Why the costa del sol is looking forward to a bright summer, how to avoid the sharks, why the right lawyer makes all the difference, and discover the last Costa. Plus the world's worst magician and how to get organised. They dragged me out of the beach bar for this?
News
Laying the foundation for a villa in Spain
The Telegraph, Richard Crockett
Paying for a good lawyer will help avoid property quicksand, writes Richard Crockett
More Britons are buying a home in the sun but they must note that conveyancing law and property taxes do not end at Dover.
Sticking to the rules, just as you would at home, may appear to add to costs but cutting corners could prove penny-wise and pound-foolish. Apart from anything else, the law is there to protect buyers and sellers.
Property hunters scouring the Spanish costas for a new holiday or retirement home could be forgiven for wondering what they might be getting into in the light of the corruption scandal that has erupted in Marbella.
For residents, the surprise is not so much allegations of multi-billion euro municipal backhanders but the fact the national authorities are at last doing something about it. However, a little protection money, spent on a decent lawyer, should keep Brits out of shark-infested waters when it comes to investing in the off-plan sector.
The idea is that a developer sells yet-to-be-built property at competitive prices, which means he gets cashflow and his clients get a bargain.
The hope is that a year or two later you can pick up the keys to a new apartment or villa having already notched up a decent gain over the purchase price. The buyer pays anything between 20 per cent and 50 per cent after signing on the dotted line and the balance on completion. A competent lawyer will check all the paperwork is correct, particularly building permits and land use regulations.
A large proportion of new dwellings in the coastal areas go up on former agricultural land. The regional government, or junta, is the final arbiter on land use and publishes any accepted changes in a daily gazette.
A lot of the money in Marbella allegedly came from some officials brazenly charging developers for connivance in building illegally on green land. It is estimated that some 30,000 out the town's 80,000 homes may have been built without the correct permits.
In theory, Madrid and the courts could eventually order some or all of the properties to be demolished. But this is highly unlikely except in the most extreme cases. Innocent buyers are protected by the "good faith" clause of Spanish consumer law.
Granada-based lawyer José García-Valdecasas of Lexur Abagados says: "The government will always protect the consumer if you have all the correct paperwork." After all, he adds, "it is not in the interests of Spain to have a negative impact on tourists and foreign residents".
However, buyers who have been persuaded to turn a blind eye to the planning laws do so at their own, considerable, risk. This underlines the importance of only dealing with reputable developers. British buyers who wish to minimise risks may consider dealing only with developers who have an established presence, and a reputation to protect, in the United Kingdom.
Another potential landmine for the unwary comes in the shape of hard-sell agents who claim there are easy, tax-free profits to be made by selling off-plan property before completion comes around.
It is a widely-held belief that sales of unfinished homes in Spain are exempt from the local equivalent of capital gains tax, which runs at 35 per cent for non-residents.
Mr Valdecasas says residents and non-residents alike are obliged to declare all capital gains made in Spain, whatever their source. As to those get-rich-quick schemes promoted by unscrupulous estate agents and spreading across the internet, he says: "This is very dangerous tax advice."
Martin Gow, group marketing manager for Parador Properties, which markets off-plan homes in Spain and elsewhere around the Mediterranean, said: "What has happened in the Costa del Sol for example, is that investors have bought off-plan at pre-construction prices and, before they complete, sold the property on at the new market value.
''The taxman doesn't see this transaction and the profit because the property has still not been completed and therefore not been registered. This is a high-risk strategy as the Costa del Sol proved."
Instead of saving a few thousand euros, bad advice could lead to months of worry, a hefty legal bill and a fine.
There is relief of sorts on CGT levels. The European Commission is taking the Spanish government to the European Court of Justice over what it claims are discriminatory practices as residents only pay 15 per cent CGT (due to rise to 18 per cent).
Expect to be billed about one per cent of the purchase price for a lawyer's conveyance services. When searching for that dream villa, allow for an extra 10 per cent above the asking price. This will be made up of VAT at seven per cent, stamp duty at one per cent and the rest for fees such as the lawyer, the notary and mains electricity and water connections (see box).
Also keep in mind you will need to have a will drawn up in Spain covering your property to avoid complicated inheritance issues.
Resist being hurried into signing the private purchase contract until you are satisfied it is explicit about the property particulars.
This also means buyers have recourse at the completion stage if the property doesn't quite match that picture in the brochure.
The contract should include a bank guarantee stating your deposit funds will be held in the builder's accounts until specific conditions are met. This means buyers can get their money back, maybe plus a bit of interest, if for some reason the project is abandoned.
Reputable builders will also state a target completion date. In practice, this means if a project runs more than three months late you can haggle for some money off or perhaps an upgrade for the white goods as compensation.
So, get a reputable lawyer and play a straight bat with the taxman. Then relax, open a bottle of Rioja and watch the sun set behind the palm trees.
Should you buy in your own name or through a company?
WHEN Gudula Freytag bought a plot in Estepona on the Costa del Sol on which to build her dream property, she was unable to do so in her own name: for tax reasons, the land was held in the name of a Gibraltar-registered company, and the vendors insisted she bought the company rather than the land itself. When she came to build her home, however, Freytag, 47, discovered she did not own the plot, leaving her embroiled in a four-year legal battle to get back what is hers.
“The owners of the hotel next door forged documents that enabled them to transfer ownership and register my land without my knowledge or consent,” she said. “My beachfront property has been stolen from under my nose.”
If Freytag ever buys again, she insists she will do so in her own name — or not at all. “You never know what can happen, and complicated ownership structures can expose you to risks you never imagined existed,” she says.
Unlike Freytag, most people buying in Spain will do so in their own name. But as her example shows, it is not the only way. So does it ever make sense to buy through a company? Well, occasionally, but it’s rare, and you need to know what you’re doing.
Buying in your own name
This makes sense for all Brits either relocating or buying a holiday home in Spain. They are buying mainly for personal use, though they may rent them out a little if they can.
It is the most straightforward and cost-efficient way. Given the size of the average British property budget, which is less than €200,000 (£137,000), Spanish companies are comparatively expensive to set up and run. There are tax rates of 30%-35% on their earnings, and a tax on dividends. This is almost certain to be much more than the capital-gains taxes individual owners face: at the moment, CGT is 35% for non-residents, although as of January 2007 this is predicted to fall to 18%; residents pay 15%. Furthermore, Spanish residents selling their main home can reinvest all their gains tax-free into another principal home, whether it’s in in Spain or the UK. This is not an option for people who own via companies.
Another important reason to buy privately — one that is often overlooked — is the “benefit in kind” tax you are obliged to pay to the British taxman if you own property through a company abroad. If your vehicle owns a property, and you have the benefit of staying there, you could be hit with a tax bill running into thousands of pounds. Many Brits, who have bought second homes through companies to avoid local taxes and Spanish inheritance laws do not realise this, and do not declare it in their self-assessments.
Buying through a Spanish company
The Brit who should consider using a Spanish company structure is the serious investor. Mark Banister, 54, a semi-retired banker from Milton Keynes, and his wife, Denise, are a classic example.
They spent £268,000 on a 5,000sq m plot of land in the upmarket Marbella Club Golf Resort, and are building a villa that they plan to sell for about £1.7m.
“With all the costs involved in buying a plot, which attracts Spanish Vat at 16%, and building a villa, it made sense for us to do this through a company,” says Banister, who now lives in New York. “Some of the Vat can be reclaimed, some of the build costs deducted, and we believe the overall tax burden will be lower.”
Sarah Dodgson, who runs Hermosa Homes, an estate agency that offers turnkey solutions to people such as the Banisters, agrees: “These clients are sophisticated investors who buy plots and then build villas that they plan to sell, or perhaps rent out. They are, in fact, small developers, and for them it is tax efficient to do this via a Spanish company.”
If Brits are buying through a Spanish vehicle to avoid local inheritance laws, they are misguided — UK inheritance laws usually apply to the property of British nationals, so there’s no advantage.
David Franks of Blevins Franks, specialists in expatriate financial advice, is clear: “For the most part, all of the clever reasons for using companies to buy property in Spain, such as tax efficiency and greater flexibility, are complicated and highly impractical.
“Owning through a company can also make it difficult to sell, as the vast majority of buyers want a property, not shares of a company. Spanish companies cost money to set up and administer, so for most buyers it is just simpler, and cheaper, in every respect, to buy in their own names.”
Buying via an offshore company
Once, it was worthwhile to buy through an offshore company, say, in Gibraltar — it enables you to avoid Spanish CGT and transfer tax when eventually selling, as the transaction only involves shares in an offshore structure.
But the Spanish tax authorities hate it when buyers use offshore vehicles and try to make it uneconomic. “If you own a property through an offshore company, you have to pay a special tax of 3% of the market value of the property every year,” explains Franks.
This is a lot to pay each year just for owning this way, particularly when, as Franks says, it is not an option with anything to recommend it for the normal investor. And as Freytag’s sorry tale shows, it can expose buyers to a greater risk of fraud. Most Brits will be better off, and will keep headaches to a minimum, if they buy in the simplest and cheapest way of all — in their own names.
Big four pledge cut in roaming charges in response to threat of legal action by European Commission. Miles Brignall reports
The cost of using a mobile phone abroad finally appears to be coming down. Last week, three of the big four phone companies operating in the UK said they will reduce "roaming" costs, mostly in response to the threat of legal action by the European Commission.
However, Guardian Money research shows that most travellers will be better off buying a local SIM card when they arrive at their foreign destination, rather than using their UK mobile phone. These typically cost €15-€18 although you'll need an unlocked phone.
Our Paris correspondent, Kim Willsher, says her husband has obtained a SIM card for €15 which included €6 of calls and 20 free text messages - more than enough for most holidaymakers.
In Spain, Giles Tremlett was quoted €18 for a Spanish SIM card, which again included €6 worth of calls. Spanish call charges are as low as €0.18 a minute.
Top-ups can be bought in newsagents and other convenience stores. Some of these locally-bought SIM cards will expire if no calls are made in six months. However, the savings will be well worth it if you are planning to make more than a handful of calls.
On arrival in a foreign country, a mobile phone automatically searches for an alternative network, and all calls are charged at roaming rates unless a domestic SIM card is inserted.
The commission has long argued that roaming charges are too high and has ordered the big companies to cut prices or face legal action. Charges are steep - up to £1.50 a minute to phone home from abroad. Receiving a call can cost £1 a minute.
Last week, T-Mobile cut the cost of calls from abroad from 75p a minute to 55p. Vodafone and O2 responded with their own lower charges. Vodafone is claiming it will be the cheapest, although customers have to opt in to its discounted scheme. Vodafone cuts take effect next year.
Anthony Ball of mobile charges comparison website Onecompare.com says cost reductions are welcome, but do not go far enough. "Roaming charges are still too high, particularly for people using pre-paid phones, and for those travelling in North America. Regular travellers should consider switching to one of the companies that provide pre-paid SIMs for use abroad. The fact that they give free incoming calls can make a huge difference to the user's bill."
The best deal is to buy the SIM card on arrival. Buying one in the UK before departure is relatively expensive and makes sense only for heavy users and frequent travellers.
One advantage of pre-buying is that the guide is in English and the new number can be to passed around before departure. The companies involved, such as SIM4travel.co.uk, gosim.com or 0044.co.uk, can supply country-specific SIM cards or global cards usable in a variety of countries.
These typically cost around £35 and while call charges are not much cheaper than roaming fees, received calls are free. They are particularly popular with people visiting several countries.
Other ways to save on calls exist, other than buying a new SIM card. On arrival, your phone may not always choose the cheapest local provider. Your phone company's website will tell you which network is best, and you can manually select it. Texting is the most cost-effective as there is no charge to receive texts while abroad. But voicemail messages can be expensive.
Tourist Record
Encouraging Summer for the Costa del Sol according to Euroweeklynews.com
RECORD numbers of tourists visiting the Costa del Sol last year have convinced the authorities that success in the future is guaranteed. Figures just released show a reversal of the trend which has seen the Costa’s share of tourism falling steadily in recent years, in favour of cheaper areas such as Greece, Croatia and the Czech Republic.
More than nine million visitors arrived last year, 6.1 per cent up on 2004 and the first increase for three years. It comes after the Costa del Sol Tourist Board and Andalucia’s regional government spent millions of euros trying to publicise the coast in European media.
Of the nine million visitors, 5.6 million were foreigners, mainly British and German. But the Spanish market is also on the increase and now accounts for 37 per cent of the total number of tourists, outstripping the British by three per cent.
Next year, 9,165,000 tourists are expected on the Costa del Sol as security fears abound at other destinations. Meanwhile, total tourist expenditure also rose by nearly 14 per cent to 3.96 billion euros compared with 2004, while the average stay was up to 11.8 days.
The average amount spent per tourist last year on the coast was 843 euros – nearly five per cent more than the previous year. For the first time, there are more than 1,000 hotels to stay in on the coast, with a total of 136,945 beds.
President of the Costa del Sol Tourist Board, Juan Faile, said: “We are continuing to increase the offer over demand,” referring to the 1,746 more hotel places and 16 new hotels which opened in 2005.
The main reasons for holidaying on the Costa del Sol were reported be the climate, ownership of a property and a fondness of the location, while complaints included the lack of parking spaces and soaring costs.
Uncrowded, accessible and relatively inexpensive, the Costa del Azahar is everything that discerning British buyers could want, discovers Mark Stucklin
Most Britons capable of finding Spain on a map can also point out the Costa del Sol and the Costa Blanca. Far fewer, however, will be able to point to the Costa del Azahar — Spain’s Orange Blossom Coast. But in all likelihood, many of the Britons who have bought cramped, pricey flats on the Costa del Sol, or snapped up hastily built villas from dodgy agents on the Costa Blanca in the south, would have been much better off on the Costa del Azahar, the last remaining coastline still largely undiscovered by British buyers.
Visit the area, and you are immediately struck by how few sunburnt Brits are wandering around. According to Spanish government statistics, there were just 900 British residents in Castellon province at the end of 2005, compared with 26,256 in Malaga province (Costa del Sol) and 42,000 in Alicante province (Costa Blanca). Is this lack of interest among British homebuyers justified? Do canny Brits know something about the Costa del Azahar that others don’t? And are there good reasons why 41,100 more Brits choose to live in Alicante province, just 80 miles south? The answers to these questions don’t support our self-image as savvy investors and discerning tourists. Unless you are golf-mad, there is no compelling, knockout reason for choosing the Costa Blanca or the Costa del Sol over the Costa del Azahar. The real reasons why Brits aren’t in the Costa del Azahar boil down to ignorance, a tendency to follow the herd and a taste for the easy option.
If you do your research before deciding which coast to choose, you will discover that the Costa del Azahar in Castellon province is 75 miles long, running from the border with Catalonia in the north, where the mighty Ebro River flows into the Mediterranean, to the border with Valencia province in the south, just 30 miles from the city of Valencia itself.
Beside sandy white beaches and fragrant orange groves, the Costa del Azahar offers a pleasant climate, breathtaking countryside (both coast and mountains) and delicious local cuisine. While there may not be many golf courses — no bad thing on environmental grounds — the province has the highest proportion of land protected in parks and nature reserves in Spain. In short, this is an attractive, very Spanish coast with plenty of things to do — exactly the sort of place you would expect British property buyers to be all over.
Not everyone has made the mistake of overlooking it. For years, it was popular with German buyers, who had an extra reason for liking the Costa del Azahar: you can reach it by car in just one day’s drive from southern Germany.
For economic reasons, German buyers have largely disappeared from the area but, in contrast to Mallorca, where their properties were snapped up by advancing Brits, the market here has been left to the Spanish. This authentic Spanishness should make the Costa del Azahar irresistible to the British, many of whom claim to be looking for the “real Spain”. And a property market dominated by local buyers is always a good sign: prices in areas where foreigners are very active tend to become inflated, as visitors on quick inspection trips are easy prey for overcharging.
If most Britons remain ignorant of the Costa del Azahar’s charms, the heir to the British throne isn’t among them. Prince Charles has been on several short, low-key visits to the region, staying at the beachfront villa of the Colonques family, who run Porcelanosa, a successful ceramic tile company in the area. The house, in an exclusive residential enclave just outside the small town of Benicasim, has wonderful sea views and a pretty little beach.
Other Brits wise to the area’s attractions include Judi and David Simpson, both 48, from Sheffield, who bought a villa in the town of Alcossebre in 2001. “We heard about the area from a friend and went out on a long weekend break without any intention of buying a property,” says Judi. “Largely out of curiosity, we got talking to a Spanish estate agent. As luck would have it, they had a villa we just couldn’t resist.”
The Simpsons, who have two daughters, aged nine and 17, paid £190,000 for a three-bedroom, two-bathroom villa with a lush, tropical garden and pool, just 10 minutes’ walk from the old town centre of Alcossebre and the beach. They spent a further £30,000 refurbishing the property, and it has turned out to be a worthwhile investment.
Recent capital gains in Castellon province have been some of the highest in Spain, with more than 30% growth in the past two years alone — somewhat better than in the provinces of Malaga and Alicante. The Simpsons’ villa is now valued at more than £500,000.
Judi and David use their new home about three months a year for holidays; the rest of the time it’s used by family and friends. They also rent it out via www.holiday-rentals.com, but only to people who they believe will take good care of the property. “We didn’t buy it as an investment, so we aren’t desperate for rental clients, but it’s nice if it pays its way,” says Judi.
She has visited other coastal areas of Spain and is very clear in her mind about the strengths of the Costa del Azahar.
“First, it’s down-to-earth and authentic, free of the glitz and pretensions you see elsewhere,” she says. “Here you can just relax and be yourself in a friendly, Spanish environment. Second, it feels very safe, the sort of place where you don’t worry about your kids all the time. Third, there’s plenty to do — at home, at the beach or on excursions, and the kids are never bored. Lastly, it’s easy to get to — we can fly to either Valencia, Reus, or Barcelona, and then drive or take a fast train to Benicarlo, which is just 12 miles away.”
Despite recent capital gains that have outperformed most other Spanish coastal areas, property prices on the Costa del Azahar are still attractive.
According to Juan Luis Gasco, marketing director of Onofre Miguel, a leading local developer, property prices are still 25%-30% below those of the northern Costa Blanca, and research at Spanish property websites reveals that roughly 70% of apartments for sale on the Costa del Azahar cost less than £140,000, compared with just 23% in the province of Malaga.
According to Spanish government figures, property in Castellon is more expensive than in Almeria and Murcia, as you would expect of a more prosperous region, but is cheaper than in the Canaries, Cadiz, Alicante, Malaga and Catalonia’s Mediterranean provinces. Property in the area is not a steal, then, but it is a good deal.
So where does one buy on the Costa del Azahar? There’s no denying that there are some pockets of heavy-handed development along the coast; for instance, the stretch between Castellon de la Plana and Benicasim, and the ghastly-looking Marina d’Or development just north of Oropesa del Mar. But even in those areas, development tends to be limited to a narrow strip along the coast and doesn’t sprawl inland. Part of the reason for this is that the hills of the Serra d’en Galceran rise quickly behind the coast, discouraging everything but beachside development.
Finca, Private, Partly Furnished, Fitted Kitchen, Parking: Off road parking, Pool: Private, Garden: Private, Facing: South Views: Mountains, Panoramic. Features: Built to High Standards, Charming Property, Fireplace, Fitted Kitchen, Full of Character, Garden, Good Road Access, Investment Property, Landscaped Gardens, Lounge Dining Area, Partially Furnished, Private Area, Private pool, Quality Residence, Satellite TV, Secluded Property, Sep. guest accomodation, Sunny terraces, Utility Room.
Additional Notes:
This fabulous property comprises three independent detached houses, two swimming pools, a tack room, picadero and space for stables for a number of horses, all set in over 18.000m2 of land. The main house constructed in wood but on a steel reinforced concrete platform, has plenty of light and space, a lovely family kitchen area, double height ceilings, five bedrooms and three bathrooms. Across the other side of the pool there is a detached one bedroom apartment. And down the hill (and accessed through its own independent gate) is the third houses with two bedrooms, one bathroom and it´s own pool, adjoining the area for keeping horses. Esta vivienda espectacular comprende de tres independientes adosados, dos piscinas, escuadra, picadero y espacio para establos para cierto numero de caballos, todo en un espacio de 18.000m2 de parcela. La casa principal está construido de madera y plataforma de acero reforzada. Tiene mucha luminación y ampliación, cocina familiar, doble altura en el techo, cinco dormitorios y tres baños. Al otro lado de la piscina hay un apto de un dormitorio. Bajando una cuestecilla (con su propio acesso por una verja independiente) se encuentra la tercera vivienda, con dos dormitorios, un baño ,su propia piscina y adjunto zona para guardar caballos.
Peace of mind is part of your purchase - all Hiperprop sales consultants are accredited
What's on
Event info supplied by
Modern Art
Know your cubism from your surrealism? Go to the Centro de Arte Contemporaneo in Malaga. Its free entry and open Tues - Sun 10-2 & 5-9. Call 952120055 or visit www.cacmalaga.org
Selwo Marina
Free Willy? Aquarium and dolphin and sea lion shows
Open every day from 10am Adults: 13.90€ Children 9.90€
Tel: 902190482
Choral Music
28 May, Fuengirola The choir and orchestra of Collegium Musicum, the coast classical and sacred music association give their annual May concert in the Palacio de la Paz in the permanent Fairground site at 8pm.
Entry is free -For more information contact Els Crols on 952 81 17 95
Shakira in concert
30 th June 2006 in the Rosaleda Stadium, Malaga 10pm. This is part of her 2006 tour. Tickets & info are available from El Corte Ingles department stores.
Seen the Da Vinci Code yet? Apparently its not that good.
Check out our cinema guide.
2 Million Euros for Malaga Beaches TypicallySpanish.com reports that regeneration work is being carried out before the high season and affects the towns of Estepona, Benalmádena, Fuengirola, Mijas, Marbella and Manilva on the Western Costa del Sol, and Vélez Málaga, Algarrobo, and Rincón de la Victoria on the Eastern coast. Read More
Speed Traps Spotted - Sur in English reports on the 13 new speed camera sites on Andalucia's roads Sur in English
Magic Theatre to open - Torremolinos will see Europe's first theatre dedicated to magic shows. Located in Calle Cuba, near the Aquapark, the theater is the brainchild of Dutch illusionists.
New IKEA - The Swedish furniture giants have announced a new store to be built in Jerez. The store will be part of a new commercial park and will employ around 400.
All the usual rubbish ...
Now thats magic...
Meet illusionist David Chesterfield, who will amaze you with his magical powers
Now you might ask "Jamie, how does a dazzling urban sophisticate like yourself find time to socialize, work, and keep up to date with the latest trends in your industry?". Or you might not.
In fact, organisationally speaking, I am an unmitigated disaster area. However I am trying to improve my "information flow" and have found a few useful web gizmos that I will share -
del.icio.us - dead simple but a great idea. Keep all your bookmarks/favourite web links in one place. So you can access and organise all your fave websites from anywhere - great if you have a PC at home and in the office (not to mention a laptop). You can also see what other people are bookmarking.
Google Notebook - This is a plug in for your browser and basically acts like a super - scrapbook. You can grab images and snippets of text from websites whilst surfing and with one click save them for reference to your notebook.
Bloglines - Good one this. If you like to keep up to date on your industry/hobbies/showbiz, in fact any subject that interests you, then you probably are (or should be) an avid blog reader. Use this site to keep all your favourite reads in one handy place. It also tells you when new titbits have been posted. .PS If you want to know what a blog is - read this
Writely - Recently acquired by Google, this is an online word processor. So its like Microsft Word but available to you anywhere from any PC. Your saved files are also securely stored in cyberspace and are available to you from any PC. You can also collaborate online. Genius. Currently they are on hold for a few weeks whilst they move their systems over to Google, but sign up because a) its free and b) you will find it invaluable and c) because I told you to.
Apartment, Close to Golf, Furnished, Fitted Kitchen, Parking: Garage, Pool: Communal Pool, Garden: Community, Facing: West
Features Air conditioning, Community Garden, Conveniently Situated for Golf, Fitted Kitchen, Fully Furnished, Garage, G...
More Britons are buying a home in the sun but they must note that conveyancing law and property taxes do not end at Dover.
WHEN Gudula Freytag bought a plot in Estepona on the Costa del Sol on which to build her dream property, she was unable to do so in her own name: for tax reasons, the land was held in the name of a Gibraltar-registered company, and the vendors insisted she bought the company rather than the land itself. When she came to build her home, however, Freytag, 47, discovered she did not own the plot, leaving her embroiled in a four-year legal battle to get back what is hers.
The cost of using a mobile phone abroad finally appears to be coming down. Last week, three of the big four phone companies operating in the UK said they will reduce "roaming" costs, mostly in response to the threat of legal action by the European Commission.
RECORD numbers of tourists visiting the Costa del Sol last year have convinced the authorities that success in the future is guaranteed. Figures just released show a reversal of the trend which has seen the Costa’s share of tourism falling steadily in recent years, in favour of cheaper areas such as Greece, Croatia and the Czech Republic.
Visit the area, and you are immediately struck by how few sunburnt Brits are wandering around. According to Spanish government statistics, there were just 900 British residents in Castellon province at the end of 2005, compared with 26,256 in Malaga province (Costa del Sol) and 42,000 in Alicante province (Costa Blanca). Is this lack of interest among British homebuyers justified? Do canny Brits know something about the Costa del Azahar that others don’t? And are there good reasons why 41,100 more Brits choose to live in Alicante province, just 80 miles south? The answers to these questions don’t support our self-image as savvy investors and discerning tourists. Unless you are golf-mad, there is no compelling, knockout reason for choosing the Costa Blanca or the Costa del Sol over the Costa del Azahar. The real reasons why Brits aren’t in the Costa del Azahar boil down to ignorance, a tendency to follow the herd and a taste for the easy option.
Now you might ask "Jamie, how does a dazzling urban sophisticate like yourself find time to socialize, work, and keep up to date with the latest trends in your industry?". Or you might not. 
More...
