Finding a home with no mortgage or monthly rent.

According to an article published in the Spanish newspaper El País, experts are searching for an alternative to private debt, so that we can have access to a home without being tied to either a mortgage or a monthly rent. It seems that even in times of crisis such as these, there's still room for optimism and innovation in the real estate market.

For our most skeptical readers, below we've included a link to the full article published in El País and a short summary in English translated by the author of this blog. In addition, you can find further information on the U.K. government's Rent to HomeBuy scheme here and to A2Dominion and their guide to low cost home ownership.

"Estable como la compra y accesible como el alquiler" (artículo de El País)

http://economia.elpais.com/economia/2012/04/03/actualidad/1333471421_074947.html

"As stable as a purchase and as affordable as a rent

No, this is not a riddle. In London, for those searching for a home there is an alternative to buying—too demanding financially— and to renting, often considered unstable. This is why the Research Group on Access to Housing has just returned from the U.K.

This multidisciplinary and multinational group of experts lead by Dr. Sergio Nasarre, Professor of Civil Law at the State University of Tarragona Rovira i Virgili, addressed the Spanish General Council of Law this week regarding a third scheme.

Few family incomes are able to face housing payments in Madrid, much less in London. There we find two possibilities. The first is the gradual acquisition of a home that is either on the open market or state-subsidized. Buyers start by purchasing a 25% share in the equity on the property and then progressively demonstrate their capacity to pay. The second possibility: Why make a permanent purchase of a home that you will only use, let's say, during your professional life? The answer to this question is temporary ownership. After a certain period, the property is returned to the seller; until then, the temporary buyer is the owner: it is considered an investment and may be freely sold or mortgaged in much the same way as a partial purchase.

…/"

As Fragas do Eume

A bird's eye view of As Fragas do Eume.
Simply stunning!

The video was filmed a few years ago, before the April 7 wildfire partially destroyed this natural woodland.

Our natural resources are the backbone of our economic prosperity, our health and our wellbeing. We can all do something to help preserve them.

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.

Biting ants and other mardi gras delicacies from Galicia

Carnival in Galicia

Carnival in Viana do Bolo

Wouldn't you just love to be here in Galicia, enjoying one of our best celebrations of the year: the Carnival or Entroido, as we call it.  Celebrations have been going on for some weeks now and will end officially  this coming Wednesday, February 22nd with the burial of the sardine. This festival is just one more reason to invest in Galicia!

Some of my favorite places to enjoy the Carnival (besides Caión of course) are Manzaneda (picture on the left), Viana do Bolo (photo on the right), Laza, Xinzo and Verín.

I came across a page that shares some very interesting information "...about biting ants, torched hay, men in lingerie and ample amounts of cow bell." Just click on the image below to visit it.

Manzaneda

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!

The Spanish Christmas Lottery

December 22nd is a big day in Spain: the Christmas lottery. Buying the plot of land showcased on this blog is like winning "el gordo" (the fat one), the grand prize, except the odds are better.