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Tinsa: Investment In Coastal Housing Soars

19 June 2017 – Expansión

Guide for investors along the coast / House prices rose in 62% of Spain’s coastal towns during the first quarter of the year, in particular, along the Mediterranean Arc and in the Canary and Balearic Islands, thanks primarily to an increase in demand from investors and foreigners. The forecasts from analysts point to a clear improvement in prices this year in more than half of the areas analysed along the coast. Antigua, in Fuerteventura, recorded the best YoY price rise in Q1 2017, up by 26.1%. (…).

The holiday home market is performing well once again in the majority of Spain’s coastal regions and some economists say that 2017 could be the year of consolidation in the real estate sector. Property prices recorded YoY increases in 84 of the 136 coastal towns analysed, based on data for the first quarter of 2017. In 2016, that figure amounted to 71 and in 2015, just 32, according to the latest report from the appraisal company Tinsa about Coastal Housing.

Political stability, following the failed motion of no-confidence, has combined with economic growth, thanks to the good outlooks from analysts. The forecasts for GDP growth show that the figure is going to exceed 3% this year for the third consecutive year. Moreover, Spain is a strong candidate to become the tourism leader at the global level, with a record forecast in terms of visitor numbers of 82 million this year. The increase in confidence has opened the financing tap, driven by demand for housing, amongst Spanish and overseas investors alike, looking to acquire a second home. (…).

The highest increases were recorded in the Mediterranean Arc – Costa Dorada, south of Alicante, the western coast of Málaga and the Cádiz coast – and the islands, both the Canary and Balearic Islands – in particular, Mallorca and Ibiza. The Atlantic and Cantabrian coasts are recovering more slowly, above all in the area of A Coruña and Asturias, in part due to more significant price decreases following the crisis. Nevertheless, that area has some exceptions, such as Guipúzcoa, where demand for holiday homes mergers with demand for primary residences.

The burst of the real estate bubble meant that this sector was one of the hardest hit by the crisis. In some regions, prices dropped by 60%. (…). It is true that this decrease was less marked in some of the coastal areas, thanks to demand from tourism. Along the Mediterranean Coast, the areas that lag behind the most are the coasts of Almería and Granada, which are still recovering, as well as the south of Valencia and Barcelona, and Gerona, Tarragona and Castellón, to the north of the arc. (…). Excluding those capital cities that have a coastline, Antigua (Fuerteventura) recorded the highest house price increase, with a rise of 26.1% in the first quarter of 2017, compared to the same period in 2016. That was driven by an increase in demand, given that sales there soared by no less than 81% in 2016. The second highest price rise was seen in Gavà (Barcelona), with 17.8%, followed by Mojácar (Almería), with 17.3%. The outlook for prices in 2017 is promising. According to analysts, prices will improve in more than half of the areas analysed (52%). (…).

Original story: Expansión (by Inma Benedito)

Translation: Carmel Drake