These boutiques will be complimented by a brand new restaurant to be opened by double Michelin star chef Dani García.

When the new shopping zone opens in March 2014, Malaga will join Madrid and Barcelona as the only airports in Spain with a shopping area dedicated specifically to passengers with a high spending power.

The zone is being created in reposnse to the increasing use of the airport by high wealth individuals travelling to and from the Costa del Sol from countries such as Russia, China, Scandinavia and the Middle East.

The airport authorities say the construction work is not expected to interfere with the airport’s daily operations and in fact building work will be put on hold between July and September this year to avoid any possible complications during the busiest season of the year.

If you’d like information about the property for sale in Marbella and the surrounding areas, please get in touch with me, Jesus Garcia on either of the following numbers:

00 34 952 80 18 71
00 34 676 423 220

Alternatively, you can browse the selection of property for sale in our website.

That’s all for now,

Jesus.

They’re also looking at the possibility of granting full residency to any foreigners who invest a minimum €1M in any existing Spanish business that will directly lead to the creation of new jobs and to those who invest a minimum €500.000 in acquiring a business in the country – the caveat being that those investing will be required by law to maintain their investment over a number of years.

These measures, which could be approved by the government before summer 2013 will be extended to the married partners and children of any investors.

According to Spain’s Foreign Ministry, since the initial plans were announced last year, they have been overwhelmed by phone calls from Chinese citizens, along with those from Arabic and Asian countries keen to find out first hand how they go about acquiring one of the tens of thousands of unsold properties in Spain and qualify for their residency.

If you’d like information about the property for sale in Marbella and the surrounding areas, please get in touch with me, Jesus Garcia on either of the following numbers:

00 34 952 80 18 71
00 34 676 423 220

Alternatively, you can browse the selection of property for sale in our website.

That’s all for now,

Jesus.

Russian tourism has become the growth market for Spanish tourism over the last year, especially on the Costa del Sol – Russian tourism in the area rose by 26% last year and so far this year the figures are up by an additional 20%.

According to the Costa del Sol Tourist Board, last year practically 100% of Russian tourists holidaying in Spain visited Marbella with 350,000 overnight stays in tourist accommodation on the Costa del Sol.

Additionally, 45,000 Russian passengers arrived via Malaga airport – an increase of 27% compared with 2011 so the signs are there that Russia is an important new market for the coast

Although the process of obtaining a visa to visit Spain has been greatly simplified following a direct request from the Mayor of Marbella to the Spanish Minister of Tourism, removing the need to have an entry visa altogether is expected to boost the volume of tourists visiting the coast from Russia still further.

The attraction of the Russian market for Spain lies not only in the number of potential tourists that could visit the country with a high disposable income (estimated at around 15M) and the fact that Russians tend to stay on the Costa del Sol for more than 10 days and spend approx. 50% more than the average foreign visitor, but also the real possibility that a significant volume of Russian visitors might actually choose to come and live permanently or part of theyear on the coast.

“We don’t just want residential tourists, we want new Malaga residents,” admit the Spanish Tourist Board.

Their hope is that Marbella’s popularity amongst Russian tourists will lead not only to more holidays or the purchase of second homes, but also to an increase in the permanent population of the Costa del Sol.

With the sale of properties on the Costa del Sol to foreigners having risen significantly last year, and Russians constituting the second largest group of buyers after the British, this could be very good news indeed for real estate businesses on the Costa del Sol.

Some real estate agencies have already geared up to meet the expected increase in demand, creating Russian language versions of their websites and/or employing Russian speaking sales staff to handle the enquiries.

Others, such as Inmobiliaria Andalucia are partnering with Russian businesses promoting Spanish property in Russia itself, providing their ‘on the ground’ local expertise and portfolio of properties to Russian clients interested in buying in the area.

Villas for sale in La Zagaleta and other 5-star luxury developments such as El Madroñal, Sierra Blanca and Guadalmina Baja are typically the type of high end property that have attracted Russian buyers. Indeed, it´s rumoured that the Mayor of Moscow and Vladimir Putin himself have both acquired property in La Zagaleta.

If you’d like more information about the property for sale in Marbella and other areas of the Costa del Sol, then please contact me, Jesus Garcia on:

952 80 18 71 or 676 423 220.

Alternatively you can email me at info@Inmo-Andalucia.com.

That’s all for now,

Jesus.

The report states a total of 38.312 foreign non-resident citizens bought a property in Spain in 2012 – an increase of some 28,4% compared to 2011 – a figure which is almost on a par with the volume of foreign non-resident buyers seen in 2007.

It’s important to stress that the report concerns the volume of foreign buyers, not the volume of properties sold. Some buyers, for example, may have purchased more than one property but are still counted as a single buyer.

Whichever way you look at it, though, Spain’s reputation as a safe place in which to invest amongst foreign property buyers seems to be on the up.

There are perhaps many reasons for this, the most significant being the huge fall in Spanish property prices.

For example, at the start of 2008, the average price of those properties sold in Spain was close to 320.000 Euros.

By 2012 that figure had dropped to below 230.000 Euros.

Interestingly, 42% of properties sold in 2012 came with a price tag of 160.000 Euros or more. Last year, the Spanish government announced they were studying a controversial scheme to boost property sales in which they proposed to reward foreign buyers acquiring a property in Spain for 160.000 Euros or more with full Spanish (and therefore European Union) residency.

Merely a coincidence?

Maybe, but one thing that is certainly attracting foreign buyers to Spain once again is the fact that it no longer looks likely to need a financial bail out from the EU as it tackles its serious economic and political issues head on and effectively cleans up its act.

What is perhaps most intriguing about the report, though, is the changing profile of the typical foreign buyer in Spain.

Whilst the British still comprise the majority, Russians buyers have now overtaken the French into second place in terms of the volume of foreign buyers.

Norwegians and Belgians too have now surpassed the Germans and the Italians – in fact, the Italians have almost dropped off the list entirely, no doubt due to the severe economic crisis in their own country.

In terms of the geographical location in which foreign citizens are buying, the Andalucia and Murcia regions to the south of the country are still very much head and shoulders above the rest of the country.

If you’d like more information about the property for sale in Marbella and other areas of the Costa del Sol, then please call me Jesus Garcia on

952 80 18 71 or 676 423 220.

Alternatively you can email me at info@Inmo-Andalucia.com.

That’s all for now,

Jesus.

The hotel – which was awarded a Certificate of Excellence in 2012 – is situated in a beautiful riverside spot surrounded by stunning mountains approximately 50km west of Malaga airport and just 7km inland from the best beaches of Marbella, Puerto Banus and the Costa del Sol.

The hotel’s setting is truly idyllic and ideal not only for a family holiday or a romantic getaway, but also for a number of Europe’s top football teams, who use the hotel and the neighbouring professional standard football pitch for winter training.

Designed and built in classic Andalucian ‘Cortijo-style’, the hotel is still in full operation and offered for sale completely furnished.

Its 95 luxury bedrooms all have en suite bathrooms (the larger suites also have Jacuzzis) and many have a private terrace with breathtaking views of the village and the surrounding countryside.

The hotel also has its own restaurant, which serves excellent Mediterranean cuisine and no less than 3 bars – one in the lobby, a Piano bar and a bar out by one of the pools.

There are also business meeting facilities on-site, with 3 conference rooms able to accommodate a total of 200 delegates.

The grounds of the hotel feature a large open-air internal courtyard and covered terraces used by guests to relax in or for a spot of al fresco dining.

There are also two large swimming pools, 2 kids’ pools, an indoor heated pool, a jacuzzi, a sauna, a Turkish bath and a gym.

As if that all weren’t enough, the hotel also has padel tennis facilities, a golf driving range and a full-size professional standard football pitch right next door.

Benahavis village itself is renowned for friendly, peaceful atmosphere.

It’s a rather picturesque village that’s probably most famous for its cuisine, having many of the Costa del Sol’s top restaurants situated along its charming, typically narrow Andalucian streets.

There’s also a lovely lake set just behind the village with popular hiking routes that follow the river which feeds the lake and up into the mountains.

If you would like more information about this hotel for sale, or the other property for sale in Benahavis, please call me Jesus Garcia on:

00 34 952 80 18 71.

Alternatively, you can send me an email at info@Inmo-Andalucia.com

That’s all for now,

Jesus.

Indeed, with over 300 days of sunshine a year, Marbella’s weather has long been one of its prime attractions both for tourists and property buyers alike.

When most of the rest of the continent is caught in the grip of a cold and bleak mid-winter freeze, Marbella and the Costa del Sol can typically be found basking in lovely warm temperatures around the 21-25 degree mark.

As most people who either live or spend any time on the coast at this time of the year will tell you, there’s nothing quite like waking up day after day to clear blue skies and bright sunshine in the middle of winter.

It just gives you the freedom to live the outdoor lifestyle to the max, whether it’s popping out for a round of golf, or going for a gentle stroll with the dog along the beach or even just enjoying a coffee and a chat with friends on a lovely terrace somewhere, the wonderful climate on the Costa del Sol let’s you do it all.

And if you haven’t experienced the great weather here on the coast, why not rent a villa somewhere for a short winter break and take full advantage?

Perhaps you could do a spot of property browsing while you’re over too. Thanks to the economic crisis and the downturn in the Spanish real estate market, there are some superb quality properties on the market at very competitive prices – from beachside penthouses to golf apartments, magnificent villas to inland country properties, there are some true bargains to be had.

If you’d like more information about the property for sale in Marbella and other areas of the Costa del Sol, then please contact me, Jesus Garcia on:

00 34 952 80 18 71.

Alternatively, you can send me an email at info@Inmo-Andalucia.com

That’s all for now,

The first thing to point out is that this villa is offered for sale with all its official paper work/licences in order.

It’s built on an elevated plot roughly halfway between the typically Spanish and wonderfully picturesque ‘white washed’ mountain villages of Casares and Gaucin, just 30 minutes drive inland from the beaches of Spain’s Costa del Sol.

It’s an area of truly outstanding natural beauty and thanks to its elevated west-facing position, the villa has truly inspiring views of the surrounding countryside across the Genal River valley and beyond to the village of Gaucín perched on the mountainside in the distance.

For those looking for somewhere to keep horses, the property would be ideal as it comes with enough land to construct siginifcant equestrian facilities plus buyers have the option to acquire an adjacent 30.000m2 plot of land creating 80.000m2 in total.

In terms of the architectural design, the villa’s designers have seemlessly blended traditional Andalucian architecture with ultra modern fixtures and fittings.

Built across 2 storeys with a hand-laid stone courtyard featuring orange trees and a delightful water fountain as its natural focal point, the property is actually the only newly brand new property on the market anywhere in the area.

This is an important factor to consider for any potential buyer, as the Andalucian government’s recently introduced rustic land law now bans the building of any new properties in the area, thus guaranteeing the villa’s future investment potential.

So what about the modern interior of the property?

Well, for a start the entire villa is blessed with stylish aged Italian marble floors throughout.

The ground floor consists of a reception hall with double-height ceiling featuring an impressive circular hard wood-clad turret.

There’s also a large study, a separate fully-appointed guest W.C., plus 3 sizeable bedrooms, each of which comes with its own private en suite bathroom facilities.

This level is completed by a stunning state-of-the-art kitchen equipped with a unique extractor fan which rises up out of a central work island to extract air downwards and out of the property underground.

Another stunning feature of the property is a long corridor with a vaulted ceiling, impressive stone columns and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the courtyard which leads from the kitchen past the dining room to a vast living room area.

The upper floor, meanwhile, comprises of the master bedroom with a walk-in dressing room and a large marbled bathroom suite.

Like many of the rooms in this property, this master bedroom has uninterrupted views of the emblematic Sierra Crestellina mountain which dominates the skyline at the back of the house.

This upper level is completed by a second guest bedroom which comes with its own private bathroom suite.
Outside, the villa is surrounded by cleverly landscaped Mediterranean gardens and features a large salt water swimming pool.

The property also comes with a multi-vehicle car port, its own water well, air conditioning and oil-fired underfloor heating throughout.

Given its sheer size, build quality and unique location, this property represents a fabulous investment opportunity ideed and would make a very special home in one of the most beautiful areas in southern Spain.

For more information about this country villa or the other country property for sale on the Costa del Sol, please call me, Jesus Garcia on: 952 80 18 71.

Alternatively, you can browse our portfolio of property for sale on the Costa del Sol.

That’s all for now,

Jesus.

After taking the decision to buy a place in Spain, my husband Richard and I made several visits to different parts of the country but had no success finding the kind of property we were looking for.

Then, during a two week visit to Estepona on Spain’s Costa del Sol on yet another seemingly frustrating property search, we asked locals if they could recommend a good reliable local Estepona Estate Agent who would provide not only a property search but also recommend a reliable lawyer, builder and supplier of what we would need to proceed with any restorations.

The name that kept coming up from everyone we asked was that of Inmobiliaria Andalucia and we were given the phone number of Jesus Garcia – Inmobiliaria Andalucia’s managing director and chief sales person – by a local restauranteur.

We found Jesus to be extremely professional on the phone and he emailed us with details on three suitable properties right away, all of which were close to the village of Casares.

For those of you who have never visited Casares, it is an impossibly picturesque and typically Andalucian ‘white washed’ mountain village which sits atop an outcrop of rock in the mountain range that provides the backdrop to the Costa del Sol.

It’s not only an incredibly beautiful part of Southern Spain, but is also only 15-20 minutes drive inland from the beach and the lively and rather lovely coastal town of Estepona, depending on how leisurely you like to drive up the winding mountain road from the coast.

Importantly for us, Casares is also only 30 minutes to the modern and vibrant town of Marbella to the east, and about the same distance to Sotogrande and Gibraltar to the west, so it was an absolutely ideal location to start our search.

We went to meet Jesus in his office and he gave us more details on the three country properties he’d selected for us and asked which of them we’d like to view.

As each of the properties appeared on paper at least to be just what we were looking for, we said we’d like to visit all three.

So Jesus drove us up the road to Casares to the first property, which was situated in an idyllic valley called La Acedia, just ten minutes from the sea in one direction and ten minutes from Casares in the other direction.

As soon as we laid eyes on the ‘finca’, we couldn’t believe our luck. After years of endless, fruitless searching, Jesus had finally shown us exactly what we were looking for at the first time of asking and we immediately put in an offer.

Jesus ensured that the purchase completed quickly and introduced us to a lawyer who executed the deal to the letter of the law.

Since then, the builder recommended by Jesus has gradually renovated the property little by little over the past eight years and we’ve always returned to our ‘Finca’ to find each phase of the renovation to be better than we had envisaged when we agreed it with the builder.

Choosing and purchasing a property in Casares was a big decision for us, but because of the way Jesus managed the transaction it was, as it should be, a pleasure.

Ten years on we’re still not retired but our “home to be” in Spain is our perfect retreat in what we consider the perfect location.

If you’d like more information about country properties for sale Casares or other areas of the Costa del Sol, perhaps you should give Jesus at Inmobiliaria Andalucia a call on 952 80 18 71.

Having made the decision to buy a property abroad, we chose Spain primarily because we both like the mild weather, especially during the winter months.

We’ve also always been fascinated by the Spanish culture – its music and art particularly – but perhaps most importantly of all, we like the Spanish people. They’ve always just seemed to be a very outgoing and friendly bunch.

But where in Spain to buy?

Initially, we weren’t sure but having taken the time to drive along a great swathe of the country’s Mediterranean coastline, the Costa del sol area just seemed less industrial and more beautiful then the other areas.

We basically fell in love with its people too, plus of course the sandy beaches and the delightful small little towns we found along the way.

So that was it – our minds were made up and having settled on the Costa del Sol as our ideal location, we began our search for our ideal property.

At first, we thought we’d like to buy in an area called Seghers, which is an upmarket residential enclave close to the marina and the beach just 2 or 3 minutes drive from the centre of Estepona.

We searched online and found a local Estepona real estate agency called Inmobiliaria Andalucia, which had a few villas for sale in Seghers on its website.

We sent in a request for more information and their managing director Jesús García got in touch with us right away. Shortly afterwards, he was showing us around a few villas in the area.

Unfortunately though, the villas we saw were just a bit too expensive for our budget, especially as some needed to be renovated and costs could easily escalate.

So Jesús suggested we look at properties in Los Reales, which is another smart residential area in the hills just outside and to the north of the town, but still close to it.

Again, Jesús took us to view a few properties and when we viewed the villa we eventually bought it was so obvious to my husband and I that it was the one.

I suppose we were immediately attracted by the beautiful garden, its tropical plants and fruit trees, and the level of privacy the house would afford us.

Of course, its location was great too – just far enough out of town to give us plenty of peace and quiet, but close enough to all the amenities so we wouldn’t feel cut off.

And so we went ahead and bought it !

Now we’ve lived in the villa for a few months, we know we absolutely made the right decision. We love the villa’s layout. It enjoys plenty of sun during the day and is so comfortable to live in.

The surroundings, the garden, the pool and the spectacular view of Estepona and the coast below also help to make it a rather special place to be, especially at night when you can see the whole coastline below lit up.

If I had to give any advice to others who are thinking of buying a place on the Costa del Sol, it would be to get a professional real estate agent who knows the area well. They’re worth their weight in gold. You’ll need someone that can take you to view a variety of properties and has a thorough knowledge of each one so they’re able to give you solid advice to help you make a calm, informed decision before you buy.

If you’d like more information about villas for sale Estepona or other areas of the Costa del Sol, give Jesus at Inmobiliaria Andalucia a call on 952 80 18 71.

The controversial idea has been floated as a possible way to reduce the surplus of unsold brand new properties in the country – estimated at approximately 700.000 units – and thereby give a boost to its ailing construction sector, which has traditionally been one of the main driving forces behind the Spain´s economy.

Read the full story in the New York Times.