Texas Land and Wildlife

Information Resources for Texas Conservation David Bezanson 5 236 2004-08-04T20:52:00Z 2004-08-05T01:16:00Z 2 231 1321 TCONR 11 2 1622 9.6926 Information Resources For Texas Conservation TCONR works with other organizations, public and private, to promote conservation and efficient use of natural resources in Texas. This page contains links to fact sheets, white papers, and other information sources that have been compiled by TCONR members or are provided at other external websites. Check back routinely for updated information. Conserving Texas Land and Wildlife The Texas Environmental Profiles website jointly maintained by Environmental Defense and the TexasCenter for Policy Studies includes comprehensive information from many sources about wildlife and land conservation topics such as the status of Texas lands , threatenedspecies and habitat types . The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department conservation page includes links to descriptions of native and endangered species , informationabout opportunities for landowners interested in wildlife and nature tourism, and an introduction to the Texas Master Naturalist Program which has trained hundreds of volunteers to be better land and wildlife managers. Natural Vegetation Types and Their Representation in Conservation Areas . Thesis by David Bezanson lists plant communities that occur in Texas and examines the extent they are conserved in state parks, wildlife areas, and other public and private lands. A summary form, Conservation Priorities for Texas , by David Bezanson and David Wolfe was published in 2001 with a grant from the Magnolia Charitable Trust. The Audubon Society, Texas chapter promotesconservation of birds, other wildlife and their habitat. The Big Thicket Association is an advocacy organization which continues to work to conserve areas of the Big Thicket, one of Texas' most biologically diverse areas. State parks or outdoor links Texas Parks and Rec Many Texans have donated property or conservation easements to a land trust. The Texas Land Trust Council web page contains a guide to this growing movement. Land trusts in Texas include the Conservation Fund andtwo organizations founded by TCONR's Ned Fritz, the Nature Conservancy of Texas and Natural Area Preservation Association , which have conserved more than a million acres of wildlife habitat. The Texas Section Society for Range Management promotes rangeland conservation and research to support responsible grazing management. Native Prairies Association of Texas is a land trust that owns and manages native prairies and provides information about restoring prairies of Texas . The Texas Legacy Project website maintained by the Conservation History Association of Texas is an archive of interviews with individuals, past and present, who have contributed to natural resource conservation in Texas. Texas Water Use and Conservation The Texas Environmental Profiles website jointly maintained by Environmental Defense and the TexasCenter for Policy Studies is a resource for information on water quality , water use and other environmental concerns. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's Texas: The Stateof Water page contains news articles about water rights and water conservation, designated significant streams, and links to economic analyses of outdoor recreation. For more information about water development and planning, visit the Texas LivingWaters Initiative website, a collaborative project of the National Wildlife Federation , Environmental Defense, and Sierra Club Lone Star Chapter to inform the public about the effects of reservoirs and the importance of water conservation. For specificinformation about Marvin Nichols Reservoir and regional water planning, visit Stop Marvin Nichols . The San Marcos River Foundation is a nonprofit organizationwhich advocates purchase of water rights to protect instream flows in Texas rivers. TCONR's Janice Bezanson and Gina Donovan serve with other volunteers on the Texas River Conservation Advisory Board to provide citizen input on theimportance of natural waters for recreation and the environment. Texas Facts, Figures, and Images Images of Texas natural areas for public use. Back to Home

Sell House

Selling Your Home, Sell home, selling a house, selling house, sell your home - Home Services Mortgages Research Moving Zero Down Appraisals -- -- A Simple Guide for Selling a Home on Your Own Preface: Why sell yourself? Selling a home yourself, without an expensive real estate broker is easier than most people think. However, it will take some work on your part. You will be doing a lot of things that a real estate agent might normally do. Just follow the For Sale By Owner.com step-by-step selling guide below, and you'll not only save lots of money, but we'll make the house selling process as effortless as possible It's the money! Sellers save thousands of dollars not paying a 6% or 7% commission. For example, if your home can sell for $250,000, youd save $15,000 to $17,500 in commissions. Sell Your Home Fast. Because you are not paying an outrageous selling commission, you can afford to price your home more aggressively. The lower the price, the more likely it sells fast. You will still walk away with thousands in savings, but you'll just be doing it faster. It's so easy. Despite what a real estate broker may say, selling a house is not rocket science. They know that, and soon you will too. Just follow the simple selling steps below. And, if you have any questions, call us and one of our representatives will try to answer any questions you may have. You are not alone - For Sale By Owner.com will help you every step of the way. We are one of the largest and fastest growing real estate service companies in America. In fact, our web site is one of the top-five most visited real estate sites in America. Thousands of eager home buyers visit us everyday. Perhaps one of them is looking for a home just like yours. Over the past five years, we've helped sell thousands of homes, saving home owners millions of dollars. So let's get started. 8 Easy Steps to Selling a Home Yourself Step 1. Preparing your home to sell - make it look great Presentation is everything! Home buyers are attracted to clean, spacious and attractive houses. Your goal is to dazzle buyers. Brighten-up the house and remove all clutter from counter tops, tables and rooms. Scrub-down your house from top to bottom. Make it sparkle. Simple aesthetic improvements such as trimming trees, planting flowers, fixing squeaking steps, broken tiles, shampooing rugs and even re-painting a faded bedroom will greatly enhance the appeal of your house. Also, make sure your house smells good. That's right, clean out the cat box and light mildly scented candles. Invite a neighbor over to walk through your house like a buyer would. Get their opinion on how it "shows." The stuffed donkey in the family room may have to go to your in-laws for a while. Step 2. Pricing your home effectively Do not over price your home. Over-pricing when you sell a home reduces buyer interest, makes competing homes look like better values, and can lead to mortgage rejections once the appraisal is in. Over-pricing when selling a home is the single biggest reason why many "for sale by owner" home sellers don't sell their homes successfully. Remember: the home selling market dictates the price (not what you think it should be worth). One of the best ways to correctly price your house when selling is to find out how much other homes, similar to your own, recently sold for in your neighborhood. Talk to home sellers, buyers and check out the real estate listings in your local newspaper. Typically, if you set the price of your home at 5 to 10 percent above the market price, you are likely to end up with an offer close to your home's true value. Also, you may try calculating the cost per square foot of your home compared to the house selling prices in your area (divide list price by square footage of livable space). If your house has more features or other desirable qualities, you may want to set a slightly higher house selling price. The easiest way to accurately price your home is to contact your local home appraiser . Finally, set your house selling price just under a whole number, such as $169,900 rather than $170,000. Step 3. Get a real estate lawyer Even though it's an additional expense, it may be wise to hire a lawyer who will protect your interests throughout the entire transaction. An experienced real estate lawyer can help you evaluate complicated offers (those with a variety of conditions), act as an escrow agent to hold the down payment, evaluate complex mortgages and/or leases with options to buy, review contracts and handle your home's closing process. They can also tell you what things, by law, you must disclose to buyers prior to a sale and can also help you avoid inadvertently discriminating against any potential buyers. In some areas, title companies will handle all aspects of the transaction and have in-house legal departments that can assist you with legal issues that may arise. To locate a title company in your area, click here . Unless you're significantly experienced in the home selling process, having a real estate lawyer at your side provides peace-of-mind. You know you've got someone looking out for your interests, not just the buyers. To locate a lawyer in your area, click here Step 4. Marketing your home Exposure, exposure, exposure. That's how sellers sell their home fast. For Sale By Owner.com provides extensive home exposure because over 700,000 unique visitors come to the web site each month (that's Internet-speak for new people). In fact, For Sale By Owner.com is one of the top-five most visited real estate web sites in the U.S. getting literally millions of visitors looking to buy or sell a home. We spend tens of thousands of dollars a month to assure that For Sale By Owner.com is prominently placed on Internet search engines so buyers can easily find our site throughout process of selling your home. If your home is in a market where For Sale By Owner.com has a mass-distributed magazine, your home's exposure will be even greater because they can be found at thousands of locations frequented by buyers that include grocery stores, shopping centers, convenience stores and restaurants (the magazine is in over 40 markets nationwide). Writing your sell ad While For Sale By Owner.com allows you a 3,000 word description of your house (try to afford that in a newspaper ad), your advertising copy should be thorough yet short, simple and to-the-point. Long, flowery prose will not make your house sound more appealing. It will simply make it harder for the home buyer to read. Make sure to provide the critical facts buyers are looking for such as the house's number of bathrooms, a re-modeled kitchen, etc. Most home buyers quickly scan ads, so it is important that your house stands out. For example, you may want to add a theme-line such as "Priced below market" or "Great schools." Stay away from industry jargon and use language that makes home buyers comfortable. Survey our web site and see how others have written their ads. You will quickly see which are "buyer friendly." Copy their approach for your ad. Home Photos: Yes, a picture is worth a thousand words If you are taking a photo of your home, be sure that the home's yard/driveway is uncluttered. Remove bikes, garbage cans and parked cars. The same applies for interior shots. People are looking to buy your house, not your possessions. Think of furniture as props and the room a stage. Move things around if you have to. Also, take lots of house photos. Film is cheap...your home deserves quality. The more you shoot, the better the odds are that you'll get a few really good shots. Lawn signs Lawn signs are one the most important marketing tools for home sellers. They attract attention to your home. Professionally-produced signs (like the ones we can send to you) telegraph to home buyers a "quality" image of your house. Directional signs also help drive buyers to your property, especially if you do not live on a busy street. Open houses Open houses are sometimes a good way to attract buyers to your home. Typically, real estate agents conduct open houses for two reasons; 1. Clients expect them 2. They are a good way to attract buyers, not just for the open house but for all houses for sale in the Real Estate Agent's area (yes, your competition). The fact is that very few houses sell due to a open house itself. Home Brochures/Information sheets It is a good idea to create an information sheet (with a photo) about your home to give potential buyers. Consider printing copies of your ad from For Sale By Owner.com to give to people who visit your home. The MLS The MLS or Multiple Listing Service can also help market your home, particularly to real estate agents who may know of buyers seeking a property like yours. The MLS is a directory used by real estate agents to announce to other agents that they have a home for sale. In many selling markets, For Sale By Owner.com can put your house on the MLS (for an additional fee). However, if a real estate agent finds you a buyer after seeing your home on the MLS, you must usually pay that agent a 2.5% to 3% commission (the law states that all commissions are negotiable, however). You are your home's best salesman As every salesman knows, to be effective you have to really know your product. And who knows your home better than you? Certainly not a real estate agent, who, in all likelihood, has spent only a few moments in your house before showing it to prospective buyers. Sell your neighborhood as well as your house. Show enthusiasm, but don't get caught-up talking too much about how "your daughter spent the best years of her life in this very room." Step 5. Negotiating an offer on your home When a home buyer makes an offer (this is often presented to you directly from the buyer or through their lawyer), you should consult with your attorney. Buyers and sellers have an Attorney Review Period, which is usually three days, to cancel or amend the offer. The offer becomes a contract at the end of the Attorney Review Period, and is binding. Many of your home's offers can be complicated and contain special clauses that favor the buyer. Purchase price isn't everything. Carefully consider the purchase contract's other terms and conditions. Too many contingencies can leave loopholes and cause a deal to collapse. Especially avoid contingencies that favor the house's buyer, such as linking the escrow closing date to the buyer's sale of their current home. If the buyer insists on such terms, include a so-called kick-out clause in the contract that will allow you to consider other offers if the buyer isn't able to sell within a certain period of time. Assess your buyer's financial qualifications Is the buyer pre-approved? How much of a loan is the buyer seeking? Unless you are in an active market, lenders tend to shy away from underwriting a deal in which the purchase price is higher than the nearest comparable sale and the buyer is putting less than 10% down. If this is the case, your buyer may not be able to obtain financing. Know the home selling market How you judge an offer also can depend on market conditions. If the selling market is slow, you may feel vulnerable, especially if circumstances are pressing you to sell. Make sure any offer you accept does not keep you in escrow longer than 30 days. In a hot market where multiple offers are likely, be wary of countering more than one offer at a time (you could end up in legal trouble if two buyers both accept your counter offer). Also be wary of offers that promise more money but contain poor contract terms (long escrow, multiple contingencies, etc.). If you feel the home's offer is insufficient, make a counter offer. Rarely is a first offer the buyer's absolute highest price they are willing to pay. Negotiating is part of the home selling process. Again, your lawyer should review the details of all offers. Step 6. Home inspections All standard real estate contracts are going to give the prospective home buyer the right to inspect your property - so be prepared. Under a general inspection you are obligated to make major repairs to appliances, plumbing, septic, electrical and heating systems - or the buyer may cancel the offer. The inspection will also include your property's roof, as well as a termite inspection (in some states, house sellers must provide proof that the home is termite free). If you are concerned about how your home will fair when inspected, you may want to visit your local inspector . They can conduct an inspection for you before a potential buyer has one done. This way, you can address the problems before a buyer stumbles upon them. Once the inspections are complete, the buyer makes an application to a mortgage lender. Step 7. Buyer appraisals and other details The mortgage lender will order an appraisal of your home to make sure they are not paying more than the house is worth. They may also order a surveyor to make sure that the property boundaries are properly laid out. They will also order a title search to determine if there are any liens against your property. These tasks are all the responsibility of the buyer and/or their attorney. At this point too, the mortgage company will issue a commitment . Again, the buyer (and their attorney) must complete all conditions listed on the mortgage commitment. Prior to closing, you should notify your lender that you will be paying off your mortgage. After a closing date has been agreed to, you should contact your utility providers and advise them of your final billing date. Step 8. Closing The day of the closing , the home's buyer will do a "walk through" of the property to make sure all agreed repairs are completed and that the home is in the same condition as when the buyer made their offer. If problems arise that this point, the closing can still take place with funds held in escrow to remedy the problem. Closings usually occur 30 - 45 days after you have signed the sales contract. Depending on what state you reside in, you may close with an attorney, or with a title company. At the closing, all monies will be collected, any existing loans or liens will be paid, the deed will be transferred, and insurance will be issued insuring a free and clear title. The home seller will receive the proceeds of their home in one to two business days after the closing. Conclusion This step-by-step home selling guide is a general overview of the process when selling a home. Each state has slightly different laws and customs as they relate to the transaction process. Selling a home yourself can be time consuming, but the financial rewards can be tremendous. With help from For Sale By Owner.com , we try to make the process of home selling on your own as easy as possible. For Sale By Owner.com Your experts in selling a home on your own. -- Privacy & Disclaimer Partner With Us Career Opportunities Press Room Contact Us Buying A Home Your Credit Report Terms and Conditions Home Selling Tips Selling Your Home © 1997-2005 For Sale By Owner.com Your source for selling a home on your own. We make the home selling process a cinch. Sell real estate, sell a home, and sell your house, fsbo. Real estate selling, home selling, house selling. Site Map Home

House Rent

Renting a House RENTING A HOUSE If you rent a house, rather than an apartment, you'll have some additionalconcerns: Lawn care and snow removal will probably be your responsibility. City codes require that lawns be mowed. If you think the landlord is providing either of these services, make sure your lease says so. Garbage hauling is not a municipal service in Champaign-Urbana. Unless your lease says that the landlord provides and pays for hauling, you'll have to call a private hauler and arrange service. Look in the yellow pages under "garbage." (Note: references in your lease to sanitary fees are for the sewer system, not for garbage hauling). Don't assume the garage comes with the house; make sure the lease says you are renting the "house and garage." If the house has no garage but you plan to park in the driveway, make sure the lease says Lessee may park in the driveway at no extra cost. Be sure the lease states the number of bedrooms in the house, especially if any bedrooms are in the basement or attic. If any area containing bedrooms becomes unfit for habitation while the rest of the house is still habitable, you'll be in a better bargaining position with your landlord if you can prove that the uninhabitable space was leased to you for living and sleeping purposes. Zoning laws prohibit more than four unrelated adults from living together in a single family home. The tenants, as well as the landlords, can be held liable by the city for violating the law. Enforcement is complaint-driven. If you live in Urbana near the U of I campus, or if you live anywhere and annoy your neighbors with noise or illegally parking cars on the lawn, you are a likely target for enforcement. See section of this handbook on " Zoning ." Be especially careful about including in your lease a list of all appliances that the landlord will "provide and maintain." Don't assume the washer and dryer in the basement will be repaired by the landlord if one breaks down. They may have just been left in the house by previous tenants. Protecting your deposit is a bigger job with a house. Many tenants report being charged at the end of the lease for leaving trash in the yard, damage to a porch, lawn care, cleaning out the basement, etc. Both when you move in and when you move out, you should take photographs of the basement, attic, front and back yards and the porch , in addition to photographs of walls, floors, insides of oven, fridge and cabinets and all fixtures. Damage deposit refund law does not cover houses (except in the City of Urbana). If the house is in Champaign, Savoy or anyplace other than Urbana, be sure your lease states the time period for refund of the deposit and requires the landlord to provide you with an itemized statement of damages within a certain time period. A sample clause appears in the section of this handbook on signing a lease. Return to Home Page Return to Table of Contents

Buy Property

Buying property in Spain Buying property in Spain Introduction to Spanish property market. News, advice, real experiences, buying to let in Spain, mortgages, special offers. Thursday, December 15, 2005 Valencia Land Law debated in the European Parliament This week the European Parliament debated and voted on the recommendations of the Fourtou Report on the controversial Ley Reguladora de la Actividad Urbanistica (LRAU). The law, known by those who protest against its consequences as the Valencia land grab law was originally designed to make sure that areas under development had sufficient infrastructure (roads, street lighting, green belt areas etc.). That was the the theory. However in practice the law has meant that property developers are able to apply to build on land already belonging to other owners where building is not permitted. When their application is approved (as it often is), the land is reclassified by the authorities, and the developers are then allowed to pay exisiting owners prices far below the real market value and build a road, a path or even part of a golf course, sometimes right through the middle of the former owner's back garden. Most of the people affected by this law are Europeans who have seen their dreams of a perfect Spanish home in the sun shattered by ruthless developers. More than 15,000 people have made a formal protest asking the European Parliament to intervene, and the protest group set up to fight the LRAU, Abusos Urbanísticos No , has been active in attracting national, international, political and media attention to a growing problem and demanding a solution. And recently British law firm Irwin Mitchell decided to register land law victims with the European Human Rights Court . Valencia's regional government promised in 2003 to revise and reform the LRAU, but seems in no rush to do so. A pre-project was presented to the Valencian parliament in June this year, but nothing has yet come of it. While the government insists that its intention is to change the law and protect the interests, and land, of property owners, opposition and protest groups allege that it is prevented from doing so from the interest of many of its members in the property development underway in the region. Ever since local and foreign property owners started their active protest, the Government has come under increased pressure to do something. In the Summer a delegation of Euro-MPs visited the Costa Blanca and met with foreign residents, local politicians and property developers to discuss the problem. In November the European Parliament advised the Valencian authorities to modify urban development legislation in the region. And finally this week on 12th December the European Parliament discussed the Fourtou Report and endorsed its contents in a vote on the 13th by a massive majority of 550 in favour, 45 against and 25 abstentions. The Report calls on the European Parliament to urge a moratorium on the approval of new property developments on land where development is not permitted. Any body considering buying property with land in the Valencian Region is advised to seek legal advice from a lawyer who can help with the necessary investigation to ensure that the land attached to the property is not in danger of being subject to eventual seizure by property developers. Related: EU homeowners and ambassadors challenge Valencian land laws European Parliament delegation visit Valencia to challenge Land Laws Valencian landlaws "unconstitutional" Advice from the British Embassy to people purchasing land in Valencia posted by Euroresidentes @ 9:15:00 AM 0 comments Wednesday, November 30, 2005 Home loans in Spain According to figures released by Spain's National Statistics Institute yesterday, the average amount of morgage loans authorised by Spanish banks rose by 18.1 percent in August (compared to the same month in 2005) and reached 146,762€. The overall value of bank home loans rose by 32.1 percent. In August a total of 131,180 mortgages were authorised to customers buying rural and urban properties in Spain and the overall value of these mortgages rose to 19,252 million euros. As usual Spain's savings banks got the biggest share of the home loan market - 53.42 percent - followed by normal banks (36.88 percent) and other lending companies (9.7 percent). Over ninety percent of mortgage loans corresponded to purchases of properties in the so-called " precio libre " (free price) category and just 9.9 percent to purchases of "protected" properties whose selling price is controlled by the government. As far as yearly figures are concerned, the number of mortgaged properties in Spain has so far risen by 9.82 percent this year, while the total amount of loans has shot up by 24.87. Related: Mortgages in Spain Mortages for non-residents in Spain Ranking of Spanish banks Spanish banks Home improvement loans in Spain posted by Euroresidentes @ 9:34:00 AM 0 comments Monday, November 07, 2005 British property buyers prefer Spain According to a study just published by Barclays Bank, the number of UK residents buying property abroad is set to double, and a third of potential property buyers named Spain as their preferred overseas destination. According to the results of Barclay's study, five percent of UK residents (2.2 million people) already own a property overseas, and another 2 million definitely intend to buy one. And a very high 37 percent of those surveyed for the study said they are considering the possibility of buying a property abroad at some time in the future. Spain remains the firm favourite among British overseas property buyers, with the US coming second and France third. Not surprisingly, the main things putting UK citizens off the idea of buying property abroad are legal and tax complications, the possibility of being misled or deceived by local property sellers, and the difficulty of adapting to a new language and culture. Related: Reasons for living in Spain Property taxes in Spain Spanish lawyers Advice on buying a house in Spain posted by Euroresidentes @ 1:07:00 PM 1 comments Sunday, October 23, 2005 Lessons from one unhappy experience of buying a house in Spain It is an unfortunate fact that the legal system in Spain is at times desperately slow. Anyone considering buying a house in Spain is advised to find a good Spanish lawyer before signing anything at all and before parting with any money. David Wright has just started a new blog to share his unfortunate experience of buying property in Spain with other people. See the first entry below. Users interested in following his story as the final part unravels (and as, we hope, justice is finally done and the Wrights win the home and compensation they deserve) should check out his blog: Slow legal system where he intends to keep people updated with events as and when they happen. Considering tourism and housing investment bring considerable amounts of wealth to Spain, the Spanish law system is appalling slow and expensive. At the begginning of 2000 we enetred into a contract to buy a house, paid the 10% deposit and arranged a date with the notary and respective lawyers to complete. The seeler did not turn up and decided not to sell. THE BIG SURPRISE... he also would not repay the 10 % deposit never mind the penalty of 10%. Our only alternative was litigation. As we were not living in Spain at the time we left a deposit with a lawyer who told us that it would be a straightforward case. Well our case was finally heard in the local courts some 18 months later and we "won" including costs. However, the seller chose to appeal on what I understand to be very flimsy grounds. Some 2 years later the case was reheard in the Regional courts of Malaga where the original decision was upheald. ie we "won" again. However, the seller again decided with his lawyer that an appeal was in order and so we have been waiting almost 2 years for the case to come before a judge in MAdrid's high court!!! We still do not have a date nor can the system give us an estimated date as to when the case will be heard.!!! WHAT CAN fellow EURORESIDENTES learn from this? I believe the following: 1: Entering litigation is very expensive - even though we have "won" twice, we have still had to pay our lawyers fees and costs even though the costs were awarded in our favour. The amount equates roughly to 17% of the purchase/contract price!!!! per hearing. At this point we have paid almost 50% of the orginal house contract price, (deposit plus fees) 2: The seller continues to live in the property and with no penalty or change. 3: We have no idea of timescale as to when the High court can hold the hearing. 4: The so called filtering process that was supposed to be implemented to stop people using the appeal process to delay matters as a tactic does not function. 5: The seller is not obliged to pay the costs awarded against them IF they choose to appeal....SO APPEALING is a good tactic to frustrate. 6: So having a contract from a good lawyer and within the letter of the law, still does not really protect your rights in a timely manner. WHAT then is the point of a contract? it is only worth something to the lawyers in preperation for litigation!!! 7: Perhaps the law will one day help us to retrieve our deposit and costs or even the holiday home we wanted to live in and enjoy in the future. However in the meantime, it has only benefited the lawyers and the vendor. 8: So the law can still be seen as having no "teeth" and benefits the unscrupulous property owner/seller. TAKE GREAT CARE. Finally, if anyone has any suggestions as to what can be done to improve the law or indeed speed up the process then let me know posted by Euroresidentes @ 10:08:00 AM 0 comments Saturday, October 22, 2005 Lowest rise in house prices in Spain since 2002 According to the General Director of Arquitecture and Housing Policy, Rafael Pacheco, the rise in the cost property has risen just 13.4 percent in the last 12 months. This represents the lowest rise for 3 years and, according to Pacheco, is the first clear result of the Spanish government's housing policies. The General Director also indicated the regions in which house prices have risen most. These are Castilla La Mancha (19.8 percent), Aragon (16.4 percent) and the Valencian Region (16.3 percent). In Andalucía, traditionally one of the most popular destination for non-resident house buyers, the rise in house prices at 13.7 percent is only just above the national average. The most expensive region as far as the cost of housing is concerned is Madrid (2,719 euros per sq. metre), followed by the Basque Country (2,537 euros), Catalonia (2,037 euros) and the Balearic Islands (2,003 euros). The cheapest regions are Extremadura (864.2 euros per sq. metre), Castilla La Mancha (1,255 euros) and Leon (1,297 euros). Related Revaluation of property in Spain per region Investing in property in Spain Houses for sale in Spain posted by Euroresidentes @ 10:29:00 AM 0 comments Thursday, October 20, 2005 Spanish-English real estate dictionary Because of the amount of enquiries we receive from non-Spanish speaking property buyers in Spain about Spanish real estate terms and how the system here works, we are compiling an extensive Spanish-English glossary of real estate terms . Having completed the glossary, we are now working on full definitions of each term, so that our users can get an idea of how the Spanish property market differs from the property market in the UK. In this sense we want to go beyond a simple bilingual list of property terms. Send us any words not included. We hope to finish all the definitions in the next few days. Click on each term to get the full definition. posted by Euroresidentes @ 12:07:00 PM 0 comments Wednesday, October 05, 2005 Real estate market in Spain, latest statistics According to a study carried out by the Pompeu Fabre University (Barcelona) and Tecnocasa, the housing market in Spain has started slowing down and a halt in the massive price increase experienced over the past fews could be near. The authors have based their opinions and conclusions on the analysis of the sale of over 12,000 second-hand houses and flats and details of mortgages granted to buyers from the first semester of 2004 up to June this year. According to the report, lived-in property (as opposed to brand new) now takes an average of 83 days to sell, which is 15 days longer than a year ago. Another finding of the report is that property sellers this year are more likely to be prepared to negotiate the price than they were last year, and that on average buyers are able to secure a 5 percent reduction in the original asking price. During the presentation of the report yesterday, executives of Tecnocasa said that this should not be interpreted as an indication that the price of housing in Spain was at last starting to come down, since the reduction was usually agreed on property that was overhoused in the first place. However, in their opinion, the findings of the report do suggest that the conditions necessary for an eventual slowing down in the Spanish real estate market at some time in the near future are starting to appear. Other findings of the report: 30 percent of house-buyers in Spain are foreign. 72 percent of all house-buyers come from Spain or another EU country. The rest are non-European, mostly people from South America, Eastern European countries and North Africa who have settled in Spain Over 49 percent of second-hand house buyers are between 25 and 35 years old, and 61 percent buy the property together with another person The average mortgage in Spain in June was 154.890 euros, a rise of 18.80 percent with respect to the same month last year In over 60 percent of all cases, the mortgate loan covers between 75 and 100 percent the total value of the property Small flats are proportionally more expensive than larger flats and houses The average price of lived in property in Spain per sq. metre is 3,000 euros in the most expensive areas of Spain (Madrid, Barcelona and Vizcaya). dropping to just 1,500 euros per sq. metre in the provinces of Alicante, Cadiz, Seville and Valencia The most expensive cities in Spain in terms of housing prices are (in order) Barcelona, Madrid, Bilbao and L'Hospitalet de Llobregat (3.070 euros). Related links: Mortages in Spain Mortgages for non-residents in Spain The price of housing in Spain Investing in property in Spain posted by Euroresidentes @ 9:38:00 AM 0 comments About Me Name: Euroresidentes Location: Spain View my complete profile Previous Posts Valencia Land Law debated in the European Parliament Home loans in Spain British property buyers prefer Spain Lessons from one unhappy experience of buying a house in Spain Lowest rise in house prices in Spain since 2002 Spanish-English real estate dictionary Real estate market in Spain, latest statistics High-quality Spanish houses to be marketed in the UK New state property rental agency ready for business in Spain Costa del Sol property market may have reached peak Links Feedback Property market in Spain Reasons for living in Spain Properties for sale in Spain Properties for rent in Spain Hotels in Spain Restaurants in Spain Paradors in Spain Spanish recipies Spanish classical music Spanish courses in Spain Euroresidentes Spain Web Euroresidentes Archives

Rental Property

Rentamatic 10,000+ Letting Agents 76957 homes for rent from over 10,000 letting agents and 13,000 private landlords - 29, December 2005 find homes... find agents... tell agents... resources forums advertise members Find a Home or Room to Rent Search for Homes/Houses/Flats/Rooms to rent in the UK 1. Choose number of bedrooms All Room Studio 1 2 3 4 5 6 7+ 2. Choose Type of Advertiser : All Letting Agents Only Landlords Only 3. Type in an area, or the first part of postcode Rentamatic.co.uk was the first "free to list" property rental website in the UK in 1999 and has grown to become the largest dedicated property rental website in the UK. We carry some 60,000 to 70,000 current adverts of properties to rent all across the UK from over 10,000 letting agents and over 13,000 private landlords , with more than 150,000 people using this website every week to look for a new property to rent somewhere in the UK. If you're connected to renting property then this is the one website you really do need! SIPPs : Self Invested Pension Plans SIPPs UPDATE Gordon Brown made an amazing U-Turn on Tuesday, announcing in his Pre-Budget report that you would now NOT be able to put residential property into a pension after all. SIPPs will still happen already from April next year, and Rentamatic will keep you up to date on all the significant changes between now and 'A' Day, 6 April 2006. WE WILL STILL BE HOLDING RENTAMATIC SPONSORED SIPPs SEMINARS, ADVISING ON ALL THE BENEFITS AND OPTIONS STILL AVAILABLE TO INVESTORS IN PROPERTY Just click below for dates and locations of our Seminar Programme as it develops Click here for more information Moneyextra: Personal Loans Hot Picks Moneyextra: Credit Card Hot Picks site map | terms of use | about us | help | useful links | © rentamatic.co.uk 1999-2005 | [developed by ZambeziMedia ] Network of Property Renting Websites in the UK : Rentamatic.co.uk | Looking2Rent.co.uk | UKHomes4Rent.co.uk | UKHomes4Rent.com | Rent-Rent-Rent.com