A near-zero energy house in Spain

Villa Ana, a sustainable private residence, was designed by architects Iván López Veiga and Juan R. Iglesias Babío in cooperation with Annabella Ortiz, José Álvarez and the engineering studio Indugal. The goal of this group of experts is to become the first Breeam Es certified sustainable building in Spain. This green construction project is located in Santiago de Compostela.

I’ve always imagined a project like Villa Ana on the landlot we offer on this blog and the idea of a near-zero energy house sounds very tempting, especially now that the electric bill has gone up again.

Are any of my readers ready and willing to take the plunge and create something like this green construction project in Caión? It would be adding to the already high environmental and landscape value of the village’s natural surroundings.

Luxury and beauty in a seaside apartment

 I can't believe that no one has yet made the property investment of their life by purchasing the landlot on sale here!

Maybe it's because my readers prefer a fully furnished, luxurious apartment in the same spectacular setting of Caión. If what you're searching for is a beautiful home with incredible seaviews, high quality finishes, top of the line wood flooring plus an unbeatable location in the heart of the villa, then you've surfed into the right blog post. To see details of this wonderful apartment, visit my ads on idealista.com and tucasa.com

 Don't let this opportunity slip past you.

I have a feeling that it's not going to last.

The realistic optimist

Realism means facing the announcements made yesterday by the new Spanish government regarding important tax hikes, drastic cuts and an unprecedented GDP deficit of 8%.

Optimism means relying on the new regulations that promise to stimulate the stagnant real estate market. Among the measures just established are the reintroduction of a tax benefit and a super-reduced VAT rate of 4% on the purchase of new homes.

In addition, the new Public Works Minister Ana Pastor has included a housing policy in her portfolio and made reducing stockpiles of unsold new homes one of her priorities.

These measures tell us that this may a good time to purchase buildable land like the plot offered on this blog.

We shouldn’t forget that investing in land continues to be an option that promises benefits in the medium or long-term, whilst gold and silver prices threaten to begin their downhill or at least unstable course in the coming year, especially if the European debt crisis continues.

Whatever the news, I wish everyone a happy New Year full of optimism, mixed with a bit of realism!

Good day for the housing market

We’ve gotten used to the markets’ to-the-minute rss feeds on how they respond to every bit of economic news released in Europe. It’s hard to get a firm footing in this financial storm.

However, this past Tuesday was a good day for the housing market as stocks surged, partly in response to positive economic data on the housing sector in the U.S. and positive indicators from the euro zone.

According to the N.Y. Times, the hopeful mood in Europe was sparked by reports from a study showing that “The German economy seems to be successfully countering the downturn in Western Europe.” as well as by the successful auction of three-month bills in Spain.

The promise made by Mariano Rajoy, Spain’s newly appointed president, to stimulate the housing market through a housing policy geared towards growth and cohesion is also seen by investors as a positive and encouraging news feed.

As good as —no— better than gold!

No, it doesn't shine like gold, it's not the same color as gold and it certainly hasn't got the same texture as that precious metal. And we all know that you wouldn't be able to wear this fabulous piece of land to your next dinner date because it just wouldn't look right.

On the other hand...

Smart investors know that this real estate asset is as good as—or even better than—gold. I keep wondering how long it will take for that perceptive buyer, knowledgeable about the market, to purchase this buildable property.

Real Estate Investments: As Good As Gold?

In these economically uncertain times, many people are turning to gold as a safe investment. But is gold as brilliant a choice as it seems?

... some argue that investing in real estate continues to offer the security that investors are searching for in recession-plagued Europe or even the U.S.

Read more: http://technorati.com/business/article/real-estate-investments-as-good-as1/#ixzz1g86jEKGI

Selling Property Amidst the Turmoil

In the aftermath of last week’s apocalyptic announcements that Europeans are about to live through the end of their relatively short-lived Union, and in the midst of Spain’s upcoming general elections, the rightist candidate assures that the real estate bubble burst is a fiction created by the socialist party now in government.
Whether the bubble really burst or not, the truth is that there are too many empty apartments and houses sitting in the shop windows. The strong right wing candidate, who all the polls predict will be the next President, promises to reinstate tax benefits for those citizens willing to purchase a home. Newly arrived mayors (elections were in May) state that construction will reactivate the slumping economy. But consumers, alarmed by recent events, are not willing to take any investment risks.
In the meantime buyers—investors with plenty of equity—are looking for a good bargain. Sellers, however, won't give their property away at a cheap price, and so the real estate market is at a standstill and no one can say what direction it will follow. Selling property is a short-term goal that in Spain has necessarily become a medium or even long-term one.

Read more: Selling Property Amidst the Turmoil at technorati.com

Galicia. Unlike any other place in Spain

It's true: No matter what people say, the southern coast of Spain is still one of the hottest spots in Europe, but there's another beautiful, not so hot (literally speaking) spot for you to explore. If you're searching for a unique, great place to live and invest in a coastline property, you'll love Galicia--and of course Caión. As it says in IdealSpain.com:

"Galicia is now an increasingly popular destination for those Spaniards who don’t want the heat of the Andalucian, Murcian or Valencian summer but do want the scenic beauty and culinary delights. Along the coast, Galicia has a flourishing economy which now includes its own brand of tourism. The coastline is popular with all manner of outdoor activities that cannot be found along any other coast. It is still a place in which you can enjoy Spain at its simplest and its best."

Past, present and future: towards a sustainable urban development

I can't believe how much Caión has changed! Some of those changes are positive, others not so much. At times I wish this fishing village were still the isolated, solitary, wild and unique paradise it once was! But then I realize that this romantic idea isn't consistent with urban growth and development, which are not only inevitable, but necessary.

Women mending fishing nets.

Small boat (chalana) arriving at Caión harbor.

Still, as long as that growth and development is responsible, sustainable and respectful of the environment, I'm willing to let go of my romantic ideas—or maybe not entirely. I guess I'm just an urban romantic who's convinced that a sustainable urban development is vital to the health of our own and of other communities.

No one can deny that coastal apartments are, even today, a capital investment. What they should not be is an example of what we call "feísmo urbano" (urban ugliness). Even if we can't prevent others from contributing to the destruction of our historical heritage or our urban and natural resources, I am convinced that we can support and improve our environment through sustainable projects such as the one we could develop on this exceptional plot of buildable land. There's nothing to stop us from enjoying a home here in the midst of an alluring sea and landscape while at the same time making an excellent investment that can help Caión to continue growing and developing in the best and most responsible way possible.

There is very little buildable property left in this fishing village and with the sea as a backdrop! I would personally love to build a small apartment complex or even a private house here, but it's not within my reach at the moment and besides, I'm involved in other projects of a different sort. This is why I am looking for an enthusiastic, enterprising investor willing to purchase the land, accept the challenge and "build" their hopes up high in this wonderful place.

SUMMARY

LOCATION  Caión, municipality of A Laracha (Coruña) at 8 km from Arteixo and 20 from A Coruña.

ZONING  Urban Residential: fishing village

PLOT SIZE: 128 m2 (0.032 acres)

CONSTRUCTED AREA: 70 m2

YEAR OF CONSTRUCTION: 1960

FEATURES: The buildable property, located in the traditional fishing village of Caión, includes a garage, a small house behind it and, to one side, a small yard enclosed by a low wall. The length of the front and rear façades is 10.70m and 11.80m, respectively.

Situated on the corner of the path that leads to the lovely beach of Salseiras with its crystal clear water, the lot offers extraordinary views of the sea and is only a few steps away from the main plaza of the village. Caión is within a few minutes driving distance from the town of Arteixo and less than 30 from the bustling coastal city of A Coruña.

Property for sale in the charming fishing village of Caión in Galicia (northwestern coast of Spain)

LAND FOR SALE ON THE SPANISH ATLANTIC COASTLINE

The property, located in the traditional fishing village of Caión in the northwestern Spanish region of Galicia, includes a garage, a small house and a small plot enclosed by a low wall. The length of the front and rear façades is 10.70m and 11.80m, respectively.

Situated on the corner of the path that leads to the lovely beach of Salseiras with its crystal clear water, the lot offers extraordinary views of the sea and is only a few steps away from the main plaza of the village. Caión is within a few minutes driving distance from the town of Arteixo and less than 20 from the bustling coastal city of A Coruña.
N2VJRHZYPUF5