Wednesday 3 June 2009

One Vila with Sea views left at ZERO - only 205,000 euros

VILLAS AT PROJECT ZERO, OESTE REGION, SILVER COAST, PORTUGAL


JUST 1 STUNNING VILLA AVAILABLE OFF PLAN IN SILVER COAST LOCATION (READY December 09)




3 BEDROOM, 2 BATHROOM (sea views) units from ONLY 205,000 EUROS (DETACHED)


-Prices include all white goods,

- Under floor heating and central vacuum system
- Fully equipped Italian kitchen with electrical appliances
- Designer bathrooms
- villas with private pool
- Solar energy (for heated water)
- Pre-installation for aircon and alarm

Availability is subject to change at any time; a property remains available until a reservation deposit is paid.


The village of Atalaia extends down to the delightful harbour of Porto das Barcas with it’s long stretch of sandy beach, just 5 minutes from the town of Lourinha. Project Zero is a small development of just 10 detached 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom villas some 500m from Porto das Barcas. Each villa has a private swimming pool and boasts panoramic sea views. All will be finished to a very high standard with superb designer Italian kitchens and bathrooms, underfloor heating, a central vacuum system and fitted wardrobes. A covered parking area is adjacent to each villa.

This exclusive development has proved immensely popular and there are very few units remaining so an inspection visit is imperative at the earliest opportunity to be able to secure one of these outstanding properties.

Contact Girasol on 44 1974 299055 or email sc@girasolhomes.co.uk



One Villa with sea views left at Vistas Dinheiro


Just 800m from the beautiful beach of Porto Dinheiro brings you to the exclusive development of 7 luxury super modern 3 bedroom villas with stunning panoramic sea views. Each property stands on an impressive plot of 1,000 sq.m. and boasts a private swimming pool, fully fitted Italian designer kitchens and bathrooms, underfloor heating and a fully integrated central vacuum system. They will be finished to exacting standards and the large balconies offer the opportunity to relax whilst watching the sun set over the breathtaking panorama in front.

There has already been a lot of interest in this exclusive development so an inspection visit is
imperative at the earliest opportunity to be able to secure one of these outstanding properties.

1 left at 270,000 euros

The Oeste region of Portugal is set to be one of the top European property hot spots
Voted by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators as the European
Golf Destination of the Year 2007
More than 20 first class golf courses in the region including the renowned Praia
d’El Re, Campo Real and Golden Eagle championship golf resorts
Breathtaking panoramic views
Luxury modern 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom villas in landscaped gardens with large
private swimming pools
Excellent capital growth potential
Strong rental demand
Prices approx. 15% below open market value
40 minutes from Lisbon Airport with daily low cost flights from many UK airports

Contact Girasol/UIP on 01974 299055 as soon as possible

Tuesday 12 May 2009

Sao Martinho do Porto, a great location


Sao Martinho do Porto is one of the best locations on the Silver Coast for several reasons:



Its beauty and unique shell-shaped bay make this village an attractive place for tourists and locals alike. Every time the sun shines on a winter’s day, the town immediately springs to life and people come out of nowhere to enjoy the scenario, take a walk on the promenade, or visit a coffee shop. Restaurants and the small shops get very busy. This is a prime location on the Silver Coast for the Portuguese.

Sao Martinho Bay has the most stable property growth on the Silver Coast. This magnificent location has a great combination for the foreign market. In the summer it is very busy, which is great in terms of rentals, and between March and the end of May owners can come out and enjoy a holiday. Throughout the rest of the year there are some holiday periods and long weekends that attract the Spanish tourist market and, since this location doesn’t offer reasonable hotel accommodation, renting apartments becomes the solution. Sao Martinho is actually known as a family destination and renting apartments is much more pleasant them a hotel room.

The village of Sao Martinho Bay has all amenities within walking distance and you will find that there is no need for a car. There have been noticeable improvements over the last 3 years, attracting more and more people to this village and, of course, that reflects on the property market. Some of the improvements were: The promenade, side walks, beach paths, cycle track, panoramic elevator (includes the tourism office in the building).

Sao Martinho Bay is one of the most central beach locations on the Silver Coast, enabling the tourist to explore the region, without spending hours behind the wheel. Heading north, Nazare is the nearest town (11 kilometres) but you can easily get to Fatima (well-known for religious pilgrimage), Alcobaca or Batalha which have beautiful monasteries well worth visting. Heading south there are another handful of wonders to discover: from the city of Caldas da Rainha, well-known for its street market, beautiful park and, if you are keen on shopping, this is one of the largest cities of the Silver Coast offering a variety of shopping choices. Obidos Castle is five minutes from Caldas and you shouldn’t miss it as it is a world heritage site protected by Unesco. Obidos offers a variety of festivals throughout the year, such as the Chocolate festival. Peniche is one of the oldest fisherman villages where you can get a boat trip to the Berlengas Islands. And don’t forget that Lisbon, Portugal’s capital, is only 50 minutes away!.

The west coast of Portugal faces the Atlantic Ocean. If you are a surfer then you will appreciate the strong currents but, otherwise, you should choose locations like Sao Martinho Bay where you can swim and children can play in the water. Sao Martinho Bay is the safest place in the Silver Coast and you won’t find many other places where you can swim freely.

You have probably heard all this before but property is all about location, location, location!

Used with kind permission from Prestige Portugal.

Friday 13 February 2009

Saturday 24 January 2009

Buy Smart in 2009 - you have the power!

As if the credit crunch and the impending recession weren't enough, the downside for Brits wanting to buy overseas has been compounded by the plummeting value of the pound.



In just 12 months, sterling's value has slipped from €1.45 to under €1.20 - a fall of almost 20%. Against the dollar, the decline has been even more dramatic. As recently as July you could get $2 for every pound; by late November that had fallen to under $1.50.

Psychologically, it's a serious deterrent for buyers, as it means you could be paying significantly more for the same property than you would have a year ago. What's more, the cost of living in most overseas countries has also gone up accordingly - so that pint of beer, restaurant meal and weekly grocery shop will all be more expensive.

There are a few countries outside the dollar and the euro where the exchange rate pain has not been quite so profound - TURKEY springs to mind - but by and large, overseas homes are less of a bargain than they used to be.

So what can you do about it? One option - if you believe that the pound will make a recovery - is to take out a mortgage in the local currency. Say you want to buy an apartment in France or Spain that costs €200,000, and you take out a Euro-denominated loan for €150,000. Then only the €50,000 deposit will suffer from the conversion at a poor exchange rate, and if sterling recovers in a year's time you could potentially refinance the property at a more attractive conversion rate. This works especially well if you will be earning rental income in the local currency to pay the mortgage interest; but it is a high risk strategy - after all, sterling could decline still further.

Another option is to look in markets where property prices have fallen significantly. Spain is the obvious example; in spite of official figures which purport to show that property prices are still rising, evidence on the ground is that prices have already fallen by around 20% on average, and with many developers on the Costa del Sol or Costa Blanca in financial trouble you could get an even bigger discount, wiping out the effect of sterling's falling value. But don't buy just on the discount - after all, too many properties in Spain were over-priced in the first place.

Ask us how to save money on your new mortgage and buy smart in 2009.


Nigel Salmon - Girasol Homes 44 1974 299055

www.girasolhomes.co.uk * www.girasol-bespoke.com