Mazarron News (Murcia, Spain)

There is a surprise entry into the World’s Best Real Estate Markets 2012 – Murcia, Spain. Created by International Living, the index looks at value for money, appreciation potential, costs, and believes Murcia will make you money in 2012.

This morning Proyectos Emblematicos Murcianos SA (PREMURSA), the promoter behind Murcia’s Paramount Theme Park and LifeStyle Centre, signed the contract to complete the purchase of two-thirds of the land earmarked for the project.

From 3 January the Spanish authorities have changed the rules on how foreign property buyers obtain their fiscal identification number or NIE. Every purchaser now has to attend in person. Chris Mercer of Mercers Ltd is unconcerned with the change.

At a press conference on 23 Dec the Mayor of Alhama de Murcia said “there is no going back for the Paramount-branded Park”, “there are investors”. Local estate agent Mercers believes these reassuring words will silence the Paramount doubters.

A trio of key progressions in Murcia - the Paramount-branded Theme Park, a new international airport at Corvera and the imminent AVE train network extension – have kept the Region in the headlines and local estate agent Mercers in a selling groove.

Murcia estate agent, Mercers, has just experienced its best summer sales period for five years. Murcia is attracting an international audience lured by four key factors – the Paramount-branded Theme Park, golf, accessibility and, above all, price.

Beachside Spanish property has always commanded a premium, you still can expect to pay in excess of 1mn € for a prime beachfront apartment in Marbella. In Murcia it's different, 99,000 euros for a two bed within five mins walk of Blue Flag bliss.

Thanks to a combination of rock bottom prices and excited anticipation surrounding the Paramount-branded Theme Park, Murcia has been declared ‘top climber’ search term on the UK’s leading overseas property portal, rising 11 places in June 2011.

When the Hamiltons purchased their holiday home in Camposol Golf, Murcia, they had no aspirations for amassing a property portfolio. However news of a Paramount-branded Theme Park encouraged them to purchase an additional home.

According to Murcia’s regional government, construction of the Paramount-branded Theme Park in Murcia could begin as early as February 2012. Promoters pledge that works will be fast and may well complete in 2014 - a year ahead of schedule.

Polaris World's main creditors have supported the golf-driven resorts and are focussing on clearing the inventory of unsold property. Good news for buyers as you can buy a home at Condado de Alhama for cost price of 85,000 euros – a 58% discount.

Taking shape in the small town of Corvera, just 20 mins from the proposed Paramount Pictures site, Murcia's new Airport hopes to ‘steal’ no less than 3mn passengers from El Altet Airport across the border in the neighbouring province of Alicante.

In an official ceremony on Friday 25 March, the masterplan for the first Paramount Pictures-branded Theme Park in Europe was unveiled and 2015 was revealed as the expected opening date for the hugely significant project.

At Camposol Golf, an established 18-hole course in Murcia, completed key-ready two bedroom homes are available for just 50,000 euros, that’s less than 43,000 pounds. Surely this is Europe’s cheapest golf resort?

In recent weeks, two Murcia-based property developers have announced grand plans for new build residential projects in 2011. Local real estate company, Mercers, wonders if this could be premature.

If there’s comfort to be drawn from the collapse of Spain’s property sector, it’s the disappearance of the ‘cowboy’ estate agent, but Mercers fear an influx of shady agents hoping to cash in on Alhama’s new Paramount Pictures theme park.

This month Mercers collected Best Estate Agent (Bronze) in the OPP (Overseas Property Professional) Awards for Excellence 2010. Incredibly Mercers was the only Spanish Estate Agent to pick up an award – an amazing feat.

Paramount Pictures has opted to construct its first Europe-based theme park at Alhama de Murcia in Mazarron. Predicted to attract 3mn tourists a year, the October 13th landmark decision will have a significant impact on the prospects of the region.

With Spain’s PM declaring the Spanish property crash to be over, the window of opportunity with bargain house prices could be about to close. He expects prices to begin to rise which can only mean one thing–buy now or you’ll pay later.

There are certain regions in the Spanish property market vastly outperforming others. Take June in Murcia for example. According to the National Institute of Statistics 1,308 homes changed hands in Murcia compared with a national average of just 99.

After literally months of unsubstantiated gossip, Paramount Pictures made a formal announcement on Friday 10 September to say that it will be opening its first theme park in Europe with Spain, specifically Murcia, as the chosen location.

Maybe it’s the pound’s 18-month high against the euro or maybe it’s a belief that Spanish house prices cannot fall much lower – whatever the motivation, property sales in Spain are on the up.

More competition than ever before, and ever changing technology means that there really are few, if any "jobs for life" anymore. It is now normal not only to change jobs quite often, but even to completely change careers and industries...