On a diet

Hi everyone. We have just returned from a short visit to Caseras with the intention of seeing any progress made, and hopefully talking with Aifos.

First things first. The site is like a fortress! The guard hut is manned 24 hrs a day, and security have been told under no circumstances can they let anyone through or they will lose their job. Bribes do not work any more.

We tried to get access to all parts of the site, but there always seemed to be someone in the way. We met up with two like minded purchasers who had their own contacts but again they could not get access, however we are very grateful to them and their mum, also buying, who tried to help us while we were their. I have not named them but thanks again guys.

We stalked the site daily, and would you believe it, on the last evening we drove up to the guard hut and he was missing. Its about 1.5 km up to a point level with our buildings and I guess we got there in about a minute, not bad as their are olympic size road humps every 100m.

We grabbed a couple of pics before security descended on us with a not very happy expression on his face. Bulldog chewing a wasp would be close?They should train them to go without toilet breaks then it really would be secure. Full of innocence we were removed from the site with a small victory recorded for the owners.

We did get a ride up to the third hole of the golf course but it was not far enough to see round the corner to our buildings. Any golfers out there? then take your clubs and play the course. Ours is by the 7th hole. Please note golf is not cheap, with buggy probably £60-£70. 

We did call in to the site office and talked with Tamara. She said that the clamp down is due to many people getting on the site and going into unfinished buildings, for which they would be liable should an accident take place. This is true and would apply to sites in the UK in exactly the same way.

She told us that the first phases are already waiting for services to be put in with an expectation of June for the first hand over. Ours is Azucena and that is expected to be September. As always you have to take any information with a small pinch of salt! I would say however that it is an extremely busy site with work going on throughout daylight hours, so they are serious about finishing the project.

We also took a picture across the valley from Manilva, and it has to be said that the views and setting were stunning. We will all enjoy wonderfull sunsets and these fantastic views, hopefully in the not too distant future.

I hope this has helped and I apologise for rambling on a bit. Also apologies for the dodgy photos which I will post shortly.

David

hi

Well it is now a month later and not one post.it does seem strange with such a large development and so many problems that there are so few posts...............are all the people large investors who bought 10 or 20 apartments !!!!!

Does anyone know if there have been resales?WHAT ARE THE GOING PRICES ?

Did hear that last licence's were isued and maybe 2 years for these blocks..............

IS EVERYONE A HAPPY BUYER OR JUST WAITING FOR THE END ...............................................

Duquesa Estates newsletter is worth subscribing to if you have not done so already. He details all the licence info.

Interestingly he gives the Aifos finish dates for each licence which were different to the ones I was told. Mine is now December. Not another year please!!!

I too am surprised by so few posts

There must be people visiting the site as I did, perhaps they could feed back updates? Please.

You normally find people only post on forums when they are excited or pleased about something?

Also, as you said, there will be a high proportion of big investment, block purchasers who wouldn't post anyway.

This project is now so late (at least 2 years for most buyers) that the shine has gone off it and people are just gritting their teeth. I know that had I been desperately wanting an apartment in the sun when I signed up (April 2004), I would now be wishing that I had paid a little more than the bargain "off plan" prices and bought something already built.

I bought initially as an investment opportunity and when offered a better (penthouse) unit, I took that also with the intention of keeping it and selling the original apartment. Had I been gifted with the foresight to see the length of time the capital was going to be tied up, I probably wouldn't have ventured into it.

My "resale" has been available for 2 years now without a single "positive" enquiry and it very much looks as though it will only ever sell once built? This of course will then incur Spanish capital gains tax plus other running/setup costs that I hadn't envisaged, so overall it will not be one of my better financial decisions.

I have visited the site (Sep'06) and do have hope that it will be an attractive draw to buyers once finished. According to the Duquesa newsletter, my 2 blocks are both due in January 2008, so realistically that will be at least Easter and yet another 12 months away!!

On  23rd March we managed to get up to the top of the Estate with the aid of the lady from the AIFOS shop. "Adolf"  at security was none too pleased. In general a lot of the Blocks have a finished look.  However be aware that none of the infrastructure - internal roads, gardens pools or sports facilities - appear to be in place and this part of the project will take a good deal of time. For what it is worth  I doubt anyone will be in their appartment this side of Xmas 2007. We were told that our apartment - Geranio - was scheduled for completion in JulAug but it still remains just a shell.

The golf course is spectacular - we played it in order to get a better view of our apartment which overlooks the 7th Green. You will definitely need a buggy. Cost of two rounds of golf plus shared buggy was €140 although you can get an early bird before 09.00 for €110 for two with a shared buggy. 

I have posted some  photos mainly of Geranio and the surroumds as this is my particular interest. I have a few more general pics if anyone would like them.

Sorry about the gloom and depondency

Ken Gleeson

Hello - we visited the site on 2 April.  We have bought in Jasmine, overlooking the sea but it is impossible to visit our apartment because of the location and the building works going on.  Although completion date was given for the end of September we find it very difficult to envisage being in before Summer 08!!!  We bought off plan in July 2003 - four years ago.  We went to Duquesa estates to enquire about resale and were told that it would be impossible to sell until some were completed and people had something to see.  With the drop in the market in Spain, and if we would have to sell after completion there would be little profit (if any) after the taxes and costs.  With hindsight we would have been better off buying something that had been already built but at the moment we will just have to wait and see what happens.  Hopefully when the whole development is finished (?) we will all be looking at a better situation.

Would love to hear from others who have bought in or near our block.

Nice to see some people posting comments.......there are loads of people who view the site and messages but do not post any comments.

The prospects must be good as prices have increased since 2003 !

When finished they would be very good value.

Maybe when it is finished it will jump in price !

I hope to go out sometime in April and will try to get on site.

There are some apartments for sale on the web for prices from 240 to 300 but who would buy until some of the blocks are handed over.

There is an apart-hotel on the site .does anyone know anything about this?

John

I've just watched a Channel 4 program about overseas property disasters and sure enough, they had an example of a woman with  a completed apartment in marbella.

Problem being, that due to the Marbella Town Hall corruption scandal, her apartments can't get a "habitation license" (because of over density of apartments), meaning that she can't get a mortgage to complete the deal, she can't sell it on and her £100k deposit is tied up indefinately!

We shouldn't have any such problems as fortunately, there is no corruption scandal at our Town Hall and they have not overbuilt, as the 6 blocks that got refused planning saw to that.

I can't help feel however, that such programs can only serve to ruin any limited chance we had of getting resales before completion, so our deposit monies are well tied up for at least another 12 - 18 months?

Hmm, well dissapointed with it all now I'm afraid.

There is another thread on this programme here: http://www.eyeonspain.com/Secure/ForumPosts.aspx?thread=963&dev=FB11&name=General%20chit%20chat

Hi all out there-we bought off plan Penthouse Margarita block and like everyone to date have encountered the same problems.

We are investors from Northern Ireland and is was only on our third trip were we allowed (with the exceptionally unhelpful Tamara able to view-from the road opposite(amile away) what seemed to be some type of development-that was last October.

We are going out in May for 3 days.I suggest you all stay in one of those 2 fancy Hotels Aifos own and then demand a huge reduction at the end-last time I got the one in Marbella for free-shows perhaps what a guilty conscience they have.

Our Solicitor is also tearing his hair out-getting Bank backed Guarantees for our Promissory payments invoved him theatening legal action-again I would suggest you all press for the Guarantees  as this might force them to hurry up and complete if their  Bank puts them under pressure.

As for Aircon prior to hand over -forget it-its a bolt on product they offer after completion.

We haven't decided whether to sell/rent or use but we have already decided we will not touch Aifos for furniture packs or the Aircon.

On a lighter note the golf course looks okay and we'll play it next time we're out and with a bit of luck I'll "shank" a 3 iron into the security hut!

Good luck

Huw Worthington. 

Looks like Aifos is running out of money and can not even pay their workers. Hopefully purchasers have their bank guarantees.

SAN FERNANDO

CALA DEL SOL WORKERS STILL NOT PAID

About 80 construction workers held a protest demonstration on Monday because they have not been paid for the past two months. They are all working on the Cala del Sol development near the Ronda del Estero and Gallineras, which is being built by the property company Aifos. The men stopped work on March 13th, refusing to continue until they were paid, and they say the company keeps promising to pay what they are due but fails to do so. Some of the workers are suffering financial difficulties and are unsure whether to continue with their protests or whether to give up and look for another job, but as the properties have nearly all been sold off-plan they hope that the owners will speak out in their support and will demand that they be paid so that construction can continue. The homes are being marketed as being very close to the Castillo beach and ideally situated for golfers as they are only a few minutes from La Barrosa.


http://www.cadiznews.co.uk/info2.cfm?info_id=37621

Hi, this is my first message here, you have to forgive my mistakes because im Spanish,My boss and I buy a few appartment on Azalea, I also work in a real estate agency on Estepona, reason why im pretty close to Doña Julia Urbanization. Its very dificult to us to enter to Hacienda casares (not only as buyers, even as agency) but the thing is from time to time we sneak arround, i have 10 days ago photos, probably i going to post it tomorrow when i go to my office, most of the apartment are finish and close, they are putting the kitchen forniture and making the gardens. My block is delay in compare with others.

Aifos has Sold Out the entire promotion last week (the two new blocks they want to build, Malva and Melisa, appears with another name and they change the quality aspects). 

Last year, when the marbella scandals explode i was very affraid of what is going to happend whit my apartment because Aifos have close links with the politics in the goverment of that city, then I see the people continue with they works so y relax a little.

 We sold about 20 appartments of H. Casares in my agency, all of them to spanish investments buyers, this people start to call us to try to sale their appartments before accomplishion. As you know , in the last 2 months, Aifos start to call to the owners to inform that they want to end the urbanization by september 2007, but we think that they are going to start the signings arround dicember 2007.

I read some comments about the prices and sale before signing and i think its going to be a very dificult task. Its only because there are going to be too many appartments on sale at that moment. Any way you have to think that H.C: Is the cheap option inside Doña Julia´s Resort, so its going to sale fasten then the others complex.

About the Hotel Its now under construction, but its going to take arround one year to see it finish.

I hope this info was helpfull for you guys, and relax a little.......otherwise why you came to Spain ;)

If you have any questions please sen me an email to juanemiliorossi@gmail.com

Best Regards

Juan

P.S.: Sorry again about my english.

Juan, thanks for the information - no problem with the English, it can be understood easily.

Look forward to seeing your photographs when you post them.

Nice to hear some real news about this development..................does anyone know anything about the aparthotel?

Seem like they are making an effort to get some buildings handed over.

Why dont more people post comments???

John

Hi again. I post some photos of the 13 of april i hope you like it. I went to Doña Julia last saturday, but i have no luck, the guard was there and he dont let me pass. Aifos sales office is moving inside doña julia (the first round to the left). but is not open yet.

Regards

Juan 

Loking in my office i found 01/2005 photos from inside the appartments some of then was almost finish. if some wants that photos contact me.

Regards