Here’s a personal note from spanishpropertyinsight

This is rather a pet hate for me. When I first came to andalucia Spain, 13 years ago in February 08, the law was the same as now - everyone working has to be registered, even the lowliest self employed. You had to pay tax and more importantly IVA (vat) at 16% of ALL your income, there was and still is no mimimum exemption threshold level like the UK.

Which of course is a big shock when you first move here and are scratching to make a living. My husband and I took ‘advice’ and were told to be careful if advertising etc as the authorities were likely to call you, book you and then serve you with a denouncia when you turned up to your appointment! In those days, Sur in English was the main english paper and there were hardy any adverts for services or entertainers etc so it was easy for the authorities to find you.

Of course it was rather easy to tell if they did call you as their heavy spanish accent rather gave the game away! But needless to say people were getting caught and fined.

However, the fine was 5000 pesetas (as I recall) which in old good money was around 4000 sterling. Quite hefty, but then again we worked out if we got away with it for 6 months, then anything else earned was a bonus!

We got around the legislation a little as in those days you could ‘buy’ a contract of employment, pay your own tax and be somewhat legal (gosh I hope I dont get into bother for all this now!!) and on the back of my husbands, I got my own residencia - like gold dust at the time!

Anyway, after a couple of years to be honest, we decided to go legal and incorporated a company, with all that cost and signed up to paying the social security, which is now 245 euros each per month AND an accountant (gestor) which costs 100 euros per month. So minimum outlay is over 600 euros per month before eating. Then 18% tax and also 16% iva on top. Books have to be submitted every 3 months as well and you cannot roll on profits or anything, you are taxed on the earnings and thats that!

Tags: spanish, property

One of our biggest property developers in Spain, Taylor Woodrow, has just published a press release on the  property market.

With the Spanish property market currently experiencing its fair share of negative publicity, it’s no wonder that the British public could think twice about buying a home there. Taylor Woodrow de Espana insist it’s still safe to buy property in Spain.

London, UK (PRWEB) February 27, 2008 — With the Spanish property market currently experiencing its fair share of negative publicity, it’s no wonder that the British public could think twice about buying a home there. Taylor Woodrow de Espana insist it’s still safe to buy property in Spain.

Buying abroad is a huge investment and no one wants to risk losing their hard earned savings by purchasing a home that’s likely to fall in value or that doesn’t have the correct planning licence in place. To reassure buyers of new homes that Spain is still a safe place to buy Taylor Woodrow de España has some savvy tips and suggestions to help them make a wise investment and avoid the cowboys.

Nick Freeston, Head of UK Operations for Taylor Woodrow de España said: “We’ve had many recent queries from our customers worried about the current market in Spain and whether buying there is a sound investment. Last year’s news of a potential property price crash coupled with the current horror stories of illegal building practices and homes being demolished, has understandably unsettled those looking to buy there.

“Despite the negative publicity we want to stress that demand for new homes in Spain from both Spaniards and foreign investors is still high, and although it’s true that the boom period we have experienced over the last ten years has started to even off, there are still good and safe long term investment opportunities to be had if you do your homework.”

To show their commitment to winning back consumer trust, the company has outlined a number of ways to help buyers avoid the pitfalls of buying in Spain:

Do your research
Research is extremely important when buying a new home, not only will it help you avoid making any mistakes, such as buying in over developed areas, but you will also find that there are still many opportunities to purchase a Spanish property in a beautiful area that reflects the country at its best.

Tags: taylorwoodrow, property, spain

Effects of the property marketing stagnating finally seem to be working through to the market.
A large property developer announced poorer earnings due to the the slowdown of demand for new homes in Spain.

Actividades de Construccion & Servicios SA, Spain’s biggest builder by revenue, reported a 55 percent drop in fourth-quarter profit, weighed down by weaker office and shopping mall projects and a year-earlier disposal.

Net income at Madrid-based ACS declined to 286.1 million euros ($424 million) from 642.6 million euros a year earlier, when the company booked gains from a real-estate holding. Revenue advanced 50 percent to 5.3 billion euros, driven by stakes in power producers.

ACS exited Spanish property developer Urbis in 2006 and the builder said today homebuilding orders slowed at the end of last year, adding to a withering non-residential market. The company has invested more than $5 billion on stakes in Union Fenosa SA and Iberdrola SA, Spain’s third and second-biggest power generators, to skirt a slowdown in construction work and generate steadier growth.

“Construction was a little soft,” said Emilio Rotondo, an analyst at Fortis Bank in Madrid with a “buy” rating on the stock.

ACS was little changed at 33.70 euros as of 12:56 p.m. in Madrid trading. The stock has lost 17 percent in six months, less than the 34 percent plunge at competitor Grupo Ferrovial SA.

Tags: spain, home, builders

Albany Times Union has been looking thorugh Spain for some unusual properties and found one here.

Travelers are always on the lookout for undiscovered and off-the-beaten-path locations. A search for such a place led us to a hotel called La Bobadilla in Loja, Spain. This is where we found an olive tree in our own private garden on a property that’s laid out like a tiny Moorish village.

Loja, which is located in an isolated area in Spain’s southern-most region of Andalusia, was a famous frontier post at the time of the Moors, who ruled Spain, or portions of it, for close to 800 years, from 711 until 1492.

La Bobadilla offers 1,000 acres of serenity, filled with flowering courtyards featuring brick arches and gurgles of water at every turn. The resort even has its own 16th-century Mediterranean chapel.

Such luxury, of course, comes with a hefty price tag. Our double room for two was $400 a night, but that included breakfast.

While the resort was highly appealing on its own, we were also drawn to it because of its location as a jumping-off point for exploring the region. No more than an hour away in any direction are some of southern Spain’s most notable tourist destinations.

Tags: spain, property