SaritaBarcelona

Hello, We are looking to buy a cheapish flat in the centre of Arroyo de la Miel (Benalmadena) and have seen one in Urbanizacion Benalmar. We have been told this is VPO (similar to council housing in the UK) and am unsure on what it would be like to live there. Does anyone either live there or someone who does? Just to clarify, it is not the tourist complex that I think also has the name Benalmar. We are not snobs by any means and realise that our budget cannot buy us what we would really love, but neither do we want to live somewhere that could be "dodgy" for want of a better word. Our maximum budget is around 190 thousand euros for a three bedroom property that has a pool, parking and garden area. It does exist but is hard to find as we don't live in the area yet (please don't say "rent first", for various reasons it just isn't an option). Does anyone happen to be selling something that fits this bill? We found the perfect place in Bellavista but the seller's husband decided he didn't want to accept the offer, a very long story and very frustrating as we are keen to move from Barcelona asap as our son starts school in September. Thank you!

jdr

Where abouts in Arroya is it ?
Our son used to live near Palermo Park there, it is quite nice but very loud most of the time, I would imagine totally different from Bellavista if that is the one on the back road up to Mijas.
I am going to say rent first, because if you don`t like where you buy, you will struggle to sell nowdays.

Beachcomber

If you are considering the purchase of a VPO you need to be aware of the implications:

http://noticias.juridicas.com/base_d...-l13-2005.html

I just realised you may be Spanish in which case please excuse me for trying to tell you what you probably already know.

valandgef

Hi, I have a 2 bed apartment in Arroyo de la miele for sale on a gated urbanisation with parking & a communal pool. It is on top floor of a 5 floor block with a lift. Has sea views & only about 5 mins from centre of Arroyo.

cooldave

Arroyo is one of the best locations to live on the costa for children and schools my son went to school with no regrets and speaks spanish like a native, the area is also well known for expats with the train station and all roads leading to the whole coast most important for work.

mar1

check out arenal golf theres a school there on the development i have my apartment there an we are very happy theres two hospitals also.

Beachcomber

I have an apartment there that fits your description exactly but it's not for sale. It is one of the very few coastal towns in which I would be happy to live if I had to move from my inland finca.

SaritaBarcelona

Thanks for that, I am not Spanish but am fluent, had a quick look at the VPO thing but didn't immediately see any implications for a buyer, could you specify please? Thanks again

Hillybilly

Buyers of VPO housing (whilst the property is classified as VPO) have to fulfil certain obligations: be low income families, permanent residents (both of Spain and of the property in question), as it says in the link given above the following are given priority. "jóvenes, mayores, personas con discapacidad, víctimas del terrorismo, familias monoparentales, los procedentes de situaciones de rupturas de unidades familiares, víctimas de la violencia de género y emigrantes retornados" and the values of these properties are capped.
The implications remain, of course, if you want to resell a VPO property. VPO properties can be reclassified as non VPO.
The closest we have in the UK would be Housing Association houses and there is usually a sign on the building denoting it as VPO.

Beachcomber

If the building is declassified as VPO during your period of ownership you may be required to repay the original subsidy. Whilst it remains a VPO you cannot sell on the open market at a profit and, as Hillybilly says, there are strict limitations on who can purchase a VPO in the first place.

I have even seen it suggested that a VPO may only be purchased by a Spanish national but I would suspect that even if this were so in the past the EU would have something to say about this requirement.

Finally, purely on a snobbish note, given the restrictions on who may purchase one of these properties give a thought to what your neighbours may be like.

rachelk

Isn't it the case that you have to be empadronad@ in the place you want to buy?