Valencia Property Comment

Upcoming Audiobook

2009-07-13T23:44:00.003+02:00

Success in Spain - An Introduction

Here are two videos telling you about what it means to live and work in Spain. I recorded them carcasts last week and now they are here to introduce you to the audiobooks that I will be producing very soon to help people out who are moving to Spain. There are two distinct areas of the audiobook and it is aimed at people who are thinking of coming to live in Spain and also those already here who are searching for their own particular roadmap. It will be accompanied by a document with links, tips and that extra special sauce for getting the most out of living and working in Spain.

The first video talks about the mistakes that people make before coming over and how they can be avoided. The second takes it to a deeper level and introduces you to the Audiobook about Success in Spain, how you too can be successful when coming over to live in Spain. The audiobook comprises a series of interviews with people who live and work successfully in Spain and provides a roadmap for those wishing to come over to avoid the crash and burn scenario so common among expats who move abroad on a wing and a prayer.

It provides a road map for coming to live in Spain that gives you all the information that you want and need for starting up in Spain and setting yourself up. It should be ready by the end of the month but meanwhile keep an eye on this site and our other sites for more announcements about the audiobook and how many lucky clients will be able to get a discount on the audiobook when it comes out.

Like any good launch it comes with bonuses one of which is something I have thought about for a long time and never got around to doing until now, the Estate Agent Confessions. An inside look at how estate agents in Spain operate and how you can avoid falling for the tricks of the trade. This audiobook will save you thousands on any potential purchase and hundreds on rental costs. It is more than worth the value of the course on its own. Apart from this there are free chapters from other books by those featured in the interviews and lots of other goodies you can get hold of.

I am aiming for a launch date around the end of July so sign up for the newsletter from this site or Houses for Sale in Spain and I will give you first notification on the launch.

(By the way why is it in two parts? Camera stopped recording during the first one!)

Price Drops in Valencia

2009-07-07T00:40:00.007+02:00

I have just changed a couple of the prices at the request of the owners on flats in Valencia City. A drop from 190k to 155k makes this one the featured property on Valencia Property for a couple of days. Great three bedroomed flat near the Beach and Port.

This second property near the riverbed has been dropped too by 13000 Euros. Very well situated right near the Carmen and again three bedrooms but with two bathrooms this time.

This allied to other price drops means that Valencia Property in the city is getting ever more affordable and as a lifestyle choice you really should look at it with a view to purchase or rental because it is a great city to live in. Have a look at our YouTube channel to get that proved with loads of videos of Valencia and its surroundings.

Valencia Land of 400 Holes

2009-07-03T15:39:00.006+02:00

July has arrived and with it the hell that are the roads in the city of Valencia. Every year they decide to dig up the roads and install cabling, gas pipes, water pipes etc and it is always done in July and August for two reasons as far as I can see. Firstly more people are not in the city and therefore disruption is minimised, very laudable. Secondly to really annoy the workers doing the jobs as the thermometer reaches over 30 degrees every day and they work directly in the sun.

Why is it so bad this year? Well the "New Deal" put in place by the government has meant that loads of public works have been started in order to disguise the real unemployment figures just like Roosevelt did in the States.

Anyway my take on it in video.

Contact Details and Related Sites

2009-06-29T09:28:00.003+02:00

Sometimes you need a little recap on how to get in touch with us and what we can do for you. We have so many ways to keep in touch with the Valencian and Spanish property market and I thought I would just let you know here. So here are the various ways to keep in touch. Make sure to subscribe, sign up or become a friend at all of these sites and you will not miss a thing.

Facebook: You can go to our Valencia Property Facebook page and become a fan. This will aggregate all entries into various other sites and you can keep up to date with Valencia news. As soon as we hit 25 fans there I will change the page address and update you

You Tube: Our video page has just got a new look and this is where we upload many of our videos about life in Spain and houses for sale in Spain. Subscribe to the feed and you will not miss any.

Google Reader Feed: Not necessarily us but news from Spain we find interesting. We generally put up four or five stories a day which include news, blogs, events and tweets.

Twitter: Personally you can follow me and my life at @grahunt on Twitter. The new company account concentrating on property news is @valprop. If you don't have a Twitter account then go here to get one. Think Facebook a few years ago.

Valencia Comment: Our other blog(On Wordpress) which concentrates more on Spanish property news and lifestyle.

Signup: Go to this blog or the Houses for Sale in Spain Blog and you will get a pop up with the opportunity to sign up to our mailing list. Do it. You will then get important news as it comes up and the best opportunities pointed out to you.

Devanio: This blog will be developing over time and is a coverall for all of my activities in Spain. Business ops, internet news, social media news and loads more opportunities are there.

Mail: You can email us on grahunt@gmail.com and you will have an answer very quickly.

Phone: Yes this still exists and you can get in touch with us on +34 961662892.

Post: If you really like the old methods of getting in touch then send us a letter to the office at Valencia Property, C/ Valencia 57, 46185, La Pobla de Vallbona, Valencia, Spain.

Why would you want to keep in touch? Well a few examples.

One client was watching a property and noticed it had been reduced in price considerably. He immediately put an offer in and was able to secure it at a price well below market value. A good job because in the two days following there were eight other serious enquiries at this price.

Another client was able to secure a great rate on money transfer as they found on Twitter a movement in currency that only lasted a day. The transfer was worth almost 2000 pounds more for them compared with doing it a day later.

Clients already here have been to events in Valencia due to keeping an eye on our feed of Valencia news.

Other clients found that the definitive list of Spanish Twitterers was very useful as it has put them in touch with people giving them the services they need and given them some great information along the way.

So sign up and things and you will find that you are much better informed. Also if you have an RSS feed reader you will also find feeds at all of the sites to sign up there. I appreciate your interest.

Spanish Banks and Current Offer

2009-06-27T11:23:00.003+02:00

A little video report I put together yesterday about Spanish Banks and their current lending practices. Enjoy it and if you need more information about anything to do with Spanish Mortgages or Loans and Spanish Bank Repossession Offers get in touch (See the header at the top of the page)

Banks and Banking in Spain - The Current Situation
Uploaded by GrahamHunt

#Twain: Twitter Users in Spain

2009-06-25T00:24:00.001+02:00

Twitter In Spain (#Twain)

I was thinking what to call this but contractions like Spitter didn’t work. Finally let’s go with Twain (Twitter in Spain) to distinguish it from Twanish (which would be Twitter in Spanish which is a whole different area) So what is Twain? Twain means people who Twitter from or about Spain. I have recently been running a series of introductions to Spanish Twitter users on my blog here(www.houses-for-sale-in-spain.net) and it was suggested to me to introduce Twitter to the users of www.thisisspain.info as a way to get to know more about the country.

So What is Twitter?

What are you thinking or doing right now? That is the basic question. It is a way to tell everyone about what you are doing at the moment. Well that doesn’t sound very exciting does it? It isn’t but what you can do with Twitter is stunning. Twitter is becoming the default news site for breaking news in the World as people post links, photos and opinions on news stories and help keep others informed of what is going on.

You want examples;

A few months ago a plane ditched in the Hudson river in New York and one of the passengers Twittered the experience. The news was on Twitter 20 minutes before any of the news wires and photos and video used were taken by people with mobile devices and uploaded onto Twitter before the news media had the story.

In Iran the news blackout meant that the best way to get news out of the country was by Twittering events as this was much more difficult to control. (Today they have turned off mobile comms in Teheran as a result) The support of people’s avatars going green meant the story was not allowed to die. In the long run it make not make much difference but surely it is not long before the first social media driven revolution

Well known people and celebrities are using Twitter to keep in touch with their fans and directly communicate with them. Ashton Kutcher (Who I would not recognise if he smacked me in the mouth but I believe to be the hubby of Demi Moore) was the first Tweeter to get to 1 million fans and is now at 2 million. Oprah Winfrey Twitters (Or her helpers do) Lance Armstrong Twitters and Andy Murray is quite a prolific Twitter user.

Why is Twitter great? Many reasons but here are a few.

Choice, you choose to follow the updates of someone and they may well follow you back (How can you use that in your business?)

Cost. What if all of your friends followed you and therefore you could direct message them by Twitter which costs nothing rather than using a text from your mobile?

Potential. How many people can you meet if your interesting Tweets are retweeted (Sent on by those who receive them so that their followers can see the message?) Imagine that Ashton Kutchner (Whoever he is) found your Tweet interesting and sent it to 2 million people to look at!

Search. Twitter is Google in real time. You find the latest news about anything you search for. It is a glorified search engine. It has limitations of course as a search engine but it cannot be denied that it is hugely up to date. If you are Twittering about your favourite football club regularly you will build up a following as long as your content is good.

Twitter in Spain or Twain then.

If you are interested in what is going on in Spain, how people are living here and what is being said about the country then you cannot find a better way to do this than Twitter. You can search for a city, region, business, property or whatever you want in Spain and you will most probably find it. How you then keep that information is important too and that is where RSS comes in. You can keep your searches and follow them daily on an RSS feed through Google Reader or your mail programme. For more about that you can mail me on grahunt@gmail.com and I will direct you to a video about it.

So anyway just for starters here are 50 Twitterers based in Spain that you would do well to follow. If you haven’t got a Twitter account then try www.twitter.com and sign up with a username and password then search for the following people. They are in no particular order of relevance and also without any criteria for following one more than another if you are interested in the country. Of course you can follow me on Twitter at @grahunt. Most of these people Twitter in English, the Spanish list is obviously different but that is another blog post altogether.

(And for the rest of my contacts and anyone in Spain who is not on here do not take offence. You can add yourself below in the comments.)

1) @grahunt This is me so obviously the most important Twitter User in Spain.

2) @thisisspain The host of the blog where this article first appeared is Steve twittering from Fuengirola and Torrevieja about Telecoms and Football
3) @BarcaFan Simon is a University teacher from Barcelona who has an excellent blog and forum about Spanish football
4) @bencurtis. Ben and his wife Marina run the excellent Notes From Spain website and also Notes in Spanish for those of you who want to learn some of the language through great podcasts
5) @DreamingSpain Amanda is a guest house owner in Córdoba who really gets Spain.
6) @cmrlee Guest blogger on one of my other sites Valencia Comment, Chris is a cyclist who runs the excellent website Cycle Tour Spain
7) @mikecj and @juliecj Blogging for a living from Lanzarote and teaching people how to monetise blogs.
8. @sscullion Living in God’s own country of Asturias and loving the rain up there.
9) @Tomraftery Featured blogger on various websites blogging and tweeting from Seville. Made famous when he got a job offer through Twitter and accepted it last year. Tom works in Green technology
10) @AlexFayle Blogging from San Sebastian and teaching you how to simplify life and get rid of someday syndrome.
11) @Ryanopaz Blogging from Terrassa in Catalunya, Ryan talks about wine and helps wineries make more money through social media.
12) @Luzbego Teaching English to the Spanish in Madrid and doing it well with a nice blog too
13) @Matthewbennett Our Murcia representative twittering bilingually usually so you can work out what the Spanish one is from the English one at roughly the same time.
14) @RandomGoodStuff As the name suggests brings a cornucopia of random stuff from the web for you to look at. Based in Valencia
15) @Guide2Valencia Magazine based site around Valencia with info about what is going on
16) @ValenciaBlog The Valencia bias continues with great photos in the blog and information about activities in Valencia
17) @peppersantblai A donkey blogging for Mallorca. The better half of @RogerSwain I believe
18) @gospain Writing about Spain for About.com and recently Twittered the Camino de Santiago
19) @LaBarceloneta Musings on life the Universe and everything from Barcelona
20) @BarcelonaFlats As the name suggests Twittering from Barcelona about all things financial and providing great flat rentals in Barcelona
21) @alanuci Provides rants to rank with the best of them down in Alicante
22) @lifeingalicia An occasional Twitterer Martin gives loads of great information about Galicia on his blog
23) @thebadrash Tom Clarke is again in Barcelona and runs an excellent political blogsite too.
24) @VoicesEnEspanol Twitters in both Spanish and English so you can practice but also has a very interesting background on the Twitter page
25) @jonholl Teacher in Madrid who Tweets very interesting info about Spain
26) @toptapas Tweets about ham from Andalucia
27) @torretwit Not exactly in Spain but has property in Torrevieja and house in Norfolk but lots of good stuff and RT’s about Spain
28) @Somethingcakey Doing interesting things with cakes in Andalucia
29) @BullRunning As the name suggests all the news from Pamplona about the running of the bulls this summer
30) @PamplonaMan For organised tours of the bull running in Pamplona too
31) @visitseville If you want to follow a whole city!!! News and views from Seville of course.
32) @RondaSpain Andy runs an expat newspaper in Ronda and has loads of good content for anyone thinking of going down that way
33) @justinaldridge Runs the website eyeonspain and does loads of interviews with people making their life over here.
34) @pittkethley Fiona writes a lot about Cartagena. One of the most prolific Twitterers in Spain
35) @bungeespin Steve is another prolific twitterer using social media to promote his online business.
36) @justinparks (Justin has reminded me I had forgotten him) Excellent social media news from Southern Spain. Not much info about Spain yet but that will come.
37) @gabriellaopaz I have already recommended @ryanopaz and had a great joint interview with them this morning. If you need to know more about Spanish Wines these are the people to follow
38) @KeithSpitalnick For all of you news about Currency Transfers and the Exchange Rate. Based in Marbella and Tweets regularly about the Costa
39) @the_alchemist73 New tweeter based in my old stomping ground of Gijón
40) @thelawinspain As the name suggests links and articles about legal matters in Spain. Interesting links posted.
41) @maackers Drinking beer and hanging out in Valencia. Internet professional.
42) @linnetwoods One of the most prolific Spanish based Twitterers (41000+ Updates) living on a schooner off the Balearic Islands and doing quizzes for people every night more or less. A writer by trade.
43) @abroadinspain Tales from an American living in Burgos of all places as he teaches English and blogs. At the moment he says it is hot hot hot.
44) @spanishman Stan the Man twitters from the Costa Blanca and wears the Suit Of Lights so beloved of Spanish bullfighters on his profile page.
45) @benicassimfest All the news about the big music festival coming up in Benicassim as it does each and every year. Think Glastonbury with sun sea and sand and with a distinct lack of mud and you just about have it.
46) @lifemax_europe Oh that’s me again so you really should follow. Especially if you have high cholesterol or depression issues.
47) @Valprop My latest alter ego twittering more about real estate in this area
48) @retiringoleway Based in Jumilla in inland Murcia, Sue has just written a book on the area and her experiences.
49) @nicchick Entrepreneur around Marbella area with flair. Networker extraordinaire.
50) @rojasjoan Most tweets are in English but the bio says “Editor of La Casa Rojas, an On-Line Magazine which features original articles, written and recorded by authors from all over Hispanoamerica and Spain”

Doing research for this and the other articles I found that it seems to me that many people in Spain do not get Twitter. They just use it to try and get some reply from a celebrity also on Twitter. Remember, use it to communicate and post good and relevant content not to get desperate attention. These people all get Twitter and use it right.

Twitter itself is not the greatest webpage in the World. To get the best user experience download Tweetdeck or Seesmic Desktop. They are “Twitter Clients”, programmes specifically thought of for using Twitter. In these programmes you can more easily see Direct messages to you and replies made to you that everyone else can see too known as @replies. If you are really keen you can also have more than one account through them and post from your personal and then business account for example.

So get yourself a Twitter account if you haven’t got one by going to www.twitter.com and signing up. Then click on everyone here and you will get loads of great information about Spain each and every day. Also answer their tweets and create your own content and you might well find you have new friends all over the Peninsula.

Regards
Graham Hunt
http://www.houses-for-sale-in-spain.net
http://www.valencia-property.com

A Special Post - 300 Up

2009-06-20T23:38:00.004+02:00

There are some milestones in life that are to be celebrated and others don't mean that much in the grand scheme of things. However today's post is the 300th on this blog. So I thought it was time to look at what has happened in the time that this blog has been up.

Well the Spanish property market has crashed and burned and has gone from the boom to end all booms to the inevitable bust.We are still mired in the problems created by the banks and their ridiculous lending criteria but things are beginning to look very much up.

When this blog started at the start of 2006 with this news and were featured just after that in The Guardian Newspaper For anyone listening at the time we were telling you that the price rises were not sustainable but not many people were listening.

We were then featured in other newspapers and talked about the carbuncle that was and is Marina D'Or Our charity project which we continue to work with was featured in the Costa Blanca News and we warned about sharp practices on the roads (We were also warning about sharp practices in the Estate Agencies.

A bit later we continued our quest, alone it seems, to put a lid on prices after a particularly stupid owner put up their price. This seemed to be a trend over time as people just didn't take heed that the top of the market had been reached. A great feature appeared in the Sunday Times with a glowing report on Valencia by Spanish property Insight owner Mark Stucklin.

Time continued onwards and we stuck to our principles. In March 2007 I produced the first draft of the Definitive Guide to Buying property in Spain which sold really well and later i started giving to everyone who wanted to buy in Spain as it helped so many people so much.

October 2007 still had strong sales as can be seen in this post For good priced properties this has always been the cae. Only if you are overpriced and in the wrong place will you not sell. We then stated our current position and how we were working for clients. The info there is still extremely relevant

We started podcasting in 2008. This meant you could listen to loads about Spain while commuting as you can get it through iTunes. Check out the VP Audio podcast for old episodes. Our You Tube channel also started to be used more but that has really exploded as we moved into 2009. It now has an excellent overview of what you can do and see in Valencia.

I decided that it would be better if everyone knew beforehand who they would be dealing with over here so moved into online networking and social media too. You can find more info here Follow me on Twitter for example and you will find out lots of stuff about Valencia and great links to news about Spain and more specifically Valencia.

As the crisis really hit home I started up another website which is being ultra successful in terms of visits. You can visit it at Houses for sale in Spain and I started a series of things you needed to know ranging from Holidays to Food and more. This one is about Bridges

Now what am I doing? Well I am currently doing a load of interviews in preparation for an audiobook and ebook about coming to live in Spain and Working in Spain. It will provide a road map for your transition over to Spain and will also have a bonus audiobook called The estate Agent Chronicles which will tell you how to get the best deal and avoid the scams that are prevalent. Stay tuned for more information.

So for now follow me on Twitter go to the Valencia Property Facebook page and become a fan and get here to Valencia to live a great lifestyle.

Ronaldo, Kaká, The Beckham Law and Spanish Tax Rates

2009-06-12T09:26:00.005+02:00

So why are Real Madrid able to buy players for a ridiculous amount of money? There is one reason that is obvious, a reelected megalomaniac chairman who refuses to see his mistakes of the past. The main reason though is the "Beckham Law" whatever Ronaldo insists about dream to play for Madrid etc...

What is the Beckham Law then? Well have a look at this Wikipedia description. It means that your tax rate can be set at 25% for six years rather than a higher rate of tax such as that in Italy or England. With high tax rates at 50% maximum in the UK expect to see a flood of players opting to go to Spain rather than the Premier League stating that it has always been their ambition to play there, they have been fans since the year dot etc... They are lies. It's all to do with tax. They can earn the same money and be 50% better off.

How does this effect you? Well if you come to work in Spain earning a high salary with a Spanish company then you can opt into the Beckham Tax Rates for up to six years. You need to spend over 183 days per year in Spain, not a great hardship really. So if you are planning to come to Spain then think of setting up a company here beforehand and then give yourself a contract here.

Valencia's Central Market

2009-06-06T17:48:00.005+02:00

There is no more pleasant a way to spend Saturday morning than having a stroll around Valencia's Central Market followed by a coffee at one of the Cafe's surrounding it with some tapas. So this morning we went down there and took some photos and a video to prove it.

It is a really great place and finally after I don't know how many years there is no scaffolding obscuring the views inside and it seems ever so light and airy now it is restored. Enjoy the video of another great thing to do in Valencia.

By the way, I have just updated the website www.valencia-property.com with new properties and lower prices on some. Check out the Featured Property on the homepage at 265k.

Telemarketing in Spain

2009-06-03T23:15:00.004+02:00

Why are Spanish telemarketing companies so awful? Spain used to be a paradise for those of us sick of receiving offers for double glazing in the UK from faceless companies. However there are now loads of companies phoning innocent victims, me, up every day with pointless offers. Now seriously I know the people working there have to earn a crust and unemployment is very high but just a few things to bear in mind when you ring me if you want to have a hope of selling me something.
1) When YOU ring ME don't immediately put me on hold. You will get hung up on
2) Don't tell me the offer is for businesses in La Pobla de Vallbona (Where I live) It's a lie, I know it, you know it and the phone, which is just about to be hung up, knows it.
3) Don't tell me you can get me great ratings on the first page of Google. So can I as long as the search term keyword is "Small transylvanian squirrels eat large ghetto" I will hang up
4) Don't mention the words Movistar, Telefonica or orange. I will hang up.
5) Ask for me by name or my business. Do not ask for one of my clients from years ago as you have been for a couple of years now and each time I have told you to get my number off that database. You still haven't done it therefore guess what will happen. I will hang up again.
6) NO You cannot arrange to come and see me at your convenience I am very busy and even if I weren't I will still hang up.
7) Securitas Direct! I bloody well represent you so stop ringing me up as if you don't know me from Adam.

Do you get the idea?
I just wish the telemarketing companies did and I had the gall to pretend not to speak Spanish.
What are your experiences with telemarketing?

The Albufera Lake - Valencia's Pride and Joy

2009-05-31T22:43:00.004+02:00

Many years ago there was a TV programme which hit home with me and i found out it was based on a great book Cañas y Barro. The setting of the book is the Albufera lake in Valencia and the small town of El Palmar, hidden in the middle of the lake. I took a video there the other day which featured on one of my other sites www.houses-for-sale-in-spain.net and here I have also added a photo that I really like from the video. Enjoy.

Paella, of course is one of the iconic images of Spain and Valencia is where Paella comes from. It is nothing like the paella mixta served up in the tourist meccas though and real paella is what you can find there. El Palmar and the Albufera lake is just a ten minute drive out from Valencia and there are plenty of coaches that go there for Paella lunches too (It takes half an hour in the summer near to lunchtime).

The video shows the Albufera lake, the restaurants in El Palmar, the home of paella without actually showing paella itself I will leave that to your imagination, and incorporates a carcast talking about why you would want to go to such a lovely place to visit. Enjoy it.

Valencia City Beach Loses its Blue Flag

2009-05-29T09:13:00.005+02:00

But why? Well it turns out that the beach and the water have excellent water quality and are brilliantly clean according to the organisation that allows blue flags. However it has lost the flag because it has too many non organised sporting events and too much publicity for those events which goes against the Coast Law apparently. Now if that isn't a shocking reason to lose a flag that gives great publicity to an area I don't know what is. (Apparently it is because there is an open fight between central government and the local Valencian governement about usage of the beach)

Now I thought that a beach was for relaxing on and doing activities. The non formal nature of the events that go on, volleyball tournaments, beach soccer etc... should actually be something to celebrate. Meanwhile have a look at my video about the beach and port area of Valencia and you will see why it is so good. And also take a look at this video of a flat for rent just down by the Port where you could enjoy the beach each and every day.

Meanwhile the Valencia region has 101 blue flag beaches on its 119km of coastline. Not a bad ratio.

You can rent this flat right now for short term or long term rentals.

Cheap Accommodation Competition

2009-05-28T11:38:00.003+02:00

Now normally I would offer to find accommodation for our clients coming over, see our post at this link. But as I just cannot compete with this sort of promotion if your visit to Valencia coincides with the dates given here get yourself over to Hostel Bookers and try to get a bed for 5 cents.

Beds for 5cents - HostelBookers Birthday Giveaway

In celebration of its fifth birthday, HostelBookers is running an exciting deal – book a beach hostel for just 5 cents a night!

This discounted hostel holiday will be offered at five popular European destinations for travel between 6 and 10 July 2009, with the beds becoming available next week from 1 to 5 June.

50 beds will go on sale at the 5cents rate every day during this week at 2pm GMT, with a total of 250 beds at beach hostels in the Mediterranean on offer overall. There are no hidden costs or strings attached – travellers really will pay just 5 cents a night for their bed.

From the bustling city beaches of Barcelona and Valencia to the glitzy resort of Alghero, the discos of Corfu and laid-back Santorini, there’s a diverse range of great beach holidays available for this tiny price.

The five hostels participating in the birthday offer are Centric Point in Barcelona, Purple Nest in Valencia, Sunrock Backpackers Hostel in Corfu, Hostel D'Alguer in Alghero and Santorini Hostel in Santorini.

David Smith, Chief Operating Officer of HostelBookers, said, “We’ve had a phenomenal five years at HostelBookers, and experienced unprecedented growth. This is the first time we have run a promotion on this scale but our anniversary felt like the perfect time – it’s a way to say thank you to all our customers, and give a little something back, after all their help over the years.”

HostelBookers is also running a competition as part of the birthday celebrations – they’ll be giving away 20 ‘presents’ to customers, including £500 in cash, an ASUS 701SD Travel Laptop and a Canon Ixus 85 Digital Camera.

For further information please log on to HostelBookers.com

Valencia Property Getting Cheaper If You Have Pounds

2009-05-27T12:26:00.005+02:00

As you will all know the price of property in Spain rose remarkably without the prices actually rising when the Pound dropped like a stone and almost hit parity with the Euro. Well the Euro is having a few problems in the last week or so and currently it stands at around 1.14 Euros to the pound if you are doing a currency transfer to Spain. This is obviously much better than you get on the high street.

Get in touch with us if you have any need to send pounds into a Euro account any time soon as you can fix the rate now if you want even though you will only make the transfer in a few months time. Our partner companies for FX transfer will get you the best rate going.

Meanwhile, it is such a nice day that i get the feeling that the pool is looking tempting for the first time, it always looks tempting but the temperature of the water needs to be bathlike for me.

If you want to win yourself a holiday in Spain or anywhere else for that matter click below and complete a quick survey.

Guest Blog From Chris Lee

2009-05-26T15:32:00.003+02:00

A different post today which relates to Valencia. Chris Lee runs a website called Cycle Tour Spain and the site will give you all of the information you may need about planning a route and carrying out a cycle your in Spain. Enjoy Chris' blog and click through to his links.

I’m writing this from a roof terrace in the Valencia Community, marvelling at the dark blue sea in the distance that lies above the green muddle of the orange groves through which we wander to reach the beach. These are definitely the main plus points of living on the Costa Azahar, south of Valencia city.

I’ve blogged before on the best and worst aspects of living in Spain, but what I love most about the Valencia Community is the shear randomness of it all. If there’s one thing they like here it’s making a noise, be it the annual Fallas (mid-March) festival, regular mascletàs (short daytime firework set-offs) to celebrate saint’s days or 8am wake-up calls by blunderbuss on a Sunday morning. You never know what will happen in Valencia.

One thing that is guaranteed is the quality and value of local produce – oranges, cherries, strawberries, tiger nuts (xufas) and almond-based breads and sweets – all of which tantalise the tongue and make a trip to the local market a very pleasant and cost-effective experience.

I run a website dedicated to getting on your bike and seeing off-the-beaten-track Spain on two wheels called CycleTourSpain.com, and – once you venture inland got away from the costas here, which can be busy, ugly and run-down in places – you get a real sense of freedom. Small towns of Arabic origin, shear mountains and dramatic off-road hiking and cycling routes, such as the Racó del Duc offer incredible variety in scenery, plus a sporting challenge (coupled with quiet roads) that one simply cannot enjoy in the more congested, flatter confines of most of the UK.

Whatever you’re into, the chances are you’ll find it in Valencia.

Planning a Day Out In Valencia

2009-05-24T13:04:00.003+02:00

Visiting Valencia is a joy and it needn't be expensive. If you use our service to find you a cool hotel you will first have a great base to start from. Then take these tips and they will lead you to other great things to do in Valencia. Of course you can go to the big attractions, there are some mentioned below, but this is a good start.

1) Walk through the Turia gardens. This dry riverbed meanders through the city and you are never far from it. There are a whole host of attractions within it and it should be the first stop for anyone wanting to get to know how beautiful a city park can be with a bit of imagination.

2) Visit the Fallas Museum. Located near the City of Arts and Sciences (See number four) the Fallas Museum is small and intimate unlike the Fallas Fiestas themselves, and gives a great overview of what the Fallas are and how they have developed over the years. Very cheap to get in.

3) Go to the Medievel Central market. It has spent most of the last ten years under scaffolding in various parts and currently a metro station is being built to one side but inside you will find produce of every type from different parts of the World. Changes with the seasons. Springtime is just a strawberry festival

4) See the City of Arts and Sciences. In this one I say just take a camera and go there, you do not need to go it. Your camera will love you for it.

5) Walk around the old Town area called the Carmen. Here you will see how an area has character and how character can be retained by a bit of thought. Facades remain in place even when buildings are gutted and rebuilt so it doesn't lose its beauty

6) See the Holy Grail in the cathedral. Indiana Jones needn't have bothered with going to look for the Grail everywhere else as, alledgedly it is in Valencia Cathedral

7) Get yourself down to the beach and Port areas and have yourself a drink overlooking a great city beach or the America's Cup Port. Also investigate the Cabañal and Malvarrosa areas while you are there

8) Get down to the Palmar village to the South of the City where Paella restaurants are all that exist. You are surrounded by the Albufera lake which is a rice growing paradise

9) Go on the City Bus Tour as it will surprise you with the variety of things to see in the city. This costs but not too much

10) Get out in the evening and enjoy a jug of Agua de Valencia, a mixture of Vodka, Champagne and orange juice that should not be taken lightly because the hangover the next day can be brutal.

Remember that there are loads of other things to do and each person will find their own favourites. I haven't included the big ticket visits like the Bioparc Zoo, The City of Arts and Sciences Tickets, Football at Mestalla, and a multitude of events such as Formula One, Sailing regattas and more but for more information about things to do in Valencia and Spain keep an eye out for more upcoming HubPages

Friday Was A Big Day - Mortgage Decisions in Spain

2009-05-23T23:36:00.004+02:00

It has been three months more or less since the first visit of some clients but finally the bank decided yesterday that it would fund their purchase of a house in Olocau and now it just needs to be decided what the conditions are to put in place the mortgage and get the signing ready. What on Earth possessed the bank to take so long to approve what is a very simple operation is beyond me but rest assured that when you come to buy your house for sale in Spain that even if it takes three months to sort out finance we will be here supporting you all the way.

If you want to ask us for advice on mortgages and finance to buy a property in Spain just drop us a line or sign up for the newsletter and we will keep you up to the minute informed about what is going on in Valencia and Spain as a whole

Digital Planet

2009-05-20T09:19:00.003+02:00

I was listening to Digital Planet on the BBC this morning which you can listen to at the link. It talks about the new phone in Venezuela the Vergatario (The picture is of Hugo Chavez the Venzuelan President holding one). Now for anyone who lives in South America the name might spark a bit of hilarity as it actually is a slang term for a rather large male part of the anatomy. I was thinking about this is the context of the Spanish language and thought you might like a couple of examples of you having to be careful when you name a product.

Firstly the most well known is the Opel Kadett which wasn't known as the Vauxhall Nova because "no va" means "doesn't go" or "doesn't work" of course. This may or may not be an urban myth because all of Vauxhall's cars are Opels on the continent. However one that isn't an urban myth is the Mitsubishi Pajero. Much more hilarity ensues when you find out what that means. Pretty apt name for some of the people swanning around in 4x4's in the centre of a flat city like Valencia really.

Arriving in Valencia in Style - The Railway Station

2009-05-19T00:05:00.002+02:00

Valencia has a fantastic station. The video speaks for itself. Have a look and next time you come into the city consider this as your arrival point instead of the car. It will be worth your while as it is right in the centre and no parking charges therefore.

Spanish Cup Final in Valencia Tonight

2009-05-13T13:41:00.003+02:00

Thanks to the Washington Post for this story, an oldie but goody. This story has been going around the place for some time now but it has just been picked up by the Americans. So here it is in all its glory. For a more irreverant view on the story go to the following link.
The picture is of a confused looking Spanish national Team in the 98 World Cup humming and making it up as they go along. If you have any suggestions (And they must include the words "Going home in the quarters" I think. Oops now they are Euro Champs!) then send them into Marca.

ARTICLE
Spaniards never have to worry about forgetting the words to their national anthem. It has none.

Now, however, the country has embarked on trying to come up with lyrics _ a task that some see as leading to a perilous fight.

The wordless anthem has often caused consternation among onlookers from other nations at international events such as soccer matches and Olympics because all Spaniards can do is hum along to its tune.

"It gives me a very odd feeling that people should sing 'La, la, la,' or 'Chunda, chunda, chunda,'" said Alejandro Blanco, president of Spain's Olympic Committee. "Spain is a country with cheerful people who sing at any opportunity, so why shouldn't they be able to sing the words of a national anthem?"

Staunchly Catholic Spain has for centuries intoned religious rites such as the "Angelus devotion" instead of rallying round an anthem, although one existed mainly for use at military occasions.

Paradoxically, during the 1939-75 military dictatorship of Gen. Francisco Franco, the national anthem was rarely heard and it has only re-emerged with a return to democracy in 1977.

Franco's iron grip on government and the destructive civil war that preceded it have left a nation that is divided not just along traditional regional lines _ based on the ancient kingdoms that united centuries ago to form modern Spain _ but also politically.

"I doubt very much anyone will be able to come up with words that everyone will be happy with," said Jose Guzman, a 42-year-old businessman.

Although the idea of setting words to the national anthem was first voiced by the Association of Victims of Terrorism, a group linked to the conservative opposition Popular Party, Blanco said the current initiative is free of politics.

"The politically independent Spanish Olympic Committee put forward the idea," said Blanco, who added that many sectors of society have responded with enthusiasm.

Some observers think trying to find words most people will have no qualms about intoning at public functions is going to be a near-impossible task.

"Look, Spain has so many languages, what are they going to do, set each stanza in a different tongue?" said Juan Suarez, presenter of musical radio show "La Ciudad Invisible" _ "The Invisible City" _ on national station Radio 3.

Spaniards speak at least five regional languages _ not including dialects _ and share the distinction of having no words to their anthem with a handful of countries, including Bosnia-Herzegovina, whose anthem was written in 1985, and tiny San Marino, whose tune was penned in 1894.

The competition to write words to the anthem is open to anyone, said Blanco, who expected the first 300 suggested lyrics from sports daily Marca on Wednesday.

Blanco said his committee expected more than 5,000 suggested lyrics to the anthem by September, when the candidates are to be assessed by parliament.

"The final choice will be left to lawmakers in government," said Blanco, who said he was convinced the outcome would unite rather than divide the country.

Yoga Retreat Hotel For Sale

2009-05-13T08:24:00.005+02:00

This is a quite long video because the place for sale is absolutely enormous and therefore to do it justice there are lots of photos and video clips. This property has so many possibilities with its 14 (More or Less) bedrooms, loads of bathrooms, a kitchen, bar, dining area, office, therapy room, two conference or yoga rooms. Outside it has a lovely area around the swimming pool with its light and shade, shady patios and an extra plot of 3000m2 which has space for parking cars for the guests.

The house is on an estate in Chiva just a couple of hundred yards from the bus route into Valencia, a quick ten minute drive to the Bonaire shopping centre, the biggest in Spain, 15 minutes to the airport and 20 from Valencia itself.

This property should be considered for those wanting a huge place to develop a business, it has a licence as an Albergue (Rural Hotel) and used to be a restaurant too. It could also be a perfect place to have a property for groups or associations that want to use its possiblities for meetings and conferences. Currently there are many yoga retreats and self development classes run there.

Cloudy and Such a Grey Day!!!

2009-05-11T09:20:00.002+02:00

Here I am today wanting to take pictures of a lot of properties, I left my day free to do this of course, and what happens? Clouds and lots of them. A grey day as described by Madness
http://blip.fm/~61583

I suppose it was coming when I put up the video about the beach in Valencia on Saturday which you can see here It was a bit murky then.

New Accommodation Service

2009-05-10T17:52:00.005+02:00

Based on the questions we get asked on a continuous basis I have decided to put together a new service. If you come over to Valencia for a few days or a week or so I have got together with a few of the great quality niche hotels to get you a good deal.

Now the hotel you stay in, where it is, the style etc... can make or break your stay in a city so I have decided to use my experience here in Valencia to get you the best hotels depending on your needs. Our hotels are those that offer the highest quality because they are a bit different. They range in price from basic bed and breakfasts and self catering accommodation to the high end hotels including that which you can see at this link in my video about Valencia's beach.

So when you get in touch and are arranging your visit we can now help you with the accommodation in two ways. Firstly we can get you a short term flat rental and secondly we can get you a hotel if you would prefer. We even have contacts in bed and breakfast places both in the city and in the surrounding countryside.

So next time you get in touch we will suggest using this service which will cost you 35 Euros which you can pay by Paypal if you want and if you wish that will include picking you up at the airport or meeting you and taking you directly there.

Driving Into Valencia - Hoces Del Cabriel

2009-05-07T23:01:00.003+02:00

If you are looking for a nice day out from Valencia grab yourself a picnic and head up the Madrid motorway until you get to the turn off for the Hoes del Cabriel National Park. Things have changed around there since my first visit some 20 years ago when the trip from Madrid took about 8 hours because of the winding roads and traffic jams, these days you fly down in around 3 hours or two if you break the speed limits and are a bit mad.

The video was taken from the top of the dam which used to be the main road. The bridges you can see in the video are soon to be joined by another for the high speed rail link between Madrid and Valencia which should be complete by next year, we hope. Enjoy and keep coming back here and to www.valencia-property.com for more info.

Seven Clients in Seven Days

2009-05-06T22:02:00.005+02:00

I have been really busy this week with client after client after client. People from Holland, Ireland, Germany and the UK have visited, loved what they saw and we may well have a few sales going through again in the next few weeks.

So what has been shown. A compilation video below of the type of properties, where they are and prices that may also interest you if you are thinking of planning your trip to Valencia to buy a property in Spain then you could do a lot worse.

Rest of the week is busy too as mortgage negotiations for people, taking photos and lots of other stuff will keep me busy in the 30 degree heat.