Archive for July, 2007

Online Property Portals

Monday, July 23rd, 2007

casa Quest (www.casaquest.com) displays thousands of properties for sale in the Canary Islands and deals with some of the most reputable estate agents on the archipelago.

By clicking on your chosen island, you can search through a vast array of properties with descriptions, locations, photos and prices.

You can then build up your own portfolio of preferred properties and decide which ones you really want to see before contacting the agent representing the property. This saves time for both you and the agent.

The site also provides local information about the Canary Islands, property and investment related articles, links to legal advice and information about mortgages and finance.

The Canary Islands
Also known as the “Happy Islands”, the Canary Islands are famous for their perfect year round climate, spectacular landscapes, excellent beaches and amazing nightlife. They’re located beneath Spain, about 97 kilometers off the northwest coast of Africa.

The islands cover 7,242 square kilometers and have 1,007 kilometers of coastline. Seven are inhabited.

The Spanish Property Market
A recent article from www.tenerifecapitalbusiness.info (3 July 2007), points out that Spanish property market is in good shape and hints at which of the two archipelagos is the best value for money.

Despite the recent market slump, it appears that the Spanish market is looking a lot healthier than most had expected.

In Malaga province for example, property prices have not fallen as expected but in fact have risen by over 1.5% from €310,000 to €315,000. Similarly, in Seville prices increased by €20,000 in the last month, from €160,000 in June 07 to €180,000 in July 07.

In Alicante province average property prices have remained stable at around €250,000, the same as they were in May 2007. All in all, national average property prices in Spain remain static at €250,000.

According to the latest Kyero.com Spanish House Price Index, property for sale in the Canary Islands is significantly cheaper than Balearic Islands.

On the Balearic Islands of Mallorca and Menorca the average property price is €402,000, whereas on the Canary Islands of Tenerife, Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria the average property price is just €230,333. Add this to year round sunshine and the possibility to rent at “tourist prices” all throughout the year and it seems obvious which one is the investor’s choice.

The website
Casa Quest is basically an information site. It’s not there to sell properties. It was set up back in 2003 by Dr Paul Johnson, a retired British medical practitioner, in collaboration with Sorted Sites, (http://www.sortedsites.com). Its aim is simple – to make buying and selling property on the Canary Islands easier.

Posted in Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, Spain | 57 Comments »

Tenerife Investment areas (Los Cristianos)

Monday, July 2nd, 2007

Located on the south of Tenerife, just 15 minuets from Reina Sofia Airport, Los Cristianos is one of the most popular investment resorts on Tenerife. There’s a wide range of excellent value properties for sale in Los Cristianos – everything from luxury apartments and studios to grand villas and spacious townhouses.

Island Overview (Tenerife)
Tenerife is often described as “one of the last paradise islands in Europe”. It’s an island of dramatic extremes and contrasts. Along with a colourful array of exotic fauna and flora, this volcanic island has lush green forests, black volcanic beaches, miles and miles of beautiful coastal scenery and some spectacular cliffs (Los Gigantes).

Tenerife has a perfect climate. The island enjoys wonderful weather all year round. It’s never too hot or too cold. Most of the sunshine, the least clouds and highest temperatures can be found in the coastal areas. The south tends to be hot and dry while the north of Tenerife tends to be a lot greener and more humid.

Los Cristianos (Tenerife)
Los Cristianos is a quite resort. It’s generally suitable for families, older couples or anyone wanting to relax and enjoy the wonderful climate and beaches.

Los Cristianos has some amazing beaches. The main Los Cristianos beach has clean calm warm waters and is sheltered from the wind by a harbour. You can comfortably practice water sports here all year round without a wetsuit!

One of the best beaches on Tenerife is located just five minuetes down the road from Los Cristianos. Las Vistas beach (in the next bay) is a fine golden sandy beach with crystal clear waters and top-class facilities.

Los Cristianos has managed to retain its indigenous Canarian charm, a lot more so than some of the other resorts on Tenerife. It’s grown from a small Spanish fishing village into a top class resort with vibrant mixture traditional Spanish and modern European culture.

There’s a large British expat community here, many of whom own their own properties. San Marino complex, for example, has many English residents.

From Los Cristianos, you can take a ferry to nearby La Gomera; a nature lover’s paradise, with volcanic sand beaches, natural parks and dramatic mountains peaks – a popular spot for whale & dolphin watching as well as deep-sea fishing.

Buying a home in Tenerife (Choosing the right agent)
Buying a new home is a big step, especially if it’s in a foreign country. When doing so, it’s important to choose the right agent – one that you can trust; and one that knows the area and the market extremely well.

Tate Properties are one of the most well-established and reputable agents in Los Cristianos. They have an impressive range of resale and off-plan properties, along with numerous quality properties available for long term rental.

They’ll do most of the hard work for you, including property searches; paperwork; sales contracts; land registry searches etc. You’ll be guided through the whole process, from start to finish.

Posted in Los Cristianos | 111 Comments »

Buy to let investments in Los Gigantes (Tenerife)

Monday, July 2nd, 2007

Los Gigantes holiday rentals are providing property owners with lucrative and stable income all throughout the year. With year round sunshine, it’s possible to rent out a property at any stage of the year or for the whole year at “Tourist Prices”.

Buy to let investment
Buying a property with the sole intention of renting it out is a popular and stable investment option.

Basically you buy a property and rent it out as soon as possible and ideally rent should cover the cost of your mortgage. A sound knowledge of the local letting market is essential for success here.

At the moment there’s huge a demand for short-term rental and holiday let accommodation in Tenerife, Los Gigantes, in particular.

The island has it all – beautiful beaches, spectacularly diverse landscape, perfect climate, excellent nightlife, cosmopolitan culture and a good infrastructure.
Despite the island’s popularity and the growing numbers of visitors each year, there’s still plenty of room for growth in Tenerife’s property market.

Background (Los Gigantes – “The Giants”)
Los Gigantes is one of the most popular holiday resort areas on Tenerife. It’s located on the southwest coast of Tenerife, close to the small village of Cueva del Polvo and the blue-flag beach of Playa de la Arena. The town is named after the famous “Los Gigantes” cliffs, which are located close by.

These massive rock formations are truly spectacular. Apart from Mount Teide (Spain’s highest mountain), they’re one of the most impressive parts of the Tenerife – an absolute must see for any visitor to the island. They’re best seen from a boat, which you can hire from the nearby marina.

Apparently, this part of Tenerife gets the best climate in the whole of the Canary Islands.

Los Gigantes is an idyllic resort that blends in well with the surrounding landscape. The local authorities have made every effort to ensure that the resort’s central apartment complexes and residential areas are all low-rise.

Not to be missed
Whale & dolphin watching as well as scuba diving are two very popular activities here.

There are around 27 different species of whale and dolphin in the waters off of Los Gigantes.

Water temperatures reach up to a cosy 24°C in summer and a fresh 20°C in winter, making it a diver’s paradise. The visibility here is excellent, sometimes reaching up to 35 meters.

There are around 25 dive sites in the region offering all kinds of diving experiences to all levels of diver, from beginner to advanced. The local dives schools can help you decide which site is most suitable to your level.

Los Gigantes resorts
There are now numerous top class resorts offering superb holiday rental accommodation in Los Gigantes, Las Rosas & El Marques being two of the best. For more information on these see the following article ”Los Gigantes holiday rentals” on http://www.holiday-sunrentals.com/.

Posted in Los Cristianos, Renting property Tenerife | No Comments »