properties with a valid building license issued by the maximum authority, the City Council, almost all are inscribed in the land registry which is the last word with respect to ownership, and many also have valid first occupancy permits.

The press conveniently ignored that third-party end-users who bought properties such as these in good faith, would always be protected by Spanish law, except in the most extreme cases where a solution could not be reached to legalize the property.

Coming as no surprise for many who understand the planning procedures, and the amazingly ill conceived politics promoting public fear and insecurity, it was announced (El Pais, 15/07/07) that the initially approved New General Plan for Marbella, only anticipates that 752 living units will not have the potential of becoming legalized. And of these, one can rest assured that for those which have already been occupied by end-users (377 in all) there is very little question that there will be some fair solution reached protecting those who have purchased in good faith, as already announced recently by our new Mayoress.

What happened to the 30,000 living units which were going to be bulldozed into oblivion? Well, solutions have been found to accommodate them and legalize their situation within the context of the New Municipal General Plan, so urgently required by Marbella, as everyone in the know had anticipated.

New political leadership resulting in the “Rebirth of Marbella”

The new Mayoress has campaigned with great energy for many years to lead Marbella out of its recent political and financial quagmire into a new era.  She has met with virtually everyone in the city. She has carefully and meticulously organized and prepared herself and her team, as no other candidate ever before her. She has surrounded herself by top-notch Town Council members of her party and advisors. She has proven herself to be qualified to do the job and easily convinced the people, resulting in sweeping the elections in May 2007, winning 16 of the 27 seats on the City Council.

Muñoz has pledged a policy of total transparency and of cordial relations with her political opponents, which for the moment has produced a very favourable reaction from all parties, and a return to a normal political situation. She has already started cleaning up the city and re-organizing the financial situation she inherited. She will make transparent efforts to safeguard our municipal patrimony and to recover that which was illegally taken away. She is taking many steps to counter-measure the negative public press Marbella has received in recent years. She has welcomed the opinions of both residents and non-residents alike, to help her to do a better and more effective job, and created the organisms to do so with the appointing of one of Marbella’s original founders, Count Rudi von Schönburg as the head of the Tourist Consortium of Marbella.

Marbella is quickly returning to normal, with exceptionally qualified and transparent leadership, which was the necessary prerequisite to do so. What can we predict for the near future?

The new General Plan, at the top of the priority list, should be definitively approved by the end of 2008 or the beginning of 2009. This Plan will protect Marbella from future overbuilding, provide new green zones and service zones, and even the mere anticipation of the new Plan is already bringing the situation back to normal, with a sigh of relief from everyone that we are well on the way to resolving the urbanistic insecurity of the past few years.

There are already new protection laws for our environment, with the POT (Plan de Ordenación Territorial) which coordinates the services and growth along the whole stretch of coast between Mijas and Manilva, in addition to those measures taken in the proposed new General Plan.

Financial order and discipline, already strictly imposed by our new Mayoress, will be the order of the day and, well before the end of her four-year term, solid foundations of financial good health will return to our beloved city. A part of the municipal assets sold in the past in a manner to enrich a few, against the interests of the local community, will be recovered. We will see the city cleaned up, services and infrastructure improved and our city cared for like never before.

The new airport terminal and runway, well under construction, will almost double the airport’s capacity to 20,000,000 passengers a year.

In a few short years, the new planned coastal railroad, with an estimated budget of three billion euros, linking Nerja, to the east of Málaga, and Estepona in the west, will become a reality.

The completion of the tunnel (finally now begun) under the bottleneck of San Pedro, will ease the congestion on the Coastal Road west of Puerto Banús. 

The new AVE fast train from Madrid to Málaga will reduce travel time between the two cities to only 2 hours 30 minutes, opening a very viable and very comfortable alternative route of travel to the province.

The oversupply of lower budget apartments in Marbella and the Greater Marbella area will be absorbed little by little between 2008 and mid-2009, and in the meantime, important opportunities will exist in this price range.

The more expensive properties €800,000, €1,000,000 and substantially more in the most consolidated residential areas, will continue to be in demand by those buyers wanting “the best” areas, and for those sellers who price their properties realistically.

Quality will be the key word for the developers of the future of real estate in this area: quality in location, concept, construction and finishing materials, architecture, and special features, with added value given to low-density developments, security, and high-tech living units. The “caring developer” who puts his experience and heart into his project will be the winner. The model of the developer of the past, whose creed was “build them quickly, cheaply, sell them and move swiftly on to the next project” is dead and buried.

There are of course alternative residential resort locations in the world, some of them mentioned at the beginning of this article.  However, the important questions one should reflect upon before purchasing property, especially to use part or full time, are as follows:  

·     Is there a 12-month season with a great winter and summer climate, with sporting and cultural activities of all types, nightlife, superb restaurants, or is it a resort, as most, which is highly seasonal in nature and “rolls up the side walks” from October to May? 

·     Do quality public and private services exist?

·     How about the infrastructure – roads, airports, sewage, rubbish collection, water supply, etc?

·     And how about the educational system? Are there international English, German and French schools close by? And are there prestigious universities in the country?

·        Are there quality hospitals and health care services available?

·        What about cleanliness?

·        Are you surrounded by poverty?

·        How about one’s physical security? Can one walk around during the day and at night feeling safe? 

·        Is there a “police state” where sometimes policemen are looking for “tips” or might make problems for you, or do the police respond to civil government norms which protect citizens and tourists alike?

·        Is there legal security, or can “rights” given today be taken away tomorrow by the next government in office?

·        Is there respect for human and civil rights? Is there discrimination against women, children and workers?

·        Is it easy and safe to drive to different destinations nearby as it is here with Gib, Sevilla, Puerto de Santa María, Ronda, Granada, Cordoba and the Andalusian white villages?

·        How many direct flights are there from the capitals and other major cities of Europe, and how long does it take to get there?

·        Is there any social life, public and private events, concerts, parties, glamour and excitement available, if you want it?

·        Are there over 30 easily accessed golf courses in the area?

·        Does it offer the protection of the European Union? 

Think about it. Marbella offers all the correct answers to the above questions, and much more. Think about the special and relaxed life style here! How many places in the world can match the Marbella of today with respect to the above criteria?

With the closing of the Gil era, and the arrival of Ángeles Muñoz, we are in the process of witnessing the “Rebirth of Marbella”, and exciting times lie ahead for the city and its people.  A sharp and clear improvement of its image, finances, infrastructure and public services is well underway. Marbella is now reaching out to realize its true potential, and to consolidate its place as the world class, quality resort destination of the 21st century.

By Christopher Clover

Copyright © 2007 Panorama Properties S.L.

All rights reserved.

“Seek mentors who have done

what you desire to do

and who have become

what you desire to be”

If you speak to any successful person you will find that he has or has had great mentors to get him to where he is today. If you want to become successful in property, I would advise you to find someone you can learn from and who can help you to take that first step. If at all possible, find a mentor you can speak to personally, rather than someone who will only speak to you if you are part of a group in a seminar-style setting.

A mentor will be someone whose work you admire. He will be someone who has achieved what you want to and is in a position to get you where you want to be quickly. A mentor will also have access to a network that you may wish to be part of.

For example, your property mentor will have a team of property finders, solicitors, financiers, surveyors, architects and builders etc who he uses in his daily business. Good professionals often take years to source. However, you could greatly enhance your chances of success by tapping into the same team that your mentor uses.

As a property entrepreneur, I have several mentors who have helped me to achieve quick results that would otherwise have taken me several years to attain.

A good mentor will

-Coach you

-Guide you

-Nurture you

-Challenge and criticise you to get the best results possible

-and much more until you succeed

So how do I find a mentor?

There are several methods you should be using to find your ideal mentor. Ive listed a few here:

-Network

By attending networking events and meeting other successful property investors, you should very quickly be able to pick out a couple of people you think could help you in your property career.

Its then a question of approaching them and asking them if they offer any mentoring. If they dont, ask them if you can help them in their business for free in return for some general guidance. This normally works quite well.

-Surf the internet

Use the internet to research existing property entrepreneurs in your area. Again, look for someone who has achieved what you wish to achieve and looks like someone you could work with.

-Ask a friend

If you have any successful property investor friends, you could ask them to guide you. Alternatively, ask them if they have any mentors that they wouldnt mind you working with.

-Source authors of property books and courses

If there is any book or programme that you have bought in the past and learnt from, you may want to approach the author and ask him if he offers mentorship. This is a great way to find an established and recognised expert.

Once you have chosen a mentor, you will be spending a lot of time with him so please ensure he is someone you are comfortable working with him. Good communication is essential. Common goals and similar interests will definitely help here.

The present evaluation of land property is as priceless as buying gold. So, before you decide purchasing one of them, be aware of its changing prices. Since the real estate markets are mostly on a high, going ahead with your property purchasing deals without any hesitation will definitely be fruitful. But certain investment related factors have to be taken into consideration without any delay. Keeping in mind your expenditure plan, purchase your dream property before the value depreciates. Well, buying immediately also leaves you with an option of selling the same at a more lucrative price, which will surely fetch you enormous profit in the near future.

If you do not possess an unrealistic view of the real estate market, you might be aware of the fact that like the much hyped bull market; real estate markets have also seen considerable fluctuations. But purchasing real estate at the correct time is also very essential. It is widely recommended that when the market is going through a period of depression, buying of property can prove to be a profitable long-term investment. However, everything said and done, a thorough knowledge about these markets will always be beneficial for a successful property deal. While you strike a deal, remember three important things. Firstly, consult an agent who has a wide knowledge of the market situation. This will help you in advance planning, of any extra expenses to be incurred during the entire procedure. Secondly, you should also be aware of the credible property investment ventures. The markets these days are full of fraud home deals. Be aware of such transactions that mislead. Finally, play out all your financing options. The first thing you should put into consideration in this regards, is its safe management. Find reliable agents or organizations that can guide you through this entire course of action.

One would only like to invest their hard earned money guided by expert opinion, in this case the real estate investment professionals. Therefore, until you have cleared all your doubts regarding the deal, do not sit satisfied with only the information your agent has provided you with. Many opt to use the abundance of information in blogs, corporate handouts, television commercials or shows, book shops etc. In fact, many property management experts feel that the real estate market is no different to stock markets. The contemporary times are the best suited for real-estate investments. Moreover, you can also get exclusive tax benefits and other such financial advantages if you are able to complete a deal within a set time period.

In reality this whole procedure is not bound by time anyways. If you wish to adopt the same strategy of investment like the ones implemented at the stocks, you are free to do so. In this case it is advisable to put in money for trusts or mutual funds. Well, as the punch line says “do read the offer documents carefully before investing”. This is a piece of expert advice will see your property deal sail through without much difficulty.

www.mcpropertieskc.com 816-694-6490 Looking to buy an investment property in Kansas City Mo.? MC Properties LLC has what you are looking for.

By definition, investment property is property that is utilized for rental income or capital growth. It is not necessarily occupied by the owner. More and more investors are considering investment property for profit generation. Contrary to the stock market that is volatile as values of the stocks fluctuate in more or less unpredictable manner, investment property can be stable and predictable. One simply needs to understand the market value of the property if they want to resell it. Likewise, if the investment property is for rental, what the costs to be considered are maintenance, improvement or repair. In other words, investment property can be managed considerably than investment in shares, stocks or bonds.

Every investment opportunity has a promise of great return of your money. What you need to know is the reason to invest in properties. The benefits of investment property include, but are not limited to: tax incentives on properties; strong and predictable investment portfolio; a good retirement plan; capital gains tax can be deferred; instant equity; and increasing value.

Now that you know the benefits of investment properties, you are faced with the option to answer where to buy properties. The options include overseas property and local property. Investing in overseas property has its advantages. One advantage is that you can look for overseas property under a nation with great tax incentive. This alone can provide you higher return of what you invested because your money will purely be on the property and not on the pocket of the government. Second, overseas property is a variation of the local market. There are potential markets in other nations that respond immediately to requirements. Lastly, your currency rate may affect the amount of the property. In other words, you might find cheaper property based on you currency value than when you buy local property using your national currency. For example, your 1000 pounds will be worth an acre in a civilized place in India while it is only worth half an acre in suburbs in your locality. Local investment property is also advantageous since it means more investment property privilege as a citizen, more security, and more supports from close network.

Just like any investments, it takes a lot of decision making processes to derive at the right investment property. The best thing to do is to ask for expert advice on property details. One way to do that it to join investment property clubs that offer you lists of properties with corresponding details on the contracts, future development of the area, and other information on the property for loaning purposes. It must be done by professional and experienced agents to ensure that you are getting the right information that is crucial for the right decision. One example of this club is the WPI Investment Property Club in UK. This club offers its members with carefully-chosen high quality properties for investment. They have wide range of connection to developers both for local and overseas property. They also offer properties in discount through bulk buying. All these are offered to members with as little as finder’s fee. With WPI investment Property Club, you will get investment property that you can evaluate for that investment decision.

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Distribution, transmission, republication of any material is strictly prohibited without the prior written consent of Real Estate News. The Commercial Real Estate News has moved to The Real Estate News Exchange. Midwest Real Estate News, 415 N State Street, Chicago IL 60610, 1-888-753-7828. MLS® Statistics ú News Releases ú Real Estate News. Real Estate News. Real estate news in brief: Construction rates, sales rates. Citi Habitats now has an RSS feed that picks up our media coverage and enables you to follow us as we make real estate news. Washington DC Real Estate News ú ZipRealty Corporate Blog ú NY Times Real Estate ú Living History in St. Read financial news, info, updatesand other real estate news online. Central Florida Real Estate News is updated daily; the easiest way to get your daily dose is by subscribing to our news feed. Posted on April 3, 2007 | Filed Under Real Estate News. Subscribe to the NewsBlast to receive current commercial real estate news via email. Com offers the media’s only real estate news beat coverage of global warming and how it hits home. Real Estate News ú Home sales slump worsens in wake of subprime mortgage woes ú Toll Bros.

Readers Comment on the real estate market. It’s part of Seeking Alpha’s coverage of the real estate market and homebuilder stocks. Has the real estate market bottomed. All you want to know about Ukraine Real Estate Market placed here. Here are the latest real estate market statistics for Glen Burnie, MD. Colorado Springs Real Estate Market Report:. At the same time the real estate market still maintains more or less the prewar price levels. The real estate market is very hard to generalize. CBCSM real estate market research aids in your effort to make well-informed decisions for your company’s portfolio or your personal portfolio. If all this news is actually good for the real estate market, there’s one group who may be doing some teeth gnashing: the agents themselves. Austin Real Estate Market Statistics. The residential real estate market sent mixed signals in April, with single-family home sales dropping 1. With some of the most exciting Manhattan Apartments being built now, the Manhattan real estate market is changing like never before. The Scottsdale Arizona real estate market has changed dramatically in recent years. The commercial real estate market has been on a tear in the last few years. The latest Austin MLS report indicates the Austin, Texas real estate market remains strong through April 2007 (Austin MLS reports are about a month behind). Yahoo Targets Local Real Estate Market. The most up to date statistical analysis of the real estate market. Seattle Real Estate Market Watch.

Cities Where Real Estate is Hot; Affordable Northeast Suburbs. Shiller: Real estate is risky business. That brings us to his latest book All Real Estate is Local. Faith in real estate is firm, new poll says. A Better Way to Sell Real Estate is Now Available. Phoenix Real Estate Is Everywhere, What Are YOU Looking For. Even the real estate is legendary. International Real Estate is set to be the biggest and best investment market of the next several years. Real estate is a business where realtors will be dealing in an immovable property. Fidelity International Real Estate is just a bit more than two years old. So, with a ballpark growth of 80% per year, every year for the last 12 years, it comes as no surprise that real estate is big on the Internet. As an investment, real estate is one of the easiest business to manage. Real estate is sold in all areas, but employment is concentrated in large urban areas and in rapidly growing communities. If experience and integrity are important to you as a buyer or a seller then Terry Wootan Real Estate IS THE FIRM FOR YOU. Owning a piece of Squaw Valley real estate is usually all about spending time in this amazing valley.

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The article aims to educate people on the importance of following landscape planting guides. Discussed below will be the different kinds of guides and the ways that it should be used.

Getting Started
Landscaping is an endeavour that takes serious dedication and commitment. There are a lot of choices to be made like what plants to include as this is an integral part of landscaping. A landscaping guide details the different types of flora, their properties as well as the ideal climates to raise them in. To avoid frustrations, better consult a landscaping guide first.

Newsflash: Trees grow!
When you started your landscaping project, you may have picked a small tree to fit in it just because it looks good. After a few months, your tree grows up so big that it’s hogging the place and turning your well structured garden into such a huge mess! These kinds of problems could be avoided well before it escalates if you had done the proper researches on the kinds of trees to put and to not put. A landscaping guide can help you with that classification so you don’t have to worry about those anymore.

Help me help my garden
There are a lot of reasons why you should consuls a landscaping guide. Plants are tricky but you could use that to your advantage. With a guide, you could find out what flower blooms in what season. Or what trees would eventually uproot and what trees won’t. You also have to take into account that the climate is crucial in raising plants. You could also have the option of starting your garden from your own seeds or from a nursery. If ever, you need to know when the right time is to transfer a seeded plant outdoors. A guide can help you with that. It can also help you determine what kinds of plant could be placed on the deck or the ground, taking to account their growth height. You could also correctly place shrubs to form a garden hedge. There are a lot to consider and for every step, a guide is pivotal.

Gardening takes a lot of work!
A landscaping guide isn’t just for aesthetic purposes. Sure it looks good in your garden, but does it represent how you live? Or is it something you can readily take care of? Gardening does take a lot of work. Some plants need to be applied fertilizer quite regularly. Some plants need varied amount of fertilizers. Others grow at a relatively faster pace so they must be trimmed and maintained quite regularly as well. A guide can help you choose the right kind of grass to carpet you lawn. There are a quite a number of lawns with specific properties, maintenance procedures and growth rate.

In the Years to come
If properly done, a landscape could last for a very long time. A landscaping guide could help you achieve just that. With simple preventive steps like proper spaces between plants, you could save yourself a lot of headaches in the future. If you know how high a tree can grow or how wide a bush can spread, then you will be able to correctly address it. Once you know how to, be sure to have a preserved landscape in the years to come.