30/01/2010  -  The Sara Service starts up a Twitter account for social media blogging and keeping in contact with clients and business colleagues

18/01/2010  -  The future is looking good for the Spanish rental property market as figures in the UK showed an overall increase of 1.1% for the year of 2009.

08/01/2010  -  The Sara Service has released the first glimpse of a new guide to renting a property in Spain on the website, www.thesaraservice.com. The guide, in its complete format, will offer a comprehensive how-to on the ins and outs of letting a property both short and long term on the Costa del Sol in Spain.

16/11/2009  -  An estimated two hundred and fifty people, many who were foreign residents, were evacuated from one hundred and ten homes over a period of two days in the Mijas and Benalmadena area on the Costa del Sol.

11/11/2009  -  Consumer groups have been critical towards Spanish banks for months now for the minimum-interest clauses within their mortgage agreements, resulting in homeowners failing to see the benefit of the low rate of the Euribor. Minimum interest rates have been stuck for many at 3.5 or 4%, whilst the Euribor has seen lows of 1.243 percent.

10/11/2009  -  After our recent, rather unflattering reports concerning corrupted mayors, unfair court rulings and the aftermath of the housing crash, it is refreshing to have a more positive picture painted with efforts being made to improve the housing market in Spain, nationwide.

09/11/2009  -  In a bizarre move, a court in Marbella has ordered four British investors to complete on their purchase of a property, despite the fact that the handover of the property has been delayed for almost 3 years. The delay has been due to the building licence being challenged and the property being seen as illegal by the Junta de Andalucia.

06/11/2009  -  The recession has been the cause of many undesirable aftereffects, however a new claim made by experts is that due the current financial crisis, we will see a noticeable increase in motor accidents in Spain.

05/11/2009  -  Underhanded real estate deals in Spain, at one time, was to be expected as much as the sun in the month of August. However before the crash its bad reputation had been improved upon dramatically and it continues to do so. It is therefore surprising to hear that two executives from an institutional British Bank are at the centre of an investigation for swindling funds through mortgages awarded for Spanish property.

04/11/2009  -  There isn’t a winter that goes by on the Costa del Sol when there isn’t some sort of debate and speculation regarding the water levels in the reservoirs in the surrounding areas, specifically due to the lack of rain during the autumn and winter seasons.

03/11/2009  -  With consumers spending less in the recession it is inevitable that there will be job losses and it is factors such as these that are to blame for the pending tax increase that will affect every tax-payer in the province of Malaga, with an estimated cost of 500 euros per year to come out of their pockets. Put into context, that is over half of the average monthly salary for workers in the area.

02/11/2009  -  Swine flu has been a national worry as we have all seen reported in the global press for months now and though the number of deaths has risen, sources say that the Spanish health minister admitted the incidence of the clinically termed strain of the flu virus, AH1N1, “is much lower than anticipated and that the death rate from the infection is substantially lower than that from normal seasonal flu.”

30/10/2009  -  A new venue will open its doors to the public in Puerto Banus today, as Hard Rock International launched its fifth Hard Rock Café in Spain yesterday. The famous chain has situated its new establishment just opposite the main entrance of the superstore, El Corte Inglés

29/10/2009  -  Homeowners on the Costa del Sol will be relieved to hear that another organised criminal gang, responsible for at least 20 robberies, has been arrested. According to officials, the criminals were about to initiate another torrent of break-ins in the Guadalhorce valley.

28/10/2009  -  For those still unaware of the obligation to register their pay-as-you-go mobile numbers, there will be a nasty shock in store for them when on the 9th November their telephone companies by law, must deactivate their numbers.

27/10/2009  -  A new urban development plan created by Marbella’s Town Hall is causing a stir between authorities and property owners.

26/10/2009  -  Iberia finds itself in the news again as over four hundred flights are canceled today and tomorrow. The cancellations are due to a strike caused by the airline’s failure to sign a “collective agreement” with their cabin crew staff.

23/10/2009  -  On the Costa del Sol, when ''Mayors'' and ''building permission'' is mentioned in the same sentence, the thought is usually accompanied by the word corruption.

22/10/2009  -  There is a constant stream of stories reflecting the difficult economic times surrounding us, making it easy to forget that for some more fortunate individuals, the recession is nothing more than a minor annoyance or at most, a glitch; with some even looking at the situation as a blessing when it comes to real estate transactions.

21/10/2009  -  Newly published statistics, provided by INE (The National Institute of Statistics), have indicated that the free-falling value of resale property in Spain is showing a slow decline.

20/10/2009  -  Work has finally begun for the AVE fast track railway near Ronda, as an engineering company was reported to have started working with the aim of digging down to 160m to allow them to undertake preliminary geological studies in the area.

19/10/2009  -  With recent reports giving poor reviews on the amount of foreigners now buying in Spain, it would appear that after an exhibition held at the NEC in Birmingham, Brits are still favouring Spain as their favourite destination for property investment.

15/10/2009  -  It’s usually the discounted airlines that are heckled for bumping up their prices with unreasonable extra costs, but this time it’s the Spanish national carrier who is being criticized for considering the feasibility of charging their passengers for check-in baggage.

14/10/2009  -  Mention Spain to potential holidaymakers and they may be forgiven for immediately picturing a budget holiday destination, offering nothing but sea, sun and sangria. This remains to be true to an extent, however with recorded figures indicating plummeting tourist numbers, Spain is in the process of giving itself a makeover in an attempt to attract a different type of tourist.

13/10/2009  -  Making the decision to move anywhere can be daunting and requires much needed research. There are many factors to consider, especially if the move is abroad and of course safety and a feeling of security will be at the forefront of these. It pleases many therefore that during last week’s celebrations, marking the day of their patron, the National Police announced positive crime statistics for the province of Malaga.

12/10/2009  -  Expats are blamed for much of the undesirable behaviour that sometimes appears on the Costa del Sol, but this recent claim is seemingly becoming a controversial one.

09/10/2009  -  There is no doubt in anybody’s mind that tourism is the crux for the survival of the majority of the resorts on the Costa del Sol. Many therefore warmly welcome the solidifying proposed plans to build an internationally competitive port, in the already popular town of La Cala de Mijas.

08/10/2009  -  Though most are keeping their opinions low and noncommittal, Spain’s Central Bank has been reported to say that the shattered economy is beginning to show signs of a steady recovery.

07/10/2009  -  With the seat, comes power and Trinidad Jiménez, the Spanish health minister, intends to take full advantage of Spain’s position with their imminent presidency of the European Union, by modifying the nation’s current legislation and enforcing stricter smoking measures. Spain will take the presidential seat on 1st January 2010.

06/10/2009  -  Another company is to be added to Spain’s real estate market’s obituary this week. The Spanish branch of the global property consultant, King Sturge, has made the announcement that they will be filing for administration this week. The company currently employs over 100 members of staff across their six offices in Spain.

05/10/2009  -  In recent months many ex-pats have had no other option but to walk away from their homes and investments, as they could no longer keep up the repayments to the banks. Sad, but nevertheless, a true reflection of the times we are currently experiencing.

02/10/2009  -  For many years, illegal immigrants have used Andalucia as the gateway to Europe, making the uncertain journey through the straits of Morocco. The majority of these immigrants originate from North Morocco, though unquantifiable numbers often travel from distant African countries.

01/10/2009  -  

There are currently contrasting opinions relating to a new development aimed at LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) clients being built in Torremolinos, seen by many as the gay capital of Southern Spain.

30/09/2009  -  Last week the Spanish Prime Minister was quoted in saying that although tax rises will be “limited in scope”, there will indeed be tax rises. He also insisted that income and business taxes would not see a rise.

29/09/2009  -  There has been ample media coverage detailing cases involving foreign property investors being stung by dishonest sellers and falling prey to the unforgiving land laws across the regions of Spain.

28/09/2009  -  Spain has always been associated with sun, sea and of course not forgetting the much-enjoyed sangria, amongst all sorts of other pleasant alcoholic beverages to pass the time with...

26/09/2009  -  New statistics were released last week in relation to EU countries’ foreign language skills promoting the ‘European Day of Languages’ being today, Saturday 26th September.

25/09/2009  -  Everyone loves a bargain and if there is one good thing to come out of the recent crash, it is that there are plenty to be had on the property market at this moment in time.

24/09/2009  -  Anybody who has worked under contract or run a business in Spain, will no doubt be familiar with the laws regarding employees’ rights and how it seems to always sway in the latter’s favour.

23/09/2009  -  Not much happens in the sleepy municipality of Ólvega, whose last population count according to the 2008 consensus was said to have 3,690 inhabitants.

22/09/2009  -  Parliament in the UK has recently been slated in the press after the massive exposure of ministers abusing their powers and their misuse of the expenses system, rightfully infuriating the country’s taxpayers.

21/09/2009  -  The downside of the global recession has shown many of its unattractive faces thus far. One of the most obvious has been the major reduction in consumer spending across the board and for this same reason, Europe’s most popular tourist hotspots have endured a summer with dramatic drops in bookings.

19/09/2009  -  It’s no news to anyone that the construction industry in Spain is at a continued standstill in light of the current market, which is creeping behind in comparison to other slowly recovering European countries.

18/09/2009  -  Following suit from other major Spanish property players, such as Aifos, Martinsa Fadesa and Tremón, the Nozar group fall prey to the country’s fragile financial market.

16/09/2009  -  The prices of rental properties in Spain are still falling according to a survey carried out by real estate consultants Knight Frank in their Global House Price Index.

14/09/2009  -  Further and prolonged economic difficulties have been predicted by Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, (The prime Minister of Spain) long after the country pulls itself out of this dark recession.

11/09/2009  -  With so many ex-pats, and international influences, it would be no surprise for most people to believe that Marbella’s answer to culture was a two for one Big Mac or a cut price English breakfast. Well it’s time to think again! A secret Roman past has been discovered in depths of Marbella’s history.

08/09/2009  -  AMLA, The Association of Multiple Listing Agents, has recently announced that from 8th August 2009, members of the association will be able to avail of the facility to list their rental properties and properties for sale free.

04/09/2009  -  20 Percent of mortgages in Spain are now considered to be a high risk and in danger of becoming “non performing” according to Expansion, a top Spanish tabloid.

20/08/2009  -  The number of long term properties for rent in Spain could be on the rise again. New figures suggest that the falling price of Spanish property could mean more rental property owners will be forced to rent long term in order to keep their homes.

08/08/2009  -  Although it won’t come as much of a surprise to most people, that the Costa del Sol in Andalucía, Spain is one of the most desired areas to live in the whole of Europe; La Caixa banking groups recent study has revealed the previous five years demographic statistics, which clearly identify the actual areas of growth.

05/08/2009  -  The final draft for the new Marbella town plan was finally approved last week by the Marbella town council. The plans will finally put an end to over ten years of town planning nightmares that has played havoc with the Marbella property market. Seville’s regional government now have the plans for final approval.

04/08/2009  -  Thankfully, we can now see this particular cycle of rise and fall coming to an end. Many found the impact of the fall and the collateral damage that followed, damaging both at home and in the office, but this cycle is not by any means new and the chances are that there will be more cycles in the time to come.

30/07/2009  -  The average cost of property in Spain has fallen by over 10% from June 2008 – June 2009 according to the published Spanish property price index. The figures published by the Ministry of Housing however, indicates that property prices have fallen by just 8.6% over the same period, but this does not include Spanish social housing; making both reports a good indication of the property market value in Spain today.

28/07/2009  -  With vast amounts of Spanish property owners struggling to find buyers, many are looking at joining the 1.5 million second home owners who have been catapulted into the Spanish rental market

23/07/2009  -  A recent Bloomberg story, also featured on Kyero.com, has described the number of Spanish rental properties at its' highest number since the 1950s. The number of rental properties in Spain is now thought to have numbered 3.3 million, a 55% increase in the past 2 years.

10/07/2009  -  Spain is one of the easiest countries in the world to relocate, according to a recent study conducted by the HSBC. Among the top spots in the HSBC Expat Experience report were Spain, Canada and Germany, where expats reportedly found it easier to integrate into the local way of life.

09/07/2009  -  The official property price index, published by the National Institute of Statistics or the INE, has revealed that Spanish property prices have fallen 7.6% in Q1 of this year, in comparison to the same period last year, the biggest fall since records began in 2007.

08/07/2009  -  It has been reported that some 40,000 Spanish properties are to be made legal by authorities throughout the Costa del Sol and the rest of Andalucía.