mcbain

I am looking at buying an off plan apartment at Lago de Arcos and wondered if anyone had recently visited this area.Im going out in a weeks time to have a proper look around as ive only visited Chiclana and Jerez previously.I think that with all the new infra structure being introduced the area will be a good investment.
If anyone has any opinions regarding the town of Arcos and the surrounding area it would be much appreciated.

Thank you

jdr

Be careful with offplan buying, there are thousands up for discounted re-sale in CDS

mcbain

Thanks jdr,
It seems a minefield knowing whether you are being ripped off no matter how much research you do.I will go and and have a look and see what develops.
Thanks once again

dougie V

i have some friends that live in arcos de la frontera, let me know what info you want and i shall try to get some answers for you.

Nige

I know Arcos very well. I have just looked up a 'Property for sale in Arcos de la frontera' on Google, and the first site I open is one advertising Investment flats. In the blurb they give the following :
Driving times from airports:
From Jerez: 20 Minutes
From Gibraltar: 45 Minutes
From Malaga: 1 hr 30 minutes

These are totally false and misleading. You would need to be on a super charged motor bike with no holdups and exceed the speed limit to reach these 3 places in those times. But hey this is Spain and someone is trying to sell a property !

TheArmChairDetective

Hi JDR,
Does this mean that the re-sales have a problem with them too please?

jdr

Seems like it when you look in the local papers.
Lots bought a few thinking they were going to make a profit and run, but now they are coming up to finishing they are not selling so quick so bums are twitching

Bit in Sur in English, but in the real world its worse.
http://www.surinenglish.com/noticias.php?Noticia=6237

mcbain

Hi Dougie V,
Thanks for the kind offer.Basically im trying to establish if Arcos is a good place to invest, if there is enough for people to do whilst renting and does buying a property right on the lake having any major downsides.
Obviously the agent is hyping it up big time.He says i'll be able to rent it out most weeks of the year (once its a bit more established) and the price will increase steadily over the coming years.
Im going out there in a couple of weeks just to research it myself, but any info you have would be great.
Thanks again.

mcbain

Thanks Nige,

Your not the first person to dispute the time claims etc!.I will see first hand as we are going straight from Jerez airport to Arcos.
If you dont mind me asking, what are your opinions of Arcos?Im not just after a quick buck, i'd want to keep and use the property myself in the future.
Thanks in advance

Nige

The town is not bad at all. You have several stores such as Carrefour and Mercadona, as well as Plus and Lidl etc. The shops are modest. The route from Jerez is improving with a couple of by passes being built particularly from the A4 (Seville/Cadiz motorway) which will reduce the time. The lake area called Santiscal is pleasant but for me there is something missing. Not sure what it is. maybe it's knowing that it's a reservoir and not 'natural', but neverthless is a nice site. You should look at the new golf course construction taking place on the road to Algar. Only a few minutes drive from the town. This course is bound to attract many more 'investors' because new housing is planned surrounding the course. The company preparing the course is American managed so expect high standards. I am aware of more expats settling in or around Arcos. As far as climate goes, it does tend to be pretty stifling in June July August and anywhere inland from the Atlantic gets the heat. There is a wind that can blow at any time called the Levante - from the east - and in the winter it can feel very bitter on occasions. usually this wind does not last for more than a day or 3. There are some nice routes into the hills from Arcos. For example El Bosque and then on to Benamahoma. Or onto Grazalema. Several good 'excursions' are easily available with a car. And the seaside is within about 50 minutes drive. Either go to El Puerto de Santa Maria or south to Chiclana/Conil beaches. The locals are very good natured and there is a feeling of prosperity about the town except for the very old part, of course. The town does have some places to eat out without spending a fortune, but in my opinion, could do with one or two more nice places to dine. Maybe this will come later with more foreign interest in the area. Public transport links are not too bad with a regular bus service to and from Jerez where you can reach the station for visits to Seville or elsewhere. Drop me an email if you want to share any more ?

open Inmo

Arcos is certainly an up and coming area and this can be seen by the increase in the number of estate agents that have recently moved in. When I first started my property portal there were three local estate agents, I'm no longer sure how many there are.

One tip I could offer any prospecive purchaser looking to buy in Arcos or any where on the Costa de la Luz is to check that the agent sells to Spanish nationals, not only to foreign buyers. This can seriously make a difference on the price you pay for a property.

As an example. A property was sold off our portal by a local estate agent last month for 127,000 Euros, the very same property was (and I believe still is) advertised on a website aimed at UK buyers for 149,000 Euros.

As always have a good look around and ask lots of questions.

Good Luck and I hope you enjoy the area.

mcbain

Thanks once again Nige,
All the info is really useful and its great to get some unbiased, insider info.It sounds like a really nice place with plenty of avenues to explore Spain from. I still have plenty to consider and im going to make the most of this trip so i really appreciate all your advice..Its about the best deal for you budget (real easy then!!) and making the most of the property.
Many Thanks

mcbain

Good advice, thanks.Ive heard all about the different price structures so i have plenty to ask the agent about.By the way, do they offer any discounts on off plan prices?.or is that the given price?.
Thanks

open Inmo

Generally speaking the prices are fairly well set. But if you don't ask for discount you wont get it.

jaldridge

Arcos is a lovely place (quite laid back). We would advise anyone to do plenty of research before investing in property in any area of Spain. Supply is currently far exceeding demand so be wary. Arcos is nice but it's also quite far inland so you'd need to do lots of research about rental potential etc, as there are no guarantees of selling before completion.

Good luck.