Wednesday 9 February 2011

Spanish Property Market to turn in 2011?

Although it is unlikely local and overseas demand for residential property in Spain will significantly improve this year, the usually down-beat property blogger Mark Stucklin believes 2011 will the year the Spanish construction industry turns the corner.

“Sticking my neck out a bit, I forecast that 2010 will mark the bottom of this cycle for Spain’s residential construction industry. New home construction will start growing again in 2011, albeit weakly and from an exceptionally low base” he says.

“I also expect to start seeing a shortage of new homes that people want at the same time as a glut of new homes nobody wants, because many of the homes built during the boom were poorly conceived (that’s what happens during an insane boom). That means opportunities for smart developers who know what they are doing”.

With opaque property pricing, a disfunctional mortgage market and media coverage of property developers leaving buyers high and dry still fresh in the mind, 2011 is unlikely to bring huge changes of fortune for most in our industry.

However, land prices always fall quicker and faster than property values and construction tends to recover before residential demand.   Mark Stucklin is probably right, 2011 could be the year we see green shoots start to emerge in Spanish construction. That is of course even though I believe that 2010 was the year the first green shoots of receovery appeared - time will tell.

Saturday 5 February 2011

Supply and Demand

Supply and demand.
We hear those words every day, and yet we often ignore them when it comes to selling real estate.
That is because many sellers still think of a real estate sale as an emotional rather than a business decision. The assumption is that a buyer will “fall in love” with their house and pay any price that is demanded.
However the majority of today’s home buyers are more interested in taking advantage of the soft market and getting a great deal. The new status symbol is how LITTLE you paid for your home.
Selling any home in today environment is as easy as pricing it correctly from the start
The window of opportunity for success is so small and it is essential to get off and running in pace with the market. A house that lingers will lose value every day that it is listed for sale.
Selling an overpriced home is like trying to sell an ice-cold beverage in a snowstorm.
It might happen, but it probably won’t!

Richard Weisser - Coweta Fayette Real Estate

Tinsa €/m2