Hi to all, just joined this site and asking for any advice on buying an apartment in Costa Tropical, we have been looking in the area of Velez de Benaudalla which is in-between the Coast and Granada.  I am serving in the military and have a couple of years to push, the idea being we use the property for Hols etc with a view to eventually moving out.  The advice we have been given is go for a Spanish Mortgage.  I am however slightly cautious about using a Company who offer inspection trips and the full deal etc.  Could anyone recommend an estate agent in the local area that could assist.  We are prepared to fund our own trip out to look and view properties.  Any advice would be appreciated.

regards…......Colin

Can’t suggest any estate agents, as most I’ve ever encountered here bend the truth with great flair on most occasions - British and Spanish. (Perhaps I’m generalising as there are doubtless a few “honest” ones out there - just I’ve yet to meet one!!)

I had a client who’s kitchen I installed, who had basically been left to fend for themselves regarding the connection of power, water, etc in their new appartment on the Costa Tropical. Were it not for myself and other tradesmen they got in to do work on the place, who have all lived here for a while, they would’nt have had a clue or any help. They were supposed to have been helped by the agent and the solicitor (referred to by the agent). Once the money had changed hands, the agent and solicitor were’nt interested.

Best advice I can give though, is to find a good independant (fluently English speaking) Spanish solicitor. If you do buy through an agent, make it clear that you prefer to use a solicitor you’ve sourced yourself and that they will check everything first. Clarify what the agent is going to do for you, the client, and that everything they say they are going to do is in writing.

I can suggest a good lawyer if you message me. I don’t make anything from referrals to him, I just do it because I know he’s been excellent for everyone who’s dealt with him.

As for agents, your main question, use anyone - but get your solicitor to check out the facts of everything they’ve said before proceeding to purchase. I think you would probably do the same in the UK, so why do things differently here?

Hope this helps a little and I’m sure you will like the area, plenty to see and do.

Hi Colin, Velez de Benaudalla is lovely, and it’s a great location for access to the Alpujarra and Valle de Lecrin as well as Granada city and the coast.  If you’re thinking about Velez - as opposed to the seaside itself - then the best value would be an older house or cortijo rather than a modern apartment.  You could get something quite substantial for much less than a flat by the sea, and as you don’t move in for good for a couple of years, you could get some work done in the meantime.  (Someone like Heath above could help you!) You’re more likely to see the value of your property rise that way, too.  I would go for a Spanish mortgage and I’d recommend Caja de Granada - we used them and it was hugely helpful that the bank manager knew our builder, the mayor and all the councillors of our village, our lawyer and even the people at the builder’s merchant.  Our branch in Cadiar is too far away from you, but I guess they’re all similar in these wee villages.  As for estate agents - maybe you know this already so I apologise if I’m being patronising - a lot of houses are on the books of several agents at the same time, and they don’t seem to do much for their money. I would get over there and see all the agents (and look at all the websites) if I was you.  It’s getting to be a buyer’s market, so take your time and shop around.  We quite liked the people at Granada Propriedades (http://www.granadap.com/main.html) and Sunshine Property (http://www.sunshine-property.com/index.htm) but we didn’t buy through either in the end.  As a general rule, I’d look for an agency that has both Spanish and ex-pat staff, as there are advantages to dealing with both.  Have you seen http://www.cortijo-andalucia.com/, by the way?  It’s a search site for lots of agents throughout Andalucia but there will be some stuff around Velez de Benaudalla no doubt.  Have a look at my site out of interest - we bought a ruin with a re-build project in place and doubled our investment in a year (well, on paper at least).  There are some links to property companies on there sometimes - click them and I’ll get a few dollars from Google.  We’re up in the mountains but not that far away from your chosen area.

I can certainly agree with MartCross about Caja Granada as I bank with them too.

The great thing here in Spain that there are still branches of banks in many villages. Something that’s a thing of the past in the UK now.

They are generally the best source of mortgage information and recently, they are lending more aggresively. By this I don’t mean they are “aggressive” in the sense they send round the leg-breakers if you don’t pay up!! They have identified that there are continually more foreign buyers, moving into the Spanish property market and they’re adapting accordingly. More packages are available nowadays and at increasingly better rates.

Above all, like MartCross also mentioned, in a village bank, you’ll find that the bank manager is generally from the very same village, if not nearby and knows the area, the people, the property companies, developers, etc… in detail. For sure, if a development or property is dodgy or not, they’re the ones who will definately know, as they would’nt usually offer a mortgage it if it’s dodgy.

Hi Heath, I’m going a bit off-thread here, but where are you based?  Are you close enough to Juviles to handle an emergency job?  We don’t need any help just now, but I’d like to keep your number in our house in case holiday renters have problems while we’re in Scotland (as the locals don’t speak English, and I’m not sure how our insurance cover would work for a tenant.)  PM me if you like, or e-mail via our site.

Have contacted you directly via the email on your website.