The Ultimate Homes Blog

Despite reports of a slowdown in demand among British buyers looking at Spain, the country and its regions, dominated the list of the most popular 101 overseas property destinations - taking up most of the spots in the first 20 locations. The research, from the UK Wordtracker database, listed the 101 most popular search phrases online in the UK during the first quarter of 2008 - analysing over 200,000 search requests. Spain, as a whole, came top of the list accounting for over 10% of total searches. Although the Costa Blanca (5th) and Costa del Sol (23rd) were the most searched-for regions, the popularity of the Canary Islands has increased significantly, while the towns and cities of Tenerife (8th), Murcia (9th), Marbella (11th), Mallorca (10th), Torrevieja (12th), Fuerteventura (15th) and the Costa Almeria (18th) all attracted a strong level of interest in the first 100 days of 2008. This interest in Spain from UK buyers is also supported by the Association of International Property ...

The skyscrapers keep getting higher in Benidorm and three years from now, the highest residential block in Europe will be finished. After one year of moving earth and laying foundations, to a depth of 17 metres, the In Tempo building now boasts signs of life and the first three floors are visible. Last week, a mini celebration took place to commemorate the first anniversary of work starting on the site. Also worth celebrating is the fact that nearly 50% of the project is sold already, and that in the current economic crisis. The dimensions of the skyscraper are impressive, with it due to reach 200 metres in height, distributed over 55 floors and two towers that will be joined by a central piece in where the most expensive properties will be located (approx 6000 Euros per square metre). Such properties will cost 2.4 million euros. The current highest residencial block in Benidorm is Torre Lugano which actually rises 220 metres above sea level as it is located on the side of the Sier...

A highly amusing piece from the Daily Telegraph regarding everyones favourite professional. Enjoy.

We received an email this morning from a developer building in Altea Hills which really is an absolutely stunning location. The email certainly woke us up. Prices slashed by up to 35% depending on the unit. That meant that a two bedroom apartment with marble floors throughout, air conditioning, underground parking, etc etc could be had for as little as 136.000 Euros, reduced from 190.000. No wonder we nearly choked on our coffees. Further details for those brave enough are available here in PDF format (thanks for that Ian!!!)

Ferraris from all over Spain have congregated at Polaris World's Mar Menor Golf Resort for the past few days as the Ferrari Club España chose the Resort to celebrate their first "meet" in the Murcia region. Some 85 members and friends of the association together with 60 cars are at the Resort until next Sunday and no doubt will enjoy the facilities available to them on site and in the surrounding area. Many of the visitors are staying at properties offered by Polaris World Vacations and in the InterContinental Mar Menor Hotel. The program of activities for the group will include visits to local beaty spots such as Cabo de Palos and Totano.

This may be the best barometer of the global property market: The number of exhibitors for the 2008 edition of SIMA (Salón Inmobiliario Internacional de Madrid) , the annual property show taking place this week in Madrid, is down 25 percent from 2007. Last year there were 800 companies with booths, a record for the event. This year, however, there are about 600, according to event organizers. It’s the first decline in the 10-year history of the show, which is billed as the largest property event in the world.

His keen eye for the delights of the bikini helped unleash generations of Brits on to the beaches of Spain. Pedro Zaragoza Orts, the former mayor of Benidorm who died yesterday aged 85, transformed this small fishing village into a centre for package tourists keen to feast on fish 'n' chips as they cultivated their "lobster pink" sunburn. Zaragoza, who held the post from 1950 to 1967, realised that allowing northern European visitors to bask on the sun-soaked beaches would change the village forever. Unfazed by church efforts to excommunicate him for a plan that bishops suspected might pervert the morals of the average Spaniard, he got on a Vespa and drove to Madrid to persuade General Franco himself. El Generalissimo saw the potential for tourism to bring in badly needed foreign currency and turned a blind eye to religious objections. It opened the floodgates for hordes of Britons who have headed to Benidorm ever since, to spend their holidays in English bars such as...