New Houses and All About Marchena

A real country house and villa special this week. Lots of new and updated properties including a few from an area I haven't covered before around Gandia on the Costa del Azahar (The Orange Blossom Coast). I remember a particularly happy family holiday in the area many, many, years ago which even today my kids (now 25 and 29!) talk about. I will prepare some information on the area shortly when I have uploaded a few more of these beautiful houses.

For now can I introduce you to the Marchena area; a corner of Andalucia that has seen amazing price drops but has so far remained under most buyers radar.

Marchena, Sevilla, Andalucia, Spain

A prosperous, full service town with excellent communications surrounded by rolling agricultural land.

Marchena is a thriving, prosperous, market town in the province of Sevilla just 60 miles from the City of Sevilla and it’s airport whilst Malaga airport and the costa is about 90 minutes away with virtually the whole route on motorways.

The town has the usual long history beginning in Roman times and with buildings remaining from most eras since! Worthy of note however are the preserved remains of the old town walls including the Torre de Oro and Arco de la Rosa Gate. Then there is the parish church of San Juan Bautista and the Plaza Ducal,  a colonnaded square.

Today Marchena offers everything you need for day to day living including Doctors, Dentist, 24 hour Medical Centre, Supermarkets, Banks etc.

Local road communications are excellent with easy access to the nearby A92 Sevilla – Malaga/Granada motorway or, rather further away the A4 Sevilla – Cordoba/Madrid motorway.

 Public transport includes regular, cheap, buses to Sevilla and all points North, South, East and West whilst Marchena railway station gives connections to Seville and Malaga from both of which a there are high speed rail links to Madrid and beyond.

 The town is surrounded by rolling hills and rich agricultural land, La Campiña . The area is also a center for the breeding of Spanish horses and there are many stables in the area. Many of our Marchena houses are in this rolling countryside where you can enjoy country living within minutes of all mod cons.  

For me the most eye catching feature of the town are the storks nests! These big birds construct huge nests on the spires and towers of the town and seem oblivious of the human life going on around them.

If you are interested in the Marchena area you should also take a look at these Country Houses in nearby La Puebla de Cazalla.

For all of our properties in the province of Sevilla please Click Here

+44 208 144 5525

+598 424 80 563

Skype; tickle.tip

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

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

Loja, Granada, Poniente Granadino, Andalucia

Loja, Granada, Poniente Granadino, Andalucia,Spain

Loja is a full service, historic town in the west of Granada province in Andalucia. Bordering to the north Iznajar (Province of Cordoba), Zagra, Algarinejo and Montefrio; to the south Alfarnate (Province of Malaga), Zafarraya and Alhama de Granada; to the east with Huétor-Tájar, Villanueva Mesía and Salar and to the west with Villanueva del Trabuco, Archidona, Villanueva de Algaidas y Villanueva de Tapia (Province of Malaga).  We have homes available in pretty well all of these towns as well by the way!
 

Location

The town is surrounded by the "Sierrea de Loja" which provides stunning views as well as being popular with hunters, archaeologists and pot-holers as well as walkers, mountain bikers and horse trekkers.

History
Loja, was an old Moorish town and this is reflected in the streets of the Alcazaba, or fortress section of the tow. Subsequently grandiose temples and civil buildings were built to reflect that towns prosperity.

Transport
Strategically placed in the heart of Andalusia, it represents an ideal base for exploring the region. Located just by the A-92 motorway, Loja also has a railway station and will shortly be linked to the new High Speed Rail networ. Malaga airport is about 45 minutes whilst Granada airport is about 35 minutes away.

About town
In Loja there are numerous springs such as the one which feeds this fountain, also called Fuente de la Mora or fountain of the Moorish maiden.

The Antigua Casa de Cabildos,  located on the Plaza de la Constitucion and currently houses the public library, is a beautiful example of the16th century  architecture.

The Alcazaba and Caserón de los Alcaides Cristianos is a 10th century fortified area on a hill in the heart of Loja,.

Climate
The climate is mild and quite dry, with temperatures reaching 40-42ºC during the summer months, to -5/-7ºC on the coldest winter days.

The owner of "Son Of Bert"  had this to say about Loja

Loja is 55 kilometres from Granada. Washed by water from many different rivers and streams, the town has important historic monuments, with palaces, churches, convents, gardens and stately houses. Especially outstanding are the Encarnación Church, built in the 16th-18th centuries, with the Cultural Property designation, and the Alcazaba, the old fortress. There are also numerous guided tours available, exploring Loja's most emblematic places. It is well worthwhile visiting the Sierra Martilla site, home to a Megalithic necropolis and a settlement from the same period.

Loja has a large number of fountains and natural springs to be found in different parts of the town centre, such as its 25-spout fountain, and Fuente Santa, renowned for the medicinal properties of its waters. The countryside is at the heart of life in this town. The surrounding area is ideal for cycle touring and adventure sports such as caving and paragliding, not forgetting fishing at the Riofrío intensive preserve.

Homes

To see our properties in the town of Loja and surrounding areas please Click Here

For homes in nearby Riofrio please Click Here and for Zagra Click Here

Finally, for all Granada properties, Click Here

 

+44 208 144 5525

+598 424 80 563

Skype; tickle.tip

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

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

Tricks of the Estate Agents Trade

I have covered this topic before but clients are still having problems with false listings so I thought a reminder was called for.

For most estate agents selling international property the internet is the most important medium for advertising. Now, whilst web site positioning is obviously important to get the agents web site seen, how does he stand out from the rest? Good quality pictures, easy to use website, attractive properties, competitive pricing and good customer service would be the stock answers but as always there are some smart alek’s who want to cut corners. So here are a few tricks of the internet marketing trade!

1. To make your property look cheaper than the competition, advertise Net rather than Inclusive of commission. This means what you actually have to pay for the house can be very different from the advertised price. Some agents bury the commission in the small print, others add it to their property listings but either way the price that draws you to their ad is not the price you will pay.

2. We advertise at the price the owner tells us to ask, inclusive of commission. Sometimes the owner will give us an idea of his bottom line so I will say things like "try an offer”. BUT to look cheaper than the rest I could advertise below his asking price knowing he will go lower. Not very nice for the seller you might say, but as a buyer, "what do I care”? Well, the asking price conditions you as to what offers might be accepted. When you see a price you assume that the seller will drop from it. So you see a house for 100,000 Euros and offer 90,000. 10% off. But if the seller really wants 120,000 and 100,000 was actually his bottom line your 90,000 offer represents a 25% discount from the asking price. You are therefore being misled on the price and what you can expect to buy.

3. A totally fictitious price. The agent recognizes the advantages of being the cheapest on the net so he asks what he thinks the seller will take. If you make an offer it is a case of take it or leave it for the seller. If the seller refuses to accept the agent's price then he tells you "sorry, it is under offer” or "withdrawn” and then proceeds to show you something else.

4. The unlisted property. The agent or portal site simply lifts property details from other agent’s web sites or other portals. Then if they get an enquiry they go to the agent and say "I have a client for you but I want 50% of the commission”. So what, you ask? Well, listing houses is a hugely time consuming business. It costs genuine agents money to list a house and it also costs us money to show it and to help clients through the purchase. The agent that simply skims other people’s property doesn’t have any of these costs but still wants 50% of the sale proceeds. And if I tell him to clear of he tells you, the client, that the house isn’t available. He certainly doesn’t tell you he isn’t instructed to sell the property and that you should go to someone who is! In other words this type of operator is a leach; he doesn’t have any properties, he doesn’t have to sell what he lists and all he’s being paid for is his position on Google. OK, so how does this affect you? Simply because the more people that join you for dinner party the bigger the bill. Commissions have to be set to cover the cost of paying these people – some agents ask 8%! Furthermore, in these hard times, most agents, myself included, will always help make a deal by reducing commission. We are contributing to you getting a better price. We can’t do that if the leaches and hangers on have to be paid as well because there won’t be enough to go round. Now I know that in theory the seller pays the agent but as he pays from the money you pay him, ultimately you are the one to pay for the extra diners.

So why do agents get up to these tricks? Basically it’s simple. The agent wants you to view with them. You naturally view with the cheapest so the "loss leaders” persuade you to look at houses with them. If at the last minute some of the houses you want to see are gone, are you going to storm of in a huff and lose one of your few viewing days or are you going to look at alternatives suggested by the agent? He is after all the cheapest so why go anywhere else? It’s as basic as that.

Where does that leave you? Well, by all means check if the agent quotes inclusive or exclusive prices and ask why their price is higher/lower than the competition. Then pick the agents to view with by the way they reply. In other words, look beyond the obvious and decide who you want to do business with based on the quality of their service. And ask questions! No one should be insulted or upset when someone says they are charging more or less than the competition and a proper answer is the least you deserve.

Don’t let any of this put you of viewing a home in Spain or anywhere else. It just goes to show how eager everyone is to get your business and that means there has never been a better time to buy.

+44 208 144 5525

+598 424 80 563

Skype; tickle.tip

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