Advice on Locations etc (Marbella ‘ish!)

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    • #53794
      Anonymous
      Participant

      Hi guys,

      Just registered today. Great site…very informative. Hopefully you can help me too.

      I presently own a 2 bed top floor apartment in Marina de la Duquesa. It is a lovely apartment with a massive balcony. The development is on the beach, 1 mins walk to the marina, bars, resturants etc…BUT i’d like a change. The main disadvantage is that there isnt much luxury to the development / area and it’s too far from Malaga airport. I also need a 3rd bedroom for an expanding family!

      I’d like to be nearer to Marbella. I dont know much about the area but would like to be in the Elviria ‘ish area. I want a nice development with a luxurious feel, good size apartment, nice balcony size, convenient to beach, resturants, bars, shops etc. Basically i want it all for as little as possible! I think there is more value (and better chance of a price reduction) in the 2nd hand market. Max budget 550k. I’d love to hear any view, comments and reccomendations etc. I can close quickly as i dont plan to sell my existing apartment.

      Thanks.

    • #80179
      Anonymous
      Participant

      irishjim

      How hard are you looking with your 550K for a three bed in Elviria area. As far as I can see there are a number to choose from just Google.

      Elviria has all of the amenities you need as it’s convenient to beach, restaurants, bars, shops, Marbella, two shopping centres etc etc plus a fairly easy golf course (you don’t want difficult on holiday:-)

      Regards

      Paul

    • #80187
      Anonymous
      Participant

      Be careful Irish jim, people on developments in Elviria will be biting your hand off, esp with 550k to spend!! As Paul says, I don’t think you have done much research. There are many developments without LFO’s also!!

    • #80189
      katy
      Blocked

      Have a look at developments around the Don Carlos Hotel area. Also Alicate Playa at El Rosario. To be honest I wasn’t going to reply as I thought it was a wind-up 😕 Bet you have had pm’s from agents 😆

    • #80191
      Inez
      Participant

      Hacienda Playa would be good, they are around 6 years old but of very high quality and spacious – quite rare these days!

      You should find what you are looking for in that budget range. Not sure Alicate Playa as many owners paud huge amount off plan!

      I doubt you would get front line but you should in 2nd or 3rs line and of course you can play hard ball.

      Good luck!

    • #80192
      katy
      Blocked

      Hacienda Playa is my choice too have friends there and they love it. Think the newest block is illegal though

    • #80193
      Inez
      Participant

      I htink youre right and there are issues with the latest block, but the others are glorious and I remember a cuople of years ago finding one for a client at around 580k with partial sea views, so Im sure there will be ohters around. White Pearl beach would be fab, bit older but lovely inside too. Dont know if there are 3 bedders there though!

    • #80194
      Anonymous
      Participant

      Hello Irish Jim

      Yes, I’m an agent, but thought it would be good to point out that, when I could live in any part of the Costa del Sol, I have specifically chosen to live in Elviria.

      A note – You will not get a 3 bedroom apartment in Hacienda Playa for 550k. Only 3 bed I know of for sale is around the 775,000€ mark. Legal blocks in Hacienda Paya keep rising in price. Hacienda Elviria on the other side of the road (same developer), you may get a 3 bed, but without a view.

      Tread VERY carefully in this area. Many of the newer, luxurious developments in the area do not have first occupation licences so if you need a mortgage then these are not an option:

      1) Jardines de Don Carlos
      2) Las Sabinas de Don Carlos
      3) Hacienda Playa Phase 3 blocks 5 & 6. Phase 1 has the licence (and I have a copy).
      4) Green Hills, Pinogolf, Los Lagos, Santa Maria Village, Los Patios, etc. are all on the other side of the road and have licence issues.
      5) If someone tries to show you stuff with Police tape round it then you know it is 100% illegal!

      If you don’t mind doing up a property then the older development of Golden Beach is lovely. You’ll also find 3 bedroom properties within budget at Bahia de Marbella and Alicate Playa.

      Good luck in your search.

      Sarah Dodgson

    • #80196
      Anonymous
      Participant

      A good friend has just purchased an apartment at Las Terrazas Elviria (No LFO) and he obtained a mortgage in Spain, the proviso was that a sum of money (20,000 Euros) would be held in escrow by his solicitor until the LFO appeared.

      Regards

      Paul

    • #80203
      Anonymous
      Participant

      paul 800
      So its said the without the Habitation Licence we are informed that you are not supposed to live in the property rent the property,be able to sell the property or get a mortgage and is causing misery for thousands.

      THE VALUE THE BANKS PUT ON THIS BIT OF PAPER 😯 20,000 Euros,and the money is just held till the licence is issued ,the situation beggars belief

      Just Frank 8)

    • #80206
      Anonymous
      Participant

      Frank

      It’s only misery if you think a development like Las Terrazas will never get a FLO. You see Frank some people think laws are the rules, when in fact only rules are rules and the law is open to interpretation.

      Las Terrazas was built ten years ago or so and when no one cared about LFOs as they could fall back on the “law” of administrative silence. So which law are we as lay people (unless you are a lawyer or a judge) should we interpret today? My view, for whats it worth (although it’s also the view of many here) that an LFO will appear for 99% of all properties on the CDS, clearly this is the lending banks view.

      Anyway, off topic again …. I’m sure i read a thread about this somewhere………

    • #80207
      Anonymous
      Participant

      Paul
      Yep totally agree regarding the rules.
      Dont think that we have taken this off topic as Irish Jim was asking for advice regarding property in and around Marbella.
      The habitation licence situation was raised with on the face of it Elviria being a problem area.
      As you have pointed out with your mate you have to take much more into account.
      Now IF your friend was looking at Las Vista 😯

      Just Frank 8)

    • #80212
      katy
      Blocked

      Just rambling but you know the owners of a certain “awful Estates”…they used to live at White Pearl Beach (perhaps they still do).

      Completing on a property and witholding a certain amount seems OK. I am certain most will be legalised, but…some may be tied up in the legal system for years. A person would have to be fairly sure that they are not going to want to sell for at least a few years.

      Have to say I did not realise that the prices at Hacienda Playa had risen so much, they really do sound overpriced (well, to me!)

    • #80213
      Anonymous
      Participant

      A person would have to be fairly sure that they are not going to want to sell for at least a few years.

      You forget Katy this person has just bought, so one can assume that others may do the same. That is, pay the price with the money held just transferring over to the new owner. Apart from that these are development which as far as I can see were going along very happily, some changing hands many times over the years without a problem. Only now to find that if you’ve not got a piece of paper with LFO on it you can’t sell, buy etc etc etc. Its only banks and people covering their bottoms in many cases it will all come out in the wash.

      Regards

      Paul

    • #80219
      Anonymous
      Participant

      Thanks for all the replies. I am just starting out and havent done much research to date. Why would someone buy in Elviria over other places in and around Marbella. For my budget am i right to stick to Elviria??

      thanks again…

      J

    • #80240
      Inez
      Participant

      It depends on the area you like. If you are buying a property for yourself then you would want to be comfortable there. There is good infrastucture, people know it exists.

      We all have our own personal likes in Spain and even in Marbella!

    • #80246
      Anonymous
      Participant

      We bought an apartment last year between San Pedro and Estepona for our family and friends to use with the thought that it would be near the night life of Puerto Banus for the younger members of the family and Estepona for us with our zimmers. My daughter and her husband returned yesterday after a couple of weeks and said that she was not impressed with Puerto Banus but absolutely loved Estepona so as Inez says it is a personal decision.

    • #80296
      Anonymous
      Participant

      what’s happening with Duquesa marina? When I was there 5 years ago I thought that it was a nice marina and had potential once a few nicer restaurants came in etc. I read recently the marina is now looking a bit shabby (hasn’t been painted for years etc). Is that true? Have any better restaurants opened in the last few years. Any idea why the local council would let it go this way when this is the main attraction in the area?

    • #80300
      Anonymous
      Participant

      Irishjim –

      if you want to follow the money, or maybe I should say the King….
      (doubt even the Junta would overturn a decision on this one if permission is granted).

      http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_15779.shtml

    • #80301
      Anonymous
      Participant

      Hi
      Whats happened to the area,marina,included. 🙄
      THE BRITS HAVE ARRIVED .
      5.95 euro fat belly breakfast,Tetley Bitter,pie + chips and a kiss me quick hat.
      GREED OF COUNCILS AND,DEVELOPERS BUILDING RABBIT SIZED APARTMENTS WITH INFRASTRUCTURE THAT IN NO WAY CAN COPE
      RAN OUT OF SPACE NEARER THE AIRPORT AND THE NEXT TARGET WAS TO RUIN THE NEXT AREA.

      Just Frank 8)

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