Sotogrande Spain estate agent & property market views

aerial photography in Spain

2011-11-08T02:47:00.000-08:00

Tailor Made in Sotogrande have acquired an unmanned drone helicopter for aerial photography in Southern Spain.

The helicopter has a range of 500 mtrs and can be used for photographing villas, apartments, urbanizations, golf courses, beach clubs and hotels. An ideal option for developers to promote and provide views of proposed projects.
Other uses include surveying historic buildings and accessing where scaffold or ladders simply cannot get to.

The drone locks onto gps signals and when left hovering will remain in its gps position making this a very stable platform for aerial photography.

Something for Teenagers Sotogrande

2011-05-24T07:11:00.000-07:00

Lifestyle in Sotogrande Spain is wonderful. Our children are relatively safe walking the streets and hanging out on the estate. After all we have security guards on the gates and more often than not people recognize and watch out for the kids. Yes Sotogrande has a lot to offer but cut to the chase Sotogrande establishment provides no amenities or facilities for teenagers.

Would it not be a bad idea for the establishment to donate the old sales offices as you enter the port (next to the main sales office) and provide a couple pool tables maybe a table tennis table. After all they are forced to leave their mopeds in this area which is a good thing so to have a meeting place would be great. Security guards are normall around to keep an eye on things

If we were living in San Roque town the teenagers there enjoy youth clubs, access to affordable public swimming pools and places to meet and be active at sensible prices. Tennis court for 4 kids here in Sotogrande 16 euros yet council run tennis centre in San Roque for under 18s only 8 euros by subsidy.

So why shouldnt we expect similar provisions from a Company in charge of running this lifestyle estate. The teenagers should have a lifestyle outside of school and Sotogrande should provide it.

It amazes me that with 50% of the school english and the majority attending the school english speaking that the cine de verano (summer cinema) is mostly in Spanish. English speaking kids go there pay then get bored and wander off. Maybe the beach club out of use for most of the year could double up in winter as an indoor cinema. How much a projector and screen 30 or 40 kids paying 3 or 4 euros each would soon cover the cost

Also seems that the idea of a childrens swing park has faded away as well a great spot would be where that prefabricated sales office building is at the end of Blue Sotogrande (used to be a sales centre).

Such Lifestyle estates should offer the full package . On my last trip to USA we stayed at just such an estate in Florida called "Celebration" the facilities inside the estate were amazing and inexpensive for teenagers

A good example of how private estates are run in Spain as compared to those being run by a local authority council is that in the villages around the Sotogrande estate the residents enjoy bronze statues on their roundabouts. Sotogrande gets a plant or two.

Its not all complaints as the estate is beautifully maintained and presented and it is a great place to live. Having said that the impetus to go beyond what there is already seems to have come to an end. Surely there is room to improve further and provide something for everyone. Sotogrande is promoted as a great place for families and in the main it is but where is the progression.

When kids have no where else to meet up other than the car park at pan y agua or la loma or hanging about the port we should be concerned. Although it is relatively safe it is HANGING AROUND

There is a great bunch of kids living here and the community and estate managers should provide a plan for the future that provides that little bit extra for them.

the expat in Sotogrande,Spain

2011-05-17T05:37:00.000-07:00

Luxury Lifestyle in Sotogrande Spain

Dream of living in Spain
Consider Sotogrande a Gated community surrounded by stunning countryside
A sporting estate bordered by Sea, mountains, Rivers & real Spain on your doorstep.

10 reasons we love Sotogrande

1.Golf: Valderrama, Sotogrande Real, San Roque Club, La Reserva golf, Almenara Golf, Alcaidesa golf, La Canada golf . All either inside or surrounding Sotogrande

2.Equestrian: Two equestrian centres surrounded by cork forest. San Roque & Hipica Sotogrande

3.Private Marina: yacht haven. Berth outside youR apartment or in the main port with its restaurants bars & shops

4.Securicor: 24 hr manned gates in and out of community & regularly patrolled

5.International Polo: Santa Maria Polo, Ayala Polo and many others within few minutes drive

6.Gibraltar: (20 mins) our slice of UK Morrisons M&S. Its a Brit comfort thing. Consider the tax benefits of Gibraltar

7.School: Modern facilities beautiful location. Kids love it from 3 to 18. Authorised International Baccalaureate

8.Beach: In the summer we love the Chiringuitos beach bars for friends food, drink music, long into the evening. Alternatively try one of the 2 luxury beach clubs

9. Tennis: 2 tennis centres. We all end up there Adults and kids playing tennis or simply for the social

10. Health: outdoor life, more social , sporting fitness & fun is where my family has benefits from living in this wonderful community

Discovering Sotogrande was a master stroke in our lives. The climate makes you happy and sociable, the envoirenment is safe and secure. We are an international community as reflected by the school 50% British, 25% Spanish and 25% the rest of the world.

If you want to live in Spain then make your decision after you have seen Sotogrande

Panoramio - Photo of Tailor Made estates Sotogrande port

2011-04-19T05:14:00.000-07:00

Panoramio - Photo of Tailor Made estates Sotogrande port

Millionaires’ enclave of Sotogrande weathering the recession | Olive Press Newspaper | News

2011-03-21T05:27:00.000-07:00

An interesting article Millionaires’ enclave of Sotogrande weathering the recession | Olive Press Newspaper | News

The artless estate agent - Telegraph

2011-03-18T04:47:00.000-07:00

The artless estate agent - Telegraph

Whether you love them or hate them estate agents provide a service and they do sell property.

Its the means by which the minority go about it many do not like. What is your opinion ??

Greg Norman buys the exclusive Valderama golf course | Olive Press Newspaper | News

2011-03-15T08:50:00.000-07:00

Greg Norman buys the exclusive Valderama golf course | Olive Press Newspaper | News

my school Cricket & The Ashes

2010-11-14T11:31:00.000-08:00

Rupertswood was my secondary college in Australia
CRICKET / THE ASHES Rupertswood holds a place in the great sporting rivalry between Australia and England. It is accredited as being the "Birthplace of the Ashes". To make sense of how the whole Ashes story came about, we need to go back to "The Oval"; August 29th 1882. An Australian cricket team had been sent to England to play an English team. It was the first time an Australian eleven had played an English eleven.

Previous Australian sides to England had always outnumbered the English side by several players and it had always resulted in losses anyway. Very unexpectedly, the Australians won. The incredulity was such, that a sporting journalist, Reginald Brooks, published a tongue in check obituary lamenting the death of English cricket. It read; "In Affectionate remembrance of ENGLISH CRICKET, which died at the Oval on 29th August, 1882.Deeply lamented by a large circle of sorrowing friends and acquaintances. R.I.P. N.B. The body will cremated and the ashes taken to Australia".
This was the first time that the term "ashes" was used. The notice appeared in an obscure part of the paper, but it was noticed and taken very seriously by the powers that be at "Lords". Ivo Bligh, amateur cricketer and heir to his brother`s Earldom, was immediately approached to captain a team to Australia to re-instate English pride. In late 1882, William Clarke was in England with his family and attendants. They were enjoying their second grand tour of Europe.
Overall, he made a favourable impression and as a result gained some very influential friends. He was recommended to Queen Victoria as a candidate for a baronetcy. This was approved by the Queen on October 29th. Sailing home on the "Penshawur", Sir William`s fellow passengers included the English cricket team. As Sir William was the president of the Melbourne Cricket Club, an invitation was extended to the English cricketers to spend the Christmas and New Year holiday at Rupertswood.
On Christmas Eve 1882, after a congenial lunch, Sir William, suggested a social game between the English cricketers and a local side, made up largely of Rupertswood staff. By all accounts it was an enjoyable game with no-one really keeping score, however, it was generally agreed that the English won.
The servants were run off their feet retrieving the many fours and sixes. Pat Lyons, a worker at Rupertswood, clearly remembered the afternoon many years later. It was his understanding, that Lady Clarke, at dinner that evening had presented Ivo Bligh with a pottery urn. It was purported to contain the ashes of a burnt bail. Lady Clarke announced to the company assembled that Australia and England now had a real trophy for which to play. England did go on to win two of the three official matches played in Melbourne and Sydney.
The term "Ashes" stuck and the urn became a prized personal memento of Bligh. Interestingly enough, no-one really knew that the urn existed until Bligh's death in 1927. It was handed over to Lords in the early 1930's, where it still lives today. An interesting aside to the "Ashes" story is the romance that developed between Florence Rose Morphy (companion to Lady Clarke and music teacher to the Clarke children ) and Ivo Bligh. Their romance blossomed during the English cricket team`s sojourn at Rupertswood. Florence was very much loved by the Clarke family. It was largely due to their sponsorship that Bligh`s aristocratic family back in England eventually approved the marriage. They were married on February 1884, with a lavish wedding reception held at Rupertswood. In 1900, Bligh inherited the Earldom and became the eighth Lord Darnley and Florence became his Countess. They returned to England to reside at Cobham Hall --- Kent; his family seat.

Golf around Sotogrande

2010-11-08T03:54:00.000-08:00

Valderrama voted no.1 in europe I see Sotogrande voted no.5 the PGA Catalunya was 3rd ranked and having played it last year i thought it was a great course.

In the Spanish Rankings La Reserva was 9th, The San Roque golf club (old course) came in at 18th. All in all Not bad for this area and its golf Click here for List of golf rankings of Spanish courses (not european rankings)

Food food and more food

2010-11-04T08:59:00.000-07:00

A change of subject for Tailor Made.

I have in the last 2 years provided many different write ups and I hope informative articles regarding the property market in Sotogrande. Its time to steer away from the bleeding obvious and concentrate on lifestyle and fun. After all that is why most of us come here. Whilst the crisis isn’t that much fun for anyone we all may like to share in lighter moments and for this reason a change of subject by your local agent is long over due.

First a run down of familiar names and places and over the next few months I will look to write about my experiences at eating out

My favourite subject is food and I find myself often contacted by friends asking if I have tried this or that restaurant invariably the answer is "Yes" and it seems I am the check before you try target

Sotogrande has struggled with consistency in its culinary offerings for some time now and often its a case of the chef has left or the trade is so poor that the ingredients are no longer as good as they were.

Restaurateurs rarely see table strewn with empty champagne bottles & cigars after 200€ a head meals, it seems even the traders have stopped this age old practice.
There has been a run of restaurants opening and then closing a testament to that has been Sotovillas at one point there was Japanese, an Italian (Transylvania) An Argentinean (Estribo) and what I thought was the ever popular American Diner. There was then a run of closures until recently when the rot at Sotovillas was halted by the arrival in Sotovillas of Salsa and Mara. Mara a Spanish sea food restaurant & tapas is a theme that I have long waited to arrive locally. I Have yet to test Salsa but am told South African vein runs thru its flavours
Into the Pueblo Nuevo we find Reflexions with a chef of Michelin Star status offering fantastic breakfast lunches and increasingly popular Friday night Gourmet menus. Now to be challenged by a French chef also of Michelin star background who has opened a very trendy looking La Boca in the port. Both Reflexions & La Boca offering the best Dining experience in the area at a cost although maybe some of the artistic flare in cooking is not everyone’s taste.

Whilst in the Port Mytilus has expanded and I am told rejuvenated its menu with some good reports. The Hairy Lemon is our first gastro pub and a local of mine for lunch and a very good lunch it is too. Particularly the great value menu del dia. However as soon as one cuts the cost with a menu del dia another has to cut costs as well and within days La Taberna de Sotogrande (also in the Port) a very Spanish flavour has produced a set lunch menu but whilst I enjoy its cuisine and tapas my wife finds it too Spanish for her palate.

Then there are the old favourites particularly for those who have lived here for years. Names such as Gaucho, La Reunion and Lombardos come to mind established eateries with regular clientele and of course the ever famous and busy Ke who I am told serve 1000 meals a day in the height of summer.

There is also the honey trap of eating in Los Canos too much wine and Moorea lures you in and who can risk the recovery time. Most of us will at some point get sucked into a heavy night and enjoy it but at the same time regret the foolhardiness then pick the bones out of the experience a few days later at the golf club or tennis club.

What’s the Chinese like in the port I have never been yet you don’t here anything about it but its still there. Despite the high price I miss the Thai that was in the port but cannot remember its name. Little Buddha is an alternative but I do like the Thai on the beach at Laguna village.

We all love a piece of home and what Brit can refuse a trip to Duquesa for Marlow fish & Chips or even more British maybe our local Indian the ivory or try the Indian on the beach at Sabanillas. I find the Indians here aren’t as good as my favourites in the UK but hey we are not in the UK

Whilst I do not claim to be a food expert I do love sharing my experiences and trying new venues and experimenting with food. Wines are a complex subject and finding good value fine wines is a favourite past time for me. Although I do prefer to enjoy a couple of glasses of really good expensive wine rather than get a cheap bottle that is palatable. Having said that once the subject at an eatery turns to trying good wines the results can be lethal when you get to the point of no return

Anyway off to the Chinese tonight modern building on left just before Duquesa. Third time there but this time will make sure i get the name of it. Will let you know how I get on

bye for now

Property Developers in Spain

2010-10-06T04:56:00.000-07:00

Property Developers back in the UK i was constantly visited by representatives of property developers looking to promote their development through local agents. An agent in UK normally expects to see a developer weekly or if not at least monthly. The reps come in provide new material , fresh pictures and work on new advertising promotions with agents. Show days are arranged and many other promotions. So why is it so different in Spain. Have people forgotten how to sell property? Maybe its been too easy in the past?

This week i sent a message to 8 local developers who I know are desperate to sell the property in their development. The message asked for new photos to refresh the look of their development on the website.

One responded telling me to get my own photos the others did not reply. These companies are ghosts sitting in their show homes expecting the whole world to come to them. In this market it does not happen

Come on Spanish property developers where are your initiatives, ideas and drive

Is the tide turning for Sandbanks? - Telegraph

2010-10-06T01:04:00.000-07:00

Sandbanks in Poole in the news again. Readers comments are interesting

Is the tide turning for Sandbanks? - Telegraph

Link & pictures to the X Factor house rented in Sandbanks Poole Dorset

2010-09-15T06:35:00.000-07:00

click on the link Emporio below to see the website for seven developments and the house the X Factor have rented in Sandbanks Poole Dorset for Cheryl Cole. Sandbankslettings.co.uk often offer Seven Development built homes for rental in Sandbanks & surrounding areas
click on this link to take me to view Emporio on Seven Developments web site

Property rentals in Poole Dorset

2010-09-08T04:42:00.000-07:00

Despite the economy the desire is still there to improve lifestyle and whilst in this crisis downsizing may be an economic necessity for some, it does not necessarily have to be a bad choice. There has been a noticeable increase in people leaving the larger cities renting out their homes and moving to Poole in Dorset where rental values even in and around upmarket Sandbanks beach can be half of the London prices for much larger property.
Rent in Sandbanks

Not everyone is looking to move from a city for life in the country and for those who still want to be near cinemas restaurants shops the town of Poole has it all. Poole has the beautiful beaches is minutes from deepest Dorset and flanked by the Purbecks. For those who want the vibrant night life Bournemouth town centre is 20 minutes away. Sandbanks beach in Dorset has put Poole on the map and a competative property boom over the years has seen developers competing to buy and build beautiful homes improving the design and quality of property.
Canford Cliffs, Sandbanks Peninsula, Branksome Park and Lilliput are the upmarket sought after areas of Poole. A growing number of families are moving to these areas lured by their beautiful tree lined avenues, proximity to the beach yet close to the two bustling towns of Bournemouth & Poole.

Commute
London is a 90 minute drive Southampton 30 minutes

Renting in Poole Dorset

Bold Norman launches bid to buy Valderrama | Mail Online#comments

2010-08-07T05:02:00.000-07:00

This maybe one way of Valderrama offloading the recently finished apartments

Bold Norman launches bid to buy Valderrama | Mail Online#comments

Upmarket Spain - myth of the buyers market

2010-07-27T02:26:00.000-07:00

I was Recently asked by a client to find a beachfront apartment in Marbellas golden mile

The criteria was a 3 bedroom apartment with good seaview upto 1.6 million close to Marbella centre. The client wanted to know he was getting a bargain buying in Spain
After contacting my network of 8 local agents in the immediate area and receiving 100 property details it soon became obvious that none of the agents had any real deals. Most property sent did not match criteria, very few were near the sea. The ones that were with sea view were tired and needed considerable sums spent on them to achieve the standard of luxury this client required and would take his budget well over 1.7 million

As with many clients they beleive the press that there are a mountain of repossessions in Spain ready to be snapped up, there for the taking.

For those that bought in the golden mile the majority were probably looking for the best location and buying without mortgage. At this level they are not under pressure to sell. Even if the recession has had some affect on their lifestyle at this level people often juggle their finances without having to panic sell.

Spain does have give away property for sale but much of them are found in out of the way back hill destinations or overlooking the motorways or where the architect must have studied a degree course for social housing in 1970´s Peckham. There are masses of repossessions or cheap property available in the bottom of the market.

The picture certainly changes when you approach Marbella, Puerto Banus and the luxury enclave of Sotogrande. In Sotogrande there is a shortage of property for sale as many villas after 3 years on the sales market are now rented or simply withdrawn due to owners seeing offers well below the price they wanted.

Whilst there is the odd bargain in the luxury market they are for those who live local and get the whisper early through their local networks. If you simply phone an agent monthly and hint that you may be able to fly in if its interesting enough normally means you will miss out.

There are possibly 20 prospective buyers here in Sotogrande who say they want to buy a villa all making statements along the lines that they will buy something that was 4 million for around 2 million. Many of these claimed buyers have been in rented accommodation for over 2 years still waiting for the one bargain that never seems to arrive or if it does it isnt quite the outlook or design they want.

For many of these people agents smile and continue to forward property but I suspect many of them will remain in rented for some time to come.

Its the same old story if you are very specific with your requirements then in the upmarket areas more often than not you will need to pay or go without.

With the uncertainty people who want to live here have put plans on hold but most people will run out of patience as another cold UK winter looms and then they will return to find "a place in the Sun"

Rentals July August 2010 in Sotogrande

2010-07-06T03:55:00.000-07:00

What is happening this year with Holiday rentals in Sotogrande

It seems that the demand is well down. Those that are seeing good results do so off the strength of past bookings and good service. Whilst Tailor Made do not provide holiday rentals the fact is that last year through March April May we were receiving around 6 to 10 inquiries a day from people seeking a July or August rental

This year I have seen around 3 inquiries a week.

So the time is right to reconsider the strategy for your rentals. Many people are switching over to Long Term Rentals opting for a steadier reliable income.

For those that want to continue holiday letting www.eurolonglets.com is a website where you can advertise for Free and the free period which ended September 2010 is about to be extended for a further 12 months.

If you are interested in switching to Long term rental options then please call me Francis 687569427 or office in the port 956790320

Also if you need to insure a villa as a second home or as a holiday home please contact me for a brochure we can assist with such insurance in 44 countries

Holiday Home insurance abroad

2010-05-20T01:39:00.000-07:00

Do you have a holiday home abroad which is vacant much of the year ? Are you renting out your spanish villa to long term tenants or holiday tenants?

If the answer is YES! Then you need to make sure the insurance you took out when you bought the villa covers you for holiday or long term rental. If you are not renting you need to make sure it is covered when vacant.

We can provide just such insurance. Fully comprehensive, Lloyds underwritten policy,Insured when occupied or vacant and insured if it is rented Long or Short term.

Contact us for terms and conditions

For more information on insuring your home abroad in many different countries email Francis Payne sales@tailormadesotogrande.com or phone 0034 956790320

The Hideaways Club An investment and a holiday

2010-05-14T05:00:00.000-07:00

In Sotogrande Spain, Tailor Made estate agents

are appointed to promote and sell shares in a property fund that invests in Luxury Villas around the world. This is an investment in freehold property with the advantage that you can stay in anyone of the stunning locations. Those who bought into The Hideaways club 4 years ago have seen the investment rise in value. A share 4 years ago would have cost just over 170,000 pounds. Now to buy a full share costs over 245,000 so profit despite the recession. The portfolio stands at 26 properties and more are added each year.
For those who are interested there is a fully equipped beautiful villa right here in Sotogrande.

We have been promoting this investment to a number of merchant banks who are under pressure to reduce bonus payments so need to find alternative solutions to renumerate high performers. Why not buy into The Hideaways and offer your high performer 6 weeks in luxury villas in stunning locations , or maybe use the villas for high level meetings between directors. For the bank this renumeration to staff can be shown as an assett investment.

This form of investment works well for those who dont want to have the hassle of maintaining a property abroad or who do not like to holiday in the same place. If 6 weeks is not enough you can add additional weeks by buying more weeks.

If you need to sell then the administrators are obliged contractually to sell 1 second hand share for every 2 new shares sold. To date none of the 150 members have asked to sell their share which is a testimonial in itself.

see pictures of the houses click on this link

call francis 0034 956790320 to discuss further or we can send you a pack with all the information www.tailormadesotogrande.com email sales@tailormadesotogrande.com

The estate agents fee are they worth it

2010-04-19T04:21:00.000-07:00

The 30 minute phone call
appointmnent agreed
15 minutes to get there
30 minutes to assess
1 hour to discuss and agree
1.5 hours preparing spec
40 minutes attend on brighter day for pictures of product
7 or 8 hours setting up promotion websites portals hardcopies, window cards
45 minutes per property preparing adverts
cost of adverts with no guarantee of selling every property
20 attendances in 12 months 15 min each way travel say 1 hour each viewing
20 minutes Vendor calling in calls to discuss market
20 minutes Vendor calling in to change price
4 or 5 hours agreeing contract terms
4 or 5 hours assisting with problems and there are always problems

Oh dear it hasnt come off and the deal is dead calculate the lost time

Another 10 viewings average time with buyer 1 hour and finally another deal
2 hours preparing & often amending several times the sale in hand details
few more hours meeting experts
several hours negotiations
several more hours chasing lawyers, surveyors, quotations

loose deal due to arguments over costings

few more hours retreaving deal between both sides

Finally a completion

Multiply this by 160 properties on your list and keep in mind that you may only sell 40 to 50 of them

Howm much work does an estate agent provide free of charge and how much do we actually get paid for. The get paid for part is a small percentage

Calculate the cost of this amount of time spent for a plumber electrician lawyer

Occasionally a property comes on the market and sells quickly, vendors often believe its down to the property. Often its more down to an agents costs in getting noticed by prospective buyers. The more hot buyers they have is often down to the more advertising and promotion that they do.

A buyer walks into an agents office or comes to find an agent because of the costs the agent has spent in attracting that buyer

Estate Agents do provide a good service for the charges they make. In UK commission is lower but there you expect to sell 4 or 5 times more property than in Spain.

Estate Agents Sandbanks in Poole Dorset : General Chat

2010-04-12T06:58:00.000-07:00

Sandbanks Blog good to have your say about Sandbanks its residents,the property in Sandbanks and Living working on Sandbanks

Do not always believe what you read in the papers they love hyping the glam.
The glam is in the beauty of the place. Get out of the car and walk the area allow 2.5 hours to walk all round it with time to stop off for a drink at the Haven Hotel waterside bar, or maybe breakfast in Le Cafe or lunch in Cafe Shore. On a cold day a hot chocolate in Jazzys after a brisk beach walk.

Make a comment on your experience but only after you have walked the walk. Too many people doing a circle in the car then leaving with a clueless opinion.

your opinions below

Francis : My Telegraph Sanbanks Poole

2010-04-12T06:46:00.000-07:00

Sandbanks Beach Poole in Dorset United Kingdom South Coast

About Sandbanks and who lives on Sandbanks see this link. You cannot always beleive the press. The funny thing about the Piers Morgan programme on Sandbanks was that 98% of the participants were not from Sandbanks. Click on this link to find out more.

Francis : My Telegraph

In Spain this Sotogrande villa for sale | Sotogrande villa to buy | REF: 212

2010-04-09T04:18:00.000-07:00

Sotogrande a luxury enclave 25 minutes drive to Gibraltar and just over 1 hour from Malaga

Sotogrande villa for sale | Sotogrande villa to buy | REF: 212

lesson to be learned & it will make you laugh

2010-02-26T03:03:00.001-08:00

This made me laugh

A man walks out to the street and catches a taxi just going by. He gets into the taxi, and the cabbie says, "Perfect timing. You're just like Frank."

Passenger: "Who?"

Cabbie: "Frank Feldman. He's a guy who did everything right all the time. Like my coming along when you needed a cab, things happen like that to Frank Feldman every single time."

Passenger: "There are always a few clouds over everybody."

Cabbie: "Not Frank Feldman. He was a terrific athlete. He could have won the Grand Slam at tennis. He could golf with the pros. He sang like an opera baritone and danced like a Broadway star and you should have heard him play the piano. He was an amazing guy."

Passenger: "Sounds like he was something really special."

Cabbie: "There's more. He had a memory like a computer. He remembered everybody's birthday. He knew all about wine, which foods to order and which fork to eat them with. He could fix anything. Not like me. I change a fuse, and the whole street blacks out. But Frank Feldman, he could do everything right."
Passenger: "Wow. Some guy then."

Cabbie: "He always knew the quickest way to go in traffic and avoid traffic jams. Not like me, I always seem to get stuck in them. But Frank, he never made a mistake, and he really knew how to treat a woman and make her feel good. He would never answer her back even if she was in the wrong; and his clothing was always immaculate, shoes highly polished too. He was the perfect man! He never made a mistake. No one could ever measure up to Frank Feldman."

Passenger: "An amazing fellow. How did you meet him?"

Cabbie: "Well, I never actually met Frank. He died. I'm married to his fuc*ing widow."

Spanish property problems and disputes

2010-02-25T04:20:00.000-08:00

Land grab, un-licensed buildings and illegal developments continue to grab the UK press headlines when the subject of Spanish property arises. It is right that the press should focus on these issues and support the poor people that have been subjected to such unfair positions legally or illegally.

It is a shame that in many of the programmes made that the press do not comment on ways to avoid getting into such situations. For many such issues a good independant lawyer is the key. Many make the mistake of not seeking an independant lawyer and use the developers lawyer often rushing things through missing out on the correct due diligence. In Spain there are 1000´s of established developments where the paperwork is in order and where you know the dreadful landgrab law cannot be excersised. We have just seen a couple arrive here in Sotogrande having been told by a lawyer we recommended that the apartment they were buying had not been signed off by the local authority. The lawyer told them to walk away.

Its a shame that the press portray the bad side of Spains property market feature landgrab issues then switch and talk about a good property story without explaining that they have moved to a province where landgrab isnt possible. I bet there arent any Spanish lawyers who have bought property without proper planning in place or that are suffering landgrab

San Roque golf resort Spain in good shape

2010-02-25T03:12:00.000-08:00

Recently looked on tripadvisor to checkout what reviews there were for my favourite golf course the San Roque golf club (the one i joined when moving to Sotogrande). To my horror there was a 2 very good reviews and one, the most recent described it as tatty.

Looking at the dates for the review it was dated February 2010. I can only assume that the peron who wrote the review was not aware that virtually all the costa del golf had been subjected to 2 months of torrential rain and storms with serious flooding and property damage across the region. The majority of courses were closed and many suffered serious flood damage.The course was definately water logged and heavy machinery could not be used a lot of the time. San Roque during 2009 was in the best condition it has been for many years a credit to Rob the green keeper who arrived 2 years ago and whose hard work experience and professional commitment has paid off.

Turn the clock back just over 3 years ago and San Roque golf could be described as "a little neglected" but with a new management team and a structured approach to improving including a better water management system resulted in San Roque returning to its former glory if not better.

The bunkers are next on the hit list and whilst there is no immediate plan to overhaul them I know the management are keen to get them sorted out.

The new course is also a gem but what i would say is, this is the course to play in the wet weather. There possibly isnt a course in Southern Spain that drains so well as the new course. If you come to play golf in Spain and it rains then you have a better chance of getting a game in San Roque new course than any other. A good tip and Something worth knowing for those booking winter sun golf as it opens when many championship courses have closed. http://www.sanroqueclub.com/public/index.php

Marbella not for me

2010-02-23T07:54:00.000-08:00

Sotogrande quieter than Marbella but for those who love the outdoor life and want to enjoy a great sporting heritage there is no better place than Sotogrande.

Life in Sotogrande offers the outdoor enthusiasts a wide range of sport and leisure. The Sotogrande marina is unspoilt here you will not find tacky pictures of pizza plastered all over the marina. Here you will find sleek yachts that enjoy sailing through the nearby straits of Gibraltar a haven for fishing,Whale and Dolphin spotting.
The Guadiaro river never dries out and runs through Sotogrande we often hire canoes and take a half day trip up this Andalucian water way.

Tennis and the ever popular padel tennis are a great social draw and most morning the Sotogrande mums can be seen at Octagono or Cucarrucho tennis centres taking lessons or playing some friendly matches.Evenings and weekends its open invitation when men and women turn up and mix in the daily matches
When it comes to Golf not many will argue that here you find the very best of the Costa del Sol golf courses Sotogrande Real, San Roque Golf, Valderamma Golf and La Reserva are all within 5 minutes of each other literally surrounding Sotogrande. I am a member of San Roque Golf and love playing the Old Course although the San Roque new course takes some beating. Then if you want to sit back and be entertained pop along to Santa Maria Polo. The notice boards around Sotogrande tell you when and where there is a tournament and many people take the kids and a picnic. Here home of Santa Maria Polo you dont have to be a toff to spend a lazy social day in the sun. Whilst living in Spain for us Brits tends to be a lifestyle move you cannot beat the fact that from Sotogrande you can still get a slice of England and most Brit wifes pop along to Gibraltar for a Morrisons or Marks & Spencers shop after all the exchange rate isnt great so being able to spend some British pounds becomes theraputic although my wife thinks not loosing on exchange is a reason to spend more. On a rainy day we often take the children to Gibraltar for Cinema ice skating or bowling.

Whilst Sotogrande is mainly an expat community it is great to escape to real Spain and La Linea town is 20 minutes drive and we often walk the paseo on the warmer evenings and enjoy the mix of young and old sitting out drinking coffee and its fun to discover the many tapas bars and restaurants in the alleys and side streets around the historic quarter. All that and I havent mentioned the Beach Sotogrande has beach on both sides and to the west it stretches beyond Sotogrande to Alcaidesa and all the way to La Linea. Miles of unspoilt sand and sea with nothing else behind it other than cork forest and marsh land.

Three years living here and for us there is no going back. No traffic jams, probably one of the greenest areas of Southern Spain a large estate of tree lined avenues and Roads with a mountain backdrop and a stunning sea front. Once a month we visit Marbella 30 to 40 minutes away but for us a day is enough to keep the wifes shopping habits in play whilst I amble around the historic old town.
Then its back to Sotogrande approximately 4 km wide x 6 km deep all gated entrances manned by securicor and recorded on CCTV. Once inside even after 3 years it feels like you are back on Holiday

Any Bargain property in Sotogrande spain´s luxury estate & sporting playground

2010-02-12T06:02:00.000-08:00

Sotogrande property Tailor Made estate agents are finding the market very slow in Sotogrande. People coming to Spain with unrealistic expectations of what their money will buy. Yes there are a lot of bargains to be had but often the bargains are for property no one would want in the boom times never mind the crisis we face now.

Truth is that Sotogrande like many millionaire play grounds has been affected, but the average owner is not feeling the pressure to drop. Wealthy people even if feeling the pinch can juggle their finances and set bottom lines which are not consistant with say property prices drops in maybe a 3rd rate area. Sotogrande has seen price drops of around 25% to 35% not enough really for the cautious buyer. So people wait hoping that in another 6 to 12 months they will feel the pinch enough to drop further. Maybe some will drop a bit more but it will never be on mass. So the chances of those coming here for a week hoping to get a bargain of a life time are diminished. The real bargains drops of 45% & 50% of prices 2 years ago are few and far between and go quickly to people on the ground with a reservation fee in their hand.

This week I had a vendor call me saying he was happy to drop 100,000 off his 400,000 price tag. The fact is that in this particular development 99% of the buyers were British. Three years ago they would have sent 300,000 to spain to pay 400,000. Now they will still have to send a little over 300,000 to buy. So where is the bargain to the British buyer. It simply is not there and here lies the difficulty in selling to the British.