lots of info needed about buying on camposol!

hi all,

i am looking at buying a property on camposol but i have lots of questions as obviously it is a big decision, here goes;

• is camposol legal? (i have read about illegal properties in spain that have been bulldozed!)
• who owns camposol?

i have read about the problems with MASA;

• what progress has been made since the disputes began?
• has the bridge/flooding of roads/subsidence been resolved?

with the research i have already done i believe sector A & B have the least problems?

• is sector A completed?
• have mazarron council took over any sector yet?

general stuff;

• has anyone dealt with mercers or any other local estate agents?
• how much approx are the bills on camposol for a residential property?
• do we pay for the street lighting/rubbish collection?
• will properties rise in value?
• are structural surveys used in spain?

sorry for all the questions, some proberbly seem irrelevant but i just want as much info as possible before handing over any hard earned ££££.

thanks in advance for any help! x

If you go here http://www.costacalidachronicle.com/ you can find monthly updates in the back issues on the various items affecting this urbanization re discussions with local council etc. and can make up your own mind. Also go here for minutes of meetings and news. http://www.simplynetworking.es/news.php?id=31

Guy

Hi there

I do not live on Camposol, not happy on urbanisations but it all depends on what you want and budget of course. Prices are cheap but there are nicer places to live in the area.

The best thing you can do is visit the area, make appts with several agents and then you can make a more informed decision. If you are thinking of moving out permanently then rent for a while first.

If you look at Costa Calida Chronicle online there are several estate agent ads and you check their properties online. It will give you an idea of what is available.

Jean

here are problems at Camposol, sector a and b and parts of c are getting or have there lfo, I believe sector d has problems but there is a residents web site use google to get it, I have looked at camposol a few times in the early days but was allway scared, but people do live there, and have done so for many years, I can not tell you anythig about mercers except that they are a local firm, and in the past I have spoken to them and will sell you a property, but they are selling not advising you so you will have to do the leg work, and get a very good lawyer

Go up the road and buy on Condado de Alhama- no problems with habitacian certs etc great prices on golf view apartments (known as the Penthouses) and on La Isla (water view). Presidents have got community charge well sorted. Obviously some facilities arent as originally expected but bags of potential in the place and the golf course is very good. There's a good bar and a supermarket and the Jardines are really beautiful. Possibly the new Paramount Theme park will be on the unbuilt land at the far back of the resort. (I doubt up close to the apartments!)

many thanks for all the info so far!

i have been reading info on  the CRA website too. i just wondered if anyone can briefly explain why the residents are against camposol being managed by a private entity? (it appears this is the decision mazarron council ultimately want).

what cost implecations for home owners will a private entity bring?

thanks again x

The few I have met who live there are desperate to leave.  Apart from reading about some problems re legality, although it is fairly close by, haven't been there. Could it be because it has become yet another little Britain in the sun ??? 

As for your question  'will property rise in value'  unfortunately can't see that happening on any purpose built  inland urbanisation in Murcia in the far distant future. Indeed I think the opposite is more likely .

I think this is because Mazarron council does not want to "adopt" the urbanization as they would become responsible for all infrastructure (roads, lighting, sewerage repairs etc.), since the developer got into difficulty. Normally in Spain a property is given a First Licence for Occupation. This relates to the individual building, and usually given in phases, and I know that in some instances on Camposol these have not been issued. You need these to obtain electricity, water etc. Once a development is complete, the council inspects it and if all meets requirements will "adopt" it as a  whole. This is an ongoing issue and if the council does not adopt it the residents through a private company would be responsible.  There is also the issue of have one company or several (one per phase) as there issues relating to a diverted sewer on a later phase. I am not an expert but recall reading this.

In the case of the development I am on, a certificate was rejected because there were too many stairs in a walkway without a break and the entire staircase had to be rebuilt to satisfy the council. In another place they had to change a roundabout. They are quite strict.

floella "Could it be because it has become yet another little Britain in the sun ??? "

You could be right, on our left side we have an Irish family, behind a Dutch lady, 2 doors down opposite side of road a Spanish family, and on our right Scottish.

Just like Britain its very multinational.

Life on Camposol? Well we like it. It has its ups and downs, it has plenty of groups for people to get involved with if you want. We are not stupid we know that things have taken a turn for the worse concerning the problems with the builder going under but we are not alone with that and from reading the papers we seem to be alot better of than some others. What is good about Camposol is that people are trying to make things better for everyone, we have garden groups that are trying their hardest to keep the green areas clean, volunteers that clean the comercial centres, a fiesta group that has now organised a fiesta for the last two years - no it might not be a totally Spanish fiesta but it was a fun weekend and the Spanish seem to enjoy it as we bumped into the parents of children in my daughters class who live in Mazarron.

Regarding property prices, well unlike 80% of expats I am not an expert in property prices but I guess the worlds economy has a big impact so until that levels out who knows.

I wouldnt like to recommend estate agents but I do know that Mercers and Luz Del Sol are the biggest on here and both are registered with organisations, their websites will tell you more.

Contact the CRA people as I am sure they would be more than happy to explain exactly what is going on legally with the council.

Camposol does get a raw deal from some people, especially non residents, but on the whole it is a nice place to live. There is a great mixture of young and old and people from all walks of life from 'Hooray Henrys'  to 'East London Barrell Boys'.

Hi Hammer 100

I have lived on D-Sector for the last 5 years and Iam not desperate to leave.Ican only speak for my husband and I and while Camposol is not perfect nobody ever seems to mention the good points.Our days are filled with activites,we quiz 2 nights we petanca at least twice a week,go bowling,help at a book club,run a walking group that averages 40-45 people who walk the local area and then lunch in a spanish restaurant.We have a fantastic group of friends from all sections of Camposol,the list good go on and on.Would we go back to England No.Ihave heard of people returning because they miss shopping in Tesco,we live in Spain try Mercadona they sell ketchup just as good as Heinz. Life is what you make it,you will only enjoy it if you make the effort to do thinks for your self.Maureen

Obviously Hammer 100 the few folk I have spoken with, when  flying back to UK via MJV, life on Camposol was not what they envisaged their life in Spain to be and from reading your posting am inclined to agree with them. 

But then how boring life would be if we were all of the same mind.

thanks moggy,

to quote you 'We have a fantastic group of friends from all sections of Camposol,the list good go on and on.'

this was another concern of mine that residents were divided and didnt intergrate together particularly with sector A being split by the road.

With Sector A being split there is a bit of a divide but that is between the various committees, the people still mix. For example i think that Bingo is only on in the bars on Sector A yet people from all sectors go there to play and there is the bowling in Alley Palais and I know that Cats Bar on A has a team that plays.

I agree with Maureen and it is what you make it. If you want to mix and get on with people you can but if you just want a quiet life away from people you can do that too.

"Would we go back to England No.Ihave heard of people returning because they miss shopping in Tesco" Maureen

I actually heard one person during the Telmicro fiasco when there were rumours that Sat dishes over a certain size may be illegal say that they are going back if they cant get English TV...each to their own.

What I have found myself over here are friends from all over. I was born in London and worked in London and the only people I really knew were in London yet since being here I have met and socialise with people from all over the UK, Holland, Germany and Russia....the most difficult part of all this is understanding a geordie friend especially when he has had a couple of pints :)

thanks again everyone! i am not put off, can't wait to move now!

i will definately be getting a good solicitor/lawer but does anyone have any info on how i will find a good one?!!!!!

regards x

I can´t agree with The Quiet Man´s advice to go up the road to Condado de Alhama. Has he been there lately? Yes, it is very nice for a holiday, but not to live. The apartments are small, and gardens non existent or tiny. Lots of the apartments are empty, and even in the busy periods it is almost deserted.  The landscaping is very nice, but not as well kept as it started out. Polaris has sold off most of it, the sports facilities are being neglected, the one golf course has no club house, don´t know what has happened to the other courses which were promised. The town centre shops are empty and the restaurant has closed already for the winter. People from Condado spend a lot of time travelling to Camposol and other places for restaurants, etc.

We have habitation certificates in Camposol where I live, we have a golf course with clubhouse, lots of activities are on offer, and a yearly fiesta which helps give a sense of community - to name but a few things. Of course it´s not perfect, nowhere is, but property prices have dropped just as much on Condado as anywhere else.

Hi,

For us all to advice properly we need more info from you.  Like Franny,  wouldn't buy on Condado to live,  but certainly perfect for a holiday home.

If you are looking to integrate into the Spanish way of life Camposol is definately not the place for you.  I'm with Floella on this one Little Britain at its best, don't think in all the times I have visited I have ever heard anyone speak any other language than English.

If your planning to play golf, have heard from a local that the course is not up to much and needs lots of attention and money spent on it. Yes there are a variety of restauarant but the're not up too much either.

Camposol was featured on  holiday homes from hell as some of the properties are subsiding. I personally would look elswhere, Lorca, Totana and Alhama are all lovely Spanish towns with plenty amenities.

Whatever you do good luck

Alison and Simon

I have to disagree with you about living in Camposol preventing you from integrating into the Spanish way of life. We have more Spanish friends than British friends. They visit us and we visit them, we phone each other, we go out and about with them, in fact not long ago we were the only non-Spanish on an organised weekend trip to the feria in Malaga. We speak Spanish, have mainly taught ourselves because the classes that there are , are mainly for beginners and improved beginners.

We know of a few people who have left Camposol to live in the campo, or in a Spanish village, and 3, 4 or 5 years later they still don´t speak much Spanish and are often living in the middle of nowhere surrounded by other Brits.

Camposol isn´t cut off from the rest of Spain, you know.  It is well positioned for all areas round about, you are within easy reach of Murcia, Cartagena, Lorca, Puerto de Mazarron, Totana, Alhama, etc. There is nothing to prevent you from joining clubs or organisations in any of these places, as we and many others have done. There is also the Universidad Popular, which runs many courses.

Yes, the Spanish towns you mentioned are very nice. But, as a friend of mine (Spanish) who lives in one of these, said to me, everyone is out working and so you aren´t going to learn much Spanish speaking with your neighbours.

Moving to  Spain isn´t easy. There´s lots paperwork to do, like residencia and padron, and if you can´t speak any or much Spanish, then living in a Spanish environment isn´t going to be easy - you´ll have no-one to ask about these things. At least in an urbanisation like Camposol you can always ask someone.

There are Spanish people living on Camposol too, you know, albeit not many, but numbers are increasing. In a Spanish village you have to live on the outskirts to have a pool or garden, and many of these types of properties have a lot of land, so you will need a dog for security, not to mention the extra work looking after such a place. Personally, I prefer to have my garden and pool and time to pursue all the activities I can fit into my week. In the middle of a Spanish town there are mainly flats, very nice, many large and spacious, but no outdoor areas of your own. It depends what your priorities are.

As for the local restaurants, we know people from Condado who regularly frequent them, and who praise many of them highly. I don´t know who told you that none of them is up to much. In any area there are always good and bad.

There are some houses subsiding on Camposol; where we used to live in the UK there was also a similar problem. Spanish towns and villages are certainly  not problem free either with regard to building structure, if you ever watch Spanish news. I feel sorry for all these people, but it is a minority on Camposol. The sensible thing buying any property anywhere is to get it surveyed.

It´s probably better to actually live somewhere and not just visit, before you are so critical.

To Alison And Simon.

Once again all these misconceptions of Camposol.Why does everyone seem do be having a go at our living conditions.I like living in a british community and that is my choice.Ihave nothing against the spanish but there social habits are completly different to ours.they think nothing of starting to eat and socialise at 12.00at night and while there are not causing any trouble they are NOISY add a couple of barking dogs and children to the mix and Iwonder how many people would put up with that every night,especially in the summer. And as for saying we have no decent restaurants in the area,have these people been to all the local areas were you can still get a good 4 course meal with coffee and drinks for €10,and the views are stunning we are taking 40 people for a walk and meal in the local area this morning,so come on life is what we make it ,lets stop knocking peoples choice of were they want to live.If you dont want to live here then dont,but they are a lot worse places to live and that includes other urbanisations .So I am going to make the most of what Ihave got.

I think that its up to the individual how much they integrate within the Spanish community regardless of where they live. My family and I live on Camposol and yes there are alot of British, although as I said once before we are surrounded by Dutch, Scottish, German and a Spanish family down the road. My daughter is 12 and has friends on Camposol from England, Spain and Bulgaria and my youngest has just made friends with a girl from Russia.

Now walk around Camposol and yes there is more English spoken than Spanish but from what I understand alot of people have trouble getting to grips with a new language and as for integrating you dont have to move into a Spanish village for that as we have integrated very well with people from Mazarron.

"don't think in all the times I have visited I have ever heard anyone speak any other language than English." you don't like it yet keep visiting?

"Camposol was featured on  holiday homes from hell as some of the properties are subsiding." There is no denying this and some people have lost alot which is heartbreaking but what about the houses that are standing fine you fail to mention that.

Camposol always seems to get a real bashing and there are comments too about Condado and these are from Alison&Simon and Floella. Please guys do tell me when did you live on Camposol? Comments are always about 'a visit' or 'someone told me'. Well next time people ask advice about living on Camposol you can say you heard bad things about it but also you can say you heard good things from someone.......but I doubt very much you will, its always better to bash than praise.

Have to agree, I have a place on Condado, but regularly go down to Camposol, for shopping, bank, and to have a meal, and we have never had a bad meal, so I think it is a bit unfair just to knock camposol because it is a bit Brit.like many people I am really happy with what I have bought and am quite happy visiting camposol, and my kids love going down to alley palley, or whatever its called to play on the pool tables and use the computers etc, so everywhere has its positives and negatives.