Luxury Real Estate

Courtesy of Kirsty Bryson of Luxury Homes by VAPF

Although struck by the crisis, Spain is a solid economy, showing signs of recovery. Economic strengths and reforms lay the foundations of a sound and rebalanced growth for the Spanish economy. Take a look at just some of the reasons why purchasing a property in Spain is a safe bet:

Infrastructure:

- Spain has the biggest highway net in Europe and is the first European country and second in the world, behind China, in high speed railway line miles

- The Spanish Airports and Air Navigation Company AENA is the world's leading airport operator in terms of passenger numbers, handling nearly 200 million. It manages 47 airports and 2 heliports in Spain and participates directly and indirectly in the management of 28 more airports around the world. AENA is the fourth largest provider of air navigation services in Europe and plays a leading, active role in all European Union projects relating to the introduction of the Single European Sky.

Quality:

- First European country with the highest standard of living for expatriates

- 2nd most valued health system in Europe (HSBC Expat Explorer Survey)

- Spain now has 511 Blue Flags on its beaches, more than any other European country. The Blue Flag recognises the high quality of beaches and coastal waters. 104 of Valencia's beaches, 66 of Andalusia’s and 63 of the Balearic Islands' have received the awards.

Performance:

- 2nd tourist destination in the world by revenue and 3rd for passenger arrivals.

- Spain is one of the leading global economic powers: the 4th largest recipient of FDI among developed countries. Spain's appeal for foreign investors lies not only in its domestic market, boasting considerable purchasing power, but also in the possibility of operating in third-country markets using Spain as a base, courtesy of its privileged geostrategic position: it belongs to the European Union and is the gateway to North Africa and Latin America (due to its strong economic, historic and cultural ties in this latter case). Furthermore, Spain is a modern knowledge-based economy with services accounting for 71.09 percent of economic activity. The country has become a centre of innovation supported by a young, highly-qualified work force and competitive costs.

- The number of housing transactions (491.000) tends to recovery, partly due to fiscal incentives, partly because affordability indicators are once again at historically low levels. Foreign demand is starting to react to price signals, acquisition by expats in Spain has increased over 20% in 2010.