Murcia Growth

Unlike other areas of Spain the Murcia region experienced a seven per cent growth during the last quarter of 2007.

Those looking for a property on the costas, without paying premium prices, should head for the Costa Calida in Murcia.

Resorts such as Mazarrón are still fairly untouched by mass tourism, and property here can still be snapped up at reasonable prices.

Investors need to hurry though, as it is is quickly catching up with the other costas.

A lot of money has been put into attracting tourists to the area, and a new marina opened in Puerto de Mazarrón last year. There are also a wealth of new shops, restaurants and café bars opening in the resort, which are due to be ready for the summer season.

There are a range of properties in the area, from resales to off-plan homes on new developments. It is still possible to buy a two-bedroom apartment on a complex, with a sea view, for €200,000, and one-bedroom apartments at the Polaris World Golf development, which is home to three Jack Nicklaus-designed courses, and 20 minutes from the beach, start from €90,000.

Good deals and flexible payment plans from builders and developers, ensure the off-plan market Mazarrón is still strong.

As well as the new marina the Town Hall has introduced another incentive to attract foreign visitors – a translation system. British residents and visitors can now get linguistic assistance by use of a headset. The system uses a mobile phone and two sets of headphones and can provide a simultaneous translation in either English, French, German or Arabic.

This is a pilot scheme in the region and it should also be available in Puerto de Mazarrón in the near future.

Around 46 per cent of the population in Mazarrón are non-Spaniards, so the new service is geared towards residents who speak little or no Spanish.

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