Released on = July 2, 2007, 9:38 am

Press Release Author = Jimwatson

Industry = Real Estate

Press Release Summary = To hear some doom-mongers recently, the whole of the Spanish
property market was heading for an outright crash, with investors poised to flee in
their droves and look elsewhere. Instead, what has actually happened may simply be a
market correction, with the long-term prospects for the country remaining
favourable.

Press Release Body = To hear some doom-mongers recently, the whole of the Spanish
property market was heading for an outright crash, with investors poised to flee in
their droves and look elsewhere. Instead, what has actually happened may simply be a
market correction, with the long-term prospects for the country remaining
favourable.

Evidence for this has come not just from commentators assuring the world that things
are better than the most pessimistic predictions. This week it has come from HSBC,
which put together a deal with its Spanish partner Solbank to offer mortgages to UK
nationals looking to purchase a property in Spain. Hardly, one might imagine,
evidence of a collapsing property market being abandoned by overseas buyers.

Described as \"perfect\" for Britons looking to buy in the country, the deal offers
discounts on the mortgages, with interest at one per cent above the Euro interbank
offered rate, compared with the usual 1.25 per cent, Banking Business Review Online
reports.

The bank has its own ambitions in the area for Britons living in Spain and the
Balearic and Canary islands, with a prestige care account also offered for such
residents, which depends on the situation remaining favourable for investors. If
investors keep coming in and buying property, including buy-to-let investors who
will rent properties to Britons, this will increase the UK national population in
Spain and with it HSBC\'s potential market.

In any case, there are other factors which should ensure the Spanish property
industry remains strong. Homes Worldwide not only reports that the country remains
popular for both buyers and investors, but notes research by Spanish property
specialists Kyero that 71 per cent of this investment is still focused on
traditional coastal areas.

This is where other factors come in. In a separate report, the same website notes
that Spain\'s beaches and marinas have been awarded over 500 blue flags this year,
the eco-label which indicates that a beach has passed a quality threshold concerning
cleanliness, absence of litter, safety facilities and water quality. That Spain has
so many beaches of this standard ensures that seaside locations, however crowded
they may sometimes be, remain popular.

Kyero\'s survey showed that the most popular investment location is Granada with 18
per cent of investment, followed by Alicante at 15 per cent. But the area rising
most rapidly is Almeira, with a 1.6 per cent increase in property values relative to
the country as a whole yet still, at an average of €198,000 (£133,000), 21 per cent
below the national average. All of which shows that there are still places in Spain
that are on the up and offering investors new opportunities.


Web Site = http://www.assetz.co.uk/

Contact Details = Assetz House, Newby Road, Stockport, Cheshire, SK7 5DA, 0845 400
7000, linkexchangeseo@gmail.com