The Ultimate Homes Blog

Following the huge success of the La Isla del Condado apartments, Polaris World have just announced the release of 246 one-bedroom luxury apartments, starting from just €89,000. Launched today by Polaris World at the Condado de Alhama Golf Resort, near Mazarron in Murcia, this new project is being offered at a price you cannot afford to miss out on!! Golf Suites de Alhama will consist of one bedroom apartments, some front line golf, and will have access to the wide range of leisure facilities and services on offer in Condado de Alhama. These apartments will make perfect holiday homes with all the additional five star sevices just a phone call away: property maintenance and cleaning services, laundry service, gardening, babysitting, etc. Prices start from 89.000 Euros - a fantastic opportunity to own a five-star luxury apartment on Europe's premiere golfing venue, Polaris World's Condado de Alhama.

Foreign investment in Spanish property has increased by 33% in the first 2 months of 2007, according to figures from the Bank of Spain. Foreigners spent a total of 806 million Euros on Spanish property in January and February, compared to 606 million in the same period of 2006. This is the first increase since the end of 2003, when the value of foreign property investments in Spain started to fall, and suggests that the trend towards lower foreign demand may have turned a corner.

A couple who paid nearly £2 million for their dream home in the Cotswolds have been told that it must be demolished. Gerrit and Angela Pies only discovered after the purchase that their thatched mansion near Chipping Campden had been vastly extended without proper planning permission. The couple, who live in Solingen, Germany, bought the four-gabled house from a local builder, Mark Rathbone, for £1,911,000 last September. Mr Rathbone completely rebuilt and extended the property, more than doubling the floor space and creating what neighbours describe as a Disney mansion out of keeping with the area. The original house and garage had 185 sq m of floor space and Mr Rathbone had permission to extend it to 290 sq m. The current house is 450 sq m. Cotswolds District Council is now insisting that the building be restored to the size agreed in the planning permission obtained by Mr Rathbone. The couple said that they were “distraught” and bought the house in good faith believing all the neces...

Many investors now have a very negative view of the Spanish market, which is largely unwarranted, we believe. And others are in agreement too. Mark Stucklin, spokesman for Spanishpropertyinsight.com and regular contributor to the Sunday Times and recent tv programs, said that problems in the Spanish property market have been “exaggerated” and many investors have a distorted view of the country’s prospects. For the first time in many years, there is now a buyers market and although investors have to accept more “realistic” prices in a more subdued market, demand for good-quality property remains high. “It’s misleading to think quality property in Spain is available at giveaway prices because of the crash – that is simply not the case. Now is a good time to buy. “But quality property in good areas costs money because it’s in demand. There’s still demand for that and there always will be.” The chairman of the Federation of Overseas Property Developers, Agents and Consultants recently asse...