The fact that we have been so busy throughout the summer months is encouraging.  For the business August was the best month we have seen for some time.   Buyers seem to be recognising that property is now great value for money and many to whom I have spoken seem to feel happier having their money in property than in the bank!  I cant say that I blame them.

Sales levels are considerably up on last year and we are seeing activity spreading into all sectors of the market.  We actually sold more Villas during August and September than during the whole of 2008!

I suspect that prices may now be bottoming out and there seem to be fewer distressed sales than there were previously.  The market is still obviously fragile and believe that prices will be on a plateau for the foreseeable future.  Overall though it is a healthy situation and buyers still have plenty of time to find their ideal property at a sensible price.

We are still having problems with the banks many of which are reluctant to lend and seem to be using delaying tactics. Hopefully their situation will ease over time but for the present the cash buyer is certainly king!

We are actively seeking new properties to sell and are in the process of launching new marketing initiatives to build our property portfolio further.  Any one interest in selling on the Costa del sol is welcome to call me at the Puerto Banus Office and I will be happy to discuss your individual case.  In the meantime you may like to have a look at our promotional video :  Michael Moon – Selling your property on the costa del Sol

Until next time

Michael

Normally I shy away from anything to do with the media but in this case the producers wanted to make a factual show to give viewers an idea as to what the changes in prices would allow them to buy for their money and also wanted to show some positive images of the Costa del Sol’s beaches, marinas and golf etc.  Fortunately they did not want me or any of my staff to appear on the programme so as far I was concerned we were happy to help.

We supplied a number of properties for them to film and our Vendors were, for the most part, more than helpful and happy to co-operate.  The filming was far more long winded and harder work than I had anticipated and I have to confess that I now have a great deal more respect  for these people what goes into the making of a few minutes of  T.V.

What really surprised me was how uncooperative various businesses were and how difficult it was to get them to help.  There were golf courses who wouldn’t allow the crew to film on or near the golf course, restaurants and beach bars that didn’t want to know etc.  To me the most incredible was the marina at Puerto Banús where they were not allowed to film anything because it was private.   The security guard there even escorted the cameraman out of the marina to ensure that he did not get any footage.   In contrast you had businesses like the Ocean Club who having seen the camera out on the beach came out to see if they could be of any help.  They couldn’t have been more helpful  even found the crew a boat so that they could film the coastline from the sea.

I am not sure whether this attitude to film crews is because people do not understand the value of publicity or whether they have become jaundiced to the media because of all the bad publicity which has been generated by unbalanced reporting and tv making.  Whichever is the case I now have a much greater appreciation of how hard these people have to work to get a few minutes of T.V.

Anyone interested in the property market on the Costa del Sol is welcome to sign up for our mailing list from which we will send you details of the most interesting properties as and when they become available.  Subscribe here.

Until next time

Michael

Despite all the gloomy predictions from my friends who write the newspapers it would seem that more people than anticipated are deciding to take a holiday on the Costa del Sol!  Unfortunately the car hire companies seem to have based their fleets on the predicted volumes and we now have the ludicrous solutions that tourists coming to the coast are unable to find cars available for hire.  Even worse when there are cars available the prices seem to around treble the rate that would have been charged in previous years.

I have some friends coming over later today who (stupidly) forgot to book their car hire and were amazed to find that they were being quoted in the region of 750 Euros for a basic car for 11 days.   They eventually found something for around 500 Euros but this is nearly 2.5 times as much as they have paid in previous years.   Seems crazy to me when the car makers have fields of unsold cars and we are all doing everything we can to encourage tourism to the area.

I think it is another reminder that in these difficult times that we cannot afford to go into total hibernation.  There is business out there and we need to be prepared and ready to provide the services when they are demanded.   One would hope that with this experience people will book earlier next year although my big concern is that, next year, the tourists will go elsewhere on the basis that the Costa del Sol has become too expensive.

Until next time

Michael

We always tend to take commodities that are in plentiful supply for granted and it is only when the supply is significantly reduced that we start to appreciate what we are missing.  I can always remember my grandparents talking about the shortages in the war and how the idea of a banana or a fresh orange was something to dream of.

Fortunately, despite the economic downturn, customers are not quite as scarce as bananas during the war. Despite this I think that, at last, businesses are starting to place a higher value on their customers and are looking after them better.  I have started to notice the subtle change in shops and restaurants where owners and staff are much appreciative and attentive to customers, which after all, is the way it should be.

I was shopping in the new Mercadona supermarket in Los Naranjos (Nueva Andalucia) on Saturday and the first thing I noticed was the staff cleaning the car park.   In the store when I was searching for black pepper,  I asked one of the shelf stackers whereI might find it.  Instead of the usual mumble, and pointing in a vague way to the other side of the store, he actually took me over to the Isle where I could find it.   I tried, once again, asking another staff member for Croissants and was politely asked me to wait whilst she disappeared out of the store and immediately replenished the supply.

This sort of service would have been unthinkable in a Costa del supermarket only a year ago.  Maybe it is because this is a new store with an exceptional manager or more optimistically – maybe the concept of service and the value of customers is beginning to filter through the organization.  Whichever the reason it is a welcome change and maybe the silver lining in the cloud of the economic crisis!

Until next time
Michael Moon