Buying Cheap Majorca Real Estate

Are you out to buy a property in one of the most popular tourist destinations in the UK? If you are, we most definitely recommend that you check Majorca, the island paradise of Spain. If you need a holiday home where you can relax and enjoy the sun, the sand and the water, this is the best place you should be. We also prepared a short list of the myths and truths involved in finding Majorca properties to serve as your guide.

Myth: If you are not fond of the beach, Majorca is not for you.

Truth: While Majorca is best known for its beaches and sunny weather, it has a lot more to offer. It has parks, gardens, fashion shops and technology stores, bars and night clubs, and even museums! There is a wide variety of entertainment for the whole family. Whether you like to celebrate during the day or at night, there are activities that you and your kids can enjoy.

Myth: Majorca is only for those who need peace and quiet.

Truth: The place may be near the beach, where you can enjoy the calming sound of water rushing, but do not be led to believe that there is no party in the island! Mallorca can provide you both tranquillity and festivity. As part of Spain, it does not run out of feasts to celebrate. Depending on where you are in the island, a balance of peace and party is for you to benefit from.

Myth: The sports activities in Mallorca are limited to what you can do in the beach, like diving, jet skiing, wind surfing and water skiing.

Truth: Well, yes, you can do all those water sports in most major beaches in the island, but you can do more off the beach. Golf enthusiasts will find the place a good venue to practice their swings. Cyclists can pedal up mountain slopes to amplify the challenge. More than a dozen clubs offer horse riding facilities to those who would love to stroll around on a horse. For those who prefer to simply watch racing horses, at least 2 race tracks have been made available. Do you want to fly? Then, you will find its flight training schools and aero clubs interesting.

Myth: Mallorca properties are expensive and overpriced.

Truth: You pay for what you get. Mallorca has several amenities to offer. It has beautiful scenery to enjoy. It boasts of friendly weather all year. The international market has seen these advantages and has shown interest on the island ever since. Although it is now a very popular destination, its price has remained reasonable and buying cheap real estate is still very much possible. You can ask locals about the different villages, beaches, destinations and practices to get a better feel of the value of the properties. You can also visit their local tourism office and local real estate companies to ask about available villas and apartments that you can check for possible purchase. They can also assist you with the possible requirements as you go about buying a Mallorca property.

Murcia Holidays-Holiday Attractions of Murcia and Cartagena

Murcia is one of the smallest regions in Spain and is located in the southeast of the country on the Mediterranean coast between Andalucia, Castilla La Mancha and Valencia. There is only one province in Murcia unlike most other regions of Spain, which means the whole region is operated by the one local government. The capital of Murcia region is the inland city of Murcia itself, and the other important city in the region is the coastal city of Cartagena, and the region's most important port.

The spoken language in Murcia is quite different from many other parts of Spain and has some similarities with neighbouring Andalucia. Many words are cut short by eliminating final consonants and utilising many regional words that stem from old Arabic words. The result can be quite confusing for native Spanish speakers and tourists alike.

Mar Menor and La Manga
Mar Menor, or Little Sea as it is also known, is Europe's largest salt-water lagoon. 170 square kilometres of warm, shallow salt water surrounded by sandy beaches. It is an ideal retreat for families with small children, as the water doesn't get any deeper than 7 metres throughout the whole of the lake. The lake is separated from the Mediterranean Sea by a spit of land called La Manga, 24 kilometres long and offering unlimited sandy beaches with crystal clear water perfect for swimming, snorkelling and scuba Diving. Mar Menor is the perfect destination for anyone interested in any kind of water sport and there are plenty of schools offering everything from windsurfing, water-skiing, jet-skiing and fly-surfing to diving, sailing and canoeing.

Murcia Capital
Murcia is the capital city of this region of Spain. With a population of just over 400,000 people, it ranks as the 12th largest city in Spain. The climate varies greatly throughout the year with extreme temperatures during the summer, and relatively mild winters with the possibility of frost. With very low levels or precipitation Murcia has sunshine almost all year.

Cathedral of Murcia is one of the main attractions of the city in 1394 and was the place where a Muslim mosque was once created. The interior is Gothic with a Baroque facade and a tower 95 meters high, has 200 years to build and involved many designers and styles.

Cartagena city
Cartagena is an important naval base in the Spanish port city and one of the most importantin Spain. There are many naval ships here and many of the buildings surrounding the port belong to the navy, including a good museum for those interested in its history. Due to Cartagena's location on the Mediterranean Sea, the port has been very important throughout the ages and the ruins of many castles and forts can be found high up on the surrounding hills once lending support to its defence.

Cartagena is an historic city with many wonderful buildings to view, within easy walking distance from the centre of the city. The weather is typically hot with plenty of sunshine and the city offers plenty of bars and restaurants around the many parks and squares to take in the slow and relaxed atmosphere Cartagena has to offer.

Murcia Holiday Attraction
Only recently has major property development started to take hold in the region. Many holidaymakers are starting to see the attraction of the region, which offers wonderful weather, endless beaches of fine sand and spectacular scenery on the Costa Calida, which is also called the 'Warm Coast'.

Away from the coast, the terrain changes to high cliffs with stunning scenery and wonderful natural spaces, many of which are protected to preserve their natural beauty and wildlife. Murcia is a great location for anyone wanting an outdoor holiday with plenty of available activities. For walking, mountain biking or horse riding there are plenty of designated walks and pathways with maps obtainable from the local tourist office. For more adventurous activity holidays there is white-water canoeing, rock climbing, paragliding and deep-sea diving to name but a few.

Traditional Holiday Homes in an Older Spain

When you go to a country with as much history as Spain, wouldn't it be interesting to actually spend your vacation in one of the old houses themselves? Well, it might be and should be, but you have to be careful with your choice. A 400-year old house, yes, but not one with 400 year-old plumbing or equally ancient bedsprings...

So where are these venerable holiday homes? Where is the history? The answer is the high mountain world of La Alpujarra in the Granada province of Andalucia, southern Spain.

It can come as some surprise to those who know Spain and its neat, modern cityscapes to drive up the (good) mountain road that takes you up the sunny southern flanks of Granada's Sierra Nevada and end up in little whitewashed villages that look as if time passed them by. The fact is that La Alpujarra has always been a traditionally poor area. Had wealth being floating around decades ago, a lot of the houses here would have been torn down and rebuilt anew.

Indeed, there is an element of this going today, although there are strict rules about maintaining architectonic styles, with flat roofs and idiosyncratic chimneys. These go back to the times of the Moors, who took refuge in La Alpujarra after the fall of Granada in 1492. It is no accident that dwellings bear a striking resemblance to their Berber counterparts in the Rif Mountains in Morocco: a sierra occasionally visible from La Alpujarra across the Mediterranean Sea.

The properties that interest us are the old houses which have been carefully saved from ruin and restored, but without jettisoning everything that gives them character and charm. Solid chestnuts beams and rafter-and-slate ceilings are typical, as are thick stone walls that keep the living spaces cool in summer, warm in winter. Open fireplaces or woodburning stoves are the norm in cold months, when snow coats the mountain backdrop, but Andalusian sun beats down strong especially in July and August and a cool interior is a blessing.

In La Alpujarra, there are quite a number of these in the holiday let market. But let the buyer beware!
Some of these rental houses can be a disappointment. They're simply too "original": austere, uncomfortable and poorly equipped and furnished. The best guarantee is to use a recognized holiday rental company that has done all the legwork for you, sorting the wheat from the chaff and ending up only with the quality properties.

La Alpujarra is a wonderful holiday destination, with fabulous hiking, economic meals out, a quiet, traditional atmosphere and delightful accommodation: just be careful. Book direct with owners if you want to save a few bucks and take a chance, or to take a property with a good agency and have that assurance of quality that can safeguard your holiday satisfaction.

Holiday Homes On Coochiemudlo Island

Are you a young family with one or more children, including a toddler? If so, you have no doubt discovered some of the limitations of holidaying with toddlers. Even though they are fun to be around, toddlers can be difficult to transport long distances, as well as being more tricky to entertain on plane flights than older children. However, toddlers are simple little beings at heart, and most enjoy running around at the beach, playing with the sand and watching the seagulls, and enjoying the sea air - and don't we all!

That's why you should make Coochiemudlo Island Accommodation your next stop for a totally toddler-friendly holiday. A five square kilometer island, it has more than 4 kilometers of beautiful shallow sandy beaches, which are perfect for children to play safely with their parents.

Despite the name of the island, there is no "mud" - only pristine beachfront and sunshine and pristine glistening waters, and one small mangrove. It's a safe environment where nothing is too far from anything else - perfect for families with young children.

Coochiemudlo Island Accommodation offers several properties to stay at, which are immaculately presented and kitted out with everything a family could possibly need to have a relaxing and enjoyable holiday together, including sleeping arrangements for up to 10 people.

Open plan living makes it simple to know where your kids are at any time, yet there is also plenty of room to run around and burn off all of that summertime energy. Bedrooms are generously sized and include built-ins to keep your clothes and personal effects out of the way of little fingers who love to undo zips and play with mummy and daddy's' wallets!

A formal dining area awaits you yet don't let that stifle young family enthusiasm, there is also a kitchen bar area with stools which the little ones might love to perch in to sit high up just like the grownups.

The Coochiemudlo Island Accommodation houses include digital TV with DVD and PC VGA access making it easy to put on a disc for the kids to watch while the parents get some time to themselves, and with a modern lounge area the kids are sure to be enticed to curl up in one of the large comfy sofas or chairs.

With a fully equipped chef's kitchen, the adults will enjoy playing with the sparkling stainless steel appliances and creating dishes to enjoy outside in the entertaining area to make your holiday relaxing and delicious.

The Dream, Reality and Problems of the Expat Living in Spain's Costa Blanca

This article is the first in a series about the dream, reality and unfortunately nightmare of the expat living in Spain's Costa Blanca. This first part deals with whom, why and how people end up falling for the dream of living in the sun and how it can be the best decision ever made by some people.

There is a time in most people's life when they sit back and think that there must be something better in life. Some people have an affair, some people opt for plastic surgery or a fancy sports car and some people pack it all in, in search of a better life abroad.

Statistics from the office of national statistics show that of the 300,000 citizens that leave the UK each year half head for Australia and New Zealand, 42,000 head for France and the USA/Canada and a massive 58,000 still head for the sunny shores of Spain, all in search of a life changing opportunity for the better. The prospect of a new home, new culture, new job, new language and new house prove all too irresistible for thousand of people, couples and families each and every year.

With the proliferation of tv programmes catering for every whim of the expat lifestyle and dedicated channels on satellite television, of course the prospect of buying a dream villa set in fragrant almond groves with mountain view to the back, a pristine white washed village on one side and friendly locals to the other whiling to spend long lazy days drinking sangria and the azure Mediterranean glistening in the distance. A cooling swimming pool (designed to your own specification of course) sits by your side as you fondly remember the drudgery of life back in the fast lane.

For some people this dream has turned into reality. One of my clients made the move some 4 years ago and have not had a single regret. Ignoring for the moment the change in the interest rates which have seriously affected the ability of many abroad to continue living la Vida loca.

They one sunny afternoon in 2004 whilst in London visiting friends decided to go along to the ideal home exhibition or the day. Whilst perusing the many stands they came across trade stand with a mock villa with a very reasonable price tag.... the seed had been planted. Over the next few months they proceeded to send off for brochures, purchased magazines, viewed websites and did the research anyone considering making a move abroad would do. One evening whilst watching TV an advert caught their attention.

"Thinking of moving to Spain????? Our experts are flying into the UK this weekend for a special exhibition at Jubilee suites at Chester racecourse!" With nothing to lose they jumped in the car and trundled off down the road for some no obligation perusing.

Several hours later, they had booked themselves on a "Free Inspection Tour" or should I say the Spanish property experts had. They would be enjoying a 5 day 4 night luxury break in Spain's Costa Blanca, staying in a 4 star hotel, all meals and accommodation would be paid for, their flight were subsidised so cost no more than £50 each, all they would have to pay for was drinks.

They would be given an extensive area tour on their first day to find the areas that they liked as it was more important to get the location right than the property. The subsequent days would be spent looking for the property in the areas that they previously deemed suitable, what happened after that was anyone's guess. So back in late 2004 off they left a cold wet and windy Britain and jetted into a balmy Alicante. With the temperature still in the mid 20's the scene had already been set.

They were met at the airport by their uniformed guide called Peter who with a friendly greeting took them out to their liveried car and drove them on the coast road down to their hotel. There was no mention of purchasing property and Pete chatted to them about how he came to be living out in Spain. They were later to learn that everything Pete said was virtually pre-determined by the powers that be, and the soft sell that they were experiencing was all part of a cleverly executed series of steps know as the seven steps.

Introduction - tell client about yourself (sell yourself).
Company - Build confidence in the company (sell the company).
Area - Complete a 300 km area tour (sell the area & lifestyle).
Product - find the property in their budget within area (sell the house).
Finance - arrange finance (sell the mortgage/loan).
Contract - complete sales contract.
Consolidation - be nice to them, don't give them any reason to cancel.

Now there is nothing wrong with sales, after all everything is sold to some degree or other, but this was a non stop 5 day 4 night sales pitch that was clever due to its subtlety. I will cover the ins and outs, good and bad of the sales process in a future very interesting and revealing article.

Peter the rep was very articulate and knowledgeable and had lived in Spain for a few years. It was obvious that he was trying to steer them into certain areas and styles of houses but they stuck to their guns and in the end found a beautiful site on the outskirts of a picturesque village nestled in the mountains some 30 km from the coast. It was an off plan development and they had a choice of house styles, plots and house orientations within the plot.

The formalities of applying for NIE numbers, appointing legal representation, signing contracts and paying the obligatory EUR3000 property reservation fee were all completed with little or no fuss whilst still out in Spain.

Some five days after embarking on their information obtaining, non obligation, FREE inspection visit they have committed to spending some EUR350,000 on a property, selling their property in the UK (not even for sale yet), selling their car, retiring.

You would be amazed at the amount of people who actually purchase on these trips. During the peak in the early to mid 2000's the inspection trip companies expected their reps to sell to at least 40-50% of their clients. Many of these clients like my parents were on information gathering exercises with absolutely no intention of purchasing and some had never even been abroad before.

In my clients case it proved to be the best move that they could have possibly made with very few snags along the line. They sold their property in the UK at the correct time. They purchased from a reputable builder on a good site in a great area and importantly they are surrounded by great neighbours. They have integrated into the local community and are learning the language.

The above is an example of moving to Spain or anywhere else abroad for the right reason. Many do not. In my line of work snagging properties for clients I come across a wide variety of people and their reasons for making the move. The key I feel to making the move a long, happy and successful one is to come because you want to and not because you have to.

In my next article I will uncover some of the practices of the free inspection tour companies and show you what to look out for and where you can save yourself a few pennies.

Luxury Riverside House - Devon

A holiday by the sea in Devon - the ideal holiday location. Watch the sun come up in the height of comfort. Relax on the balcony of your holiday home and enjoy the stunning views over Shaldon and Teignmouth. Enjoy the sea and enjoy the many sandy beaches - from crabbing and fishing to beachcombing and ferry rides accross the river - there is so much to do on Devon's coasts. A good place to visit any time of the year.

Devon has hundreds of safe beaches and coves for you to enjoy. The Ness Cove Beach in Shaldon, Devon is nestled at the foot of one of south Devon's landmarks, 'The Ness.' Ness Cove beach is only accessible via an original smugglers' tunnel. A secluded family beach with café facilities.

South Devon

South Devon consists of two very different parts - The South Hams and The English Riviera.

The South Hams

The South Hams on Devon's south coast lies between Torbay and Plymouth. The South Hams is an area of outstanding natural beauty and includes spectacular coastline, flowing rivers and estuaries, sandy beaches and beautiful countryside. There are many towns and villages within this area. Enjoy a country walk on Dartmoor, and take in the beautiful scenery before stopping at a quaint country pub for refreshments.

The English Riviera

The English Riviera includes the South Devon towns of Torquay, Paignton and Brixham. This is an ideal holiday destination and a beautiful place to relax, enjoy the scenery and experience a truly enjoyable holiday in an English seaside resort.

Where to Stay in La Manga Del Mar Menor

Are you thinking of a Spanish holiday and where to stay in La Manga del Mar Menor? This area, on Spain's Costa Cailda, enjoys a temperate climate with over 320 days of sunshine each year. It's the perfect place to get that rest and relaxation you deserve. Before you book your vacation, take the time to examine the hotels, villas and apartments in the region.

The area of the Mar Menor or the "Little Sea" is almost completely separated from the Mediterranean Sea. The "La Manga del Mar Menor" means "the sleeve of the little sea." This 28 kilomenter strip of land forms the lagoon of Mar Menor, a beautiful natural environment.

Where to stay in La Manga del Mar Menor means choosing from places like the Hotel Mangalan in Gran Via de La Manga. This hotel opened in 2005 with 142 rooms on 10 floors. The nice thing about this hotel is that all the rooms have balconies with views of the sea. Hotel Mangalan has a café, a bar and an air-conditioned restaurant for its guests. It also has conference rooms for business travelers. The hotel offers a playground area for kids. For adults it has a spa, and for everyone it has indoor as well as an outdoor rooftop pool.

The Hotel Sol Galua in La Manga del Mar Menor is in Hacienda Dos Mares. On Galua Beach next to the Plaza Bohemia Shopping Center, it is near a sailing school and tennis club. It is a good central location from which to explore Cartagena and Murcia, which are 30 kilometers and 75 kilometers away respectively.

The Hotel Husa Doblemar is in Mar Menor in Gran Vía de la Manga. It is right on the shore of Mar Menor, only 250 meters from the Mediterranean Sea and 70 kilometers from Murcia. The hotel features a buffet restaurant, gardens, entertainment programs, an outdoor swimming pool, bars and the availability of water sports. Other hotels in La Manga del Mar Menor are Hotel Cavanna, in Gran Vía-Plaza Cavanna and the Hotel Los Delfines in Gran Vía La Manga, among many others.

Another option when thinking about where to stay in La Manga del Mar Menor is the Hotel Villas La Manga. This comfortable establishment has 60 rooms, a restaurant, a bar and a 24-hour front desk. They provide free parking, luggage storage, safety deposit boxes and free Wi-Fi Internet access to their guests.

Going the apartment route is also a choice you can make when thinking about where to stay in La Manga del Mar Menor. The La Manga apartments are luxury two bedroom and two bathroom beachfront apartments. It's only a skip and a jump from the large inlet which is Mar Menor. These apartments provide the highest standard in apartment furnishings.

The Tony Apartments are a few minutes' walk from the beach and only 10 minutes from the activity of the La Manga strip and La Manga Club Golf Resort. The apartment complex is close to the local market and a variety of excellent restaurants. The Tony Apartments feature an outdoor communal pool and a communal barbeque.

A newer two bedroom penthouse apartment with fabulous views of the mountains of Calablanque National Park is the Ribera Beach with its penthouses. The lighthouse at Cabo de Palos is also visible from the private balconies. Situated close to the beach, the complex also has a communal pool with a children's pool and a sunbathing area. The Ribera has a 50 square meter private rooftop solarium with a barbecue area to enjoy relaxing time in the Spanish sun.

Don't forget to consider the Euromarina Tower apartment with its sculptured pool and the Rydian Apartment in the seaside town of Lo Pagan. The Rydian is near the famous salt lake and Natural Park of San Pedro del Pinatar. The Calle Orozco in La Manga del Mar Menor is a new two bedroom penthouse that also has a large rooftop solarium.

All of the above and a host of others are there for you to investigate when you plan your Spanish vacation. Choose one that suits your needs and get ready to enjoy time well spent on La Manga del Mar Menor.