lots of info needed about buying on camposol!

Unfortunately there will always be good and bad in every community but Lahlahland has asked at the beginning some difficult questions about your urbanisation and i think it is only fair we should give both sides of the story and again unfortunately mine happens to be negative because that is the experience I have had. Like Andy we visit  Camposol for food shopping and Bank only.

Moggy,

If I want burger, steak,Chicken and Chips I can stay at home and make this myself, for less than 10euros.  I come to spain to sample their culture, food and life styles so try as much as poss to eat the local cusine and if that costs, so be it.

Hammer 100

As for "hear say" as you may call it, this is from one of your  own residents mouths, the gentleman who lives on Camposol told me to avoid the golf course, he was the one bad mouthing his own resort, roads in need of repair, no street lighting, a community in dispute over community fees, gangs of drunkin youths at night this was to name a few points he raised, this genrtleman didn't need any encouragement , he told me the only reason he stays, is the central location, weather and the golf of course. Says he wont be able to sell even if he wanted and i told him that was the same everywhere.  Think I may have caught him on a bit of a downer.

To Alison/Simon.

Why would you presume we were going for a english meal,perfect example of somebody not haveing the correct information.we in fact took 32 people to a typical spanish restaurant after a 3hr walk in the local country side were we had a typical spanish meal with drinks and coffee for €10,and no we dont eat burgers and such like on Camposol,but why should people be made to feel guilty if that is what they want.And please dont start me on the Golf Club (no we dont play golf)but we use the other facilities there like the bar for drinks or a coffee and they provide free entertainment on a Saturday night.So please lets give Camposol bashing a rest we have been here 5 years so Ithink Iknow what im talking about

"Think I may have caught him on a bit of a downer"

lol a bit of a downer, dear god dont let that guy anywhere near a bottle of pills

Think I may know him actually, wonder if he is the chap that denounces anything and everything, now unfortunately that is one bad point - Im afraid to fart in the street for fear of being denounced

Alison and Simon

With all due respect, it you only visit Camposol for food shopping and banking what made you think that you could answer Lahlahland¨s questions? A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, as they say, and unless you are here permanently you can´t possibly set yourselves up as any authority on the matter.

The resident you spoke to who had so many negative comments to make - well, there are always people like that wherever you go.  Regarding his comment about roads in need of repair - has he driven round Puerto de Mazarron recently? I´ve seen much worse there. Re the street lighting, yes it is a problem, but I´ve seen the same problem in an area of Totana. About the community fees, this will be sorted out, and we´re not the only urbanisation in Spain with this issue. As for gangs of drunken youths, if this man is from the UK then he´ll be no stranger to this sight. Actually, in many Spanish cities this is becoming a problem too.

Burgers, chicken and chips, etc are not to my taste, but far be it from me to criticise people who do like these. There are so many people out and about having menus del dia, tapas, etc, going to Semana Santa in Lorca, Carnaval in Aguilas, Moors and Christians in Caravaca.  By the way, a Spanish friend, married to a chef, tells me that the Spanish national dish isn´t paella, but sausage and egg.

Alison/Simon

Good point raised by Franny if you only come on to Camposol for food shopping were do you go,to the english butcher,the english small supermarket, the english cake shop or to Consum which is very much geared up to the english customer (even someof the staff are  english or spanish who speak good english).So please dont have double standards if you only want spanish why arnt you shopping in Mazarron were there are spanish butchers fruit and veg shops and fish stalls plus Dia supermarket.do you practice what you preach all the time,do you never have a chinese or India meal while in Spain.because our local chinese is usually packed with spanish even on a Sunday lunch time.  

Can't actually read anywhere on this thread that has actually answered Lahlahlands questions.

They are about to make a very important life decision and suddenly  the discussion is about what is in one eats !!      I live in Spanish Spain and can buy all the ingredients for any typical meal worldwide.

No-where is perfect BUT is Camposol trouble free and legal or not ? 

I think Lahlahland you should stay there for a couple of weeks and decide for yourselves. What suits an agent or vendor might be hell to a prospective purchaser 

To Floella,I did actually send Lahlahlands a personal message regarding his questions,but it seems people like to run Camposol down every chance they get,and im sorry if it annoys you,but Ilive here and Iget so fed up with all the assumptions made from people who dont live here that  I have to answer there comments. So yes your advice is right rent on Camposol find out about all the groups and activities and the surrounding area before you decide.But for every one person who doesnt like camposol  2 people do,it  is all down to  personal choice so lets not forget that.

"Can't actually read anywhere on this thread that has actually answered Lahlahlands questions."

I too contacted the original poster after receiving a pm from them and told them what I thought about Camposol with positives and negatives (I myself have never found a place to be 100% perfect) and also a name of someone who is currently involved with all the legal issues involving the development that I am sure would give them more information.

"and suddenly  the discussion is about what is in one eats !!" Well it seems to some people this is a very important issue, if an area only has British restraurants like Fish & Chips oh and Italian, Indian, Bulgarian then it is obviously a little Britain.

hi everyone,

thanks for all the posts, some of my questions have been answered and thanks for the pm's too!!!!!!

i totally agree  you will always get negatives wherever you live and that is what people always remember, the posotives seem to get forgotten!

i am a posotive person (the glass is half full sort) so like i said before i am not put off at all but will take on board all your  comments and do my homework. 

thanks again to ALL the replys, good & bad. x

Our friends have a lovely place there. The first time we drove up from san javier we got lost and took 4 hours to get there (don't ask lol). Last time, straight there. Always enjoy our visits and sleepovers. .

Moggy, your post doesn't upset me but what does upset me is when people pretend the problems here  in Spain are not really anything other than hiccups.

I don't believe there is any region that is immune but for some, don't read this as an personal attack on Camposol, it could be catrostophic if the ayuntamientos don't sort out the illegal  properties and at the moment there appears to be a stalemate situation between the mayors and the Juntas in many areas.

The Spanish don't care because their properties will be handed down to their offspring regardless of legality and will often just become a ruin. But the British mentality is different. We buy with the thought that one day our property will be sold, hopefully for a profit, for the benefit of our children.  This is why ,regardless of how positive we are, to rent before buying anywhere is no longer an option but a necessity.

For me purpose built developements aimed at the British market was never an option and probably where I live you would think the same. Would it upset me..never

Floella,thank you for your reply,you are quite right when you say the problems are here in Spain,but it does seem that people only mention the ones that exist on Camposol,that is what i find difficult to understand as other urbanisations carnt all be perfect.In fact there are areas of Mazarron predomanantly spanish who also have lots of issues with the local council.At the end of the day we all choose to live here for different reasons,and want different thinks be it only eating english food or embracing the spanish life style, and these choices would not suit every one.I can only speak for my life style and hope our problems can be sorted,but in the meanwhile we are enjoying are life and making the most of it,each day is a bonus the older you get.

Moggy , in this instance it was because the OP was interested in Camposol.

I know more legal than illegal properties so, for the majority , buying in Spain shouldn't be a problem other than locating an area that suits.

The sad bit about Camposol is that the residents there have been let down by the Builder.

I feel sorry for the people on Camposol and they are trying hard with their efforts to make it a better place.

Unfortunately the Green Finger teams and the Clean Up Teams, whilst they are making an improvement they cannot rectify the significant infrastructure problems faced on the development by the builder leaving them in the lurch.

You just have to walk around the place and you can realise how Mazzaron Town Council are reluctant to take it on and why they are trying to get Sector A to become an entity.

I would suggest that anyone wanting to purchase there spend sometime walking around especially Sectors B, C and D and look at the state of the roads, they have subsided as have a good number of the houses. They are so bad they are dangerous for driving on.

Also go up there when it is dark and drive around and see how many streets do not have lights that work.

There are alternatives to Camposol nearby. You have the town of Totana with a number of new developments with property at varying prices in the town and on the outskirts you have various houses for sale and the new Residencial Espuna development.

Likewise you have the town of Alhama de Murcia.

Both these towns have all the infrastucture you are likely to need.

As some posters have already highlighted Alhama de Condado is fine for a holiday apaprtment, but there is no infrastructure there and the promised Town Centre developments are now unlikely to happen.

In closing I would think long and hard before buying on Camposol.

Hi Brickie,please dont feel sorry for me,I live on Camposol.As we have said before it is not all doom and gloom here.Iwould suggest you pick the area to suit your needs.Sector A and B are both within walking distance of the shops and facilities,and it would probably be best to rent beforeyou finally decide if you like it or not.

And while some of the roads are bad,parts of Mazarron and the Port have similar road standards.

Residencial Espuna is not with out its problems we were up there a couple of weeks ago,and besides the houses they doesnt seem much else,certainly couldnt see any shops or facilities and it is quite a walk from it in to Totana.

unfortunately all areas of Spain are suffering most of the local councils are millions in debt so very little is been done to even the Spanish towns in the way of improvments.And if you have never seen Camposol it is more like a small town,but thinks are improving slowly,as seems to be the way in Spain.Camposol is not for every one but it suits me at the moment

I´m not sure that the builder of Camposol is entirely to blame. A reliable Spanish source told me that the ayuntamiento would have received a substantial sum for the construction company as a kind of surety against problems. The question seems to be: what has the ayuntamiento of Mazarron done with this money?

Good question Franny, I think the mayor of Mazarron at the time knew exactely what was going on at Camposol.As seems to be the norm cross my palm with silver and you can do what you like. You dont build nearly 4,000 houses with out some one noticing what is going on.It would seem these urbanisations are built  to a different standard than we brits are use to.Most of the town councils  are pretty much left to do what they like.In fact the Mayor of Mazarron once he was voted in doubled his salary, I believe at one stage         he was  in fact earning more than the  prime minister of Spain.But is that the norm in Spain or something that developed as people were looking to buy here 5-6 years ago.May be we need to hear from a spaniard on his views of how the situation has developed over the years.

"A reliable Spanish source told me that the ayuntamiento would have received a substantial sum for the construction company as a kind of surety against problems. The question seems to be: what has the ayuntamiento of Mazarron done with this money?"

Apparantly its no secret that the council were given money by Masa and its still there according to reports by the local organisations but its not that easy for the council to just use it to fix the problems. From what I have read they are still trying to get Masa to sort out problems. I was told that this money is to be used for problems that arise once a development is completed as it is not enough to complete a development.

the company,Masa would not normally hand money to the ayuntamiento.

They would take out an Aval (guarantee) ,which in effect freezes an agreed sum of money in their bank account.

This is notarized and can only be released by the ayuntamiento when all work is completed.

It is worth checking if this is the case here

There are lots of properties on Camposol (over 4000) many are in good condition, others are not (some extreme cases having been evacuated). As with all property purchases you should have your chosen property inspected by a qualified Building Surveyor. I have carried out many structural surveys on Camposol, having personally crawled under over 80 properties there and I have a good understanding of the build method and what to look for. Some zones are built over very deep clay (as confirmed by Geotechnical bore tests) and suffer what is generally slow (but occasionally rapid) progressive structural movement issues.

A structural survey is always advisable when buying in the UK and Spain.