Property Purchase Advice

Hi I am looking for some impartial advice on the Hacienda Del Alamo resort. We almost purchased a property on Roda Golf last year until,we decided that we would like something more spacious. Looking around the size of the plots and  villas on HDA seem to be exactly what we are after.  However, whilst the properties on the face of it seem good, I would like some advice in relation to the general feel of the resort, the amenities on offer, the general upkeep of the resort, any underlying issues with the resort owners that I should be aware of I.e. Unpaid community fees, lack of security etc.  I have 2 children and so being a quiet resort isn't a bad thing from my perspective, but I would like facilities such as bars restaurants and supermarkets to use.

the list above isn't exhaustive and if you could offer any advice or opinions of the resort, good or bad, I would appreciate it. We have booked to come out to the resort next month to stay for a week and get a general feel for it.

Kind Regards

Mark

Hi

We bought a small two-bed bungalow on HDA earlier this year.  We had looked at several properties at Mar Menor, La Torre, Mazarron Country Club, Camposol and HDA.  We chose HDA because we really liked the property and its position on the development and also the ambience of the place.  It had by far the nicest "feel" of any of the places we visited.  It is a very spacious development and very well maintained.  The gardeners and pool cleaners are always out working.  It is very quiet at the moment, but properties are starting to move now.  Our property was a bank repossession and the purchase went through very easily.  Since we bought the house we have been out to HDA three times and are going again shortly and each time we have noticed that a few more vacant properties have sold.  Our property shares a communal pool and we have found that all of our neighbours around the pool of various nationalities are very nice and have been very welcoming.  There is a good community feel to the place.  There is a mix of residents and non-residents.  There is a women's group which meets for coffee every Wednesday in the golf clubhouse and regularly organises trips to places of interest.  It is only 5 euro per annum to join, the ladies are very friendly and welcome new members.  Many of the ladies have been living on HDA for years and are very helpful in providing information.  The group sends out regular emails to members which helps to keep us informed about what is going on whilst we are not there.  In terms of amenities, I think these will come on board as the place fills up.  Currently the Spaniard pub near the sales office offers bar meals and has a restaurant with a more comprehensive menu.  They organise quiz nights, live music, etc., and it is very popular.  Kennelly's bar is more of a drinking venue and has been quite quiet when we have visited.  It is in the Pueblo Espanol where there are more vacant properties and there are many empty shop units which will hopefully become occupied in time.  Clearly if all the shops were full, then most of the properties would be occupied and hence prices would be a lot higher than they are now.  The Golf Club has a restaurant and also serves meals on the terrace overlooking the golf course.  There is also a Sports Bar which I am told does excellent tapas, but we haven't managed to get there yet.  The nearest supermarket is in Fuente Alamo which is very nearby.  It is a good sized supermarket with a meat counter, fish counter, etc., and where you can buy a very decent Rioja for less than 2 euro a bottle!  On Saturday morning there is a market in Fuente where you can get all your fruit and veg very cheaply as well as the usual cooked chickens, etc., and cheap clothing.  Fuente has a range of amenities including banks, bars, etc., and some nice shops.  There is a well-equipped DIY shop.  Earlier this year we attended a two-day artisan beer festival which was great and there are other events on during the year.  

I appreciate that you asked for an unbiased opinion, but you can tell from my response that we love it.  It's probably the best decision we've ever made.  If you want lots of action, it's probably not for you, but if you want somewhere that's a bit more refined and totally relaxing, then it could suit you.  It's far enough away from the coast to avoid crowds of rowdy holidaymakers, but near enough to pop to the beach whenever you want.  The nearby resort of Bolnuevo is, in my opinion, particularly nice for an afternoon on the beach.

Thanks Lemontart, that is really informative and just the type of information I was looking for! It is great to hear you like the resort so much!

Hi Mark,

This may also be classed as a biased view, as last week we completed on a 2 bed apartment in the Spanish Village on HDA, but is an honest opinion.

We've spent the last 4 or 5 years looking around all of the Murcia golf resorts, hoping to pick up a bargain to use as a holiday home, but either found that whatever we liked was considerably more than we wanted to pay or what we wanted to pay got us considerably less than what we liked ! The Melvyn apartments on Mar Menor were our first choice, but prices have remained constant there and were at least double what they are on HDA. HDA apartments are easily better and cheaper than compatriots on Roda, and the apartments on the ex-Polaris Resorts were just too small or only had 1 bathroom.

We visited HDA for the first time in April (hadn't previously considered it for some reason) and instantly liked what we saw and the general feel of the resort. The low density of the buildings, and the fact that they were built after the golf course not before make for some wondeful views wherever you are on the resort. Also really impressed with the build quality of everything we saw (apartments, Coral Villa, Ginesa Villa), both inside and out.

The golf course, club house and practice facilities are as good as I've seen and are all well maintained. Haven't seen too many issues with any communal areas on the resort, the lovely fountain in the spanish Village isnt currently working but we have been told parts are on order. Community fees are also less than we have sen anywhere else.

We've found all of the bars and restaurants are very welcoming, and all reasonably priced. There is also a bar that opens during the summer next to the golf range. We were really hoping to have a supermarket onsite, but the Mercado in Fuente Alamo is less than 5 min drive from the front gate, or 15 mins on a cycle, and not as inconvenient as we thought.

Whilst it is quiet at the moment, we are aware that a good number of properties have been sold this year (especially in the Spanish Village), and with the current prices and exchange rate I can see that only growing. It is clear that if and when the new airport opens at Corvera, the resort would benefit greatly, would love to see the fantastic hotel up and running in the next few years. On the flip side of this I'm sure there are residents who have been on HDA for a few years have also been saying this for a while now.

Sorry if I've rambled a bit, but hope this helps in your decision making,feel free to ask anything else I might be able to help with.

Kind regards,

Paul

Thanks Paul, it is good to hear that you have shopped around too and settled on HDA. We have also looked on la torre, El Valle and Roda and it is reassuring that you rate the build quality and area better than each of these. We are really looking forward to coming out now!

thanks for the advice!

Mark