A New Life In Spain

Live flight details for Alicante (El Altet) Arrivals and Departures

2011-01-23T18:50:00.000+00:00

Check out flights arriving and departing from Alicante

http://www.holidaycalpe.com/Alicante-Airport-Arrivals-and-Departures.html

Jail for illegal home britons

2011-01-21T12:42:00.000+00:00

Costa couple handed down eight-month jail sentence and ordered to demolish villa

By Dave Jamieson
IN A GROUND-breaking decision on illegal building in Spain, a British couple living on the Costas has been handed an eight-month jail sentence for building a house on protected land - plus they have been fined and are forced to demolish the house.

Owners of home build illegally on the Costa Blanca are deeply concerned for the outcome of their cases after learning about ruling made by a court in Málaga on the Costa Del Sol

Ten years ago, the couple bought over 1,400 square metres of land in an area classified as unsuitable for building but where there was already a 30 square-metre ruin that was later turned into a two-story villa.

House price decline reignites Brits' zeal for property abroad

2010-12-19T11:50:00.000+00:00

Has Brits' enthusiasm for a place in the sun been reignited? Linton Chiswick questions whether there are really bargains to be had in places like France, Spain and the US.
Putting aside regional variation, UK property prices appear to be on the slide as the year draws to an end. And with lending likely to remain constrained into 2011, unemployment on the rise and an imminent VAT increase that will help bolster inflation (and add to pressure to raise interest rates), the outlook for UK residential property is unlikely to promise much in the way of capital gains. But what about prospects abroad?
By the time the debt crisis hit, almost half a million Brits owned foreign properties, half of them in either France or Spain, many of them the very over-priced, under-designed newbuilds that played their part in the market emergency. It’s no coincidence that the last time it was possible to talk about the investment potential of overseas properties without provoking worried glances, the 'PIGS' countries were attracting much of the heat. Debt built their property markets, now it’s slowly dismantling them again. And yet – so raised are we on the faith that there’s always a house somewhere that will make us money – we might just be property shopping abroad once again.

Window shopping

According to Primelocation International, web searches for Spanish real estate increased 43% this year. Primelocation interprets the data as window shopping with a view to buy. For all we know it’s a 43% increase in the number of investors tremulously calculating the current value of their own properties and wondering at what point they can sell and suffer scorched fingers rather than the full 3rd degree.
The message from the industry is that there are bargains to be had. Mass repossessions by Spanish banks, following sour deals with property developers, mean discounts of 25% and more. But 25% of what? If a 25% discount is what it takes to draw a potential buyer to Primelocation, isn’t the conclusion that property is still 25% overvalued? The Spanish property register reports an increase of 13% in transactions in the third quarter of 2010 compared to 2009. But the increase is from a low base, and a recent survey of Spanish developers didn’t reveal much optimism. Ninety-five per cent described business as worse than it had been four months earlier; 87% didn’t expect the situation to improve next year. With pressure to raise and refinance a colossal amount of debt in the new year, the country’s Moody’s credit rating is currently tottering.

Value rather than trendy locations

And yet Spain, where property’s taken a hit, has overtaken France, (traditionally – and as recently as April – Primelocation’s most popular international search location with the Brits) and leads it by 20%. The French property market hasn’t suffered nearly so badly. The implication is that the foreign market is being driven by perceived value rather than fashionable location.
And there’s no greater evidence of this than the sudden fascination in the US’s decimated residential property market. Primelocation searches for American second homes grew 90% in the last 12 months to challenge Spain for second spot. There are stories of Brits on business trips to Florida, unable to believe what they read in the local property pages, returning home with Miami Dolphins t-shirts for the kids, duty free perfume for the wife, and a $70,000 apartment in trendy South Beach. According to American house price indices, prices in Miami have halved since their 2006 peak.

US 'repo-bargains'

British investors, too, are being targeted by US-based companies offering repo-bargains in less glamorous locations (Detroit, anyone?), for as little as £30,000 with high (promised) rental yields. Raised on the UK market, it’s hard to imagine going wrong buying a £30,000 house. But it is.
US foreclosures are running at around 25% of all residential sales. Unemployment remains alarmingly high, the banks own disproportionately high numbers of properties in forceclosure hotspots like Detroit and (parts of) Florida, and – unlike the UK – there’s plenty of space to go around. Under these conditions, it can take a very long time for a region to dig itself out of its economic doldrums; if, in fact, it does at all.
The Spanish and American markets might be getting the action (although I’d suggest a lot of that action is PR-based rather than economic), but nobody’s making money yet. Volume may be up in Spain, but – according to the most recent Knight Frank Global House Price Index – prices are 3.7% down on the year. (Add that to a further two years of falling house prices and there are approximately half a million Brits currently losing money there.) In the US, a modest 0.6% rise doesn’t represent the repo-torn neighbourhoods combed by bargain hunters. In Florida, prices are 20% off, and for every enthusiastic realtor, there’s an analyst wondering whether Detroit or Florida prices will return to their 2006 peaks within current investors’ lifetimes.

Buy now in Spain

2010-12-14T18:09:00.000+00:00

Why now is a great time to buy your dream home abroad!

Most overseas property prices have now stabilised and are beginning to increase in some areas. Interest rates are beginning to rise too - so with prices and interest rates on the move upwards you will need to act now to get the best deals.

Our trained consultants can help you find the best mortgage options available and provide advice on the legal process in the country of purchase, your currency exchange options and recommend solicitors etc.

So, if you are actively seeking property abroad you should act quickly to secure that ideal home abroad at the very best price. DON'T WAIT OR IT WILL BE TOO LATE!

SPAIN

Prices have fallen and are now around 60% lower than at their peak in 2007. Spanish banks are selling their repossessed property at very low prices to reduce their large stock level. Once sold, property prices will begin to rise during 2011

Interest rates from 2.75%

Loan to value up to 90% on selected property and 70% on the other properties

'Interest Only' option available - 5 years maximum @60% LTV

Spain "too big for bailout!

2010-11-23T17:51:00.002+00:00

Ted Scott, director of UK strategy at F&C Investments, believes that if investors continue to be nervous about Spain's ability to manage its debts it could pose a serious threat to the European Union.

'If Spain failed, it would be too large for the eurozone institutions to rescue and could bring the edifice of the euro project down with it,' warned Scott.

While the main focus in recent days has been on Ireland and Portugal, investors have become increasingly worried about what would happen if the market's attention switched to Spain's financial problems.

Spain’s economy is bigger than Greece, Ireland and Portugal combined and represents about 11.5% of the euro area’s GDP (gross domestic product), according to Scott.

He estimated there is around €460 billion (£390 billion) of bank assets tied up in Spain. Shoring up the banking system by giving financial aid to Spain on top of the €80-90 billion loan currently being negotiated with Ireland and around €50-75 billion that Portugal would need would exhaust the €440 billion European Financial Stabilisation Facility set up in the wake of the Greek crisis earlier this year.

Scott said Spain needs to refinance around €300 billion of borrowing by 2013 and €192 billion in 2011 alone which he said is 'too big for the safety mechanisms to cope with.'

The interest rates investors are demanding to lend money to both Portugal and Spain have leapt in recent weeks amid growing fear that these countries will not be able to stick to planned debt reduction targets and may need international aid.

Scott pointed out the Iberian governments have also had to pay more to attract would-be investors in recent bond auctions.

While most commentators now believe it is just a matter of time before Portugal takes a handout, Scott like others is concerned it won’t be long before market fears turn to Spain, which most agree would test the desire of European nations to stay in the EU.

'While the market could cope with another bailout to Portugal, because of its negligible size compared to the total euro zone, Spain is the elephant in the room that the market fears,' Scott said.

He said the European Union needed to pre-empt this possibility by taking decisive action soon but said that was unlikely.

Scott argued it was unlikely Germany would pump more money into the EU bailout fund. He said chancellor Angela Merkel knew that would be too much for the German population to stomach and would be rejected by the German high court.

He pointed to the Lisbon Treaty, which states no country is allowed to get a bailout if their deficit is higher than 3% of GDP, far below the current levels in many European countries where deficits as a proportion of GDP are in double figures.

Scott said he expected rates on Spanish government bonds to rise to uncomfortable levels in 2011 as growth disappoints. He said it was the inevitable consequence of austerity measures being foisted on economically weaker eurozone nations.

He argued that at some point bondholders will have to take a so-called haircut (a reduction in the rate they get on their loan), something which has been given renewed relevance by the decision on Friday of the subordinated bond holders of Anglo Irish banks to accept an 80% haircut on their holdings.

He said many European countries are effectively insolvent and therefore, as has been the case in emerging economies in the past, bond-holders will have to share some of the pain, a move German's political leaders have already made clear they favour.

Watch BBC, ITV etc here in Spain for free on your computer

2010-11-10T13:17:00.000+00:00

U.K TV on your computer

HideIPVPN is a great VPN service. It is cheap and is ideal for those living in Spain who want to look at UK websites but can’t due to Spanish IP restrictions. (Brilliant for BBC and ITV!)

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From as little as $5.99 per month you can have unlimited anonymous internet surfing. It works by hiding your real IP address, perfect for getting all UK television!

There are only 100 Premium VPN accounts per month sold, thus allowing the company to keep the quality of the service in tip top condition!

HideIPVPN has an instant account activation service (after first payment).

If you subscribe to the Premium packages you also get access to their servers by proxy. This means that you will be able to use your regular connection for all applications and browse anonymously using Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Opera, etc.

There are no logs, it is completely anonymous, keeping you secure and safe online! (There is a secure connection between your PC and the Internet (128-2048bit))

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A New Life in Spain-Some thoughts

2010-11-06T21:32:00.000+00:00

A New Life in Spain-Some thoughts

Spain is one of Europe’s most popular tourist destinations; furthermore the attraction of Spain’s climate, culture, beauty, cost

and standard of living attracts record numbers of expatriates to relocate to its shores every year and the country already has an estimated 1.5 million foreign residents in situ.

But there’s a darker side to moving to Spain that few people ever consider – did you know that last year 191,000 people relocated overseas from the UK…and 105,000 Britons also returned to the UK last year having failed to establish their new life overseas?

Some people simply fail to survive a move overseas and it certainly isn’t a case of “no going back” for the thousands of disillusioned people who flock ‘home’ to their mother country year after year…therefore if you’re thinking of moving to Spain you need to understand the main reasons people cite when they return. By understanding these reasons you will avoid the pitfalls and pain and succeed where others may fail thereby fulfilling your dreams of a new life in Spain.

Moving to Spain-The Practicality of Your Location

You need to make sure that you choose the very best location in Spain to fulfil your practical needs on a day to day basis.

Consider the accessibility of a location for family and friends to visit you and for you to reach a doctor, the supermarket, a school or even a hairdresser. Find your perfect location by visiting the areas you’re interested in and considering them thoroughly from the point of view of how easy and practical your day to day life there will be.

Moving to Spain-Accessibility & Homesickness

Wherever you choose to live, consider the accessibility of the location with your old home country in mind. Sure, you may be sick of the sight of certain people right now but you never know what tomorrow will bring and how are you going to feel if you can’t get back to visit, or if the important people in your life can’t afford to visit you?

Spain is very well serviced by airports and cheap airlines, it has one of the cheapest rail networks in the whole of Europe and the Spanish government spends millions each year on the travel and transport infrastructure so wherever you choose to locate you should never be so far away from decent transportation. But do bear this point in mind as ‘homesickness’ and ‘inaccessibility’ are some of the main reasons people cite when they give up on their dream of a new life abroad.

Moving to Spain-Being Accepted

The first two years in any new country are by far the hardest…it takes this amount of time to build up enough knowledge of the local areas, customs, people and language to make your new house feel like ‘home’.
It also takes a significant investment and effort on your part to find true acceptance and getting to the stage where you really feel you ‘belong’ in your Spanish community will take time, effort and above all perseverance.

Moving to Spain-Expectation versus Reality

Moving abroad won’t necessarily ‘fix’ your life - if you do move abroad you won’t escape your history, you won’t escape who you are, you won’t escape all of the day to day grind and you may not always improve your quality of life! So make sure you have realistic expectations of your new life in Spain before you go and know that living in Spain will be very different to holidaying in Spain.

YES your new life abroad can offer you so much more …but just make sure your expectations can match the reality and remember the saying – life isn’t necessarily a beach just because you live beside one!

Moving to Spain-Health & Wellbeing

One of the saddest reasons people cite when giving up their dream of a new life abroad is health and wellbeing. The trap is the price, availability and quality of health care in their ‘new’ country. Please look at the local Spanish health care facilities, think about long term and respite care, consider health insurance for all your family and basically don’t bury your head in the sand! If you consider the worst case scenario and protect yourself against it, chances are you will be prepared for everything and will financially survive.

Moving to Spain-Last But Not Least - Money

THE most common reasons for people returning ‘home’ with their dreams shattered is that they simply run out of money.

If you’re moving to Spain and hoping to find work you need to know that unemployment in the country is way above the EU average, if you don’t speak Spanish you’ll struggle and some of your qualifications may not be recognised in Spain. If you’re considering downsizing when you move to Spain it can be more than just a shock to the system to leave a well paying job to become a pool cleaner. If you’ve sold up and released equity to live on have you honestly thought about how long you can practically live on this amount? What about affording your retirement years, trips back to your home country, health care, transportation and the unexpected costs that spring up when we least expect them?

There are ways to afford to live on less and there are ways to make what you have go far further. The bottom line is - to survive in Spain you simply MUST consider your financial position before you make ANY move.

Good luck in realising and securing your dream.

Calpe 3 bed apartment for sale

2010-11-05T15:34:00.000+00:00

Calpe 3 Bed Apartment for Sale

€100,000 (previously €189,000)

3 Bed Apartment

Area 77 m²

El Dia de los Muertos (Halloween)

2010-10-31T16:01:00.000+00:00

Halloween in Spain

Among Spanish-speaking nations, Halloween is known as "El Dia de los Muertos." It is a joyous and happy holiday...a time to remember friends and family who have died. Officially commemorated on November 2 (All Souls' Day), the three-day celebration actually begins on the evening of October 31.

Designed to honor the dead who are believed to return to their homes on Halloween, many families construct an altar in their home and decorate it with candy, flowers, photographs, fresh water and samples of the deceased's favorite foods and drinks. Frequently, a basin and towel are left out in order that the spirit can wash prior to indulging in the feast. Candles are incense are burned to help the departed find his or her way home. Relatives also tidy the gravesites of deceased family members, including snipping weeds, making repairs and painting. The grave is then adorned with flowers, wreaths or paper streamers. Often, a live person is placed inside a coffine which is then paraded through the streets while vendors toss fruit, flowers and candies into the casket.

On November 2, relatives gather at the gravesite to picnic and reminisce. Some of these gatherings may even include tequila and a mariachi band although American Halloween customs are gradually taking over this celebration. In Mexico during the Autumn, countless numbers of Monarch butterflies return to the shelter of Mexico's oyamel fir trees. It was the belief of the Aztecs that these butterflies bore the spirits of dead ancestors.

spain, halloween, calpe, fiestas, day of the dead, dia de los muertos

WHY LOOK FOR APARTMENTS FOR SALE IN CALPE, SPAIN?

2010-10-30T19:27:00.000+01:00

WHY LOOK FOR APARTMENTS FOR SALE IN CALPE, SPAIN?

When looking to buy an apartment property in Calpe you know you will never be far away from facilities such as restaurants, bars and shops because virtually all the property apartment blocks in Calpe are grouped close together in the centre of Calpe town or just on the outskirts of Calpe but still within walking distance of the towns facilities.

Calpe is a very attractive place to buy an apartment property. Calpe is north of Alicante airport and is right on the coast with miles of sandy beaches.

Apartments for sale in Calpe have the advantage of being easy to look after - ideal if your Calpe apartment property is to be used primarily as a holiday home. Calpe apartments for sale are also handy for older people who don't want the time and expense of maintaining swimming pools and gardens.

Buying apartment properties in Calpe can also be a good long-term investment as apartment property in Calpe has surged in value over the last five years and the trend (over the long-term) looks to be upward.

APARTMENTS FOR SALE IN CALPE - HOW MUCH DO THEY COST TO BUY?

To buy an apartment for sale in Calpe you will realistically need €105,000 as a starting price to buy an apartment property.

For €105,000 you will be able to buy a 1 bed apartment in Calpe.

Most apartments built in Calpe are 2 bed apartments. To buy a 2 bed apartment property in Calpe you will need to look at €150,000 as a starting price. If you see an apartment for sale in Calpe for less than that it will most likely require modernisation.

To buy an apartment in Calpe with three bedrooms you need to look at a starting price of €175,000.

You will not find many four bedroom apartments for sale in Calpe.

Photo above - Calpe apartments

Photo above - View from frontline apartment

BUYING CALPE APARTMENTS FOR SALE OFF PLAN

If you are looking to buy an apartment in Calpe and especially if you are looking to make money from buying an apartment property for sale in Calpe then the best way is to buy an apartment in Calpe off-plan. This involves buying an apartment in Calpe before it has even been started to be built.

You will need to have money in place to be able to put down on-going payments while the apartments are being built. Firstly a deposit - usually 5-10%. Then when the roof goes on you will need to have paid about 50%.

You will be able to buy the Calpe apartment property at a good price because the apartment building is not finished and usually by the time it has been built Calpe apartment property prices have usually gone up so that instantly you have made a profit - before you even move in.

In fact many property investors in Calpe sell their apartment at this point and never even move in or they rent their apartment - they then buy another apartment in Calpe off plan and repeat the same process all over again.

Just be aware that if you are buying an apartment for sale in Calpe for investment purposes that you are not completely reliant on property prices in Calpe going up because you are committed to your purchase or else risk losing your deposit so have a plan to rent your apartment out should the Calpe property market be in a lull once it is completed.

Expect to be making a 5% gross return on your Calpe apartment by renting it out - whether to holidaymakers or to people looking for a long-term let in Calpe.

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3 Bed Apartment For Sale, Close to the Beach

2010-10-30T15:21:00.000+01:00

3 Bed Apartment for sale close to the beach

€100,000


		3 Bed Apartment for sale, close to the beach	Area 77 m²

aprtment calpe sale costa blanca spain levante costa blanca

Calpe apartment for sale

2010-10-30T14:20:00.000+01:00

3 Bed town centre apartment for sale

€98,000


		3 bed town centre apartment	Area 106 m²

2010-10-30T13:59:00.000+01:00

€78,500

Apartment for sale in Calpe

	Excellent 3 Bed Apartment for sale in Calpe	Area 64 m²

Smoking Ban In Spain

2010-10-29T13:22:00.000+01:00

Smoking Ban In Spain

SPAIN'S revised no-smoking law, which will come into effect on January 2, will see it become the first country to ban smoking in some open outside public spaces. Only California and some other US states are that tough.

The decision to include some outside public spaces in the law is more than the former health minister Trinidad Jiménez originally planned because she believed smoking outdoors did not pose a risk to public health.

But pressure from the national committee for the prevention of smoking led to all parties agreeing to a much wider ban.

Wayne and Coleen Rooney to Start A New life in Spain!

2010-10-19T13:21:00.000+01:00

Rooney to Start A New Life in Spain

Coleen Rooney and husband Wayne could move to Spain following claims he's set to leave Manchester United. Talks to renew Wayne's contract have reportedly stalled because the footballer's fallen out with manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

The 24-year-old still has 18 months left on his existing deal, but if he's put up for sale in the January transfer window, Real Madrid are tipped as likely to make an offer for him.

If they are successful in a bid, Wayne would need to move to Spain and it could be a new start for him and Coleen. Barcelona, Chelsea and Manchester City are also keen to sign up the talented striker. 'Any of Europe's top clubs would be interested in him,' a source tells The Sun.

But Wayne hasn't had a great start to the football season. He hasn't scored for Manchester United since it was alleged he had sex with 2 prostitutes while Coleen, 24, was pregnant with son Kai, 10 months.

20% off our services for a whole year and free listing on our top rental site!

2010-10-15T12:05:00.000+01:00

Yes 20% off!

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT & MAINTENANCE

Free Rental Listing

Annual contract €390 per year

Key holding
Regular checks of your property when vacant
Flush toilets and run taps and showers
Appliance checks & Pest and Vermin checks
Examine inventory for damages or breakages

We will inform you of any problem as soon as possible and prior to any work being carried out.
€12 call out charge for alarm emergency or an unexpected call out

Keyholding Only - Peace Of Mind

For €80 per annum your keys will be safe with us and ready to collect on request. €12 per hour call out charge for alarm emergency etc and key delivery if necessary. NB. weekly checks and inspections are not included in this package

Meet And Greet €20

Late arrivals after 10pm/before 8am €25

We can arrange to meet at the property for key handover, we feel that this service is inevitable (unless we are not the only key holder-in which case we should be informed). The customer needs to receive the keys (they may also need instructions on how to work items in the accommodation) unless this can be arranged prior to arrival.

Change Over And Clean Laundry Service

This service includes all bed sheets and towels, furniture dusted and polished, all floors swept and mopped, bins emptied, leftover food by guests to be disposed of, full clean of kitchen, living and bathroom areas. Additional outside areas will incur a small surcharge.

1 bed 1 bath €45

2 bed 1 bath €55

2 bed 2 bath €65

3 bed 2 bath €75

If guests require a change of linen/towels at the time of occupancy a fee of €5 per person will be charged.

We can also provide a Spring Clean Service at the beginning of the season, this will include furniture dusted and polished, all floors to be swept amd mopped, full clean of kitchen, living and bathroom areas and windows. Prices on request.

Welcome Packs

If requested:

€15 pack -Tea, coffee, milk, water, bread, butter and wine

€20 pack- Tea,coffee, milk, water, bread, butter, wine, ham, eggs, jam and orange juice

Other Services

High chair rental / cot rental prices on request

Shopping requests - anything to be considered, prices to be agreed

Mail collection and delivery to owners - Can be left at the property in a safe place or for €80 per annum be sent to a forwarding address on a monthly basis

Callout services e.g. waiting for workment, deliveries - €12 per hour

Airport services available. Alicante airport to Calpe - €60

Our Requirements From You

We can provide bedding and towels or if you prefer provide your own which must be 4 sets of both bedding and towels

3 sets of keys

Appliance instructions and manuals

Owners contact details

As much notice as possible of changeovers and arrival dates, arrival times and bookings

Full inventory

Calpe1Stop
Urbanisation Empedrola
Calpe 03710
634 249 840 / 666 298 750
Property Management Calpe, Propery Maintenance Calpe, Villa Management Calpe, Villa Maintenance Calpe, Apartment Management Calpe, Apartment Maintenance CalpeProperty Management Moraira, Propery Maintenance Moraira, Villa Management Moraira, Villa Maintenance Moraira, Apartment Management Moraira, Apartment Maintenance Moraira

2 Bed Holiday Apartment for Rent in Calpe

2010-10-12T16:48:00.001+01:00

Coral Beach(sleeps 4)

Coral Beach is a beautiful two bedroom/two bathroom 1st floor apartment overlooking the picturesque Levante Beach. It also has great view's of Calpe's famous Penon De Ifach.

The apartment has a spacious lounge and dining area, a well equipped kitchen, one double bedroom with en-suite bathroom and one twin bedded room.There is also a good size family bathroom with plenty of storage space for all those holiday essentials.

It has South facing terrace with fabulous views and a rear terrace with great mountain views.The apartment is incredibly secure and has all the facilities both inside and outside to enable you to have a great vacation.

info@holidaycalpe.com

2 Bed Villa For Rent

2010-10-12T12:37:00.000+01:00

2 Bed Villa

Very nice 2 double bedroomed detached villa situated in a peaceful residential location.

The villa, which has newly installed cold and hot air conditioning, is built in the Moorish style with attractive domed roof. It has an L —shaped lounge/dining room with an open fireplace and a fully equipped open kitchen, complete with fridge/freezer, washing machine, microwave and new cooker. It also comprises a fully glazed entrance naya with folding external sun awnings. The bathroom comprises of wash basin, bidet, and full sized bath with shower over.

info@holidaycalpe.com

2 bed villa for holiday rental in Calpe, Costa Blanca, Spain

Moors and Christians-2010

2010-10-10T15:02:00.000+01:00

Moors and Christians 21st October-24th October

Patron Saint’s Festivals and Moors and Christians are celebrated together in honour of the Santísimo Cristo del Sudor, organised by the Moors and Christians Association, in collaboration with the Festivals Committee, they bring the religious, popular and historical celebrations together with great majesty and devotion.

Date: from 21st to 24th October 2010
Events: Music bands parade – Hoisting up of standards in the castle – Offering of candles – Landing on the Arenal beach – Performance of the miracle - Firework display - Open-air balls - Moors and Christians children parade - Moors and Christians great parade

End of season Hot & Cold Air Con Deals

2010-10-08T17:24:00.000+01:00

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About Calpe-Sponsored by Holiday Calpe

2010-10-08T17:20:00.000+01:00

Calpe

Calpe/Calp is situated in the region of Alicante on the Costa Blanca. The town is immersed in history and offers up a wealth of culture - even so this old fishing port has comfortably joined its centuries old past with the necessitates of modern tourism. Calpe is a variety of multistorey beachside buildings geared to the demands of the twenty-first century holidaymaker and enchanting, narrow medieval streets bearing the hallmarks of a foregone age.

With its perfect location, near faultless climate and numerous attractions, Calpe has proved a magnet for foreign holidaymakers and homeowners alike. 1000s of British , German, French and Spanish visitors have come here for a short visit and never returned!

For holidaymakers, Calpe provides a broad range of accommodation - large, contemporary hotels, small "hostals", self catering apartments and villas with swimming pools.

There are superior sandy Beaches, first-class local shopping facilities and a wealth of bars and restaurants providing all types of local and international cuisine. People travel from all over the Costa Blanca to dine here - whether you desire Spanish, Italian, Chinese, German or English food, you will find it all in Calpe.

The town's most notable and distinctive feature is its mighty Peñon de Ifach - the huge rock which ascends 332 metres out of the Mediterranean Sea, reminiscent of the rock of Gibraltar. The Peñon was proclaimed a nature reserve in the late 80s and now offers a safe haven for an assortment of birds and exotic plant life.

For the active, a hike up to the top of the Peñon de Ifach is an unforgettable experience - but definitely not one to be undertakenby the elderly, disabled or those inclined to vertigo!

Take a trip to the old town and you will discover abundant evidence of Calpe's colourful history in murals, monuments and museums which maintain the town's links with its past. Remains of Iberian tribes, dating from several 100s of years B.C., have been discovered close to the Peñon de Ifach.

There are reminders of the times when Moors and Christians co-existed comparatively peacefully in this town for 100s of years and evidence of the steps taken to protect Calpe from the of the Corsairs who blighted this stretch of the coast between the 14th and 17th centuries

Calpe History
Located some 67 kilometres north of the city of Alicante is the lovely coastal town of Calpe (Calp), dominated by one of the best known landmarks of the Costa Blanca region - the Peñon de Ifach, Calpe is a very busy seaside resort, with a resident population of approximately 26,000 (this of course rises considerably in the summer months), it is in the Community of Valencia.

With some excellent beaches, fine shopping and a great selection of bars and restaurants, Calpe is a superb location for a holiday, but is also a worthwhile spot for the day tripper, who will find some interesting places to visit, apart from the Peñon de Ifach, which is worth seeing on its own merit.

Calpe has a rich and interesting history and has been settled over the centuries by Iberians, Phoenicians, Romans and Arabs. The Romans constructed a fish salting factory in Calpe at Los Baños de Reina (the Queen’s Baths), close to the present day promenade, and the Moors built the Castle of Calpe , from where they controlled the area until defeated in around 1240 by the forces of the Christian king Jaime I.

A tiny town called ‘Ifach’ was built on the slopes of the Peñon in about 1290 by Roger de Lauria (an Aragon Admiral), and later the walls were fortified by Pedro II, to protect the town from attacks by morisco pirates. The town of Ifach was finally destroyed during the War of the Two Pedros (1359), and the town’s people fled to a farmhouse, overlooking the Bay of Calpe , it was around this farmhouse that modern day Calpe developed. This emerging town also built a defensive wall to ward off attacks, though it still suffered frequent incursions.

In 1659 Calpe suffered badly when the town was sacked, and almost 300 of its citizens were taken to Algiers , where they were held for 5 years, until returned in exchange for gold and the release of some pirate prisoners.

From about this time onward, Calpe began to grow considerably and buildings began to appear outside of the town walls as the threat of pirate attacks diminished. The main industry at this time was fishing, but almost as important was the production of salt, Calpe having its own area of salt flats.

During the 1930’s the vestiges of a tourism industry began to emerge in Calpe and some seafront hotels appeared to cater for the new middle-classes. This industry grew throughout the 1940’s and 1950’s and rocketed in the 1960’s, when cheaper and more efficient transport, brought visitors to the town from all over the world.

Calpe has continued to grow, along with the rest of the Costa Blanca, and today has something of the appearance of a ‘mini Benidorm’, with a number of high-rise apartment blocks and hotels, particularly at the northern end of the town. Apart from the Peñon de Ifach, most of the interesting places to visit are located in the old town and these include the Torreó de la Peca (dating from the 14th and 15th Centuries), the Iglesia Antigua (‘Old Church’, originally from the 15th Century), Placa dels Mariners (Mariners Square), and the Ermita de San Salvador (Hermitage of Saint Salvador - originally from the 18th Century but later re-built). There are many other interesting places to visit in and around Calpe , both old and new, and these are all described in a useful leaflet that can be obtained from the local Tourist Information Office. Calpe enjoys a fabulous climate and all year round Calpe weather is generally warm and sunny.

info@holidaycalpe.com

Front line Calpe apartment for rent

2010-10-08T17:01:00.000+01:00

Beautiful Calpe apartment for rent

Beautiful frontline apartment – 1 Bedroom – sleeps 3

Description:

This beautifully furnished apartment is situated on the front-line of the Playa de Levante beach. As it is located on the 9th floor of the building it offers stunning views across the sea. The apartment can cater for 2-3 persons and consists of lounge/dining room with open kitchen. Bathroom/WC. Balcony. Cots can be provided upon request. Linen is provided and a limited number of towels. This fully air-conditioned apartment is located within a very short distance of Calpe town centre. There are also many popular restaurants and bars along the seafront to choose from. You can reserve a parking space upon request.

Lovelly Villa 4 Rent in Calpe

2010-10-07T09:30:00.000+01:00

3 bed villa for rent in Calpe

info@holidaycalpe.com

Villa with stunning sea views. 3 Bedrooms and private pool

The Porta Blanca port, is located within 5-10 minute walking distance, with beach and restaurants. 5 minute drive away is the main town of Calpe, with 2 blue flag beaches, lined with bars and restaut

Family Amenities:

Outdoor patio furniture, BBQ, large 10 X 5 private pool.

Description:

The villa is situated in a quiet residential area. In La Canuta, Calpe . Lovely gardens and terrace. With stunning sea views, private parking and air-conditioning. Walking distance to the lovely Porta Blanca.

Bedrooms:

Bedroom 1 with double bed.

Bedroom 2 with twin beds.

Bedroom 3 with twin beds and fold up bed.

Bathrooms:

En-suite bathroom to master bedroom.

Main bathroom.

Kitchen:

Fully equipped kitchen with cooker, fridge freezer, microwave, etc.

Utility Room:

Washing machine located outside in small room.

Living Room: Lounge/dining area. with English Satellite TV. DVD player and music system.

Bedlinen and towels provided. Please bring your own beach towels.

Claim your PPI Compensation

2010-10-06T13:55:00.000+01:00

Inline with saving you tax here is something we can all do to get a bit of cash back!

It's yours so claim it!

PPI claims and what to realise about them comes down to understanding that this UK-specific kind of payment protection insurance (PPI) tends to come with a small measure of baggage, so to speak. As a whole, PPI is usually taken out as part of a personal loan in order to assure that a holder of that loan can continue to make payments in the case of illness or injury.

PPI is a very popular financial product amongst all manner of lenders of all manner of credit doing business in the United Kingdom. Chances are, it will be extended to those making an application for credit in just about all individual case, as a matter of fact. The trouble with PPI, occasionally, is that an individual taking out the loan or line of credit might not in reality need it.

Given the truth that PPI, in a lot of cases, is not actually required, and that it can be comparatively expensive when it is bought (at up to 30% of the loan's value), it could be easy to work out why lenders push it so hard. For instance, a loan made for 10,000 pounds can quite frequently result in a PPI policy worth 3000 pounds to the lender and which will be paid by the loan recipient.

All of these facts help to point out why a lot of lenders engage so vigorously in the practice of selling these payment protection policies. And it would be quite acceptable to do so if, for one, the policies were not so expensive and if, also, claims made against them were not refused at sometimes shockingly high rates.

These two facts -- high price and high denial rate -- has led numerous consumer protection organizations in the United Kingdom to advise people to be cautious when considering taking out payment protection insurance. These organizations have found quite a bit of hard-selling, in terms of the pushing of these products, going on among even highly respected and well-regarded lenders.

These consumer protection agencies have also found that many lenders tended to just automatically tack on PPI to the loan without even acquiring permission from the individual taking the loan out. This is probably due to the fact that no underwriting was done. This underwriting could have provided a much-needed assessment activity to protect not only the lender but the lender's customer, it must be said.

When it came to claims, particularly when a individual attempted to make one because of loss of employment, sickness, injury or even death (the coverage holder's family would make this particular claim, of course) claims were found to be declined at an unusually high rate. This is something to bear in mind when considering whether PPI makes sense in any particular individual's circumstance.

To sum up the issue, the matter of PPI claims will involve one of two circumstances. In the 1st, an individual holding a insurance policy will be attempting to make a claim against it under the conditions outlined within the agreement between the individual and his or her lender, a lot of the time unsuccessfully. In the other, people in increasing numbers are making claims for reimbursement of monies paid towards policies they didn't actually need.

info@uclaimppi.com

Save Tax on your property with Calpe1stop

2010-10-06T10:25:00.000+01:00

Do not wait 4 years before you probate in Spain

As Spanish Tax Consultants we provide an alternative method of ownership of your Spanish property to help protect against Spanish Inheritance Tax. Whilst discussing our methods with interested clients we hear of many crazy suggestions from advisors in Spain who purport to have solutions for some of the problems faced by non Spanish owners of property in Spain. One of the most common suggestions we hear about is that clients are advised to do nothing following a death for 4 years and hope that the Taxman in Spain does not find out there has been a death of an owner of the property.

The reason for this suggestion is that the Statute of Limitations in Spain is 4 years and this means that by ignoring the Tax for 4 years it may be possible to escape paying the Tax 4 years and six months following the death, as you are given a further 6 months to deal with the probate. Whilst this is possible and we have seen probate cases where the Taxes have been evaded in Spain by employing this method, there are many situations that could arise should you decide to take the risk.

The beneficiary has a legal requirement to probate in Spain and pay all the Inheritance Tax in Spain within 6 months, otherwise fines and interest will be charged on top of the Tax which is due already. The Spanish Government can also embargo the property which means large fines would have to be paid before probate could be completed.

We are currently working on a case where a client has just paid in excess of 19,000 euros in fines and interest in addition to the cost of probate and Taxes in Spain just to move the property from her deceased mothers name to hers. Our research shows that interest can be charged by the Spanish tax office at anything up to 20% for assets which are not probated within the allowed period.

Every year the registered owner of the property has to submit annual Tax Declarations to the Spanish Government, this is very difficult for a deceased person to do and we are aware that the Tax office is looking closely at properties and levying hefty fines where annual tax submissions have not been submitted. The utility and Council Tax bills will have to remain in the deceased's name and it is illegal to continue to use a deceased person's bank account. The intended beneficiaries cannot sell the property whilst it is in the deceased's name nor raise finance on it to pay any Taxes or probate costs. What would happen should one of the beneficiaries pass away before the 4 years has expired? This event would result in one probate having to be dealt with before the second deceased's beneficiaries could inherit.

On death the Spanish bank account of the deceased may be frozen until the Taxes are paid so how would the beneficiaries get legal access to this money? Even if the money was withdrawn illegally after death, the Tax Authorities may request a copy of the bank statements in Spain at the date of death to see what amount was in there. If there were funds present on death then this would be Taxable also in Spain.

Whilst the Statue of Limitations on Taxation in Spain is 4 years this would not be relevant if the Spanish Government could subsequently prove a fraudulent non disclosure had taken place. There is no such Statute of Limitations for fraud, and therefore, there is a very real risk the Spanish Authorities would claim that there was deliberate criminal withholding of information and thereby enforce the Tax retrospectively. Misuse the Statute of Limitations in this manner is a criminal act and highly dangerous method of Tax evasion - not to be advised!

Our solution to the Spanish Inheritance Tax problem in Spain is for the owner/s to invest the property into a UK Private Limited Company which they would own as Shareholder/s. This transaction does not attract the 7% Tax payable when a property moves from one owner to another. There maybe no Capital Gains tax implication in Spain when you invest a property into a UK Limited Company as the Hacienda has a method of calculating an investment value based on the original purchase price as shown in the public deed. Spanish Tax Residents who are over 65 when they invest their main residence into a UK Company do not have any CGT liability in most Regions either.

This method may eradicate all property Taxes (excluding I.B.I.) in Spain in the future, as under EU Treaties a UK Company is only Taxed in one jurisdiction if it is a non resident Company of Spain and does not trade in Spain. A UK Company is not an offshore Company unlike a Gibraltar or the Isle of Man Company. Offshore companies are charged an annual Tax by Spain of 3% as they are not within the European Union and this charge is not levied on companies within the EU.

Shares in the UK Company can be dealt within a UK Will and depending on the structure of the Company; the Shares may also be exempt from Inheritance Tax in the UK. This results in a very simple and cost effective way of dealing with the transfer of the property, within the UK Company, to the intended beneficiaries and does not involve any of the Spanish authorities in the transaction.

For this and other tax saving advice contact me on info@calpe1stop.com