Just to let you all know that despite these turbulent times all of our advisors at Fluent Finance Abroad have been working as normal, either in the office or remotely. And we’ve been very busy getting new mortgage approvals and agreements in principle arranged for our clients in readiness for when the markets re-open. Once the restrictions are lifted we anticipate a flurry of activity and, with our forward planning, Fluent Finance Abroad clients will be ahead of the game.
Since March 2020 we have completed on just over 3 million € worth of net mortgage lending and been involved in property sales worth over 6.4 million€, all within the lockdown period.
Our offices are now open for pre-arranged appointments, with a maximum of 2 advisors in the office at any one time. We have taken a number of measures to ensure the safety of both our clients and our staff, so please feel free to contact us to organise an appointment at our offices. Alternatively we continue to offer advice via the telephone or video meetings, whichever you prefer.
The border controls and restrictions on movement have been partially lifted, with unlimited travel within the Andalucian region starting from Monday 8th June. And as conditions have been rapidly improving the Spanish government is currently considering allowing international tourists into the country before 1st July. The proposal involves opening up travel corridors between different countries into different regions of Spain. So, with this rapid increase in activity we anticipate moving into the new normal will be sooner rather than later. Today (10th June) the UK government has announced that it plans to water-down its 14 day travel quarantine policy as quickly as possible and will hopefully be lifted in its entirety by mid-July, effectively allowing UK visitors to travel from the beginning of July with no returning quarantine restriction.
To mark a positive start to this new normal, Fluent Finance Abroad will be launching some innovative mortgage products, which are totally unique to the Spanish Mortgage market. We think they are one of the most interesting concepts to hit the market in a long time and we’re very excited that we’ll be at the forefront with these products. We’ll be announcing more about these mortgages very shortly, so watch this space.
The 19 COVID economic crisis has indeed caused pain to the Spanish economy, however Spanish banks are reasonably healthy. The reason why Spanish lenders are in good shape is due to the numerous stress tests the EU imposed regarding liquidity and cash reserves that banks must adhere to, they are in a strong position to weather the storm of the COVID 19 shock, unlike the global crisis in 2008. We at Fluent Finance Abroad anticipate that the full recovery of the property market will take some time, however with cautious optimism we think that by Q2 of 2021 Spain will be making a significant return to a healthy market. And in the interim there will be bargains to be had. However you’ll have to be quick, as reports* suggest a surge in online searches for properties in Spain. For example searches for properties on the Costa del Sol in May were up 34% compared to May 2019, as people appraise how and where they want to live. Lockdown has definitely given us time to rethink, assess our lives and decide what we’d like from the future.
Whatever your wish, be it a holiday home or a more permanent move, then just contact us and one of our professional advisors will be happy to discuss all of the mortgage options and financial packages available. We look forward to hearing from you!
*Source – Rightmove 6th June 2020
