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Your English Newspaper
roundtownnews.com
Issue 30
24 - 30 MAY 2013
Murcia sales on the rise
Property selling best in Murcia
by Keith Nicol PROPERTY PURCHASES across Spain fell in the first quarter with the exception of Murcia, where it grew to 10.3%. The sale of homes in the first quarter fell in all regions throughout Spain, compared to the same period in 2012, with the exception of Murcia, according to the statistics of notary transactions facilitating the Ministry of Development. The largest declines in the first three months of the year were located in Navarra, with a drop in transactions of 49.5 percent, Castilla y Leon (-40.9 percent), Basque Country (-40.4 percent) and Asturias (-38.3 percent).In the whole country, housing sales fell 21.5 percent in the first quarter to stand at 54,512 units, according to statistics. 15% of all the sales were performed by foreign residents in Spain, who accounted for a total of 8,457 transactions between the months of January and March, up 5%, which also marks the seventh consecutive quarter of growth. In looking at the type and style of property sold, the sale of secondhand point topped 82.7% of transactions, with 45,098 homes
bought or sold, so that new residential operations accounted for 17.3% (9,414 units). Throughout Spain, sheltered housing accounted for 5.5% of total transactions in the first quarter with 2,974 units. In the whole of the last twelve months (April 2012-March 2013), a total of 348,715 homes changed hands, resulting in a slight increase of 1.3% compared to the preceding period. By provinces, four areas recorded annual increases. Alicante is an increase of 10.5%, Murcia (+10.3%), Almeria (+7.9%) and Tarragona (+6.6%). Among those with negative changes include Ă vila, with a slump of 51.2%, Navarra (-49.5%), Soria (48.5%), Salamanca (-45.6%) and Ă lava (-45.3%). Municipalities, which recorded a higher number of sales are Madrid, with 3,350 property transactions, Barcelona (1,635 homes), Sevilla (1,219 units), Valencia (827 floors) and Zaragoza (819 homes). As noted a few weeks ago in RTN, one of the factors that might contribute to higher sales throughout the Murcia region is that Murcia has the third lowest property prices in Spain, making house purchase here a more attractive proposition, especially among foreigners.