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Soy... un hombre

Sobre mi... Managing Director, Outgoing, Good food, friends and a nice bottle of wine. Sundowners on the beach, Harley Davidson biker, Free minded.


Vivo en... Costa Blanca


Me gusta... Extreme ski-ing, Nancy Bar,


Trabajo de... Managing Director - Semi Retired


Mi firma en el foro es...

 If, is the middle two letters of Life! The only people who worry a...

1stcall's latest forum comments


05 Mar 2008 12:00 AM:

The baby boomer generation is now coming up to retirement or if they are lucky already retired. The majority of the wealth in the UK is held by this older generation and as such there is more investment in overseas off plan property than ever before.

In the past many Britons have spent their retirement in the UK and have taken long holidays to compensate for the cold, dreary weather in the winter. However, an ever growing number of people are now looking to spend part or all of the year abroad in second homes in search of a better climate and more relaxed lifestyle. In an article yesterday in the Independent, the government stated that ‘871,000 Britons now draw their state pension while living permanently overseas’, whilst Msn money reported that roughly ‘1 million US retirees currently live abroad’. A recent report predicted that by 2010, 1 in 8 over 55’s in Britain will choose to live abroad and goes on to predict 1 in 5 will be living overseas by 2020, all escaping high crime, high stress and high prices.

Secure gated retirement complexes/villages are springing up in parts of Europe and further afield and they are becoming an increasingly popular property choice. These ‘third age’ resorts offer extra onsite facilities such as 24 hr call out service offering peace of mind, exemplary medical and healthcare facilities and fun social zones to keep active with sports or meeting like-minded individuals. Moving abroad has never been easier or more accessible with numerous low cost airlines serving a variety of new destinations as well as more and more cheap flights to favourite locations. Much of Europe is only a few hours flight away, which makes it an attractive place to buy a second property. The cost of real estate compared to the UK is still generally lower and means that you can potentially get a lot more bricks and mortar for your money. 

Weather is a big driver in people’s decision to buy a retirement property abroad, heading south like birds to find warmer climes. Don’t be fooled however, by the 320 days of sunshine nonsense, it simply isn’t true. Southern Spain drops to 5 degrees with snow in the mountains in and around Granada. In most of Europe winter time weather is unpredictable, but the average temperatures are higher the further South you go. This is something to bear in mind if you want to use your property in say Dec/Jan, Sunny Beach might not be quite so sunny! 

Many reports suggest that a Mediterranean diet and slower pace of life have significant health benefits, with rates of heart disease in the UK much higher than that of Spain, France, Italy and Greece. In many retirement resorts the sense of community is great with people from all over Europe socialising and building life-long relationships.

 It’s not all sun, sand and socialising though, you have to answer some serious questions before taking the decision to move lock, stock and barrel to a new country. Ask yourselves the following questions if you are thinking to buy invest abroad for your retirement:

What happens if your partner falls ill? Think about language problems, health insurance and decision legalities.

 Do you have the right insurance and what are your rights for healthcare as a resident in the country?

 Do you understand the legal system and how to buy property?

 What are the costs of buying abroad, what are the HIDDEN ongoing costs? Some retirement resorts charge higher community payments to cover the increased service offerings.

What happens to your pension payment if you buy abroad? Check the currency exchange rates it may work out better to receive it in your country of origin and exchange in batches.

What are your tax liabilities as becoming non-resident in your country of origin?

Pensions?

Inheritance, what happens to your estate should the worst happen? In Spain, it is important to get a new will as it’s inheritance laws are different to the UK.

Country rules can vary greatly, so it important to find out the answer to all questions.  Don’t assume anything.

** EDITED ** Commercial post



This message was last edited by EOS Team on 3/5/2008.
Thread: RETIREMENT TO SPAIN

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05 Mar 2008 1:17 PM:

The dogs were barking and my son's CD's fell off the wall. The Earthquake measured 3.3 and was 8 klms down. There were actually two quakes to hit Spain around this time.

Not as bad as were I used to live. Northridge Apartments. CA. We had just moved back to the UK for a brief visit when our apartment block was totally destroyed. There were 16 people killed and a few of them were our friends. (Somebody up there likes me).



Thread: EARTHQUAKE

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25 Feb 2008 1:05 PM:

Hi have you found anything yet? We have listings that are NOT with agents. Please email us if you are still looking. Regards

1st Call



Thread: Villa Wanted:CASH BUYER

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24 Feb 2008 12:00 AM:

The company has held talks with Spanish officials about building on farmland near the town of Manilva, southwest of Marbella, although the two sides have given different accounts of the venture.

Disney said it was in negotiation for various new schemes in Manilva, including a summer camp for children, offering the opportunity to improve their sports and languages.

Javier Sansierra, the executive who has been running negotiations with Manilva town hall, denied it planned a full-scale theme park like Disneyland Paris, operated by Euro Disney.

“While I completely agree that a Euro Disney would do well in Spain and personally I believe it should have opened here in the first place, there are no plans to open a second or mini amusement park in Spain for the time being,” he said.

However, officials in Manilva suggested a more ambitious project was being considered. “The discussions are well advanced,” said Lucy Fernandez, a town hall spokeswoman.

“It is at a sensitive stage, so I can’t say too much, but the eventual aim is to open a Euro Disney-type park in four or five years.”

Francisco Alvarez, the local tourism officer, who has been closely involved in the negotiations, said: “We have the space here for Disney and are urbanising a couple of large areas for them. I know the company has acquired at least one estate here and we hope they will begin building soon.”

It is understood that in return for permission to build a new park in the area, Disney could be expected to contribute towards the cost of a new motorway from Seville to the Costa del Sol.

The company had originally planned to open a Disney theme park on the Costa del Sol in the late 1980s. After a long search, it narrowed down its options to a choice between Estepona and Paris.

Although Spain’s climate gave it the edge, the company eventually plumped for Paris, largely because of its better communications. Some executives now admit that the site in Estepona — where a 247-acre safari park has since opened — would have been the better option.

Other large theme parks in Spain have proved successful. These include the highly rated PortAventura near Barcelona, Warner Bros Park in Madrid and Isla Magica in Seville.

Disneyland Paris has been affected by problems ranging from bad weather to cultural differences between the US and France.

Large areas of land in Manilva were purchased by an unknown company?

Disney will come, but want to build a Nature type place, the local and area big boys will only accept a FULL style Disney here. They do not want to upset Terra Natura just up the road.

There is also the New Spy Fantasy World going on in Zarragoza. It's already being built and will consist of a Spy type James Bond theme World and a huge Water Park. (This is only just the begining, It's being based on a Las Vegas style complex.



Thread: DISNEY IN SPAIN

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29 Sep 2007 1:45 PM:

We would be happy to view the photos and the price being requested. Does the property have a bank valuation? Reply 1stcallproperty@gmail.com

Thread: Anybody over here interested in a bargain "finca" just of the beach at La Cala de Mijas?

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