17 Jun 2009 5:55 PM:

WOW! I didn't expect the come back from my post so quickly. I have been reading this website for a while and never thought about posting a thread. If only I did before, then I would have saved myself a lot of trouble and research.

There are a lot of posts from and referring to Georgia, (and thank you for your reply Georgia, by the way), and She seems to be very knowledgable about what happens in Spain. 

What I want to know is that with this latest experience, how can I know who I can and who I can't trust to help me buy?

During my visits, I have seen a lot of nice marked up cars driving around Spain, posh websites promising this that and the world, all vying for our custom. Nati suggested I go with the original company that was €20,000 cheaper in the first place. It was a lovely property but not right, (to be honest the location didn't suit me). However, if Ambersun are adding extortinate amounts of commission onto the asking price of properties, who else are doing it? how can Ambersun get away with this? and surely this must be regulated?

I honestly feel as though I would be better served on my next visit over to try some of the smaller independant Estate Agents around the area I wish to buy. There are plenty around, and I am quietly confident that I will find some propertieson their books that Ambersun have.......for considerably cheaper!

But, even with this thought, I can't help but feel as though that because I am a widow on my own who will not see the better side of 50, with money to spend, that Ambersun believe that I am the type of person that could be taken advantage of?

I would be curious to find out off anyone who has bought or had dealings with them what they thought.

After all this, it still beggs the question... If I was being taken for a ride by Ambersun......

who else has???

Thread: can someone just clear up some confusion for me please?

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17 Jun 2009 12:00 AM:

since my husband died 2 years ago, I came away with a comfortable inheritance. We had no children and since then I have been pondering a move to Spain.

I have been over about 5 times now and I have been looking for my ideal property in many different areas. I always feel drawn to the same area though on the Costa Blanca. I have looked around Cabo Roig, Cuidad Quesada, Guardamar and Orihuela areas, and I want to see if I can get a decent bargain. My first two times were just visits to see what the various areas were like and to identify where I would like to buy. my last couple of visits, I decided to take the plunge and speak to some Estate Agents and arrange property viewings. I was impressed and somewhat flabberghasted at the prices of a lot of the properties available. I have never seen such fabulous homes going at such a cheap price. 

My last visit, I took with a large company called Ambersun. I informed them of what I was looking for with a rough budget (i wanted to keep some secrecy) and what areas. During my viewing visit, (which I hasten to add was 4 months after my previous) imagine my suprise when I was taken to a property which I had already viewed on the previous visit!

Nothing strange there you may say!

What I was quite suprised about was that there was another person there who was supposedly called a "property finder" ( I suspect he is another Estate Agent from another company) and the price of the property had suddenly increased in the 4 months since I last viewed it by a staggering €20,000.

I do not profess to be any expert on financial markets or the day to day details of the complex minefield of the property market. What I do know though is that Ambersun were showing me the exact same property which I had viewed 4 weeks previously for €236,000, now being sold for €256,000.  I had already seen this house which was now being sold with a mark up of an extra €20,000. 

I do however understand that if people are anxious to sell their houses to either downsize or through being forced to move back to the United Kingdom, logic tells me that they would actually be willing to decrease the price of their property to get the sale, not to increase the price by such a large amount.

I know agents put their commission onto the properties they sell I have seen all over the areas I have visited 0% commission, 3% commission etc. how much commission then are Ambersun charging? 3% of 236,00 is just over 7,800. Not 20,000.

in my personal opinion, Ambersun seem to be taking advantage of the property situation at the moment to mark up any properties they come across by an exorbatant amount.

Needless to say I will not be using Ambersun again, I will be looking at the smaller independant agents and certainly be doing my shoopng around.

Has anyone else experienced something similar?

Thread: can someone just clear up some confusion for me please?

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