Have you ever thought of investing in property abroad? There are many advantages to it. The first of course is being able to own your own vacation retreat. You will have a “home away from home” where you can go anytime you feel the need for rest, relaxation, or just space from everything.

Properties abroad can also give you a very good return on investment. People have earned a lot of money by buying into a community before it “boomed” and then selling it a five or even six times its value a few years later. But you have to watch the market and know which communities are doing well. Some very good examples are the properties in Spain. Right now property in Spain is relatively cheaper than when you look at the prices of property in the rest of Europe, especially in the north.

If you live in Europe you also have the advantage of shared currency. The euro also makes it easy to assess the value of a place and doesn’t put you at risk for currency fluctuations. On the other hand if you have dollars and plan to invest in a country with good exchange rate your dollars will go a long, long way. This is true if you invest in tourist spots in Asia, where the dollars and the euros perform very well. For the price of an apartment you could own beach front property, and then rent it out to tourists. It’s not such a bad deal.

When buying property abroad you have to consider the overall development of the country. How is their communication and transportation system? Does the government have plans to improve them? Is it easy to commute to and from your country, how are the airports and the railway systems? Also look at the quality of the Internet infrastructure. Can you work from home or run a global business from your villa?

Also look beyond the “hotspots” of country. The well known communities well command a higher price but also look at those with good growth potential, such as the coastal areas in the region around Murcia, and the Northern Atlantic coastal areas. Also, because they’re new, the prices aren’t as high. That’s another great deal!

Have you finally found the vacation home of your dreams? Are you ready to write the check and sign the official contract that transfers the property to your name?

But wait! You have to look at a few details first, and really decide if this is the right investment to make. Are you really, really sure that the house and land you are buying is legal? Have you verified if the person who is selling it is the actual owner of the property? And have you reviewed your contract and included clauses that guarantee that you can get a refund if you realize something is fishy?

But the best precaution you can take is to hire consultants you can trust who can look after your interests. Namely, the real estate agent and a solicitor or lawyer.

You can find many excellent real estate agents through the Internet or from a directory. Choose someone that you can trust. More than cheap fees or flashy scripts, trustworthiness is the most important quality in a real estate agent. You should feel that he will address all your concerns, listen to all your needs, and go out of his way to look for the best property.

If you’re buying property abroad a real estate agent is more important. A real estate agent can explain the process to you to make you feel more confident about each step. He can also help you navigate local laws and customs, and help you translate the documents into your language.

It’s also important to get a real estate agent if you plan to purchase the property off plan. An off plan is what you call a property which hasn’t been constructed yet, or is not yet completed. Technically the developers are preselling the property. There may be chance that place will never be completed or that they don’t have the right permits to build a property there. A real estate agent can tell you more about the developer and make sure that you are getting a good deal for your investment.

Before searching for a possible home in Spain, kick off the process by looking at your mortgage prospects. You should contact a very good mortgage lender or mortgage broker and then secure approval for a loan. With an approved loan, you have a much higher chance of being able to make a really strong offer for the property you like.

Finding a Solicitor

Aside from finding a mortgage broker do consider getting a good solicitor to act as your legal representative. You will need someone with a legal background when you start working on the documents needed to buy a home. Legal wording in contracts is very important. For example when you and the seller have finally settled on a final price, the normal practice is to make an initial deposit. Your lawyer will make sure that this deposit is appropriately recorded and that there will be no last minute changes in the price. If you decide not to get a lawyer right away it is advisable that you include the terms “subject to mortgage and valuation” in the purchase contract.

If you are trying to get financing for the property, the bank will have requirements and in the process of doing that you will often discover faults such local council issues or whether or not the construction is legal. You should be able to back out without losing your deposit.

It’s always important to get these experts on your team or you may forfeit your deposit if you suddenly decide to stop in the middle of the proceedings.

Spain is a fascinating mixture of the past and the present. In the city areas, very narrow and old alleys that can barely accommodate four people standing side by side, suddenly open into large cemented streets lined on both sides by very modernly designed buildings. Trendy discos with dance music stand next to traditional bars run by families who serve homemade wine.

Indeed many people who visit Spain fall in love with it, and then seduced by its pleasures, invest in a home so they can return to it again and again. Travel is affordable and convenient, the amenities and accommodations are easy to find, the weather is golden, and everyone is carefree and happy. You will enjoy the tropical beaches, the feast of flavors that is Spanish cuisine, and the cultural diversity. More than 500,000,000 flock to Spain every year, but large sections of the country have retained the local charm. People proudly continue to speak Spanish and hold on to traditions and customs, even in this very tourist-y and international environment.

But where do you buy property in Spain? It really depends on what you are looking for. The regions are so different and the climate will vary depending on where you love. Madrid is the capital and so it is easy to find work, plus you have all the amenities and the best infrastructure such as modern roads and Internet access. However the weather can get very cold in winter, or the months from December to February. But in July and August the weather becomes very warm, about 80 degrees Fahrenheit or 30 degrees centigrade. Locals call it nueve meses de invierno y tres de infierno - nine months of winter and three of hell.

If you buy property in Valladolid, which is location in the north, or places in the Ebro basin like Zaragoza, remember that it can get extremely dry there. It has some of the most minimal rainfall in the world. There is more rainfall in the Guadalquivir basin located in Andalucía, but the temperatures can get uncomfortably hot during the peak of summer.

In Andalucía where the Costa del Sol is located there is a lot of beautiful sunshine throughout the year. It is sunny even during winter, which is why it’s such a popular vacation resort. Bear in mind, however, thtt the heat can be stifling during the summer months of July and August. This is true for any region that is in land (in which case you escape to the mountains!). You can expect snow falls around the month of October or even the whole year in some places.

But most of the time Spain has excellent climate and it’s just a matter of which part of the country you are in.