Wednesday 18 June 2008

The Spanish property dream revisited!!

Sorry to go on about Brits buying residential properties in Spain. I get twitchy about what do the words "escritura" and "mancomunidad" mean. Then, there is sometimes the lack of land register and the lack of transparency over prices. However, a few years ago with the peseta at 240 to the pound you could sell up in Blighty buy a better property and still have cash over. I remember a few years ago visiting the Costa Brava and being knocked by the coast's beauty. Who would not want to live there?

I am assured that the lunacy on the Spanish roads has got better and the UK health system has gone backwards in comparison with Spain. The UK has funded quite a few of the Spanish infrastructure improvements via European Union transfers. Spain is still a net beneficiary of Community funds but this should change with the increased investment in Eastern Europe.

Spain is a magical place but people should be aware of the problems. The country was always going to struggle with the euro. Inflation is at 4.7 pct and the current account deficit is over 10 pct of GDP. It is likely that Spanish housing and banking sectors will have to take quite a bit of the adjustment. Una cerveza anyone?

Don't get sucked in buying distressed properties, because they will just get more distressed. New buyers should try and rent and then make a measured decision. The possible increase in Eurozone interest rates by the ECB will strengthen the euro but the Spanish and Italian governments are already screaming at the central bank.
www.searchaccountant.co.uk

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