The Day of the Dead!

Today is Halloween, so tonight we can expect a stream of garishly dressed kids to be knocking at our door demanding “trick or treat”. For me however this is all very new and a sign of cultural globalization. Sure Halloween was recognized in the UK as I grew up as a time for witches and beasties but “Trick or Treat is an entirely American concept that has swept the world. Hardly surprising that kids love this win/win event; sanctioned blackmail with sweets as a reward and the chance to be really naughty if someone doesn’t pay up!

In Spain however the big day is the 1^st November. In the UK it was “All Saints Day” but in Spain it is “The Day of the Dead”. This is the florist’s Christmas with the flower stall at the entrance of every cemetery doing a roaring trade as the whole village or town comes to visit and remember the deceased. This could sound morbid but that is not the Spanish way! There will of course be tears but “The Day of the Dead” is a time for fond remembrances rather than sadness and a celebration of the departed and their lives.  It is, as with everything in Spain, a social occasion with families tending their own graves mingling with and reminiscing with their neighbours.

As a foreigner with family spread far and wide I always felt rather left out of these events, and not a little jealous. “The Day of the Dead” is a celebration of life, family, continuity and community that seems to have been lost elsewhere with the arrival of the  24/7 consumer society.

 

+44 208 144 5525

+598 424 80 563

Skype; tickle.tip

http://www.tickle-international-property.com/
Email: bill.tickle@tickle-international-property.com

Contrary Thinking

We are getting an increasing number of clients asking for long term rentals and this set me to thinking. I was always brought up to believe that money spent on rent was wasted; it went into someone else’s pocket and bought me nothing. A lot of people thought that way too which explains the popularity of home purchase. In the boom people would go to any lengths to “get on the ladder” whilst banks would seemingly lend any amount without a thought to how it would be paid back. That was madness but are we seeing a different madness now?

The experts tell us that the way to get rich is to think counter intuitively; to ignore the herd and go in the opposite direction! When everyone is telling you that now is the time to buy, that’s the time to sell and conversely when no one wants to buy, that is the time to step in. Sounds easy but the fact that so few of us are rich indicates that in practice it’s harder to do! When everyone around you says no it’s hard to stand out and say yes!

Just now popular opinion is that the Spanish property market is risky, the economy is a mess and that it is somehow chancy to buy a home in the country. Now I know how hard it is to go against the crowd but aren’t these just the times, with the market on it’s back, when buying is actually the right and safe path to take?

Apart from contrarian thinking, what other evidence is there? Well there are the fundamentals that will always make Spain popular; the best weather in Europe, great countryside, excellent infrastructure and unrivaled lifestyle. What convinces me that these factors will work their magic is, perversely, that so many people are renting! It shows there is a huge demand for Spanish living and that an awful lot of people want to make their home in the country. The odds are that they will become buyers when “the time is right”, ie when they have missed the bus and the market is well and truly rising again!

So why don’t you buy today? Well the bar and chat room experts, much of the media and plenty of family and friends will tell you not to and buying in the face of that advice could cause some sleepless nights! It’s very hard to stand out against the crowd. But the reward for those who to take the plunge will be a wonderful lifestyle or holidays from the off and the best investment they will probably ever make!

Finally a thought; for expats a bad local economy is a positive! In booming economies prices rise, in hard times they fall! So as an expat you have a vested interest in your host economy doing badly. Viva La Crisis?

 

+44 208 144 5525

+598 424 80 563

Skype; tickle.tip

http://www.tickle-international-property.com/

Email: bill.tickle@tickle-international-property.com

Comment from Dave Summers and Annemarie Andried reproduced with their permission;

Bill,

 

Whilst we agree with your take on the situation, a major factor that we consider a stumbling block to committing our life-long savings to a Spanish property is the fact that, the type of property we would create/like would be such that in say  5 - 10 years time when we reach our dottage, or when one of us passes away,and wanted to sell, we can only image that the property would be attractive to another foreigner(not a local) since we have different requirements/ideas when it comes to housing.

 

Therefore we see this narrowing of the field as a major influence on our (and maybe others) decision to commit fully to Spain . Particularly when there is the added confusion relating to changes in succession laws, taxes etc. which as you know the Spanish have a seemingly continuous habit of tinkering with. Result being confusion (f.i. we have contacted 3 different lawyers to get information about evt. income taxes and requirements for wills, etc. in case being resident/house owner and got 3 very different replies!!!)

So at the moment we are long term renting(Axarquia - inland East of Malaga) and because of the situation we fail to see how this whole scenario is going to improve, even in the medium term (5 years) never mind the short term.

As we are in our mid-60ies, it would require a huge leap of faith to buy the place of our dreams in Spain; I would add we are not your typical old(fashioned)pensioners, since we are looking for sort of ultra modern property, but these always seem to come at a premium and can only be found at the coast whilst we ideally are looking for campo lifestyle.

 

We do appreciate your obvious efforts to help foreigners finding their ideal place in the sun, and enjoy reading your comments and insights into life in Spain in particular.

 

Keep up the good work,

on behalf of the Foreign Legion.

 

Dave Summers/Annemie Andries

My Reply

 

Dear Dave and Annemie,

 

Many, many thanks for taking the time to write so fully to me. It is very much appreciated and I found your thinking extremely interesting.

 

You make some very interesting observations;

 

1. Local V Foreign Taste. This has always been something of an issue! Then again there are different markets between different nationalities; the British and the Irish are neighbours but often seek different things! That said I have never known of there being a problem selling TO Spanish buyers. The problems usually arise where we are trying to sell Spanish properties to foreigners! In fact I sold my home in Spain to Spanish buyers.  The reality is that if you reform, design and build well there will be universal interest. Sure, today, Spaniards tend to prefer glossy marble and shiny tiling whilst foreigners tend to go for the rustico look but fashions change and no matter what style you choose if it’s tasteful and well done there will be buyers. The size of your rooms, the layout and so on will ensure a sale.  

I also have to say that I expect foreign buyers (ie non Spanish) to again be the main driving force in Southern Spain in the future. The need to escape to cold and grey of the North won’t go away!

 

2. Changes in the law. More troubling but also universal! Governments everywhere tinker with the law incessantly as a justification for their position and privileges!  Nothing that the Spanish Government will do can however compare to the recent tax hike in France on foreign owned properties! 

Income tax is an individual thing and my only comment here is to say that when you move to a new country you have a fresh start on that score so what you declare and how you arrange your affairs has nothing to do with history!

 

Property taxes in Spain are incredibly low and because you live amongst Spanish people will not rise significantly.

 

Inheritance tax has always been a bugbear as the rules in Spain (as elsewhere like France ) stipulate to a great extent who gets what. This can and will change but all movement is towards giving you, the writer of the will more power. It is also the case that credit will be given to the law of your own country in the rules applied to any will. My wife and I always have what in Britain is considered normal; everything left to the survivor, in the event of both dying, everything equally between the kids. We reproduced this in our Spanish will and the advice was this would work. That said you do need legal advice. I can recommend an excellent “economist” in Velez Malaga you could talk to about this. I have known Manolo Mendez  for some 16 years and always found him to be extremely helpful and knowledgeable. His command of English is excellent and he has a big mixed clientele.

 

Gabinette Fiscal Mendez,
C/. Felix Lomas 32,
29700 Velez-Malaga,

Tel                   +34 952 502 100
Fax                  +34 952 501 221
Email                velez@gfmendez.com

 

3. Finally I understand about your property requirements. You think like me. Comfort and convenience before anything else! My advice here would be to look for a good, well built modern country property and expect to add the comfort touches to it. Double glazing is easy and in my own finca we added insulation with a plasterboard inner skin to create a cavity which was filled with insulation.

 I’d strongly recommend solar water heating but also solar panels for generating electricity. Again these are no longer expensive and they offer the chance to not only reduce bills but also increase usage and therefore comfort.

 

With regard to heating it can be difficult to install central heating after the house is built but that may not be necessary. Modern pellet fed fires are both cheap to use and extremely efficient. You could attach radiators to adjacent  rooms as well. These fires are so much cleaner and more efficient than the old wood burners! In this connection a lot of the fireplaces in Spanish homes are badly sited and useless and consequently give the impression that this type of heating doesn’t work. It does!

 

Obviously I can make recommendations for these things as well.

 

I hope these comments are helpful. I have given your objections a lot of thought and understand them. It’s just that at the end of the day I still think, even for you, that buying is the way to go!

Thinking of Buying a Bar?

Thinking of Buying a Bar? Then Think Carefully!!

One of the saddest memories I have of my life in Spain comes from a chance meeting with a happy couple and their lovely teenage daughter in Malaga airport. Their flight had delivered them to the wrong terminal and they needed directions to meet an estate agent. They showed me a piece of paper saying where their meeting place was and I gave them directions. It also said who they were meeting. Are you buying a bar I asked. Oh yes they replied, so excited they couldn’t stand still. Then be very, very, careful I said. They didn’t really care or take on board my warning and bounced off to their meeting and to their destiny.

To this day I feel guilt about not trying to put them off. The statistical reality is that their money would be gone, their lives ruined and the family shattered in months. The normal rule is that 70% of bar buyers are broke within 2 years but on the route this family were taking the odds were much worse and the timescale shorter.

Why didn’t I tell them? Well, as the agent in question always said “If I don’t sell them what they want (sic) someone else will”! Unfortunately in cases like this the people being helped invariably hate the helper and disbelieve what you say because you are sticking a  great big pin in the bubble of their dreams.

So why are bars so often such a bad deal?

There is no trade; when the punter visits they get rent a crowd in or you show the place on a busy day (Fuengirola port is busy on market day and out of sight the rest of the week for example). It’s not unknown for bars to be opened for the showing and closed when the punter goes home.

Hidden costs; you are told the rent for the bar but they omit to mention the equally large terrace rent payable to the town hall.

Competition; the bar down the road has been in the same ownership for donkey’s years. They own the freehold so there is no rent to pay and have great deals with suppliers. He can sell beer for less than you can buy it for from the wholesaler!

Inexperience; anyone entering a very competitive business with no training or experience has to be crazy and certainly has no future but that doesn’t stop people doing it all the time.

We rarely offer bars and when we do they tend to be freehold and away from the costa. Being away from the costa may seem counter intuitive but in reality a good village or shopping center location often works best. Less competition and regular all year round trade. In other words viable, realistic businesses offering a real chance to earn a living in the sun.

Finally we always sell business premises on a bricks and mortar basis; there is no element of good will in the price. Why? Because so much business in Spain is for cash that accounts are rarely worth the paper they are written on. If someone has accounts, particularly accounts that show lots of profit, treat them with great suspicion. In other words run a mile! You can get anything printed on the Costa del Sol.

This may sound like I am trying to put you off but not a bit of it. There are good bars and restaurants and there are plenty of alternative businesses. You just need to remember not be part of the crowds that leave their brains at the airport!  

To find out more about buying a business or to discuss your options, please get in touch!

+44 208 144 5525

+598 424 80 563

Skype; tickle.tip

http://www.tickle-international-property.com/

Email: bill.tickle@tickle-international-property.com

Bargains, Sales and Repossessions!

Another week and more new and reduced offerings!

I am often asked why I include sold and withdrawn listings in my update and the answer is twofold. I know a lot of people have their eye on particular houses so I think it’s important that they know what happens to them. The other issue is that a lot of people think the market in Spain is totally dead and that no matter how cheap houses are they will get cheaper. My sold listings are evidence that this isn’t entirely true. If a property is obviously exceptional value then it will sell!

 

We are constantly looking to add bank repossession sales to our listings. It’s hard work even though you would expect the banks to be falling over themselves to sell! Somehow if there isn’t a big bonus in there for someone they don’t seem to be very enthusiastic! That said things are improving and we can’t wait to show you some of these apartments which are on offer at prices not seen on the Costa del Sol in many a long year.

My best advice to anyone looking for a bargain is to give us as much notice as possible and let us set up multiple viewings. We always have more properties than can be shown on line!

Finally with the repos we need to charge a finders fee over and above whatever you pay the bank. We have set this at 3,000 Euros for properties under 100,000 Euros and 5,000 for properties over that price. With this in mind we have every incentive to get you the best deal possible.

If you are looking for something specific, or you want to discuss your requirements and what is available in greater detail, get in touch. We are always pleased to hear from you.

+44 208 144 5525

+598 424 80 563

Skype; tickle.tip

http://www.tickle-international-property.com/

Email: bill.tickle@tickle-international-property.com  

The Spanish At Their Best

Many, many years ago, just after my love affair with Spain began, I visited Estepona with my family to view investment properties. One of kids slipped in the shower and cut his chin badly enough for it to need stitches. I hadn’t a clue where to go or what to do so I called my friendly estate agent! He came out immediately and drove us to the town’s medical center (every Spanish town has one). As a former rugby player I knew all about casualty departments so I thanked the agent for showing me where it was and said he didn’t need to wait, we could walk home. He gave me a very old fashioned look and I soon found out why. We went in, my stitched up son was seen immediately and within 10 minutes we were on our way home again! Incredible to anyone used to the usual 3 hours + wait in casualty in the UK.

This was my introduction to the Spanish approach to emergencies. Whilst day to day things can be left to “mañana”, when the chips are down all the stops are pulled out. If you have an accident on the road, everyone stops to help, calling for assistance, directing traffic and doing whatever has to be done, whilst hospital emergency departments are exactly that! They aim to treat you and get you on your way as quickly as safely possible, even if, as happened to me once, this means dropping your shorts in a busy room for a quick injection of anti biotics in the bum!

What made me think of this? Well my friends in Spain have been suffering greatly of late with natural disasters of one kind or another; a huge area just behind my old home in Alhaurin el Grande was destroyed by a wild fire whilst the recent rains have caused serious flooding. Summer fires and floods after rain are always going to happen but what matters is the response! The firefighters in particular are amazing. You can see hectares of burnt land but the houses in the middle some how survive because of their skill and expertise. At a time when all the news from Spain is of doom and gloom these natural problems and the reaction to them is a reminder that Spain and Spaniards are at their best in a crisis! They understand what a vecino really is and anyone in trouble can expect help. That's why, no matter how bad things may look, they will turn round.

Can I also add that there are some very nice and talented people in Spain and can I therefore show my appreciation to http://www.facebook.com/Sh7Solutions for allowing me to use some of their photos.

http://www.tickle-international-property.com/

Email: bill.tickle@tickle-international-property.com
+44 208 144 5525

+598 424 80 563

Skype; tickle.tip

Property for sale in Andalucia

Properties for sale in Andalucia through Tickle International Property

It is always hard to get the message across to the great and the good and quite often the Internet is the best way to do it. With this in mind we have been spreading the Andalucia Property message around using a brand new website that has been around for two weeks now http://www.propertyforsaleandalucia.com

This new Andalucia Property for sale website hopes to highlight the best of the large amount of properties we have available for people who are desperate to come and live in beautiful, sunny, Andalucia and southern Spain. The website takes small samples of Andalucia properties from Malaga, Granada, Cordoba, Seville and other areas and highlights them in order to give the person searching for property a snapshot of the main Tickle International Website.

At present there are some excellent Andalucia properties and Bank repossessions, bargains that ordinary companies do not show to prospective clients, this includes a real darling of an apartment on the Costa del Sol in Fuengirola. Take a look and see what you think. Link

If you are selling your property then we are the people you should be in touch with, we aggressively advertise all of our Spanish properties individually, not just lump them on a website and hope for the best, no! We advertise all our andalucia properties all over the Internet, talk to us, what can you lose? Contact Bill Tickle

http://www.tickle-international-property.com/  
Email: bill.tickle@tickle-international-property.com