The Ultimate Homes Blog

The harbourside circuit will draw comparisons with Monaco as Valencia will host a Grand Prix from 2008 after agreeing a deal with Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone. The race, to be called the European Grand Prix, is scheduled for late in the season on a newly-designed circuit around the Spanish port’s streets. The seven-year agreement is conditional on the People’s Party holding power in local elections to be held this month. The new deal means Spain will have two Grands Prix next year, with Barcelona staging the other. Ecclestone has previously said that no European country should have more than one race. The Valencia circuit will be between 4.1-4.3km (2.5-2.7 miles) long and its harbourside location is bound to draw comparisons with the Monaco Grand Prix. According to Spanish media, Ecclestone insisted the race must be on a street circuit rather than the nearby Ricardo Tormo track in Cheste which hosts a round of the MotoGP and is also used for F1 testing. Valencia’s willingness ...

Imagine what would happen if a prosperous Western nation threw open its borders, allowing immigrants to flood in virtually unchecked. Soaring unemployment, overstretched social services, rising crime, even rioting in the streets? Not in Spain. Over the past decade, the traditionally homogeneous country has become a sort of open-door laboratory on immigration. Spain has absorbed more than 3 million foreigners from places as diverse as Romania, Morocco, and South America. More than 11% of the country’s 44 million residents are now foreign-born, one of the highest proportions in Europe. With hundreds of thousands more arriving each year, Spain could soon match the U.S. rate of 12.9%. And it doesn’t seem to have hurt much. Spain is Europe’s best-performing major economy, with growth averaging 3.1% over the past five years. Since 2002, the country has created half the new jobs in the euro zone. Unemployment has plummeted from more than 20% in the 1990s to 8.6%, within shooting distance of t...

For a change, it appears there is a positive slant on Spain (tongue planted firmly in cheek). The German real estate agent Engel & Volkers believes that the Spanish market has huge potential for growth and will look to have a total of 300 offices nationwide over the next few years (currently there are 53 offices). Their typical market is the higher end tourist market but they are reporting strong growth in the Spanish market too. Really backs up what we are trying to do here at Ultimate Homes. Spain is still one of the most desirable locations for foreign buyers and the fact that the local population make up a large percentage of buyers too will continue to support the market.

It would appear that due to several Spanish builders seeing share price volatility on the Madrid stock exchange, a number of so-called property experts are revealing the end of the world is nigh. How this effects Mr and Mrs Smith who holiday a couple of times a year in their villa in Spain is beyond me. The slump in construction sector shares last week was severe but analysts overlooked the fact that Spanish property prices are still rising, albeit at about 7 per cent a year instead of the much higher gains that were the norm over the last decade. Whilst the party may be over for the 20% or more a year gains, we are hardly talking a property price meltdown. Investors who buy in good quality developments in pleasant surroundings should not be worried either. The capital value of bricks and mortar is likely to be worst affected at the bottom of the market, where there is considerable oversupply. Whilst I would agree that if you want a big profit quickly, Spain is not for you. The infrast...

Ferrán Adrià’s restaurant called El Bulli near Girona has been rated as the best restaurant in the world for the second year running according to Restaurant, a prestigious food magazine. El Bulli received a majority vote from the 651 judges who participated in the survey. This means that once again El Bulli is at the top of the list of the best 50 restaurants in the world, which includes another 5 Spanish restaurants. In fact El Bulli has not dropped lower than third place over the last 6 years and has now been at the top of the list 3 times in 2001, 2006 and this year. Mugarit Restaurant in Rentería, Guipuzcoa rated 7th, Arzak Restaurant in San Sebastian, El Celler de Can Roca in Girona rated 10th, Can Fabes, de Sant Celoni in Barcelona rated 22nd and Martin Berasategui in Lasarte, Guipúzcoa rated 27th are the other Spanish restaurants on the list. The Brazilian restaurant DOM in São Paulo in 38th place is the only Latin American restaurant to get onto the list of the 50 best ...

Following a winter of training and preparing their boats the 11 teams are preparing for their definitive test - their challenge for the right to compete against the Swiss team, the Alinghi, winners of last year’s American Cup in this year’s competition. On Tuesday just gone, the 11 boats were to leave the port of Valencia for the last boat race before the hopefuls compete against each other in the Louis Vuitton cup but light conditions (read no wind) have delayed things so far. The Alinghi team will train alone in preparation for the final later on. Most of the 11 teams will compete in new boats built in accordance with the most recent rules, approved during the winter break. The team from New Zealand, winners of last year’s season are preparing to compete using the latest technology. According to Terry Hutchinson, the strategist for the New Zealand team, the teams which competed in old boats last year but with good teams will have increased their chances of winning considerably.With a...

La Zagaleta Golf and Country Club is one of the most exclusive places to be found in Spain. The wonderful views and incomparable residential facilities speak for themselves. In this tranquil setting, a new way of life lies waiting to be discovered.Impressive villas on plots ranging from 3000m2 to 10,000m2, provide unrivalled privacy for residents. All this is set amidst a sea of greenery which is home to deer and mountain sheep. A protected habitat where animals can enjoy nature in its virgin state. This residential complex is to be found on the Costa del Sol, close to Marbella and 60km from Malaga. The almost 900 hectares sit comfortably in the foothills of the Serranía de Ronda, ensuring visitors and residents alike enjoy breathtaking views of the Mediterranean Sea, the Gibraltar Straits and the coast of Africa. La Zagaleta is a project in tune with the values that define Polaris World. For this reason, Polaris World has decided to form a part of the project, building properties in t...