Funny you should mention ghost towns as I saw on the BBC website, areport about a develpoment (cant remember where) of about 400 flats that had all of 3,yes THREE,TRES,TROIS!!!,occupied flats.These owners had all the facilities to themselves,tennis courts,swimming pools etc
Personally dont think the Spanish economy will go down the toilet as a lot of Spanish companies have diversified recently,which will lead to slower,but not stagnant growth.However unemployment will rise,prob to about 9%,and before anyone tries to tell me,based on flimsy research its already at that fig no it isnt.The key to surviving this tought time is the same as it is anywhere,diversification.

Totally agree, Spain has many strengths, many paid for out of EU money which are in advance of more modernised countries like the UK.

Needs a change of attitude not tradition, I dont take too much of the media bandwagon as it stands. The UK will survive a credit crunch or recession becuase the country is too small with mass communities and the money flows, there will always be poverty but there wont be tower blocks with just 3 families occupying them, where as Spain is so vast it has had what it needs injected to make it and ****ed it up with IMO bad attitude towards the tourism it delights in.

That and a weak hand to immigration like the UK aswell has not helped

i have a few friends who live in quesada it is like a small town and it does not to badly even though it is full of English. I think the difference is it´s mainly residents there and alot of retired expats. It is the kind of area that will surviveI think.

Where I am is a small place called Villa Martin it has 3 golf cources alot of bars and restaurants and a hell of alot of holiday homes. There are not many people around here permanantly it´s very seasonal so is the work the winters are dead here every where you go bars have 2 -5 people in at anyone time as do restaurants.

Picks up in the summer though, however to many pubs and restraunts have opened here in the lst 4 years.

Every bar used to be full to the brim now the custom is spread over to many bars and everyone is strugling.

They build to much to quick.

Sorry I know I sound so doom and gloom but we can´t see any way out of this slump but to leave we can´t aford to wait for 5 years and hope the economy turns around.

I think if you are really set on moving here Quesada or San Miguel de Salinas or some other small villedge where there is a good comunity might be the best way to go. Stay away from tourist areas.

oh right i see, lol. I have a house but still pay a mortgage on it, so if i choose to sell in the very near future will only have the equity in it and that wouldn't be enough to buy a house in spain with unless i bought a very small apartment. i may have to hold on for a little while and save like crazy as i really want to be mortgage free or at less have a very small mortgage, Donna x

Why not buy a "fixer upper",for example have seen a town house for sale in Sax,about 20 miles inland from Alicante for 40 grand,w/4 bedrooms etc,needing modernisation.
Would seem the way to go to me,as you can have the place exactly as you want it,rather than to an architects plan.

Yes i agree but renovation scares me to be honest thats why i was thinking of a resale, only want to spend under £100,000 if possible ( don't laugh). i am sure i can get something which is good for permanent living in spain. Also would like to become mortgage free so that is why i am keeping my budget low, Donna

Just saw apartments towards Gandia for €76000 and in Oliva for €100,000
Town house in the old Town for €135000

Thats not a laughable figure,especially in todays climate.Saw a 2 bed bungalow with front and back garden, on Masa int website for £65,000.
Why not wait a bit for prices to drop a bit further?,maybe rent for a while?

did you see them on a website, would be grateful of any property websites so i can have a look, thanks Donna

just type masa in google, I just saw the property myself, I never see the Masa site til today

http://www.masainternational.com/spain-property

www.findaproperty.co.uk , has a good range of Spanish properties for sale.
Masa has 10 pages of flats etc within you price range on today

PS;findaproperty also has agent links,so you should get quite a lot to look at in your price bracket

By all means look at masa parador and atls websites and contacdt he sellor directly these agents charge a fortune in fees if you look at Dolphinpropertiesspain.com they charge 1% of the cost of your new home howevers other charge 10% like easy sell or whatever they are called part of easy jet I know the sellor pays the cost in spain but it doesn´t really work that way not if the sellor is mates with the owner you pay the cost and they get a lower value on the escatura so they pay less tax be carefull of the small print.

I know this as we had our friend sell our rental property to an unsuspecting holiday maker used out solicitor and did the client out of an extra €6500.

We all do it we all want to get as much as we can and while I am warning you about it if it was to come to it I would do it again because we can.

Be vary wary of estate agents out here they are all cowboys espacialy my mates.

Wouldn´t trust them as far as I can thow them I won´t even let my friend date them they are that bad

i have been looking at rightmove.co.uk they have some great bargains in mazzaron, 3 bed villa for £84,000. yes i am a little wary of estate agents but wouldn't know where to start with them when it does come to buying, have also looked at masa site too, thanks a lot. Donna x

No, they are new flats and apartments being built locally. If you send me a pm to remind me I will have a look when I drive past next

Does anyone know about Alicante area & its surroundings esp Almoradi?
Is it a good area & are there any shops, medical & bank nearby within walking distance? According to kyero site, the average price in Almoradi is not bad.