Domino

It has crossed my mind a number of times before..........

why the hell do we bother responding to all these silly requests ??
a 7 year old can work out how to do a search and see all those threads talking about coming out here and how dire things are in the UK, how they have a certificate for this and a certificate for that, and wouldnt running a bar be the most natural thing in the world. It must be more than 1 a week at the moment. I bet no other national forum has the same number of would be publicans.

UK breweries used to be always looking for people to run their pubs, especially couples with little or no experience - but training given..

AL1492

Well i have to clear out of the USA. I havent had a visa since 2005. The local (we dont give a ****) sheriff department, couldnt care less, as long as i am married. When she divorces me, it will be different, i will become an undesirable.

I have a lot of property, that i am about to put on the market, i guess it will take me about a year to sell it.

As soon as we are divorced, and she has her money, the good ol boys in the sheriff deparment (her relations) will make my life a missery until i leave. They wont run me off, they will just make life hard for me.

Thats why i need a new country, I have quite a lot of money, but not enough to retire on. I have to do something for a living.

Someone on this thread, said "so you need to get out of dodge fast" thats ironic, because i am in Kansas, but i have never been to dodge city. I live in Kansas, but my business is in missouri.

I cant really afford to go back to the UK, its too expensive. Which is why i want to know about spain. I speak spanish, its the only other language i know. Except a few words of Hindi, which impreses my american friends, when they go to an indian shop with me. (learned from my grandad who was out there for about twenty years) I will go into the shop, and shout "panee low, juldee" and they run around getting me a glass of water. Which really impreses the yanks.

So yes, i have to get out of dodge, before life becomes hard. As soon as she gets her money, i wont have many friends this side of the pond. I will have the friends that i had before i met her, but they are just normal people, that dont hold power, all the friends we had that are police, and politicians, are hers.

I should have applied for a visa, but i got told "why bother, we can get you sorted out, you can get a taxpayer ID number, and we can sort out everything else, and keep it local" Now maybe one of those people, still class themselves as my friend, and only because i did a huge amount of work for him for free.

I have some friends in Missouri, and some in Florida, but when i leave here, and immigration sees my passport, i will be on a ten year ban.

Thats why i need to go to spain, so if you cant give me some useful advice, dont bother advising me. I am not going to spain to seek my fortune, i have already made a lot of cash, i just want to be in a country, where i can make enough to support myself, so my money dosent just leak away to the point i have nothing. I didnt want to make money with a bar, just make enough to feed myself, and pay the bills, while i worked on a renovations, which would be a five year project.

rugbymatt

I have kept away from this thread from the start because I just knew that some of the usual suspects would pop along and start on it. Hell we even have the usual accusations of double posting and multiple identities.

Yeah, I admit, the OP does seem to "know all there is to know" but you lot are forgetting something, while we have all been here for ages and have gleaned information from the site for the last few years todays poster has already spent a month reading all the information the inter web has to offer both good and bad and as I have always said and as Stevie demonstrates if you look hard enough you can find all the information you ever need to prove a point. People used to come on the site, make their introductions and slowly build relationships, that doesn't happen on the forum anymore because it doesn't happen in life any more. People think they know everything, they know they know everything and with mobile communications like they are they have access to a billion people who agree with them. Thats what is happening, we have an evolving forum, like it or not, thats the way life is going. Even in the face of life experience there is information out there to prove someone is wrong, you get it in real life, its just the way things are now, get rich or die trying.....

bob_bob

Try saying Juldee/Jildy in a shop in Birmingham (UK) and the next thing you drank would be liquid food in hospital, its often seen as a derogatory term best not tried if you set foot in the UK again; its a bit like clicking your fingers and saying Garcon in France, the waiter goes out back in pees in your soupe du jour.

jojojojojo

Thats what everyone says when looking to live in Spain and thats what is almost impossible to do - make enough to live on!!! You seem to know best, but remember that Spain is nothing like the US and everything you know there is worthless. You'll be a new person with money and will probably leave Spain without it. Spain is the place where money doesnt leak away as you put it - it floods away lol!

But I guess its a risk you seem to want to take

Jo xxx

steviedeluxe

This is an article from last year, which I've linked to before on this forum
http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/glob...-in-madrid/810
It explains why Irish pubs in Madrid have adapted to meet the difficult economic climate, and to succeed.
I'm not saying this is the time to invest in an Irish pub - it may well be the worse time. But the article gives food for thought, and may give you some inspiration.
One of the few bar/restaurant chains to be expanding in Spain now is cerveceria la sureña (this is part of Restalia, which brought us 100 montaditos). http://www.gruporestalia.com/blog/ce...0-restaurantes
If you are interested in running such a franchise, it may be an idea to get in contact with them? I also understand Starbucks are expanding their chain, and no doubt other coffee chains would like to get in on the act.
I have to say, like the UK, the future is probably is probably with chain ventures. The chain la sureña have been running a promotion of 5 (small) bottles of beer for 3 Euros. How can the small bar owner compete with that? In the UK pubs have been going out of business left, right and centre, although the likes of Wetherspoons have been able to grow. The independent pubs that survive have to be very good in their field (often serving good food) or diversify into providing accommodation for backpackers.
Unless it's a sector you know very well, I can't see how you can hope to make money.

steviedeluxe

Alternatives?

These are a couple of very dangerous avenues. Please do not investigate further if you are easily parted from your money...

develop business ties with spanish partners http://simbiotika.com/

make money from internet ventures (affiliate marketing, currency exchange, sports arbitrage) -NOTE: a lot of dodgy stuff here, illegal in some parts of the world. http://www.dreamteammoney.com/

AL1492

Its 6 and two 3s really. If i return to the UK, its much more expensive, I would have enough to buy a house, and that would be it. I am not entitled to any form of state help, until i have been there a year, and with the employement climate, its probably unlikely that i would find a job, well i may find one, i could be knocking on doors for six months before i do, and with zero income, that would not be easy.

The economy will go back up in europe, its just what we get, even the bible tells us, seven fat years, seven lean ones. When the economy does go back up, so will house prices, i dont know a huge amount about spanish property, i know they made the same mistakes as Ireland, and built houses that no one wants, and I know the population is in decline, those two factors are bad individually, together, they are disasterous.

Might look at the canary islands, nothing is yet off the table, might just have to stay here a bit longer, flipping a few houses in florida would bring in money, the prices there, are slowly going back up.

HBG

The Tory MP, Louise Mensch, who retired yesterday, remarked during the Commons Committee questioning a dodgy senior detective that she had just fallen down a rabbit hole.

I'm a curious fellow and love debates, but this one leads straight down the rabbit hole.

The nutter a few posts ago should look out of his window and if he sees any approaching people in white coats might well consider running for it.

Lospacoshombre

Dear ALI
I have read your thread, from afar with much interest. I relate to your position and your aims. I have been a spainophile for years and understand the culture and business style of the CDS, it has always been hard, and seems to be perpetual robbery/failure. BUt I have just bought a doer upper property (cash) and I aim to move to Spain next year to do up the said property and maybe buy 2 more to rent out ( my main income will be from uk rental properties).

I think that at current prices which can be negotiated hard, an income can be gained from rentals, as if YOU can rent at the right price you will fill them, as far as I am concerned it is all part of the "internal deflation" of the country. You will attract renters if your property is in a good location (mine will be in Fuengirola area) and the rents are reasonable, as long as they can get cheap flights these areas will rent.

I accept there is a gamble within my theory but the area I am in is very desirable and still popular even in the crisis. I honestly believe I can achieve an income and future capital growth (maybe 15 years) growth by shrewdly buying now.

I have read your posts and wish you well, and hope you can make it. Regarding Bars I would leave well alone, unless you consider freehold, I know of one freehold proposition I seriously considered! but I am not that brave.

If you do make it I would love to meet up with a like minded individual to compare notes!

I hope to combine a uk property portfolio with a Spanish one to make a decent living and enjoy a Spanish lifestyle, but time will tell, that chapter is still to be written!

Best wishes and luck

Al

AL1492

Hi I actually looked at the area you are getting involved with, i thought the price was a bit high. But of course, you get what you pay for, and you may stand a much better chance of renting out in that area. I think for me, the bar idea, is pretty much dead, has been killed by this forum. My idea was that as a business owner, i could qualify for free health care, and qualify to live in spain, even if the buiseness lost some cash, i would still qualify for residency and health care on those grounds.

My main idea, was rental property, which i have done for years, and on two continents. I must say, in the USA i have done very well out of it, low purchase costs, and high rents. My brother who still has rentals in the UK, couldnt believe the figures i showed him, he said "so why would anyone rent if they are paying that much, when they could pay a lot less to buy" i explained, because here you are renting to people that cant buy.

In the USA, a property, should give you about enough rental income, to pay for that property within forty months. (not counting repairs and taxes etc) Plus some cities have rent control, like new york city, where you could pay a million for an apartment, and find the rent is a thousand a month, and you cant increas it, and you cant evict.

My business is in Missouri, where the laws favour the landlord. I have done two evictions here, and one time, the person got out as soon as the summons arrived, the other time, the guy tried to fight it, judge told him to get out, and gave him twenty days to get out. We said in court "what happens if he dosent get out" the sheriff said to us "oh he will be out, then turned to the guy and said "you will be out wont you" Thing is, if they dont get out, you have to go and do the eviction yourself. The sheriff only comes and stands by, to see no laws are broken, you have to take a crew, and go into the place, and forcably remove the person, and all his posessions, the law says you have to put his posessions in the yard, and leave them for forty eight hours, after that, you can do what you like. The sheriff will only intervine, if laws are broken, like the ex renter tries to fight you off.

Thankfully for me, it has never come to anything like that, the two evictions we did, they got out.

I think i am probably going to take the chance on spanish property, I am not sure, I would like to buy at the bottom of the market (everyone would) I think the bottom is coming, and will just take my chance. If nothing else, at least you end up owning a couple of properties.

AL1492

This is the midwest, In joplin, the FBI are still investigating the only Mosque being burned to the ground. Their are churches on every street corner, their is a church for everyone, probably even if you are pedophile you could find a pedophile church, (as long as it was christian) but they burnt the only mosque down. This is the midwest, it white, working class, few black people, few immigrants, white wife beating, beer drinking, republican, pickup driving, church going, red neck working class.

Lospacoshombre

Hi Ali,
The US sounds a great place for a property investor. As a risk averse type of a chap, I only have renters in the UK, a market I understand and all in an area I can micro manage, therefore ensuring full occupancy and no troublesome tenants, it has proved successful for me. I Also understand that if I was more brave and had properties in other places I may have made more money, but as a coward I have never gone further afield.

Back to Spain, in tourist areas such as Fuengirola, Los Boliches and say Benalmadena, there still is strong demand ( i already own an apt there). The area has always been a high value area, and buying there in the past has felt painful compared to say the south costa blanca, where it is buy one get one free. But the area is served by an excellent train line that enables people to get to your property very cheaply and quickly, and I know loads of annual visitors who still come for months on end in winter. The all inclusive deals across the world have eaten into the market a lot over the past few years.

At the moment particularly in the apartment market there are some stunning deals, which I feel you cannot go wrong with, and the market will not improve for ages so you have the luxury of taking your time.

The bar I was interested in, maybe still for sale. It is situated on a main bar st in a good locals area , it is only small but I have known the lessees over the years and understand its trading history. It was for sale at £50000 neg. which is cheap for a freehold. The rent commanded was 800 E per month which to me is a good return. As mentioned earlier you can still charge an "ingoing" of say 8-10 k to sell a lease. Personally if I had bought it I would have charged an ingoing to the right person of say 5K and then given them a realistic rent to keep them there, it could also be my local! Therefore as mentioned in an earlier post, not being a cynical landlord. The deal seemed right, but personally I did not want all the bureaucracyof the Spanish authorities.

What you want to do is possible but I would speak to experts before committing to it, I intend to speak in depth with my gestor who is a local legend in Los Boliches (Rosa @ Balmoral rentals), who knows the market inside and out. I would not buy another renter until I have spoken in depth with her and others.

Best of luck Old Boy

Al

AL1492

hi Al
I am going to spend some time studying the markets in spain. I am pretty sure i am going to buy at least one property there. I am just now sure where, or how much i want to pay, or even if want to buy a rental, or a property to work on. My orignal idea, was maybe a coupld of apartments, and a renovation property, but that is kind of throwing all i have into the one market, so i may just test the water with a renovation.

I wouldnt really expect to make much on a first renovation in spain, because everything construction wise is different from other places, and you make all the mistakes on the first project. When i came to the USA, i knew UK construction, but had never seen asphalt shingle roofs, they are dead easy to do, (i try to do everything myself, hire a few guys for cheap, and read a few books) but those roofs, until someone shows you how to do them, you dont have a clue, and after you have had someone show you for two hours, your a roofer. A monkey could roof an american house. When you go to california, it tends to be tile roofs, so again, that different.

I do everything myself, if i cant do it, i more hire someone to show me how, than someone to do it. Have had luck with her family, (she is from a very extended family) and has always been someone that is a roofer, electrician joiner, plumber, so you get it explained to you. I have still had to hire people to help me, but i stick to who is cheap, when you people to bid on a job here, what you find is, they bid low to get the job, start the job, then double, (or in one case) treble the price.

If you were interested in the USA, Florida is a good place to look. I wouldnt look where i am, you need to be here on the ground to manage it. you could though get a cheap property in Florida, have it managed as a holiday rental, and still have time to go there for a holiday. Last time we booke a place there, we booked in June, for August. couldnt get beach front, not for the price we were willing to pay ended up with a three bedroom house, with pool, for 600 bucks a week. (had to get that, my brother and his family were coming over) It was on a housing estate, about five miles from the beach, and not one other holiday home on the street, everyone getting up and going to their work. nothing within walking distance.

That place was probably worth 50k, (an estimate could be as low as 30, as high as 65 tops) When we booked it, we could see on the net, (from june) every week it was booked for, and we just got in for a week in August.

Maybe these places are empty in winter, but what they make in summer, makes it worth it.

alistair

stuboy

I don't think you know what you want. You jump about with ideas all over the place. Decide what it is that you are good at and stick to it. Are you a house renovator or a holiday letting landlord or a freehold buisness owner?
You piss about with endless posts just waiting for someone on here to tell you that you are a genius and that your idea is foolproof. Next thing will be solar panels in caravans.