THERE are indeed lots of foreigners here who have made their move in Spain and permanently erected settlements here. These foreigners mostly come from Britain and similar places such as the Isle of Man, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and Northern Ireland. Others come from Scandinavian countries such as the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Greenland, Iceland and even Germany. They have loved to stay here following their retirement at about age 40 after marrying a Spanish local.

It’s too cold out there in Northern Europe while the climate in the British island is too erratic. There are thunderstorms even in the middle of summer so they have come the relatively temperate Mediterranean climate in the Iberian Peninsula where Spain is located. There are several kinds of properties here. There are properties in urban areas such as Madrid and Barcelona. Some here are considerably the condominium type. However, don’t undermine these condominiums because they have lots of amenities such as 24-hour alarm system, cable television and high-speed Internet connection, heaters and air conditioners in every suite provided.

Another factor in the burgeoning of expatriates here in Spain is that the real estate policy in Spain is friendly to foreigners. There are only two taxes that you have to pay. The first one is the annual income tax. Most of the foreigners who buy properties here either live in them or lease them out to other holiday goers. This is where the income tax comes in. The second kind of tax is the monthly garbage collection tax and it goes directly to the local government where your property is erected.

In the rural areas, there are various villas, manors, estates, structures in the shape of medieval castles and mansions up for sale. These are either located in the countryside or by the beach in the Mediterranean. Those ones in the countryside beware. Do not force yourself or live by yourself in a remote house if you don’t have a butler with you. Something may happen to you that is why you need to have company. That’s for your own protection anyway.

Spain is not located in a ring of fire or in any area that is easily a target of cyclones or tsunamis so it must be considered a paradise here on earth. There are several places in Spain that are yet to be discovered. Spain is not just the Iberian Peninsula. They also own two archipelagos – the Balearic group of islands and the Canary Archipelago. One of these islands that need a little more push is Tenerife. Although it has extensive olive plantations and a booming tourist industry at El Teide Natural Park, it’s still considered a remote place and urbanization is still catching up there.

Likewise, Spanish properties have high rental yields and low property transaction costs. Also, Spanish properties here are very affordable. Pretty soon, there will be Eurostar service connecting London and Spain so watch out for that. There is already an existing Eurostar service from London to France but already, Spanish authorities are claiming that they are not threatened certainly with this development.

Many real estate businessmen in Spain are getting the bulk of the profits because they know how to play the real estate boom the country is experiencing. While it is true that there are also some parts in the country that real estate is no longer at its best, there are also other places that are still booming as far as real estate in industry.

The following are several tips you should consider so that as a wise real estate investor you can also play business in the country. Remember, as a businessman, your purpose is to invest in something that you can also gain profits in the process.

1.Study the real estate market. The real estate market could be trick sometimes and if you’re not keen on this you maybe a victim of becoming a lousy real estate businessman who succumbed to lost investment. You cannot afford to lose your investment so that careful monitoring of the market is very important. Don’t rush buying properties because this would also become a regrettable decision in the future.

2.Find for good places. In Spain, the real estate boom is not at all times at its peak especially in other places. You should know what cities or provinces in this very historic country that business is still active especially in real estate business. If you are keen observer you can immediately detect what places are getting the peak in real estate boom. There are many investors in Spain who rush to buy properties and ended losing their investments because the properties they bought are questionable. The land titles were fakes and they became innocent victims because they failed to carefully study their options.

3.Connect with good people. If you are new to the country and you have no enough connections yet, better for you to join legitimate real estate companies. At least with their help you can always be updated how the real estate business in that country runs. Your friends can always give you updates what is happening in the real estate industry. Keeping you updated of the business makes you a very intelligent person because you are always curious of the market.

4.Hire a lawyer. If possible, if you are interested in a certain property you should have hired a lawyer to help you of the pertinent legal requirements. It’s not easy to buy properties in the country especially if you are not a native of that country. You should be able to know first the legal impediments and requirements thru the services of the lawyer you hire. Remember, there are laws and regulations set up by the Spanish government as well as local legislations and you must be aware of all these things with the help of the lawyer. You should not risk your investment because it’s also hard to earn them. After all, you need to be extra careful of the money you will be investing so that you will not regret it later.

5. Ensure that you can make frequent trips to your property! It is not buying such a glamorous house that you are unable to afford to go and visit your place in the sun! Nor is it wise to buy a house so far away that you need to plans weeks, even months, in advance to go and see it! Make sure the transport to your destination of choice is good. For those lucky enough to live in Europe, you should realise that the train service is there to be made use of - and furthermore, it’s offers! Investing in a eurorail pass can save you lots and offer flexibility, meaning you can get away whenever you feel necessary!

The property history in Spain is a little bit of confusing because there are places in the country like Marbella which has been experiencing turmoil as far as real property business is concerned. The investors are quiet choosy now where to buy good property in the country having heard lately of many bad news about the dwindling economy in the country.

The Spanish property market performance during the third quarter of 2007 has cooled off many property transactions brought about by the latest property market crash of the country. But this should not also be the cause for alarm as the country continues to solve the current situation.

The latest figure released by the Spanish Ministry of Housing revealed that the national prices of Spanish property rose by 0.3% which can be translated into a 5.3% rise, a slowdown in prices as compared from the second quarter. The second quarter rose by 1.5%, and over 12 months it reach to 5.8%.

Since its peak of 18.5% in 2003, inflation rates have been going down and the whole country also suffers. It even reached to the point of reaching 9.8% last year and 5.3% this year.

Here are basic guidelines you should consider so that you can still do business in Spain even when the property market is not stable.

1.Select the place to do business. If you want to do business in Spain especially in the property market you should be able to select the place where there are still good properties to buy and to do business with. Of course, not all of the Spain’s potential property market was affected by the market crash and there is nothing to worry. Right now Murcia is doing well but Alicante is at its worst scenario so if you are a wise businessman you should also know this inflation problem of properties.

2.Be careful of the investor you are dealing with. You should consider that you do not know the background of the person you are dealing with so that being careful and cautious must be your utmost priority. The histories of developers running out of cash, and the property prices are in its lowest.

3.Moderate your transactions. While, the place is still at its bad scenario as far as properties the best remedy is to moderate your business. Do not rush on immediately purchasing property because you can be in the losing end because of the market crash. When you moderate your business transaction you will be assured that if you loose it may not be that big. Many wise businessmen in the real estate business know very much the trend in property business. They become seasoned to this problem that usually they are not the ones badly affected when the prices becomes low. It is usually the new developers who have not taken back their investments, as well as new investors who have already started but not able to finish it due to sudden economic collapse.