As the computer courses with The Leader Training are now well under way, it is time to focus on recruiting for our language learning programs.

We featured them briefly in our article last week, but we are now about to launch our Spanish language groups and those for learning English.

Our Spanish Experience groups offer classes for all levels, from those just starting out in their language learning, perhaps to just get to grips with the basics, shopping, driving, socialising and the likes, right through to specialist courses for those who want to improve their grammar or find support in their education or find work in a specific field such as catering or retail. IN fact, one of our most popular enquiries in the advanced levels are from those people wanting to be amongst the 2,000 or so who will be employed at the La Zenia Boulevard shopping centre when it opens later this year.

But the Spanish Experience doesn´t only include learning languages in classes, we offer trips to places like vineyards, bodegas and restaurants, where you can test your learning in real live situations, all accompanied by a professional, should you need help.

Then there are our English learning groups, again covering all levels, with the focus being on those who want to learn English as a second language, perhaps with a goal to improving relationships with the English speaking population and visitors to Spain. Whatever the need for English, whether as a native speaker or not, there are also courses available to you.

The small group classes start in a matter of weeks, and places are limited.

DUE TO THE POPULARITY OF THE FIRST BATCH OF COURSES, WE HAVE NOW OPENED UP THE NEXT GROUPS. THEREFORE, WE CAN NOW OFFER AN ADDITIONAL SET OF DROP IN SESSIONS TO DISCUSS THE CLASSES…

if you want to get your name registered as interested now, the team will be on hand to answer your questions during a “drop in” morning on Monday 13th February, between 11:00 and 12:30, and on on Friday 17th February, between 11:00 and 12:30 at our offices of The Leader in La Zenia, when you can come and meet some of the tutors, speak to the administrators and discuss your needs whilst being assessed to make sure that you can be fitted into a group that suits your own level of learning.

NOW BOOKING (for late February)

Spanish Start Up

Spanish Start Up is the ideal place for beginners. Whether you are just starting out in Spanish, or if you just have the basics, then this is the ideal slot for you.

The course is a twelve week block, with one session per week, lasting 90 minutes, making a total course length of 18 hours.

The cost is 120€, payable in three blocks, every four weeks of 40€, and works out at little over 6€ per hour, inclusive of learning hand outs.

• Monday 20 February (10:00) – Spanish Start Up (Only 1 place left)
• Monday 20 February (12:00) – Spanish Start Up
• Friday 24 February (10:00) – Spanish Start Up

Spanish Steps

Slightly more advanced than Spanish Start Up, this course builds on foundation knowledge and starts to explore the language in more detail.

The course is a twelve week block, with one session per week, lasting 90 minutes, making a total course length of 18 hours.

The cost is 150€, payable in three blocks, every four weeks of 50€, slightly more expensive than the Start Up course as there are more materials involved. The price is inclusive of learning hand outs.

• Friday 24 February (12:00) – Spanish Steps

More information is also available by calling +34 96 673 0057.

via JOIN THE SPANISH EXPERIENCE – UPDATED | Costa Blanca | Leader – News, Sport, Spanish Property, Advertising, Classifieds – Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol, Costa Calida, Costa de Almeria, Spain.

GBP/EUR currently stands at around 1.2000, a growth of more than 10% over recent months. The result is that a property in Spain which may have been on the market for GBP 200.000,00 just 8 months ago is now effectively GBP 20.000,00 cheaper!

There are a number of reasons for the weakening Euro, not least the general concern about the debt which is currently being carried by countries which use the Euro as their primary currency. There is some worry that countries such as Greece, Ireland, and Italy will be able to repay their debt which is spurring investors to move their assets out of the Eurozone and, which, in turn is causing a devaluation in the Euro.

Governments from within the Eurozone are trying to find solutions to the debt crisis. If they are successful, it is likely that the Euro will strengthen again against Sterling, especially given the fact that it looks like the UK may be heading for another period of slow economic activity.

The exchange rate is an important consideration when purchasing a property abroad and in order to obtain the very best rates it is sensible to talk to a specialist. Currencies Direct are one such Company with a proven track record and thousands of existing clients. They have expertise in all kinds of money transfers such as regular transfers and one-off transactions.

Open an account with them today by clicking on the button below or simply request an information pack TODAY and see how Currencies Direct can help you save money on your currency transactions.

Wait and see “mañana property buyers” looking for further price drops in Spain should finalise their research, get pre-approved for a Spanish bank mortgage, shortlist the best deals and fly to buy without delay.

That's the view of a leading Spanish property specialist after a new report suggested prospective buyers would continue waiting for further property price falls in 2012 before taking the plunge.

A ‘Demand Thermometer' survey compiled by the Spanish property portal Idealista reveals that potential homebuyers are looking for a property asking price discount of 21%, on average, despite the fact that prices across Spain have plunged well below that point in recent years.

Data provided by Idealista shows that Spanish home prices dropped for the fifth consecutive year in 2011, with the average asking price now 20% below the peak of the market in 2007.

But property investment expert, Marc Armando Tomás said: “There is no point in waiting for an additional 1% price drop, when there are already bank-owned bargains in three of the most popular areas of Spain which offer discounts of 43% - twice the discount this survey claims prospective buyers are demanding.

“The Spanish Government is already cutting taxes and buying costs by an average of EUR 8,000, the Euro is cheap compared with Sterling and many other currencies and the banks are taking the most toxic properties off the market to concentrate on the most saleable. The big Super Deals, the best of the bank-owned bargains , have sold out within a month on the Property in Spain website.”

He claimed the over-supply of Spanish bank repossessions in recent years could turn to shortages where Location, Location, Location criteria is applied. Savvy investors returned to the Spanish market in the last quarter of 2011 as prices of well-located key ready holiday homes plummeted by up to 50% in Costa Calida, Costa del Sol and, already in 2012, Costa Almeria.

Spanish property commentator Mark Stucklin said: “2011 was another bad year, if not the worst since the crisis began. Property sales, house building, mortgage lending and confidence all tumbled to new lows.” He expects home prices in Spain to continue falling in 2012.

By Kevin Barnett. First published in www.propertyinspain.net

The world of technology is an ever changing one, with Social Network sites like Twitter and Facebook changing how people communicate and smartphones bringing a wealth of information to the palm of our hands, but there is still a need to keep to the basics.

That is why The Leader Real Estate have entered into a new collaboration with the British Brands supermarket at La Zenia. Now, if you want to view our Spanish property portfolio, you can visit the website, call into our office, pick up The Leader Newspaper, see our posts on Twitter, read our updates on Facebook and now, browse our first class selection of properties in the window of one of the key focal points in the area.

If you're looking to sell your property in Spain, then that's even better news for you. Like many others who have successfully completed sales through The Leader Real Estate in recent months, you too can have your property listed on all of our mediums, and now in the window of a great shop that is passed by thousands of people every single day. From those visiting venues like the popular Irish bar Gogarty's, restaurants like Alejandro's or Fresco, or those visiting the banks and other businesses that make La Zenia so great.

So, if you are serious about getting your property sold, or if you are looking to buy, visit us on-line at www.theleader.info/spanish-property/, see us in print in The Leader Newspaper, listen to us on Exite Radio, pop into our office, or come and have a look at our brand new display at the British Brands supermarket at La Zenia.

According to the latest figures released by the Spanish statistical institution, the Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), house sales figures in November last year continued to show a steady increase in the reduction of units sold.

In October of 2011, property sales were down by 18%, compared to the same time in 2010, but the November figure shows that the gap in the drop had started to close and an improved figure of 14.4% drop was recorded compared to the same month of 2010.

The difference has been relatively consistent throughout most of the year, with March showing an 11.9% decrease on the previous year, which then shot to 29.7% in April, 18.3% in May, 22.9% in June, 34.8% in July, 28.2% in August and 18% in September, the same as shown in October.

These figures are thought to show how the property market is starting to pick up and although unlikely to reach the same sales figures of the boom years, this marks another turning point for the future stability of the country.

According to the latest figures released by the Spanish statistical institution, the Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spanish property sales figures in November last year continued to show a steady increase in the reduction of units sold.

In October of 2011, property sales were down by 18%, compared to the same time in 2010, but the November figure shows that the gap in the drop had started to close and an improved figure of 14.4% drop was recorded compared to the same month of 2010.

The difference has been relatively consistent throughout most of the year, with March showing an 11.9% decrease on the previous year, which then shot to 29.7% in April, 18.3% in May, 22.9% in June, 34.8% in July, 28.2% in August and 18% in September, the same as shown in October.

These figures are thought to show how the market for property in Spain is starting to pick up and although unlikely to reach the same sales figures of the boom years, this marks another turning point for the future stability of the country.

According to figures released by the Sociedad de Tasación, the price of new houses in Spain fell by 4% in 2011, resulting in an average price of 2,376 euro per square meter, meaning the overall cost of an average home was 213,840 euro.

Experts feel that the trend may continue in some parts of Spain in 2012, whereas other places have already seen prices start to increase over last year. Of the 50 provinces of Spain, 48 of them still dropped slightly last year, Pontevedra levelled out and Zamora actually started to increase in property value.

This turn around trend in terms of value is expected in some of the provincial capitals such as Madrid, Barcelona, San Sebastian and Bilbao where property prices are already more expensive than the national average, whereas sales are expected to increase in volume in coastal and tourist areas, as well as Murcia, Cáceres, Badajoz, Pontevedra, Jaén, Lugo, Zamora, Tenerife, Avila and Ciudad Real, where the average price stands at just 1,500 euro per square metre, nearly 900 euro per metre cheaper than the national average, which is where some experts feel that astute bargain hunters will be snapping up property in the first half of the year, especially in places that are already starting to grow in investment terms, following the announcements of developments such as the Paramount theme park and the transfer of flights from Murcia San Javier airport to the brand new hub at Corvera.

In 2011, the number of first homes stood at 81,000 units. In the first half of the year this started to look stagnant as there were difficulties in gaining finance for property buyers, but the problem reduced in the second half of the year, as confidence started to return.

The Sociedad de Tasación has also stated that there has been an increase in properties being purchased by individuals, rather than real estate or investment companies and that there has been an increase in the ‘rent to buy' options that ease first time buyers onto the property market.

The society also see an improvement in the marketplace for property as the number of units available is more realistic to the demands of the market, rather than overbuilding of previous years, which is also set to improve through 2012 as the demand increases, thus reducing the available stock.

According to figures released by the Sociedad de Tasación, the price of new property in Spain fell by 4% in 2011, resulting in an average price of 2,376 euro per square meter, meaning the overall cost of an average home was 213,840 euro.

Experts feel that the trend may continue in some parts of Spain in 2012, whereas other places have already seen prices start to increase over last year. Of the 50 provinces of Spain, 48 of them still dropped slightly last year, Pontevedra levelled out and Zamora actually started to increase in property value.

This turn around trend in terms of value is expected in some of the provincial capitals such as Madrid, Barcelona, San Sebastian and Bilbao where property prices are already more expensive than the national average, whereas sales are expected to increase in volume in coastal and tourist areas, as well as Murcia, Cáceres, Badajoz, Pontevedra, Jaén, Lugo, Zamora, Tenerife, Avila and Ciudad Real, where the average price of a Spanish property stands at just 1,500 euro per square metre, nearly 900 euro per metre cheaper than the national average, which is where some experts feel that astute bargain hunters will be snapping up property in the first half of the year, especially in places that are already starting to grow in investment terms, following the announcements of developments such as the Paramount theme park and the transfer of flights from Murcia San Javier airport to the brand new hub at Corvera.

In 2011, the number of first homes stood at 81,000 units. In the first half of the year this started to look stagnant as there were difficulties in gaining finance for property buyers, but the problem reduced in the second half of the year, as confidence started to return.

The Sociedad de Tasación has also stated that there has been an increase in properties being purchased by individuals, rather than real estate or investment companies and that there has been an increase in the ‘rent to buy' options that ease first time buyers onto the property market.

The society also see an improvement in the marketplace for property as the number of units available is more realistic to the demands of the market, rather than overbuilding of previous years, which is also set to improve through 2012 as the demand increases, thus reducing the available stock.

Mr Rajoy has acknowledged that it is essential that the country begins to understand the true value of the so-called toxic assets which are currentkly being held by the country's financial institutions.

The Prime Minister is quoted as having said, "We must clear up doubts about the value of certain assets, especially in real estate, which make access to the markets for the financial sector more difficult and also damage the credibility of our public debt."

It is thought by some analysts that the Bank of Spain is considering the possibility of establishing a "bad bank" which will be used to deal with all the toxic assets. Doing so will allow Spain to reduce its exposure to around 4% of GDP - the target set by the European Central Bank.

Spain's property market has seen the value of homes fall substantially, with the most recent data published by Tinsa showing the price of property in the nation has fallen by eight per cent between November this year and the same month in 2010.

However, the outlook for Spanish property is beginning to look positive with more constructors beginning to speculate on growth in 2012 and 2013.

Following on from the announcement that the eagerly awaited Paramount Theme park has been given the final go ahead in Madrid, we spoke briefly to Roy McDonough from The Leader Property about the impact this will have on property prices in the area.

“The minute a shovel hits soil, there will be a jump of between 15,000 and 20,000 euro in price,” he said.

“At the moment, it´s still not real. Everything´s been signed and sealed and it will happen, but everybody is waiting for the work to start. That´s why the clever investors are snapping up properties now”.

It is true that property prices are at an all time low and with many of them offering instant finance, the opportunity to become a property investor has never been so high. Some new properties are listed at up to a third of the price they were in their prime, still with the same quality structures, still backed by bank guarantees, but now with a massive discount in property tax and the future looking brighter all round.

Roy continued, “The Paramount Park is not only going to attract millions of tourists every year, but the thousands of people working at the site will need somewhere to live”. With workers at another theme park taking to the streets to protest over poor pay and conditions, many of them are not in a position to buy, or have never even considered and are likely to be looking to rent initially. That gives these properties huge rental potential.

Tourists always pay premium prices for holiday lets and workers provide stability and long term commitment.

With a wide portfolio of new properties in the area, and a depth of knowledge that is second to none, Roy is heading a team of specialists who will be able to advise you on every aspect of buying your property, whether it be just the one for yourself, or a whole urbanisation to make you the next property tycoon, whatever you need, however big or small, give Roy a ring today direct on (0034) 667 592 467, or The Leader Property office on (0034) 96 897 1860, visit the website www.theleader.info/property, email property@theleader.info or visit our main office situated in La Zenia.