Tag: upwards trend

ST: House Prices Rose By 2.5% In 2016

4 April 2017 – El Mundo

The average price of housing in Spain experienced an average annual increase of 2.5%, to reach €1,469/m2, according to the Real Estate Sector Trend Report from ST Sociedad de Tasación. In the second half of 2016 alone, house prices rose by 1.5%. Despite this YoY increase, the average salary required to acquire a home remained stable at 7.4 years.

According to Juan Fernández-Aceytuno, Director General of the appraisal company, “the positive variation experienced over the last 18 months confirms the recovery that we have been predicting since 2015”. “Nevertheless”, he clarified, “the average behaviour of prices is not the same across every province”.

In this way, by province, Barcelona experienced an annual increase of 5.5%, followed by the Balearic Islands, with an increase of 4.6% and Madrid, 4.4%. By contrast, Teruel with a reduction of -2.1% and Álava with a fall of -1.6% experienced the highest price decreases, followed by Pontevedra (-1.4%), Zamora (-1.3%) and Burgos (-1.1%).

By autonomous region, the price of new and second-hand homes are still decreasing in some areas, led by Asturias with a decrease of -0.5%, followed by La Rioja (-0.4%) and Castilla y León (-0.3%). Meanwhile, Cataluña (4.8%), the Balearic Islands (4.6%), Madrid (4.4%) and Melilla (3.3%) recorded the highest annual increases.

7.4 years of salary to buy a home

ST Sociedad de Tasación’s Real Estate Effort Index, which defines the number of years of full pay that an average citizen needs to buy an average home, did not change, remaining stable at 7.4 years in the first quarter of 2017.

The Balearic Islands continued to be the region where it takes the longest to acquire a home (14.4 years), although that figure has decreased with respect to 2016. By contrast, La Rioja is the region where it is easiest to access housing (4.9 years), followed by Murcia, where it takes 5.1 years of full pay to buy a home.

Meanwhile, the Accessibility Index prepared by ST Sociedad de Tasación reflects a slight improvement at the state level for the third consecutive quarter. Based on a benchmark of 100 points for those cases in which the capacity for indebtedness is sufficient, the average level in Spain in the first quarter of 2017 amounted to 107 points, three points above the level in the previous quarter. The state average remained above the minimum salary level for the acquisition of an average home for the fifth consecutive quarter.

By autonomous region, Madrid, Cataluña and the Balearic Islands continued to register insufficient levels for the acquisition of a home, with Cantabria moving into positive territory.

Confidence increases in the real estate sector

ST Sociedad de Tasación’s Real Estate Confidence Index continued its upward trend during the first quarter of 2017, registering an increase of 0.9 points, to reach 55.4 points, out of a total of 100. The index hit its lowest ever value in December 2012, at 30.6 points.

By autonomous region, La Rioja exceeds sixty points, with 60.2, followed by Madrid (58.4) and the Balearic Islands (57.6), which reported the highest confidence indices. By contrast, Castilla y León (50.7), País Vasco (51) and Murcia (51.2) recorded the lowest levels.

Original story: El Mundo

Translation: Carmel Drake

Mitula: Rental Prices Soar In Spain’s Large Cities

25 January 2017 – El Mundo

The residential rental market is riding high at the moment and this good situation is reflected in rental prices, which are soaring in most of Spain’s major cities, according to a study by the home finder Mitula. Specifically, rental prices have increased by more than 60% in Barcelona over the last five years, whilst in Madrid, they have risen by almost 20% during the same period.

In this way, average rental prices in the Spanish capital amounted to around €1,048 per month in 2012, a figure that has grown in a sustained way over the last five years. By January 2017, the average rent in Madrid stood at €1,256, which represents an increase of 19.85%.

Other cities such as Barcelona and Palma have also seen their residential rental prices soar, but to an even greater extent. In the case of the Catalan capital, for example, the average rent has risen from €892 in January 2012 to €1,478 in January 2017, which represents an increase of 65.70%.

Palma has also seen its rental prices move upwards. A rental home in the capital of the Balearic Islands used to cost around €700 per month on average in 2012. Nowadays, the same property costs around €1,000 (€986), up by 40%, according to Mitula.

This upwards trend is being repeated in most of Spain’s major capitals, but there is one exception: Santander. The capital of Cantabria is one of the few cities where rental prices have remained practically frozen. At the moment, a rental home costs €649 per month, on average, which is 2.84% less than five years ago, when the figure stood at around €668/per month.

Original story: El Mundo

Translation: Carmel Drake