I just got back from a long weekend trip to a very warm London and whist attending a garden party (as you do) the subject of Spanish property came up. One or two old family friends commented that it must be tough right now in Spain, but also a wonderful time / opportunity to buy. And it's not only old family friends intending to say what I want to hear!

Here is a headline which I’m not going to ignore from the British press in the Daily Express worth shouting about.

It is part of a process that’s building and after many years of highly negative press, it seems inescapable to most now, that well, what goes around comes around and our day is perhaps here once more.

Along with other articles I’m seeing, it does sometimes pose the question: Is this a good or a bad thing?

A Weekend at .......... Condado

 

Over the last 7 years we have all witnessed the meteoric rise (and fall some might say) of Polaris World´s Golf Resorts in Murcia. In total, Polaris World have built six resorts, based around 18-hole golf courses plus 2 hotels, a private school, bars, restaurants and of course the small matter of several thousand properties, all built in the relatively undeveloped region of Murcia, Spain. The severity of the world economic crisis has meant that prices have plummeted and many have questioned what the future holds for Polaris.

 

Here at Ultimate Homes, we have clients with properties on most of the resorts and over the years have watched with interest as the resorts have evolved. We have never, however, actually had first hand experience of staying in one of these resorts. Until now....

 

One of our clients recently completed the purchase of a property on the Condado De Alhama Golf Resort, the latest and what will be the largest of all the Polaris Resorts. Now that the property has been fully furnished, our very generous client said, “you have the keys, go and use it whenever you want”. So last weekend I took them up on their offer and headed off with my wife Emma for a night on the resort.

 

Condado De Alhama is situated in the region of Alhama De Murcia, 20 kilometres from the coastal town of Puerto de Mazarron and 40 kilometres from the city of Murcia. It is well linked to the airports of San Javier and Alicante by a network of new motorways and by this time next year the new airport in nearby Corvera should also be open.

 

The apartment we stayed in is known as a “penthouse”. A little confusing as it is not actually a penthouse but built in a style to give the feeling that each apartment is a penthouse. The apartment has two bedrooms and one bathroom a lounge and American kitchen, plus a terrace with an open, panoramic view of the spectacular 18 hole signature golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus. 

 

 

 

The first impressions are good, the resort looks very well maintained, and the golf course immaculate. The town centre is called Al-Kasar, a large square built in an Arabic style with units for around 20 businesses and a lake in the middle. Currently the square has a supermarket and an Irish Bar, with other units expected to open soon. This is the only problem at the moment, whilst you can buy more or less anything you need in the supermarket and the Irish Bar does some food, it would be nice to have some restaurants to stroll down to rather than have to get in the car. 

 

 

 

The nearest coastal town is Puerto De Mazarron, a small town with beautiful sandy beaches, a small marina and a promenade with many restaurants. The town has undergone a major revamp in the last few years with a new pier around the marina filled with many bars and restaurants. On Saturday evening we visited a very lively and vibrant Mazarron and found a lovely restaurant in the marina for a meal. Although there are some tourists around, this part of Spain is not as commercialised as the better known Costas and the town has a very Spanish feel. In actual fact we had such a nice Saturday we decied to stay another day and spent the whole of Sunday on the resort, around the pool and in the evening, at the Irish Bar.

 

 

 

So what have I learned from this trip? We had a great time and the resort was excellent. It is not the finished article yet, it needs more facilities (there’s only so much Guinness you can drink!) and it’s a little quiet. That said, it is relatively new, still growing and with more facilities come more people. With the new airport opening soon and advanced plans and agreements in place to build a Paramount Theme Park very close by, I believe 

the future is bright for Condado.

 

The property we stayed in was a 2nd floor, south facing apartment with large terrace looking over the golf. Prices for these now start at 82,326 Euros. We also have 2 and 3 bedroom “Jardin” style apartments starting at 72,000 Euros. In my opinion, this is amazing value for money. If you are interested or would just like a holiday here, the apartment I stayed in is available for rent at a very attractive rate so contact us for more details.