Tag: Chamberí

Tinsa: House Prices Rise By Most In Madrid & Barcelona

18 July 2016 – Expansión

The Balearic and Canary Islands are featuring in the housing recovery, but Madrid and Barcelona are leading the way; there, the number of transactions has picked up pace and prices are growing strongly once again. Most of these increases are due to the economic recovery, but the savings factor is also playing a major part.

In fact, the influence of private investors is still playing a crucial role in the strengthening of the two major real estate regions, whose central districts are the most sought-after by companies and individuals, both Spanish and foreign.

It is precisely the influence of these investors that boosted property prices in both capitals in the first place, firing the starting gun for the reactivation of the sector, as they committed to the prime areas before anyone else. These central districts, which are well-connected and offer good services, used to offer a certain degree of security for investors, and a great deal of potential for appreciation, even when everyone in the market was still searching for land.

Both cities were amongst the leaders of the increase in house prices during the second quarter of the year, according to data from the appraisal company Tinsa, published recently. Nevertheless, these increases were concentrated in some of the most expensive areas, as shown by the analysis by district of the local markets. Specifically, many of the neighbourhoods where prices stand at around €3,000/sqm in Madrid and Barcelona are also those where prices have risen by the most in the last year, whereas prices in those neighbourhoods that fall below the average have grown more moderately.

For example, prices in the Madrilenian neighbourhood of Salamanca have risen by 9.8% in the last year, whilst in Chamberí they have increased by 8.9%. Meanwhile, in Barcelona, the following districts stand out: Gràcia (where prices have risen by 12.7%), El Eixample (10.9%) and Les Corts (8.1%). These statistics show that the prime areas are recovering better than the rest. They are central, well-connected areas with very solvent demand, where returns are high and there is significant retail activity, which means they have significant potential for appreciation both for those buying to invest as well as those looking to put their properties up for rent. As with everything, there are notable exceptions, such as the Retiro area in Madrid and Sarrià-Sant Gervasi in Barcelona, which are increasing by below the average.

Other areas

Nevertheless, the real estate expert José Luis Ruiz Bartolomé indicates that the real estate market has now entered a new phase, in which the recovery is spreading to more and more areas. “Before, properties were only being sold in the best districts, but now the increases have spread to the most popular areas, as supply is limited and there are increasingly more buyers looking for homes to live in, rather than to buy as investments”, he explains.

For this reason, the most popular neighbourhoods have become more attractive with the recovery of the labour market and the opening of the bank financing tap. In this way, house prices in the Madrilenian neighbourhood of San Blas have risen by 9.9%, making it the second highest price rise district in the capital; meanwhile, Sant Andreu is also boosting prices in Cataluña, with an increase of 8.2%. Similarly, prices in all of the districts of Madrid that cost less than €2,000/sqm have increased by more than the average, with the exception of Villaverde, the cheapest of all, where prices have remained stable. Something similar is happening in Barcelona where the most popular areas, such as Nou Barris and Sants-Montjuïc, also grew by more than average. (…).

Moreover, Tasaciones CBRE indicates that the profile of investments funds “has evolved rapidly from being opportunistic to value-added, choosing instead to back development, the renovation of properties and, given that they have perceived the potential for refurbishments, they will gradually start managing plots of land in urban areas, with the aim of obtaining higher returns”. With this, the increase in demand and prices will increasingly move to more remote areas. (…).

Original story: Expansión (by Pablo Cerezal)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Socimi Vitruvio Will Debut On The MAB On 8 July

7 July 2016 – Europa Press

The Socimi Vitruvio will debut on the Alternative Investment Madrid (MAB) on Friday, 8 July, at a price of €12.63 per share, which represents a market capitalisation for the company of €38.5 million, according to the BME.

The company owns a portfolio containing four residential buildings, five offices and four retail premises in Madrid, as well as one penthouse apartment in Ibiza.

Vitruvio is the nineteenth Socimi to debut on the MAB, with the ultimate aim of raising funds to finance growth.

Vitruvio’s share capital is divided between around 121 shareholders, however four of them control around 28% of the total capital. According to the prospectus for the IPO, these four shareholers are: Eva Martínez Ertl, Antonio Martínez-Cabrera, Juan Acero-Riesgo and Matías Ortiz de Saracho.

The Socimi’s Chairman and CEO is Joaquín López-Chicheri, a professional who has combined his career in private banking with academic work and who, since 2013, has also chaired the fund CorA Investment.

Vitruvio’s portfolio of real estate assets includes a residential building for rent in Calle Ayala in Madrid, in the neighbourhood of Salamanca, and another on Calle Sagasta, in Chamberí.

In addition, it owns several retail premises on Calles Goya, Bravo Murillo and López de Hoyos, an office building on Fernández de la Hoz and a restaurant in Centro Colón.

Vitruvio closed 2015 with a profit of around €433,000, 51% higher than the previous year when its results were penalised by certain tax effects. Its revenues from rental income rose by 12% to €667,000.

The Socimi will debut on the MAB under the ticker symbol YVIT and its shares will be traded under the price fixing system

Original story: Europa Press

Translation: Carmel Drake

ST: New House Prices Rise By 4% In MAD & BCN

30 June 2016 – El País

According to ST Sociedad de Tasación, the average price of new homes grew by 4% YoY in June in the cities of Madrid and Barcelona. They were the two provincial capitals with the highest new home price rises in the last year. These price increases, which are not being seen in other capital, have been driven by the shortage of new home stock, explain sources at ST. “Our analysis of this data and of the increasing trend observed since June 2015 allows us to predict that Barcelona and Madrid are going to act as the drivers of the recovery process for new house prices, albeit at a slow pace”.

Barcelona is the provincial capital that recorded the highest new house prices, with an average of €3,390/sqm. Prices grew there by 2.2% during the first half of 2016. The YoY price increase in Barcelona was 4.1%, the highest of all of Spain’s provincial capitals.

By district, Gracia recorded the highest increase in new house prices, with a rise of 7.72%. It was followed by the neighbourhoods of Sarria-Sant Gervasi, with 6.94% and Sant Marti, with 6.38%. At the other end of the spectrum, the districts with the lowest YoY price increases were Ciutat Vella (1.33%), Sant Andreu (1.93%) and Nou Barris (2.33%).

And not only did the district of Sarria-Sant Gervasi in Barcelona record one of the highest price rises, it also registered the highest average price per constructed square metre, at €5,672/sqm. The districts of Les Corts and L’Eixample were ranked in second and third place, respectively, in terms of average prices, with values of €4,610/sqm and €4,511/sqm. By contrast, the districts with the lowest average prices were Nou Barris (€2,721/sqm), Sants-Montjuic (€3,024/sqm) and Sant Andreu (€3,062/sqm).

In Madrid, a new home costs €2,886/sqm on average

In the case of Madrid, new house prices have grown by 4% with respect to the previous year and by 2.1% during the first half of 2016. That takes the average price of new homes in Madrid to €2,886/sqm.

The ranking for the YoY variation in new house prices is headed by Ciudad Lineal, which saw growth of 5.8%. It was followed by Barajas, with 5.7% and Arganzuela, with 5.4%. At the other end of the spectrum, the neighbourhoods with the lowest YoY price variations were Hortaleza (0.8%) and La Latina (1%), followed by Tetuán (1.8%).

In terms of the average price of new homes, Salamanca was once again the most expensive district in the capital, with an average price of €4,799/sqm, followed by Chamberí (€4,626/sqm) and the Centre (€3,939/sqm). By contrast, the neighbourhoods of Vicálvaro, Villaverde and Villa de Vallecas registered the lowest average new home prices, of €1,856/sqm, €1,883/sqm and €2,203/sqm, respectively.

Original story: El País (by S.L.L.)

Translation: Carmel Drake

House Prices Rise By 10%+ In Most Exclusive Neighbourhoods

5 April 2016 – Expansión

Changing trend / Madrid and Barcelona are leading the recovery in the residential market, with house price increases of 9.2% and 7.5%, respectively during Q1 2016. The appraisal value of homes is now on the rise in every district of both cities.

(…). According to statistics from the appraisal company Tinsa, the value of residential properties increased by 1.4% during the first three months of 2016, with Barcelona and Madrid leading the charge.

The average appraisal value of (unsubsidised) homes per m2 in Barcelona amounts to €2,551/m2, which is 19% more expensive than the average in Madrid (€2,142/m2). This gap between the two cities has a simple explanation: not only have house prices been rising significantly faster in Barcelona than in Madrid, but also the Catalan capital has a higher population density than Madrid, which affects supply and demand, resulting in a higher degree of concentration. Moreover, barely any new residential properties are being constructed in Barcelona. (…).

The evolution of house prices in Madrid and Barcelona varies by neighbourhood. House prices rose in all 10 districts of the Catalan capital during Q1 2016, without exception and, for the first time, they also increased in all 21 Madrilenian districts. That has not happened since the real estate bubble burst.

The ranking

The highest price increases were concentrated in Barcelona. The two districts where average prices rose by the most were Les Corts (13.5%) and Sants-Montjuïc (12.2%). They were followed by the district of Salamanca, Madrid’s main real estate district, with an increase of 11.8%.

With an average price of €3,597/m2 and despite the heterogeneity of the neighbourhoods that comprise it, Salamanca is the district with the second highest prices of all of those analysed by Tinsa, behind only Sarrà-Sant Gervasi, which has an average price of €3,671/m2 (5.8% higher than in 2014). (…)

According to calculations from the consultancy firm Knight Frank, prices are going to rise by between 5% and 10% in prime areas in 2016, especially in five areas of the Madrilenian capital, namely Salamanca, Jerónimos, Chamberí, Justicia and El Viso. (…).

In Madrid, the most expensive districts after Salamanca are Chamberí (€3,444/m2 for subsidised homes, up by 5.4% compared with Q1 2015), Retiro (€3,270/m2, up by 4.3%), Chamartín (€3,312/m2, up by 1.7%) and the Centro, which has exceeded the €3,000/m2 threshold once again (€3,014/m2, up by 3.7%). All of the others sit below this psychological barrier, such as for example Moncloa-Aravaca (€2,793/m2 and 6.9%) and Arganzuela (€2,697/m2 and 8.5%).

The cheapest areas

The cheapest areas in Madrid are Villaverde (€1,232/m2), followed by Puente de Vallecas (€1,307/m2), Usera (€1,398/m2) and Carabanchel (€1,531/m2).

Average house prices will increase significantly in the Madrilenian capital during 2016, according to predictions by real estate analysts.

In Barcelona, Nou Barris is the district where house prices are lowest (€1,752/m2), followed by Horta Guinardó (€2,007/m2) and Sant Andreu (€2,105/m2). They are the only three places in Barcelona where prices are lower than the average price in Madrid (€2,142/m2), however, as is always the case in a market as fragmented as the housing sector, each area has its own micro-market. (…).

In any case, the forecasts are promising, in general terms. “In terms of both the number of transactions and prices, there has been a certain rebound effect following the collapse of the market that had not been seen for many decades. Now we need to wait for the stabilisation of the market, for similar data to that seen last year”, says Jorge Ripoll, Director of Research Services at Tinsa.

For the upwards trend to be maintained, the growth forecasts must be met and the labour market must improve. The other factors are already working on autopilot, at least in Madrid and Barcelona.

Original story: Expansión (by Juanma Lamet)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Eurostone Buys EFE’s Former HQ To Convert Into Luxury Homes

30 March 2016 – El Confidencial

Eurostone, a real estate company headquartered in Luxembourg, has purchased the building located on the Madrilenian street Calle Espronceda, 32-34 from BBVA, which until 2013 housed the headquarters of the new agency EFE, which occupied the property for 35 years. The consideration paid for the operation has not been disclosed, but BBVA acquired it in March 2007 from SEPI (la Sociedad Estatal de Participaciones Industriales) for €51.25 million. The consultancy firm CBRE has advised the vendor, whilst Gabinete Inmobiliario and J. Pueche have advised the buyer.

The property, located just 300 m from Paseo de la Castellana, has a surface area covering more than 8,000 m2 spread across seven floors and more than 200 parking spaces. Eurostone already owns one property in Madrid following its purchase of a building on Génova 7 and three buildings in Barcelona, all in good locations.

The fund plans to convert the building on Espronceda into a luxury residential project in a neighbourhood, namely Chamberí, that has a shortage of new, high quality homes, and so it is hoping to become one of the iconic developments in the capital. The project, which will involve collaboration with the architect studio Lamela, will comprise homes and duplex apartments containing up to four bedrooms, terraces, gardens, a swimming pool, gym, etc. In addition, it will have more than 230 parking spaces and 1,700 m2 of retail space.

The building forms part of Project Zafiro, whose sale is being managed exclusively by CBRE. The portfolio of assets owned by BBVA comprises 15 buildings of different types, located in major Spanish cities, as well as in Lisbon, with a total surface area of more than 100,000 m2 and 1,300 parking spaces. This process has sparked interest from several funds, both domestic and international, and is close to being finalised. (…).

In addition, the building in question is located just 100 m from the former block of tenement flats (arranged around a patio, typical in Madrid, known as a “corrala”) that Pontegadea, the investment arm of Amancio Ortega, sold less than a year ago to the Catalan property developer Uniq, which specialises in the development of luxury homes, and which will be responsible for leading the development of the project.

According to sources at the time, Uniq will construct the homes, but another company, an investment fund whose identity has not been revealed, put up the capital to close the deal. The price of that operation amounted to around €20 million.

In addition, less than a kilometre away, on Calle Claudio Coello, number 108, another international fund, in this case the German fund Patrizia, recently entered the neighbourhood of Salamanca, with the acquisition of a residential building from Grupo Lar and Pimco for €22 million, where it plans to construct 14 luxury homes measuring 300 m2, with two or three parking spaces per flat.

Original story: El Confidencial (by E. Sanz)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Fotocasa: House Price Rises Led By Madrid & Barcelona

18 January 2016 – Expansión

(…). The two-speed housing sector in Spain is becoming ever more marked: whilst house sales and prices are increasing significantly in Barcelona and Madrid, as well as in certain areas along the coast, the provinces where demand is lowest are continuing their slow trend towards stabilisation.

But the residential sector is so fragmented that even within the two major cities, there are sub-markets where house sales and prices are growing by more than in others. House prices are now increasing in nine out of the 10 districts in Barcelona and in 13 out of the 21 districts in Madrid, according to Housing in 2015, a report compiled by the real estate portal Fotocasa.es, which will be published on Wednesday and to which Expansión has had access.

“The changing trend in terms of second-hand house prices is clear in the city of Madrid”, says the report. The average price of homes for sale rose by 2.2% in the capital, after having fallen by 4.9% in 2014. It is worth remembering that actual sales prices, the amount that is reflected in the deeds, have increased by even more, given that buyers now have less margin to obtain discounts than they used to, when prices were generally on the decrease.

Whilst in 2014, house prices decreased in every district in the capital, last year they recorded increases of up to 13.7% in the Centre, followed by Salamanca (9.3%), Chamberí (8.6%), Tetuán (7.6%), Fuencarral (6.7%) and Arganzuela (6.4%). This results in the report’s first conclusion: well-established, well-located areas, where there is more demand, in other words, prime areas, are recovering more quickly than the rest. In general, such areas include central, well-connected areas, with significant volumes of commercial activity, which are fashionable for certain profiles of buyer.

Barcelona is leading the way

The same trend is happening in Barcelona, where last year, the most notable price rises were seen in the districts of Gracia (with an increase of 10%), Ciutat Vella (8.5%), Eixample (8.4%), Sant-Montjuïc (8.2%), Horta-Guinardó (6.9%) y Sarrià-Sant Gervasi (6.8%).

According to Beatriz Toribio, Head of Research at Fotocasa.es, “prices are going to continue increasing in the prime areas of the two regional capitals in 2016, but we do not expect to see two-digit increases. (…).

In terms of second-hand homes, average prices in Madrid capital amount to €2,695/m2, whilst in Barcelona the equivalent amounts to €3,179. In other words, it is 22% cheaper to buy a home in the Spanish capital than in the Catalan capital. Or, to put it another way, homes are 28% more expensive in Barcelona than in Madrid.

There are two reasons for this. On the one hand, the Catalan capital has a higher population density than Madrid, which affects supply and demand, given that the concentration is greater; moreover, barely any construction takes place there. The second reason is that prices are recovering more sharply in Barcelona.

The most expensive districts in the country are Sarrià-Sant Gervasi (where homes go for €4,575/m2, on average), thanks mainly to significant interest from overseas investors and Salamanca in Madrid (€4,274/m2). (…).

Original story: Expansión (by Juanma Lamet)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Knight Frank: Demand Rises For Luxury Housing In Madrid

23 November 2015 – El Mundo

The luxury residential sector in Madrid has now emerged from the crisis, according to the Prime Residential Report from Knight Frank (KF) for the third quarter of 2015. The study points to price growth of 5.2% in the Spanish capital, i.e. above the levels observed in markets such as London and Paris. The average sales period has also decreased to between 3-6 months, down from 10-12 months.

In fact, Madrid is the European city with the second highest rate of price growth YoY in the prime residential segment, where prices have recorded a cumulative decrease of 22% since the beginning of the crisis, according to KF. Thus, Madrid is ranked behind only Monaco (9.4%) in a classification, which is led by Vancouver (20.4%) (in global terms).

Nevertheless, the consultancy firm acknowledges that the level of activity has slowed down since the summer due to the political uncertainty. In this sense, it stresses that if a stable government emerges from the upcoming general election, then the market will grow at a faster pace, given that “investors have money, desire and intent, but are currently waiting to see what will happen”.

According to the report, the areas of Jerónimos and Salamanca have led the recovery, with price rises of 8% and 7%, respectively, for second-hand homes. Next in the ranking are Chamberí (3%); Justicia and Paseo de la Habana (2 %); Viso (1 %) and finally, Castellana, where prices have remained stable.

In terms of new homes, price rises have been more moderate. Salamanca and Chamberí lead the ranking, with price rises of 4%, followed by El Viso (2%). Justicia and Habana have seen decreases of 2% and 4%, respectively, marked by the low level of stock comprising undesirable properties. In general, the most coveted districts are Salamanca, Jerónimos and Chamberí, which account for 70% of the demand and where the most coveted homes have prices that range between €1 million and €2 million.

By type of investor, 70% of the buyers of luxury homes are Spanish, whilst 30% are international, double the rate recorded two years ago. The overseas demand is coming, primarily, from Latin America buyers, who are seeking luxury products in the centre of Madrid and second homes.

According to Ernesto Tarazona, the Director of KF’s Residential and Land department, average prices are expected to grow by between 5-10% and new homes are expected to enter the market leading to a trend in prices that “we are not used to seeing”.

Canalejas will be one of the iconic projects that will shape the near future, says the Director General of KF, Alberto Prieto, who warns that Spanish demand for that product will exceed international demand. The firm, which will be involved in the sale, has also expressed its interest in participating in the Grupo Villar Mir’s equivalent Canalejas project in London, which is being developed in the former war offices of the British capital.

Over the next 18 months, KF expects to see the development of 80,000 m2 of projects in Madrid, such as Lagasca 99 (Juan Bravo, 3); Lamarca on Fernando VI; José Abascal 48 and Antonio Maura, 8. (…).

Original story: El Mundo

Translation: Carmel Drake

Idealista: Rental Prices Rose By 1.8% In Madrid In Q1

8 May 2015 – El Confidencial

The property crisis; the difficulties faced by thousands of citizens when it comes to buying a home; and the havoc wreaked by evictions have all resulted in a significant boost to the (residential) rental market in Spain. Over the last seven years, many citizens and families have been forced out of the property market and, given their need or desire to become independent or start a family, their only exit has been through the home rental market.

Thus, although owned homes still win by a landslide over rented homes – 78% to 22%, i.e. a very similar level to the one seen at the end of the 1980s – the fact is that in recent years, the balance has tipped a little less towards the property side and although, many experts consider that it is unlikely that we will reach the levels seen in other parts of Europe, where rental properties account for 50% of the residential market in some countries, it is clear that something is changing. “The rental market is here to stay and not just as a lifestyle option, but also as an investment”, says Fernando Encinar, Head of Research at idealista.com.

The rental market in the Community of Madrid is showing the first signs of recovery, as too is the sale and purchase market. Similarly, some areas are sparking greater interest than others in terms of demand, which, in turn, is starting to create a certain amount of tension in terms of prices.

The differences between neighbourhoods are clear. It does not cost the same to rent a flat in the centre of the capital or in the neighbourhoods of Chamberí and Salamanca, where the price per square metre is around €14/m2 (€1,120 for an 80m2 flat) as it does in Villaverde, Carabanchel or Puente de Vallecas, where the price per square metre barely exceeds 8€ (640€ for an 80m2 flat).

These price differences are explained, in part, by the location of the homes – clearly, it does not cost the same to live in the centre of the city as it does in the suburbs – but also due to the excess supply, in places such as Carabanchel and Vallecas, and the strong demand, in areas such as Sanchinarro and Las Tablas, where the experts detect a lot of activity due to the presence of Telefónica and the future arrival of BBVA.

(….)

The tension in terms of rental prices is palpable. Madrid ended the winter with a quarterly increase in rental prices of 1.8%, taking the average price per square metre in the capital to €11.60, however, that represents a cumulative decrease of 15.8% from its record high of €13.80/m2 in 2008.

Moreover, during the first three months of the year, the increase in rental prices was generalised, with rises in almost every district in Madrid, with the exception of Villa de Vallecas and the neighbourhood of Salamanca, according to the data from idealista.com, which also reflects significant increases in the districts of Barajas (5.8%), Retiro (4.7%) and Hortaleza (3.6%).

(….)

Original story: El Confidencial (by Elena Sanz)

Translation: Carmel Drake