Tag: Marbella

Marbella, The Most Sought-After Spanish Real Estate Market

3 February 2016 – El Mundo

All the agents of the Spanish real estate market agree on stating that 2016 will be the year for the real estate recovery to settle down completely in Spain. One of the markets that reflect so perfectly is Marbella (Malaga), where an increase in the number of operations involving luxury properties has been observed, as declared by Lucas Fox, a real-estate agency specialised in top-quality market.

According to the Association of Architecs of Malaga, in 2015 492 planning permissions were authorised in Marbella. This town has presented a new-work property demand that exceeds supply.

Such new luxury dwellings are the most wanted, and most of them get sold in few months after release. Lucas Fox Marbella sale prices were positioned around 3.5 million Euros in 2015. Their most significant sale was to a US purchaser who bought a 12.5 million-Euro property in the exclusive residential area La Zagaleta.

And Marbella still remains one of the most appealing Spanish markets, particularly for the foreign investor. According to Stephen Lahiri, director of Lucas Fox Marbella, this destination “remains to be a favourite for many customers from the north of Europe, specially United Kingdom, Benelux and Scandinavia.” This reflects on the increase of foreign purchasers, whose profile is changing, since “there are ever younger and focus even more on lifestyle, design and quality”, adds Lahiri.

Lucas Fox opens new branch due to growing demand

As a response to such property demand resurgence in this popular Spanish area, Lucas Fox has recently inaugurated its sixth Property Lounge in the luxury district of Nueva Andalucia. The office will operate in luxury areas in Marbella and the surroundings regions, in addition to emerging zones such as Estepona and Benahavís.

“Since its conceiving in 2013, Lucas Fox Marbella has turned into an essential part of overall business,” adds Lahiri. “Our new Property Lounge reflects the need to place the good-quality property demand resurgence in this popular location in Spain,” he states.

Original story: El Mundo

Translation: Aura Ree

Grupo Insur Buys 2 Residential Plots From Sareb

20 August 2015 – Málaga Hoy

Grupo Insur, has acquired 2 residential plots of land in Marbella, through its subsidiary IDS Residencial Los Monteros, whereby expanding its presence in the capital of the Costa del Sol.

The plots of land are located in the ‘Urbanización Altos de los Monteros’ (pictured above), which is known for having a low building density, but lots of villas. It is located in the north east of a prestigious enclave, surrounded by the Río Real and Santa Clara golf courses, as well as by green areas. The maximum permitted buildability of these plots exceeds 50,000 m2 (covered area) and the permitted building type is “Mediterranean town” (i.e. attractive, white-washed, low-rise houses).

Grupo Insur has plans to develop an attractive residential project on these plots, aimed primarily at the international market. The first developments are expected to begin in 2016.

In addition, the group is currently promoting and constructing four developments in Marbella – three in the popular Urbanización Los Naranjos de Marbella containing 67 homes; and a fourth, containing 44 homes, in La Cerquilla de Banús, known as Alminar de Marbella.

Original story: Málaga Hoy

Translation: Carmel Drake

“Lifestyle Investors” May Be Essential For The RE Recovery

9 July 2015 – El Mundo

The international estate agency Lucas Fox has published a report about the Spanish real estate sector, which illustrates the changes that the market has experienced since 2005, with prices peaking in 2007 and subsequently dropping until the middle of 2013. During 2014, the sector experienced a period of moderate stabilisation, before the current recovery kicked in with a stronger emphasis on high-quality properties and a long-term view of investment linked to lifestyle.

According to the agency, prices peaked in 2007, and remained stable in popular areas, such as the Costa Brava and Sitges, where they peaked in mid-2008. House prices then decreased by up to 40% in most areas, but less significant declines were observed in the “lifestyle markets” of Ibiza and the most sought-after areas of Marbella.

Meanwhile, prices experienced a steady decrease in Barcelona until Q3 2013, when the sector began to recover gradually to reach €3,263/m2 by the beginning of 2015.

On the other hand, Madrid and Valencia followed a similar pattern, but with lower values. The report prepared by the estate agency shows that both cities still have to maintain their quarterly growth rates in 2015. According to Alexander Vaughan, “over the last two years, thanks to the growing confidence in the recovery of the Spanish economy and in the Euro, in general, we have seen a revival in the market, with price adjustments at the global level”. Moreover, he adds that “Spain is as charming as ever and we are seeing a huge boom in the number of “lifestyle investors”.

Since mid-2013, the number of transactions has increased continuously in all of the regions served by the estate agency. This, the agency explains, indicates greater confidence in the market and more recognition from buyers. Nevertheless, there is still a long way to go before sales volumes return to their 2007 levels.

Original story: El Mundo

Translation: Carmel Drake

‘La Zagaleta’ Tripled Its Profits In 2014 To €10M

15 June 2015 – Expansión

La Zagaleta is regarded as the most luxurious residential development in Europe / The complex in Marbella, which has 235 homes, tripled its profits in 2014 to €10 million.

In just 900 hectares of land nestled in a Mediterranean forest a few kilometres from Marbella, and guarded by the highest level of security, the residential development of La Zagaleta hides a real estate oasis to which only a few wealthy individuals can aspire.

The Chairman of the company, Oswald Grübel, estimates that the 235 mansions that comprise the residential development are worth €1,800 million at market prices, although that figure increases to €3,000 million if we include the golf courses and other facilities at the site, which is linked together by a 60km-long internal road.

Considered the most luxurious and exclusive urban development in Europe, La Zagaleta is located in the middle of the Golden Triangle – between Marbella, Benahavía and Estepona – the area where the real estate recovery has started in Spain, driven by the pull of international investors.

Grübel, a former CEO of the Swiss bank UBS, took over the reins in 2013, after the Chairman and founder, Enrique Pérez Flores, decided to stand down from his role, at the age of 90. Last year, the company reported record sales of €40 million and tripled its net profit to €10 million. One of the drivers (behind these results) was the sale of several plots of land to a US fund, whose identity has not been disclosed for confidentiality reasons.

An agreement has been made with that fund to manage its assets, i.e. to build villas (on the acquired plots) and then sell them. The contract provides for the construction of the first two (villas) through a joint venture, on which work will begin this year; and then to build several more (villas) over the next five years, although that figure may increase.

According to Jacobo Cestino, CEO of La Zagaleta, in 2006, a strategic decision was taken for the firm to develop the land, in order to generate higher margins and so it reserved all of the available land. “Homes may end up forming part of the stock for a year and a half. That is a risk we run, but the reality is that we have sold properties that have not even been completed”. Thus, this year, the company will invest €15 million in three new mansions, whose market price will be around €40 million.

Cestino also revealed that the company is considering corporate operations, “because our aim is to grow and export our brand. We are analysing operations to form partnerships overseas on a daily basis. We expect to finalise at least one purchase between now and the end of the year”.

In La Zagaleta, around 150,000 m2 of land is occupied, although the buildability ratio is reduced to 15%. Thus, there is still 200,000 m2 available, divided into 185 plots. In terms of rotation, Cestino indicates that “there is still quite a lot”. In recent years, there have been 8 or 9 re-sales per year on average.

Original story: Expansión (by Lidia Velasco)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Tinsa: Coastal House Sales – Marbella & Málaga In Top 5

12 June 2015 – El Mundo

Marbella and Málaga were ranked fourth and fifth in the national coastal real estate market for house sales in Spain in 2014, with 3,997 (+28.7% YoY) and 3,947 (+25.4%) homes sold in each municipality, respectively, according to the latest report from Tinsa (the real estate valuation and advice company), which contained data relating to forty Spanish towns.

The first three in the ranking were: Barcelona (12,819), Valencia (6,474) and Torrevieja (4,136). (…)

In addition, Mijas and Estepona, with more than 2,000 transactions each, also sat near the top of the national list, if we exclude provincial capitals.

In line with the recovery that is happening at the moment on the Costa del Sol, and according to data from the Ministry of Development, Torremolinos and Benalmádena are also performing extremely well, with growth rates in terms of house sales of 70% and 55%, respectively, in 2014 compared with 2013. Those figures place them in the ‘top 4’ in terms of percentage increase in activity.

According to the findings of this report from Tinsa, entitled “Homes on the coast”, “the markets with the greatest presence of international buyers are those where prices have stabilised first”.

On the basis of this and other data, the technical network of the entity that prepared the study, also cites “areas of recovery” on the Andalucían coast between Marbella and Benahavís,. Furthermore, “it detects signs of improvement” in Rincón de la Victoria, Nerja and around Manilva, Estepona and Casares, as well as in other towns in the Andalucían region. In the latter, prices have decreased by 61.5% from their peak, the largest decrease in the national study.

Original story: El Mundo (by Francis Mármol)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Versace Returns To Madrid’s Golden Mile

8 June 2015 – Expansión

Opening on Serrano / The luxury brand returns to the capital’s most exclusive shopping district, after closing its first store there a decade ago.

One of the leaders in the luxury fashion industry is returning to Madrid. The Italian firm Versace has just signed the lease for a store on Madrid’s exclusive Calle Serrano. The opening of the shop means the return of the firm, which closed its first stores in Madrid and Barcelona in 2005.

The company led by Donatella Versace has already taken the first steps in its return to the Spanish market with the opening of a store in Puerto Banús (Marbella) and on Paseo de Gracia, 85 in Barcelona.

Now, it has just signed the lease for a shop located on Calle Serrano, 16, where its neighbours will include other luxury brands such as Longchamp, Michael Kors, Louis Vuitton and Loewe. (…)

The store is currently being refurbished following the departure of its previous tenant, the Catalan firm Custo. Prior to that, it was occupied by another Spanish fashion group, Hoss Intropia. Following the refurbishment, which has been commissioned by the family office that owns the building, Versace will have a store with more than 500 m2 of space in the most exclusive shopping district of Madrid. As such, experts forecast that the firm will pay a rent of around €1 million per year.

The arrival of Versace is not the only big move happening on the city’s Golden Mile over the next few months. The firm Macson, which specialises in menswear, will take over from Massimo Dutti at Serrano, 17. Macson, which is headquartered in Madrid, will become the tenant of the store measuring 550 m2, after Inditex’s high-end brand moved to number 46. The change at that address (Serrano, 46) will be from one brand of Amancio Ortega’s group to another, since Zara used to lease the property, until it opened its flagship store at number 23, Calle Serrano. The opening of that property, a year ago, marked the launch of Zara’s first flagship store in Spain, following the opening of several flagship stores around the world, including in New York, Milan and Shanghai. Another Spanish firm, Mango, is also preparing to open its own flagship store on one of Spain’s most expensive retail streets.

Availability

“The completion of the refurbishment work has given way to frenetic change, with 24 new store openings in 2014 alone, and with very limited levels of availability, which has caused rents to increase, to reach €220/m2/month”, explain sources at Ascana.

There are currently three stores in the same building (Calle Serrano, 7) that are awaiting tenants. In total, the three premises have a surface area of 10,000 m2, which will undoubtedly be snapped up soon given the furore currently surrounding Madrid’s Golden Mile.

Original story: Expansión (by Rocío Ruiz)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Hispania’s Hotel Socimi Evaluates Potential New Partners

14 May 2015 – Cinco Días

Bay, the hotel vehicle created by Hispania and Barceló, wants to strengthen its growth. The Socimi, which specialises in the Spanish holiday hotel segment, is seeking to expand its assets and obtain a critical mass with which to debut, first on the MAB, and then on the main stock exchange.

The head of the hotel sector for Hispania, Javier Arús, has acknowledged that the Socimi is interested in continuing its purchase of assets in the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands and on the coast. For the time being, the vehicle owns 11 hotels and 3,946 rooms, expandable to 2,151 more, as the result of an agreement with Barceló, which has required an investment of €421 million. According to Arús, this amount (of total investment) will have to increase to €1,000 million to ensure the appropriate “critical mass” for floatation on the stock exchange.

A few weeks ago, Hispania revealed that it had secured €545 million to invest in assets after completing a capital increase, which involved the accelerated placement of 27.53 million shares. This financial muscle will allow it to make the upcoming purchases amounting to €200 million that it announced recently. Within the hotel sector, Hispania announced in November that it was in the advanced stages of studying a transaction amounting to €40 million involving a hotel asset in the Canary Islands with 700 rooms.

At a conference about hotel investment in Spain organised by Garrigues and Cehat (la ‘Confederación Española de Hoteles y Alojamientos Turísticos’ or the ‘Spanish Confederation of Hotels and Tourist Accommodation’, Arús said that Bay is (currently) analysing the entry of family hotel groups, either through cash or hotel assets. “There is a huge opportunity to grow in (terms of the number of) rooms”, said the executive, who pointed to the possible scaling up of Bay’s model within the Spanish holiday segment.

The investment vehicle created by Hispania and Barceló expects to own assets managed by different operators, not just the Mallorcan group. In fact, Arús revealed that Barceló is not expected to operate the next few hotels that the Socimi acquires.

As well as creating the Socimi with Barceló last year (and taking a 80.5% controlling stake), Hispania purchased the Hotel Melia Jardines del Teide for €36 million, two NH hotels in Madrid for €42.15 million and the Hotel Guadalmina in Marbella for €21.5 million, as well as a hotel from the Vincci chain. The company has not ruled out transferring these assets to Bay during the second half of this year.

Original story: Cinco Días (by L.S.)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Britons Buy Homes In Spain, Driven By Strong Pound

5 March 2015 – El Economista

The strength of the British pound makes (house) purchases in Spain more affordable.

Low returns on deposits (at home) encourages Britons to seek alternative investments.

Sun, financial repression and low prices. This perfect cocktail is converting Britons into the main buyers of homes in Spain, especially in areas near the beach. That is because, in addition to the traditional appeal of the coast, Britons are now facing poor returns on their savings at home, due to measures taken by the Bank of England, and because they expect to see a recovery in the real estate sector in Spain. The appreciation of the pound against the euro makes the investment even more affordable for the average Brit, who is also seeing prices in his own country year on year.

An example is Londoner Barry Leverington, who thinks that his money is better off in a Spanish home than it would be earning next to nothing in a British savings account. The bank employee, aged 33 years old, is looking at properties in the Mazarrón Country Club, in Murcia, where two-bedroom villas cost as little as €75,000.

“Anyone who has some capital can buy in Spain, with almost no mortgage, and there is potential for prices to rise”, explains Mr Leverington in a telephone interview. “I grouped together some savings, and with the current low interest rates, I realised they were dormant, not doing anything”.

Foreigners return to Spain

Mr Leverington is not the only one. Foreigner buyers are returning to the Spanish real estate market, attracted by economic growth that exceeds the rates in most of the rest of Europe and by the signs that prices are bottoming out after years of decreases. In fact, sales of homes to foreigners accounted for 13.9% of total sales in the fourth quarter of 2014, a new record.

Britons are the biggest foreign investors, because the zero interest rates on savings accounts (at home) and the prospects for rising house prices in Spain mean that keeping their money in their own country is a much less attractive option.

In total, foreigners invested €6,050 million in Spanish properties during the first nine months of last year, 30% more than during the same period in 2013, according to data from the Ministry of Development. The 40,338 homes purchased represented an increase of 27% with respect to the same period a year before, with Valencia, Andalucía and Cataluña topping the list as the favourite destinations for foreign purchasers.

Interest from overseas investors is increasing after many left scarred, following the collapse of the Spanish real estate market with the onset of the global financial crisis and the burst of the local property bubble. The legacy from this collapse is a stock of more than 1 million homes, many of them in the South and East of the country, in areas very popular with Britons and Europeans.

House prices have also suffered a corresponding crash, having fallen by 42% since their peak in 2007, although in coastal areas, some properties have lost up to 50% of their value, according to estimates from the property appraiser, Tinsa. Nevertheless, it seems that the trend has changed, as the rate of decrease slowed from 9% in 2013 to 3% last year.

Deposits with no returns

The Bank of England has maintained interest rates at a historical low of 0.5% since 2009, which has impacted the interest rates offered by banks on British savings. A financial repression, which is making Britons look for alternatives for their savings, and from there Spanish property looks like a good option.

In addition, it is becoming increasingly expensive to invest in homes in the United Kingdom, where prices increased by 25% between December 2007 and December 2014, according to the Office for National Statistics, led by London, where prices increased by 18% last year alone.

Moreover, the recent increase in the value of the pound against the euro, which has appreciated by 13.5% in the last 12 months, means that homes in Spain are even cheaper for the Brits. This is an important effect to consider, according to the real estate expert José Luis Ruiz Bartolomé, “when something is gifted, it is even more attractive than when you purchase it with a strong currency”.

“People like me want to achieve some kind of return on their savings and they won’t get very far in the real estate market in the UK at the moment”, says Mr Leverington. “Properties in Spain are currently under-valued. It is a win-win situation for everyone”.

Spaniards are also returning to the market, although at a slower rate. The purchase of homes by Spaniards increased slightly by 2.2% in 2014 to reach 319,389 properties, the first increase since 2010, according to date from INE. A ray of light for the sector, although it is still a long way from the highs of 2006, when 955,186 homes changed hands.

Marbella, at its peak

Another symptom of the improvement is that despite the (housing) stock, cranes have reappeared in some areas of major cities and on the coast. Darío Fernández, from the consultancy Jones Lang LaSalle, explains that “we are seeing demand for primary residences from Spaniards in Madrid and Barcelona, and demand for second homes from foreigners in coastal regions. People are confident that the economic risks have disappeared, and see that prices are still very low”.

In fact, in some areas, such as Marbella, demand is so high that international funds are partnering up with local players to buy land and build new homes, adds Fernández. Currently, there are 400 homes under construction in the Malagan town, the highest number in the last six years.

Mr Leverington, the London bank employee, is going to travel to Murcia in June to get to know the area, and if he finds a property he likes, he will buy it. “I have already spoken to some estate agents, I don’t want to wait much longer, because as soon as there is any good news, the market will recover and I don’t want to miss out”.

Original story: El Economista

Translation: Carmel Drake

Final Sales At The Luxury ‘La Zagaleta’ Development

23 February 2015 – El Mundo

An agreement has been reached between the complex owner and investors to launch new properties.

Property prices in this development range between €1 million and €16 million.

Potential buyers enjoy the minimum legal IBI rate in this precious enclave.

“Few residential developments offer such a high level of exclusivity in Spain”.

Luxury, exclusivity and virtually airtight privacy. Those are the characteristics of the homes in La Zagaleta, a genuine Marbellan development only a few buyers can afford, which has successfully avoided the punches thrown by the crisis. Today, the supply of newly built properties has been exhausted and so to gain access to the urbanisation, buyers have to resort to the resale market for the contemporary properties.

However, to satisfy the booming demand for La Zagaleta, new investors have arrived in the precious residential complex and they have reached an agreement with the owners of the urbanisation to market and promote more than twenty plots. “We are designing a strategic plan that will allow us to jointly launch five or six high-end villas in 2016”, announced Sergio Azcona, Press Director at La Zagaleta.

This agreement paints a very encouraging picture for the enclave, since it will ensure a constant supply in the area and will maintain the highest standards of quality. “This is good news for the market, which is experiencing a relative scarcity of new, high-end properties and whose supply mainly comprises traditional, older houses, which normally need refurbishing”, added Stephen Lahiri, Director of Lucas Fox’s office in Marbella. The real estate company has recently completed two of the most significant sales in the area for €7 million and €12 million, respectively.

“Few urbanisations offer such a high level of exclusivity in Spain”, said Lahiri. The properties in La Zagaleta meet the highest standards in terms of construction, architecture and security, which is extremely appealing and therefore results in high demand. For the most part, the price of the houses marketed by Lucas Fox comfortably exceeds one million euros and sometimes can reach up to €16 million. As well as these characteristics, the low construction density over the 900-hectare plot is another appealing feature, which means that the homes are surrounded by lush vegetation and enjoy views of the Mediterranean, Gibraltar and Africa.

“We have two 18-hole golf courses and we offer a personalised service with a team of 120 multilingual professionals who meet the needs of clients 24 hours a day”, said Azcona.

Buyers are aged between 40 and 50

The local real estate companies have noted an increase in the number of requests (for properties) in the Marbella area, where the volume of transactions is again close to its 2007 levels. Moreover, there has been a change in the demographic: buyers are generally younger than they were at the start of the Noughties, with the average age now ranging between 40 and 50 years.

(….)

“In terms of the method of payment for the properties, given the current difficulties involved in financing a real estate transaction, more and more clients are choosing to buy without taking out a mortgage”, said Lahiri. Therefore “it is no surprise that prices have returned to more realistic figures as buyers return (to the market)”. “Above all”, he adds “in areas considered to be the best in Europe for living and owning a luxury property”.

Favourable Tax (Conditions)

The potential buyers in La Zagaleta cannot ignore the great appeal of the tax rate, since in this urbanisation – just like in many other towns in the area – the Property Ownership Tax (Impuesto sobre Bienes Inmuebles or IBI) rate is at its legal minimum, something which “along with its special location has meant that (the development) has barely suffered during the crisis”, concludes Azcona, who states that “the indicators suggest that values, and therefore prices, are going to be updated in the short and medium term”.

Original story: El Mundo (by Pablo Ramos)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Foreign Investment Fund Offers €16.1m For Guadalpín Hotels

19 February 2015 – Diario Sur

The transaction could amount to almost €60 million in total, since Caixabank would cancel most of the sizeable debt that Aifos has with the entity.

The turbulent history of Guadalpín hotels is beginning a new chapter. Whilst the property developer Aifos, which constructed these luxury facilities, is immersed in a process to approve its liquidation plan to proceed to bankruptcy, a foreign investment fund is looking to take advantage of the opportunity by placing €16.1 million on the table to purchase the majority of the two properties, but without taking on their management. The administrators have already agreed the deal with the fund, in principle, but the transaction must be authorised by Commercial Court number 1 in Malaga, which is conducting the bankruptcy proceedings.

The offer has been presented by Lumitran System, a company controlled by foreign investors, mainly Swiss and Central European, which has set its sights on the hotels. The offer for the property in Marbella, which is located on the Golden Mile (Milla de Oro) has been made for the common areas of the building, which belong to Aifos, as well as other spaces, such as the ground floor, which houses the swimming pool, reception and garage; the apartments (in the property) are owned by another party.

In terms of the facilities in Guadalpín Banús, the investors are looking to purchase the apartments and other spaces, such as the reception, kitchen and the shops in the building. Despite this, the proposal does not provide for the operation of the hotels, which depend on other companies.

In exchange for the specified consideration, Lumitran System, would also take ownership of other items. One of the most symbolic would be the Guadalpín brand. And another, with more financial opportunities, is a plot of land known as the Village, which is situated just behind the hotel in Puerto Banús, which was reserved at the time for a potential future expansion. These are the targets of a transaction that, although require a pay-out of €16.1 million (by the investors), would generate significantly more profit for a company that does not find itself in the same situation as Aifos, which would see its debt of €59.1 million eliminated in a stroke.

The offer explains that the developer holds debt with the entity Caixabank amounting to €51.6 million, in the form of mortgages over the hotels Guadalpín Banús and Marbella. Nevertheless, the entity would forgive this amount entirely in exchange for a cash payment of €9.4 million and its complete dissociation from Aifos, which Lumitran has committed to.

In addition to this payment to the banking entity for the facilities, Aifos would also receive a cash payment itself. Specifically, Lumitran would pay €2.5 million directly to the developer. Another party that would benefit from this transaction is the Town Hall of Marbella. In their offer, the investors commit to taking over the obligations that Aifos holds with the Town Hall regarding the administrative normalisation of the urban situation of the Guadalpín complexes in Banús and Marbella. According to recent estimates, that would amount to €3.6 million in the case of the Village plot alone. Moreover, the municipal’s coffers would also receive funds from the investors in the form of tax revenues, such as property tax (impuestos de bienes inmuebles or IBI) and garbage tax, which have not been paid in recent times. These payments by Lumitran System would exceed €600,000.

Agreement with the bank

This proposal, which has already been agreed between the investors and Caixabank, is now in the hands of the Commercial Court number 1 in Malaga, which is conducting Aifos’ bankruptcy proceedings. The bankruptcy administrators processed the offer a few days ago and now the period has begun for its assessment, as well as for the presentation of new offers in the event that other parties are interested in acquiring the assets from the developer, which filed for liquidation in October last year.

In a letter, the bankruptcy administrators ask the court to authorise the proposal so that the sale of the aforementioned facilities in the Guadalpín hotels may go ahead. They assure that this transaction would result in “enormous benefits” for the parties affected by Aifos’ bankruptcy. And that the deal would amount to almost €60 million in total. There would be some direct revenues,  €16.1 million (€2.5m for Aifos, €9.4m for Caixabank and another €4.2m for the Town Hall of Marbella), although the most significant amount would involve the cancelation of Aifos’ debt by Caixabank.

In their request to the courts, the administrators also highlight the importance of this purchase being agreed “as soon as possible” to avoid any further accumulation of debt by both the Costa del Sol Town Hall and the bank.

Original story: Diario Sur

Translation: Carmel Drake