Tag Archives: housing

House sales back to 2007 levels in surprise surge

Posted on by — 2 Comments ↓

1.089 homes were sold in Almería in May, the highest number since 2007, bringing the province back to pre-recession levels. That’s 65% more than were sold in May 2014, and 17% of all homes sold in Andalucia that month were sold here. Most of the homes were resales rather than new properties, but the sudden surge has left estate agents surprised. Some agents think that a backlog of properties waiting to be registered in the Continue reading House sales back to 2007 levels in surprise surge→

Major rift in Andalusian coalition government over squatter rights

Posted on by — No Comments ↓

We wake up this morning to hear of a major rift in the Andalusian government that only promises to get worse! Andalucia is currently governed by a coalition of the left-wing PSOE party and the communist IU party. “Corrala Utopía” is a block of unsold new flats in Seville that were broken into and occupied by poor families, at the urging of the local communist IU leaders, back in 2012. They proceeded to run the Continue reading Major rift in Andalusian coalition government over squatter rights→

Junta: council tenants can pay rent via community service

Posted on by — No Comments ↓

The Junta is launching a pilot scheme to allow social housing tenants without jobs to pay their rent via community service, instead of cash. They get a voucher for the value of their work which they can then redeem against the value of their rent. About 10% of the 80,000 households who live in government owned “council houses” are currently defaulting on their rent because not one person in the home has an income. The Continue reading Junta: council tenants can pay rent via community service→

First housing inspectors start work

Posted on by — No Comments ↓

The Andalucian Ministry of Housing have appointed the first 25 Inspectors of Housing, whose jobs entail the investigation of the legal status of all constructions in Andalucia. They are expecting to shortly appoint a further 11 inspectors. They will have the power to investigate any building site, without prior notice, to ensure that the construction is in accordance with all applicable legislation; in cases where the legality of the building is in doubt they have Continue reading First housing inspectors start work→

Zurgena corruption scandal

Posted on by — No Comments ↓

 Much excitement today as the news broke of the arrests of the mayor of Zurgena, Candido Trabalon, the Councilman in charge of Urbanisations, Manuel Tijeras, the town architect, an associate of the town architect, the owner of “New Horizon Villas” (according to “El Pais”) and Tomas Zurano, president of the “Constructores Andaluces de Obra Publica” in a massive police operation. Such was the police operation that an elderly lady ran into a bar shouting “¡Los Continue reading Zurgena corruption scandal→