Tinsa: Residential Land Prices Rose By 4.1% In Málaga In Q2

17 July 2017 – Diario Sur

The housing sector in Málaga is continuing to grow. The price of residential land in the province rose by 4.1% during the second quarter of this year compared to the same period last year, to reach €1,399/m2, which is €154/m2 higher than the national average, according to data from the appraisal company Tinsa. It represented the highest increase in Andalucía and the sixth highest in Spain as a whole; and it consolidates the upward trend seen over the last two years, a situation that has generated concerns about the possibility that the sector is heading towards a new real estate bubble.

The Director General of the Institute of Business Practice (IPE), José Antonio Pérez, said that, for the time being, the growth is “sustainable”, although he warned that the lack of buildable land on the Costa del Sol to meet the current demand from property developers and investors will limit this trend and may lead to a disproportionate rise in prices in some enclaves. Pérez attributes the lack of supply to “restrictions” imposed by the general urban planning orders in certain municipalities and the slow pace of urban planning procedures. (…).

Tinsa’s report also reveals that the average mortgage granted to Malagan households amounts to €126,815, the seventh most expensive in the country, with a monthly instalment of €592. The percentage of household income spent on paying the first year of a mortgage is 27.6%, almost eight points above the national average (19.9%). The appraisal company highlights that this statistic makes Málaga the province where families spend the highest percentage of their income on mortgage repayments, above the Balearic Islands and Barcelona (21%).

Málaga also leads the list of provinces with the highest number of house sales closed in the last four months, with respect to the size of its housing stock: 32.1 for every 1,000 homes. It was followed by Alicante and the Balearic Islands, which also have “a clear tourist component”, said the report. The appraisal company reminds its readers that the province is home to “a large number of high-end homes” aimed primarily at foreign buyers, which put upward pressure on average house prices.

By contrast, the IPE considers that it is “a mistake” to draw conclusions at the provincial level “because you cannot compare the situation in Villanueva del Trabuco, for example, with that of Marbella”. The institute, which specialises in the real estate sector, highlighted the sea fronts and golden triangle formed by Marbella, Estepona and Benahavís as the areas where demand for residential land is highest, as well as the capital, where Limonar and Valle del Guadalhorce are positioning themselves as the new enclaves for future urban development.

House sales

The Real Estate Pulsometer compiled by IPE confirms that Málaga is seeing one of the strongest recoveries in the sector, together with Madrid, Barcelona and the Balearic Islands. Investors, savers, funds and individuals comprise current demand, which caused house sales to grow by 6% last year; and a similar rise is forecast this year. Currently, half of all purchases are paid for in cash and the other half are financed through mortgages (…).

Original story: Diario Sur (by Alberto Gómez)

Translation: Carmel Drake