Since the limit returned to 120 km/h on 1 July up until Sunday, 63 people in total have died on the Spanish roads, 11 more than the 52 fatalities counted for the same period in 2010, according to data from the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT).

This increase occurred after the first weekend with the new speed limit, which coincided with the first weekend of the summer season, and was particularly bad, with 18 people killed, 10 more than in the first weekend of July 2010. In the second weekend of July, 12 people died in accidents, one less than in the same weekend in 2010.

The Director of Traffic, Pere Navarro, had previously expressed his concerns about the potential repercussions of returning to the 120 km/h limit warning that deciding to return to the previous speed limit does not mean that traffic would remain attentive to speeding.

On the other hand, the Association of Traffic Engineers (AIT) said in a report in March, when they announced the lowering of the maximum speed to 110 km/h, that if the measure was taken that it shouldn’t be temporary and “reinstated within a few months” and that “reversing a measure of this kind has consequences that are difficult to foresee.”

“Reversing the decision would undermine the system’s credibility and could jeopardise road safety measures,” warned the engineers.

Despite the rise in deaths at the start of July, the year-to-date figures compared to 2010 are still nevertheless lower. 726 deaths were recorded to 10 July, 85 less than the same period last year, representing a decrease of 10.4%, reported Cinco Dias.

The number of fatalities dropped in five months of this year compared to 2010 (January, March, April, May, June), while the death toll rose in February with 103 people dead, 12 more than the same month of 2010.

Over the time the 110 km/h limit was in effect, the number of victims compared with the same period of the previous year fell by 16.4%, with 517 deaths in 2010 compared with 432 deaths between 7 March and 30 June 2011, although the DGT indicated on several occasions that it is difficult to quantify how much the speed restriction was responsible for this decrease.

We hope there will be some useful posts, we’ll do our best to cast our opinion on any historical data and how things have changed since those early days. With any luck we can persuade some of the founding members to provide their own personal insight into the evolution of the property market in Spain and look forward to the next 6 years!

We’re eager to receive any feedback from readers and will gladly offer help or advice to anyone seeking it.

Un saludo!

“Almeria select advise that there have been some major changes in the planning laws in Andalucia which have a dramatic effect on new house building in the area. They also affect any house that has been built over the last few years.

The new laws concern ‘rustic’ versus ‘urban’ land and state that no new construction can take place on rustic land unless it is for commercial agricultural use. One exception to this is where there is an existing building which the town hall has classified as a ‘habitation’ which can be reformed into a new house.

Like all laws, there are some loopholes and caveats but, especially now, when buying a plot of land, a new house or a recently built house in Andalucia – ensure you use an independent solicitor who is not connected with either the builder or owner of the property. They can easily check if all planning consents and building licenses have been or can be issued.

Land scams are common enough in some parts of Spain that local councils have erected road signs, in English, warning buyers to check the paperwork before handing over any money. Let common sense prevail and seek legal advice.”

A real demonstration of the importance of knowing the current property laws in Spain

I persoanlly arrived in Spain in September 2003, when a 3 bedroom front line apartment could be bought for less than 100,000 euros … with prices rising so fast we didn’t jump in and buy. looking back, it was just a year later when this type of property was reaching 200,000 euros!

From November 2004 – “Last month, Spain was singled out in the European Central Bank’s monthly bulletin as having the biggest residential property inflation in the euro area, with the country’s housing prices increasing at a rate nearly two-and-a-half times the euro-wide average in 2003.

The ECB estimates the average increase in residential property prices across the euro area in 2003 was 7.2 per cent, saying that this is the fourth consecutive year with increases of around 6-7 per cent and that growth rates “are currently close to their highest point since the early 1990s.”

Between 1999 and 2003, housing prices increased at arate 4 to 5 percentage points higher than the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices, says the report.

In the case of Spain, housing prices jumped 17.3 per cent in 2003, the largest increase in the euro area and some 2.4 times the euro-wide average. The country also tops the list for the rate of increase over the five-year period from 1999 to 2003.

“Spain, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Greece experienced substantial and above euro area average increases” during that period, according to the ECB. The data for 2003 indicates price increases slowed down in the Netherlands, Greece and Ireland. “However, in Spain, residential property prices accelerated further in 2003:’ says the report, which goes on to state that “the latest available quarterly data for 2004 confirm the strong increases” in Spain.”

“Torrevieja, the town that started as a small fishing village and has grown into a popular tourist resort, holds great attraction for the property investor, both Spanish and foreign alike. Situated just 47kms from Alicante (the provincial capital) with a well-served, international airport and 35kms from the airport in Murcia and with daily flights getting travellers over from London in just 2 1/2 hours, Torrevieja is popular not with holiday-makers but also with those looking to buy property in Spain. Easy access to the town, together with an excellent range of facilities and attractions such as Las Ramblas golf course, one of Spain’s best yacht clubs, a variety of water sports and its own bull ring, all make Torrevieja a well-loved, year-round destination. Other attractions include the town’s 5 beaches, 300 days of sun and a temperate climate. No surprise, then, that many foreign investors are looking to buy property in Torrevieja.”

A key part of the overall improvement to the area has been access, international flights are easy to find and the road and communication networks are now to the same standard as the rest of Spain. Accessibility still has a direct correlation with popularity and property prices – a topic we’ll pick up on again when discussing the Costa tropical, still the only area of coastline without full motorway access.

The latest Almeria property information can be found here – http://www.kyero.com/property_guide/4-almeria-property-guide

This piece is from 2004 – “Almeria Villas have, until recently, been somewhat overlooked and overshadowed by property in the more well-known provinces of Granada and Malaga. Almeria, less expensive, less developed and with a stunning Spanish beauty all its own offers a wide range of properties and villas for sale. On this page we feature the best properties in Almeria and villas Spain

Almeria province is now very much on the list of destinations for the discerning holiday maker as Europe’s warmest and sunniest region, with over 300 hours of sunshine a year. Until recently Almeria was less accessible than some other Spanish destinations, a fact which has undoubtedly helped to shield it from the excesses of tourism and allowed it to become the unspoiled, peaceful place it is today. The whole area, with its unspoiled coastline, national parks, mountains and valleys provides an overwhelming sense of space, and offers an excellent and affordable choice of Almeria villas in Spain.”

That is the view reflected in the general index prepared by the Spanish Hotel Industry Observatory (OHE), and presented by the Spanish Confederation of Hotels (CEHAT) together with consultants PriceWaterhouseCoopers, according to data gathered from 14,000 hoteliers.

For the full year, the hotel industry anticipates a 4% increase in tourist arrivals, thanks to the recovery of the surrounding European countries, the unfavourable situation of some Arab countries and the falling price of oil. As for the tourism industry, it is expected to remain at levels similar to last season.

The hotel industry is optimistic in the increase of overnight stays, average price and profitability. Specifically, the OHE predicts an improvement in overnight stays of 18.8% over the summer of 2010, bringing the average length of stay up to 7.35 days, explained PwC director Juan Perez de Lema.

With regards to the average price, the prospects for improvement increased 84.6% over the summer of 2010, and hoteliers anticipated providing last minute deals, thus improving their prospects for improved profitability by 115%.

However, CEHAT president Juan Molas emphasised that the Spanish market “remains very negative” and in his view, the regions with better prospects for the summer are the Canary Islands, Andalusia, Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and the Levant.

The precious jewel was found at the end of June at about a 9 metres depth underwater using scanning equipment belonging to the Maritime Museum in Key West. Meantime the search continues for other remains of the Spanish galleon that sank off the coast in 1622 laden with gold and silver.

The ring, which has engraved initials, comes from the Atocha which disappeared off Key West in a hurricane while trying to return to Spain. Much of the treasure, consisting of more than one hundred thousand pieces of Spanish silver and valued at $450 million, was discovered in 1985 by “treasure hunter” Mel Fisher, who died in 1998 at the age of 76. Fisher’s descendants, who own the rights to the wreck, are still looking for the rest of the Atocha treasure, reported ABC.

The sunken treasure trove of the Atocha, consisted of more than forty tons of silver and gold, including coins called “pieces of eight”, emeralds, gold chains, precious objects and silver bullion, according to the Fisher website, and an estimated 400 silver ingots and 100,000 coins may still remain on the seabed . Some of the original gold and silver coins, with the stamp of the King of Spain, are for sale in the Fishers’ store next to the museum.

We pointed out a key part of their desirability, the ease of getting a building permit compared to building a new property was vast. New build permits on rural land require many conditions to be met and even with a good architect and lawyer, the process could take up to two years before a licence was granted, if at all.

Television, especially in the UK was awash with home improvement programmes and moving abroad series’ such as ‘A Place in the Sun’ (a programme I personally appeared while working as an estate agent, much to the delight of friends and family at home). And so, demand reached fever pitch and the bargain ruins soon disappeared. These days ruins in Andalucia are much harder to come by but can still be found here:

http://www.kyero.com/property_guide/55531-andalucia-property-guide – you’ll need to search under the property type of “land”.

On to the article itself:

Property to renovate in Andalusia Spain may be so run down that you actually need to re-build it, or it may simply need a lick of paint and some tidying up. Whatever the amount of work you are prepared to do, you will find a wide selection of property to renovate advertised here on kyero.com. With the recent crack down from the Andalusia Junta on building permits, particularly on rural land, it can often be easier to buy a ruined property to renovate in Andalusia Spain than just buy a plot of land to build on, and usually a lot quicker to obtain planning permission. Many of the ruined properties in Andalusia offer great potential and for those who are willing to consider properties for renovation, you will find a fantastic choice of property to renovate in Andalusia Spain.

Apartments are the predominant property in Spain, with few detached homes especially in towns and cities. Demand from the Spanish is quite low compared to other countries – just 13% of Spanish households live in rented accommodation, compared to more than 40% in Germany and France, and around 30% in the UK.

But with the recent housing boom, there is a deluge of unsold property and more owners are turning to the security of long term lets to realise their investments. The benefit here is that it has become a ‘buyer’s market’ due to the basic law of supply and demand.

The other benefits still apply, with renting in an area a wise choice before making the plunge to purchase. While two weeks in a location gives some knowledge of the area, only by staying longer term can you be certain that the area suites your requirements and has the lifestyle that will ensure a permanent stay as enjoyable as possible – purchasing immediately does not allow for any such consideration.

One feature mentioned in the article was that Kyero published average long term rental prices, this is no longer the case. Kyero, being mainly sales orientated, dropped price comparisons for rentals to concentrate on more substantial work on its independent house price index. This information should still be able to be extracted from Kyero’s archives so I’ll take a look at publishing some data on the subject soon, at least a current snapshot of the market today, if not a full historical breakdown.

With around 10,000 rental properties available on Kyero, it is still one of the largest sources available today on the internet – go here to find the latest long term properties to rent in Spain

The original article stated:

An apartment in Spain can be an excellent investment, particularly if you are thinking of renting it out. Demand for long-term rentals in Spain is increasing daily as more people consider relocating to a sunny country. Many prefer to rent first to get a feel for an area and for life in Spain in general, but it is not always easy to find an apartment in Spain that is available for long-term rental. Many property owners in Spain, prefer to only rent out their property during the peak summer months, when they can charge a premium. However, as the number of properties available for holiday lets increases, it can make better financial sense to rent your apartment out long term. Although the monthly rent you can charge will be cheaper, you do have the assurance of a longer term rental period. To ensure that you are making an informed decision, use the Kyero price guide to find out how much apartments are selling for at the moment and also to see the average long-term rental price of an apartment in Spain.