New law requiring registration of all real estate agents

NEW LAW REQUIRING REGISTRATION OF ALL REAL ESTATE AGENTS IN THE VALENCIA COMMUNITY

We are pleased to confirm our compliance with a new law (Decree 98/2022), which includes a number of obligations affecting all individuals or legal entities who are dedicated to providing advice and intermediation in real estate operations within the Comunidad Valenciana.

From the 16 October 2023, all agents must be registered in the Register of Real Estate Agents of the Valencia Community (el Registro de Agentes de Intermediación Inmobiliaria de la Comunidad Valenciana), and they must fulfill a number of requirements in order to register, including the following.

1)  Agents must be the holders of a surety insurance (seguro de caución) and professional civil responsibility insurance.

2)  Provide proof of accreditation, to demonstrate agents are qualified to perform the real estate activity.

WE ARE PLEASED TO PROVIDE DETAILS OF OUR COMPLIANCE WITH THE NEW LAW:

(In the name of Dawn Patricia Nott on behalf of Javea Casas) 

GENERALITAT VALENCIANA REGISTRATION NUMBER:   RAICV 1230

MEMBER OF A.N.P.I.F.F.  Asociación Nacional de Profesionales Inmobiliarios Financieros y Fiscales:  Reg. Nº  1.964 

INSURANCE POLICIES:

Company:  AXA:  Civil responsibility insurance, policy number 85114094.

Company:  INTERCAUCIÓN AGENCIA DE SUSCRIPCIÓN S.L.:  Surety insurance. Certificado de seguro de caución número 62736804.

ACCREDITATION:  Dawn Patricia Nott is the holder of the following qualification:

"DIPLOMA DE TITULACIÓN AGENTE PROFESIONAL INMOBILIARIO”.

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10 reasons to buy property in Spain

1.  In times of political and economic instability (war, stock market crash, global pandemic, bank runs, high inflation, etc.), gold and real estate are king as traditionally they act as safe havens where savers shelter their money to weather the storm.

2. Staves off inflation. At a time when central banks have (irresponsibly) printed money to no end, vastly increasing the monetary mass which in turn has led to inflation spiralling out of control worldwide, real estate offers by contrast a placid solace to deposit your life savings. Savings sitting idly at a bank are devoured by rising inflation, losing value every year.

3. Tangible asset. Real estate is a tangible asset that you can touch, feel, and see any time of the day. This acts in sharp contrast to ethereal investments, such as crypto currencies and other intangible assets, which are really never under your control, hard to understand, and even harder to monitor.

4. Security. The laws in Spain offer property owners a solid legal framework which protects and upholds their rights as behoves a modern European democracy. In several regions of Spain (i.e. Madrid, Andalusia, Galicia, etc.) inheritance tax and wealth tax have been suppressed. These regions have also slashed property transfer tax and stamp duty on buying property.

5. Capital growth. It’s no secret that real estate always appreciates in the long run. Unlike other volatile investments (such as stocks, bonds, and mutual funds) which undergo huge fluctuations, real estate offers a constant and gradual increase of value over time. Property prices in Spain have risen by 16% over the last five years (and even by two digits year-on-year in some sought-after areas, such as large cities (i.e. Madrid, over 40%) and coastal areas (i.e. Marbella, 40%). You really don’t need to invest in Bitcoin to strike it rich, just stick to the basics.

6. Generates passive income. Rental yields in Spain have soared by two digits over the span of three years. Spain is the world’s second tourist destination creating a huge pentup demand for holiday accommodation. Investing in property, and collecting the rent, is indeed a (very) profitable business in Spain. For long-term rentals, you can expect a net yield of 5% a year; for holiday accommodations it’s over 10%. They don’t call them ‘landed’ gentry for nothing!

7. Equity leverage. Investing in real estate allows you to leverage your equity over time. In plain English, this means that if you finance a property with an investment loan, the amount of money you borrow will eventually be less than the value of the property once it appreciates over time. After some years, you can refinance and use some of the additional equity to invest further in other properties. This strategy is ideal for investors who want to play it safe and adopt a long-term investment strategy, building up a healthy property portfolio over time.

8. Source of cash flow. Rented properties generate a constant revenue stream for their owners. Landlords may use the collected rent to pay overheads and other property maintenance expenses - including monthly mortgage repayments! In a nutshell, a wellchosen property pays for itself!

9. Generous tax deductions. Unbeknownst to most people, Spain offers lenient tax allowances which in effect reduce a landlord’s tax bill by 70%, or more (applies only to EU residents). You can offset all property maintenance expenses, including your lawyer’s fees (to calculate the rental tax) and mortgage interests! Once deducted, property offers great returns on investment.

10. Strong dollar vs. weak euro. This advantage is unique to those investors holding US Dollars. Due to the lack-lustre and reactive performance of the ECB, the US Dollar has strongly appreciated against the Euro over the last months creating unique buying opportunities. In plain English, never before has Spanish property been cheaper and more appealing to savvy US Dollars holders. Not to mention that buying property opens the door to a coveted Golden Visa, which allows unfettered access to the Schengen Area (27 countries). When you combine soaring rental yields and capital growth, you reach the conclusion that Spanish real estate is delivering a safe two-digit return year on year.

(As published 10.5.23 on "Idealista” under the "news” section).

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Year-on-year price increases reported for the first 5 months of 2021, for average prices of finished homes (new and used) on the Mediterranean Coast.

TINSA Spain research reports have shown the average price of finished homes (new and used) registered increases year-on-year, as reported by the TINSA research team.  The following increases were shown for the Mediterranean Coastal region, which stands out with some of the highest increases in the average price in the inter-annual rate.

May 2021 + 3.2%

April 2021 + 5.1%

March 2021 + 0.1%

February 2021 + 2.3%

January 2021 + 0.1%

Please click on the following link to view the TINSA website. "Google Translate” is available if you wish to see the reports in an alternative language.

https://www.tinsa.es/servicio-de-estudios/

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Property prices in the Alicante coastal region rose by 2.7% in 2019, as reported by the leading Spanish property valuation company Tinsa.

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The leading Spanish property valuation company Tinsa has reported a 6.7 % rise in prices in Mediterranean coastal properties in the last year (December 2018).

The leading Spanish property valuation company Tinsa has published their most recent data concerning property prices, reporting that the on-going recovery of prices across the country continues in all areas and categories.

The year on year increase reported in December 2018 was shown as 6.5 per cent across the country and 6.7 per cent in Mediterranean coastal areas. 

Year on year variation in property prices in the last four years:

2015:  + 2.9 %

2016:  - 1.3 %

2017:  + 5.7 %

2018:  + 6.7 %  

Please click on the link below to see the official Tinsa report showing the table of figures and the full details.

https://www.tinsa.es/servicio-de-estudios/imie/general/diciembre-2018/

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TINSA property valuation report released 17.7.18: Prices on the Mediterranean coast have risen by 7.4% over the last year.

The leading Spanish valuation company Tinsa has published their latest report on Tuesday 17 July 2018, relating to residential property values. The average price of housing in Spain increased by 6.4% year-on-year in the month of June 2018, driven by the "capitals and large cities" and by the "Mediterranean coast", which show an increase of 10.2% and 7.4% respectively.

While the latest average price is still calculated to be 35.7% lower than the peak reached during the boom in 2007, it now 12% higher than when the market bottomed out in February 2015.

After the first 6 months of 2018, Tinsa describe the increase in property values as "dynamic”.

Here is a link to the Tinsa report.  You can download the report by clicking on "descargar informe" or scroll down the page on the link below, to see the figures for the Mediterranean coast under the section "Variación interanual en los últimos 12 meses" (interannual variation for the last 12 months):

https://www.tinsa.es/servicio-de-estudios/imie/general/junio-2018/

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Tinsa IMIE junio 2018: + 6,4%. 17 julio, 2018

Las capitales y grandes ciudades toman impulso y se encarecen más de un 10% en tasa interanual en junio 2018.

El precio medio de la vivienda terminada en España se incrementó un 6,4% interanual en el mes de junio, impulsado por las "Capitales y grandes ciudades” y por la "Costa mediterránea”, que se revalorizaron un 10,2% y un 7,4%, respectivamente.  

Descargar informe:

https://www.tinsa.es/servicio-de-estudios/imie/general/junio-2018/

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UK nationals in the EU: Essential Information (last updated on www.gov.uk on 23 March 2018).

Progress in the Negotiations - Citizens’ Rights Agreement.

The Prime Minister has been clear that safeguarding the rights of UK nationals in the EU and EU citizens living in the UK was her first priority for the negotiations. This is a commitment that we have delivered.

The UK government has reached an agreement with the European Union on citizens’ rights in negotiations on the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. This will provide certainty about the future of UK nationals and their families living in the EU. Most importantly, it will allow UK nationals to stay in their Member State of residence after the UK leaves the EU on 29 March 2019.

In December, we reached an agreement with the European Commission on citizens’ rights. On 19 December, the Prime Minister wrote to UK nationals living in Europe with details of the agreement reached with the Commission in the first phase of the negotiations.

On 19 March 2018, we reached a further agreement with the Commission on the terms of a time-limited implementation period that will start on 30 March 2019 and last until 31 December 2020. This means that all UK nationals lawfully residing in another EU Member State on 31 December 2020 will be covered by the citizens’ rights agreement reached in December.

During the Implementation Period, UK nationals will be able to visit, live and work in the EU broadly as they do now. UK nationals currently living in the EU who want to move to a different Member State will be able to continue to do so during the Implementation Period.

The UK and European Commission will now continue to negotiate on the detail of these agreements, to be included in the overall Withdrawal Agreement between the UK and the EU.

Who will be covered by the Citizens’ Rights Agreement?

The citizens’ rights agreement reached in December provides a level of certainty to UK nationals in the EU and their families. It will allow UK nationals in the EU to continue living their lives broadly as they do now.

Following the agreement on the Implementation Period, all UK nationals lawfully residing in another EU Member State on 31 December 2020 will be covered by the citizens’ rights agreement.

Close family members (spouses, civil partners, unmarried partners, dependent children and grandchildren, and dependent parents and grandparents) of UK nationals covered by the agreement will be able to join those UK nationals in their Member State of residence. Close family members will enjoy the same rights by virtue of their relationship, where the relationship existed on 31 December 2020.

Children born or adopted to a UK national, covered by the agreement, outside of the UK national’s Member State of residence after 31 December 2020, will also be covered by the agreement.

Agreement so far on the rights of UK nationals in the EU.

The UK and EU Commission have so far agreed that:

·UK nationals and their family members covered by the agreement will continue to have the same access as they currently do to healthcare, pensions and other benefits.

·UK nationals and their family members covered by the agreement will be able to leave their Member State of residence for up to 5 years without losing their right to return.

The UK and EU Commission have also agreed that:

·EU27 Member States may require UK nationals and their family members covered by the agreement to apply for a residency document or status conferring the right of residence.

·Administrative procedures for such applications will be transparent, smooth and streamlined.

·Where an application is required to obtain status, UK nationals will have until at least 6 months after the end of the Implementation Period to submit their applications.

·Residence documents will be issued free of charge or for a charge not exceeding that imposed on nationals for the issuing of similar documents (such as passports).

·UK nationals who, before the end of the Implementation Period, are holders of a valid permanent residence document or a valid domestic immigration document conferring a permanent right to reside, will be able to exchange that document for a new residence document free of charge. They may be required to provide proof of identity and undergo criminality and security checks.

·The introduction of administrative procedures, or changes to existing administrative procedures will be decided by each Member State. We will publish details on these administrative procedures as soon as possible.

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BREXIT - A message from Ximo Puig the President of the Valencian Community, 25.6.16.

Europe cannot be understood without the United Kingdom. The Europe which the world admires, is that which has been the hotbed of the brightest ideas of human thought for centuries. The Europe of Shakespeare, Newton, Darwin, Stuart Mill, Jane Austen, Dickens, John Lennon, Keynes.

The Europe of parliamentary democracy and freedom.  The Europe which displaces the boundaries of art and knowledge, radiating creativity to the rest of the world. It is the Europe of peace after the war.  From that peace has evolved the material that allows the real progress of peoples.  In short, Europe has largely learned to be what it is, thanks to the UK.

In Valencia we understand this.  More than 82,000 British citizens live with us. 89% of these in the province of Alicante.  In 2015 more than 2 million Britons visited us.  And their preferred destination was Alicante, especially Benidorm.

We export in value almost 3,000 million euros, and the UK is one of the main investors in Valencia Province.  To all those, who live among us and to our visitors, the investors, the Generalitat Valenciana wants to send a message of calm and reiterate our affection and gratitude.

This message of tranquility extends to our businesses, and to the thousands of people from Valencia who for work or for study reasons are in the UK.

The Valencian Community has been, is, and will be a welcoming land, a land that wants to do business for the benefit of all.  Whatever the next chapter in Europe will be, we want it to be written with friendship and cooperation with the United Kingdom.

No political project is without its risks and challenges. Europe has to change, adapt and combine all identities and sensibilities.  All forms of feeling European. Europe needs to regain its sense of being.

We have to once again make a reality of the quote of Jean Monnet. "We are not bringing together states, we are uniting people."   We need to regain our passion for Europe. XIMO PUIG.

(President of the Valencian Community)

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Javea presents its Mediterranean character in FITUR

A tourist campaign offering weekend getaways outside the summer season to discover the true essence of the town.

Madrid Wednesday, January 29th. The Mayor José Chulvi, and the Councillor for Tourism Antonio Miragall, today presented at Fitur2015 the holiday off-season campaign "Xàbia, a Mediterranean memory," a project which involves Xàbia’s tourism sector, such as hotels, restaurants, and businesses engaged in entertainment, especially water sports.
Under the slogan "You deserve more than just a summer holiday" the campaign promotes the Mediterranean character of the population and the town as a destination that can be enjoyed throughout the year thanks to its friendly atmosphere and spectacular environment.
A TV commercial has been produced starring citizens of Xàbia showing its best natural areas, leisure and gastronomy options, created by Sol de Invierno. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3Iqto-yBg4)
The campaign consists of seven off-season week-end packages with two nights’ accommodation with breakfast, lunch or dinner at one of 15 participating restaurants and a thematic activity for the break: cultural and leisure (theatrical or historical) routes, culinary (gastronomic route) and active recreation (hiking on Cap Prim). Everything included from 55 euros per person, a price that varies depending on the hotel selected.
In addition, brochures are available with other interesting services or activities to do in the town and other special offers for those who enjoy these breaks, from renting a car at the airport, to a raffle of gift items.
These offers are marketed in the two travel agencies in Xàbia (I Love Trips and Jambo Travel) .
Besides the presentation of the campaign, Xàbia had its desk open on the Costa Blanca Tourism stand during all fair days and today enlisted the help of representatives of Fogueres 2014 which attracted the attention of many visitors. The girls have worked to promote Xàbia fiestas, and wore their traditional dresses.

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Significant increase in housing construction in Javea in 2014

There was an increase in housing construction in the town of Javea, following an upward trend since 2011, as confirmed below by the Deputy Mayor of Javea, Oscar Antón, on the 31st January 2015.

YEAR / NUMBER OF REQUESTS FOR MAJOR WORKS/ NUMBER OF NEW HOUSES/ PROPOSED BUDGET

The increase occurs significantly in 2014 to double the number of houses and the budget for the execution of requests for licences for major works. More importantly, nearly all the homes entail major urbanization of the plots with garden, terraces, barbecue and pool. The construction of these houses has not led to the creation of new roads but made use of existing plots, some fully urbanized and others which have the obligation to complete the development works that are presently missing to achieve the required conditions.
All other licences granted, which are reflected in the boost in the 2014 figures relate to additions and alterations to existing houses, usually due to the sale of such housing.
This increase in applications will cause an increase in construction and thus the economy, since construction is one of the major economic engines of our population and also will increase other economies such as maintenance, restoration, etc.

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Property Market to Recovery in 2013

Cash Buyers will Lead Spain’s Property Market to Recovery in 2013

As Spain prepares to head into a new year, its real estate market is showing promising signs of a recovery. After a turbulent few years, the country ended 2012 on a high note, with reports rife of sales increases among real estate agents.  Sales from overseas buyers increased throughout the year, as did investment and cash purchases, which helped to lead the market out of turmoil and into a new state of hope.

No easy road

Although a recovery is in sight for many parts of the country, experts warn that it is not going to be an easy ride for both those looking to sell and those looking to buy a home in Spain. The country’s lending situation still presents large challenges for those that do not have large deposits; many lenders throughout the country stopped lending to foreign buyers in 2012, and many others only offered deals to buyers that could provide deposits that were greater than 50 percent. However, this has led to a new breed of buyers for which Spain offers excellent prospects.

Cash buyers in strongest position

Nick Stuart, director of Spanish Hot Properties, said that the banks' reluctance to lend has led to cut-price deals for those that have a lot of capital. "We will find that cash buyers will be in a strong position to negotiate,” he said, "and will generally get discounts on properties up to the €300,000 mark.” House prices in Spain have generally never been so affordable for those with cash; along with the sharp increase in number of repossession, it is not uncommon for buyers to be snapping up properties in popular locations for as little as 50 percent of their pre-recession price.

Leading the way for the country’s property market is the Costa Blanca. Javea, which enjoys a prime spot looking out to the Mediterranean sea, has long been an area popular with tourists, expats and foreign buyers looking for a summer holiday home. Situated on the nearest point of mainland Spain to the Balearic Islands, Javea enjoys outstanding natural beauty and an enviable coastal location next to the Parque Natural El Montgo. Although property prices in Javea have fallen since the height of the property boom, interest in this popular area has increased as a result.

The average house price in the Javea region has fallen from €468,000 in 2006 to just €374,000 in the second quarter of 2012. However, for the first time since the start of 2011, house prices increased by the end of quarter three of 2012 to €387,000, signalling that those buyers in a strong financial position (largely cash buyers) were starting to take advantage and cash in on some of these reduced home prices. It is hoped that the increased investment appeal and injection into the upper end of the housing market will lead the whole market to recovery throughout the next couple of years.

Overseas buyers snap up high-end properties

Official figures indicated a common theme throughout 2012; that confidence in Spain's economy was returning to overseas buyers and sales levels were increasing. The prospect of bagging a bargain on investment property and holiday homes has led to a surge in the number of UK buyers in particular, boosting the profile of locations typically popular with British holiday-makers, such as the Costa Blanca.

Light at the end of the tunnel for domestic buyers

There is no doubt that Spain’s high unemployment rate has had a huge impact on the domestic property market. Affecting almost 25 percent of the Spanish population, unemployment has lead to many buyers being priced out of the market. This, coupled with reduced wages and rising living costs, has meant that many people have not been in a position to buy a home. However, planning approvals on new build residential complexes have fallen by more than 90 percent in the past two years, meaning that the amount of available properties has started to fall. Spain’s excessive number of unoccupied and unfinished new build properties once led to a saturation of the market. However, now that new build levels have been controlled and capped, domestic buyers are able to have their pick of available properties, and are slowly buying this previously unsold stock. It may be a slow process (the number of approved mortgages during 2012 had fallen more than 35 percent compared with in 2011), but it is a feeling among real estate agents that recovery will start in 2013.

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Buyers are returning to Spain

There was a 27% rise in the volume of overseas nationals who bought properties in Spain last year, according to official figures provided by the Bank of Spain.

According to the data, foreign property buying activity in Spain is back to levels last recorded in 2009, suggesting that international consumer confidence is improving.

While some foreign buyers are purchasing for investment purposes, others are simply taking advantage of the distressed nature of the market, with a view to securing a cheap holiday home in Spain.

Spanish property commentator Mark Stucklin says: “What is driving this increase in foreign investment in Spanish real estate? At least part of it will be due to a significant increase in the number of foreigners buying holiday-homes and retirement homes on the Spanish coast, which some of the estate agents and developers I talk to have noted.”

The Spanish property market is ultimately suffering from a chronic oversupply of homes, which explains why the supply of new homes has come to a virtual halt in order to allow the existing glut of properties to be absorbed.

According to the latest figures from the government, the existing level of planning approvals for new residential properties has fallen by 93% since the peak of the market in 2006.

Article taken from International Estate Agent Today. 17th May 2012

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Mediterranean Cruise 2006

It is almost one year since our trip on the Voyager of the Seas. A seven night cruise from Barcelona to Marseille. Visiting, Pompeii, Florence, Rome, Monaco.

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Tips for Visitors and Hosts

Rule One. Never, ever arrive between the hours of 20.00h and 08.00h. You may save 50 pounds on the flight, but your will be off to a bad start. Oh, and hire a car, don’t asked to be collected from the airport. Rule Two. At the first opportunity, go to the local supermarket and stock the fridge and larder of your hosts, with all that you will need for your stay, beers, wines, brandies, meat, bread, butter, your favourite snacks…everything! Rule Three. Your hosts are not on holiday, you and your family are. You could go off on a day trip with your family, on your own. Don’t just wake up, shower, eat breakfast then ask your hosts, ‘Where and what have you arranged for us to do today?’ Rule Four. Your hosts may not want to stay up until three in the morning drinking wine and then lie in until midday, your hosts live here all year, you and your family are on holiday. Rule Five. Take your hosts out at least twice in a week, for a special meal, no, not a 7 euro menu at the local Chinese. Remember cooking for you and your family every day is hard work. Rule Six. Never, never ask for a box to take home all the food and the drink that you didn’t use during your visit. This will guarantee, the end of the friendship or family relationship for at least 5 years, if not forever.

Tips for hosts. Encourage your guests to read these six rules, one week before their visit. If they don’t arrive or cancel their holiday…..you would have fallen out anyway!!

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Christmas in Javea

Happy Christmas to everyone in Javea, Moraira and Denia. During this festive time of year, not too many people will be thinking of buying or selling their villa or apartment in Javea. We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone that we have worked with in 2006 and we look forward again, towards a good working relationship in 2007. My feeling is that the property market is picking up and we can all brace ourselves for a better year in 2007.

Javea and Moraira property has always been popular with people from Spain, Madrid and Valencia and obviously the northern European countries of Germany, Holland and the U.K. Again a big thank you for your co-operation, helpfulness and professional attitudes. So, here goes….Andres of Javea-Si, Brian of Dolphin Estates, Ian & Diane of Sunsell, Gary & Shay of Denia Developments, Emma, Rebecca and Nicole from Villas-Plots, Pepe and Vanessa of Giuliano Villas, Victoria of Promociones Javea, Manolo and staff at CFXMB, Ant & Sally at Spanish Property Sales, Matt of Infovisionsoftware, Stewart & David from Villa Shop, Monika & Danny from Villalux, David, Lisa and Javiar of VillaMia, Joan of Cam Bank, Lucy, Brian, Carmelo, Amanda, Daniela, Kevin of Vicens Ash, Miguel, Roca, Jaime from BankInter, Felix, Juan Carlos and staff at Sol Bank, Miguel from Inmoart.

All the members of the Sunsell Group, Lia, Tex and Mandy from Javea Homes, Paul, Chris, Laeti and staff at GoinSureit, Pablo and Rosa of BBVA, all the staff at Hamiltons of London, Bingley’s, Inmoexpert, Javea Invest, Premier Homes, House Detectives, Remax, Jay, Debbie and Ashley, Mark & Gemma and Jasmine, Thomas, Jo, Tony, Daniela, Hans, also everyone at Euphony and many, many more who have shown us that 2006 was a good year to work with you all, advise us all and assist each other.

If I have omitted anyone that, may feel that they needed a mention, sorry. It’s my age and there are three good things about getting old, 1st, You can sleep upright, 2nd, You can watch ‘Inspector Morse’ over and over again without knowing the end and I can’t remember the 3rd thing. Happy Christmas and a Safe and Prosperous New Year to you all.

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Poble Nou de Benitatxell, BBQ

It all started with a ‘Welcome’ letter we found in our post box from Jaume, a young man from Benitachell village. He stated in the letter that he would like to start a forum for people new to the area. Jaume and his business partner Miguel Angel would assist new residents with tax, NIE applications, public health care and educational issues, etc. From this introdution letter, we contacted Jaume and he invited us and some of his friends to a traditional Valencian style bbq.

We all met in the Mas y Mas car park at 12.00h on a sunny Sunday in Benitachell. We were introduced to Keith and Sheila, Rolf and Erika and also our party of six, Ian & Diane, Hilary & Nick, Dawn & Steve. The drive to Jaume’s casa de campo was only 2 minutes away and we were all soon sampling the home made sweet wine made by Jaume’s father and the raisins, made from their own grapes and dried in the summer sun.

It was a mixture of 70% sweet muscatell wine and 30% red wine. Jaume pointed out that everything we were going to eat was made with organic produce, chuletas de cordero (lamp chops) home baked bread and locally made chorizos, morcilla or botifarra in Valenciano, (liver and blood sausages). A wheel barrow was loaded in the front garden with wood from grape vines, orange trees and the protected carob tree. Normally there is a hole in the ground, where a wood fire is prepared and a large calderon (pot) is placed filled with lamb, chicken or pork. Left for many hours to cook slowly over the fire and to absorb the smokey flavours.

Another oven in the casa, was also filled with the same types of wood and then both of the fires were lit. We sat in the warm December sun as Miguel Angel arrived to assist Jaume in the preparation and cooking.

The lamb was rubbed with salt and the onions, artichokes and chorizos were cooked in home made olive oil. When the fires were glowing nicely, the food was cooked to perfection. The home made bread was broken into pieces and the feast began. Large slices of onion were filled with anchovies and olive oil, cooked over the fire, perfect dunking the chunks of bread into, a Benitachell specaility. The artichokes hearts were flavoured by the smoke and the taste and texture was wonderful.

As we enjoyed the food and wine with Jaume and Miguel Angel, we chatted about the various topics on the Valencian culture, diet and laungage. Many people living in Benitachell were forced to speak Castellano during Franco’s dictatorship and they are now unable to read or write in their mother tongue. Benitachell or Benitatxell, spelt the Valenciano way, used to be in the region of Javea, however some 300 years ago, the villagers decided to create their own region and town so they founded the ‘Poble Nou de Benitatxell.’ We retreated to the large family casa’s naya room, as the winter sun lost it’s warmth, to end our enjoyable day with melon, desserts and glasses of Baileys.

May we all say a big thank you to Jaume and Miguel Angel, for their hospitality and for giving us the opportunity to sample and taste the flavours of Valenciano life. If you would like more information on the services provided by these two enterprising men, you can contact them by telephone, email or go to their offices in Benitachell.

MG Economistes.

Miguel Angel Garcia Buigues,

Assesorament comptable, fiscal i laboral.

Avda Lepanto, 34 2.n-4

El Poble Nou de Benitatxell

03726

Alacant

Tel-fax: 96 649 3061

Miguel Angel’s mobile: 653 067 401

Email:miquel_gb@hotmail.com

Jaume’s mobile: 636 541 817

Jaume’s email: jpedros81@hotmail.com

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Javea Music

Another day in paradise. A visit to some friends house at the weekend, they were clients, but have now become good friends. We were celebrating two birthdays and a bbq and a jamming session was the order of the day.

Warm, sunny weather greeted us on the 3rd December in Javea. We started eating some great garlic chicken wings, pork fillets and a home made paella, accompanied by sweet sauce and salad to add that special extra. All prepared and cooked by our hosts.

The lads have all played guitar, on and off over the years, so we decided to have a bash altogether.

Ant warmed up the crowd with some great solo’s playing Bowie, Paul Weller and some Oasis. Ant is excellent on vocals and guitar, Steve on lead a bit rusty and Ian on bass, had to struggle with the keys we were playing in. He managed very well, considering it was his first time that he had played any of the songs before.

The girls wore wigs and danced and sang chorus, guest singer was Diane and a ballet dancing queen entered the room and performed the Dance of the Butterflies. .

Gerry really going for it!

Great food, fun and great company!

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Blog Search

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3 Must Read Books for Bloggers

3 Must-Read Books For Bloggers by: Jim Estill

A lot of bloggers read blogs, but there are also some very valuable books out there on blogging. The three books that I recommend for bloggers are “Blog!” by David Kline and Dan Burstein, “The Corporate Blogging Book” by Debbie Weil, and “Naked Conversations” by Shel Israel and Robert Scoble.

“Blog!: How the newest revolution is changing politics, business and culture” by David Kline and Dan Burstein.
This book talks of the power and influence of blogs. It uses political examples. Through these examples we can learn what good blogging is (honest, open) and what it is not (poorly written, blatant marketing). It talks about freedom of the press and countries and companies that try to suppress blogs. It also warns and gives examples of blogs that share insider or confidential information and what happens.

To quote from it: ‘most people or at least most of the media’s coverage of business issues in blogging are missing the fact that the real excitement here is not how much money business can make from blogging, but how dramatically blogging will reshape the world of business from top to bottom and create new sources of competitive advantage for firms that learn how to use this new medium intelligently… Bloggers not only tend to be more passionate about their interests and hobbies than other people, they also have marketplace influence far beyond their numbers.’

This is a highly inspirational read for anyone who blogs. We live in revolutionary times and as bloggers (and blog readers) we see history being made. We are truly cutting edge. The world is changing before our eyes.

As A. J. Liebling, a great 20th century journalist, said: ‘Freedom of the press is limited to those who own one.’ With blogs, anyone can.

‘The Corporate Blogging Book: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know to Get it Right’ by Debbie Weil.
Debbie is one of the pioneers of corporate blogging. She is not only an advocate but she explains the pros and cons of corporate blogs.

A section from the book: ‘Blogs are a key enabler of this new way of talking with customers, employees, the media and other constituencies. Packaged, filtered, controlled conversation are out. Open, two-way, less-than-perfect communications with your customers and employees are in….Listen, learn, debate, be willing to change, admit mistakes, be equals, with your children, be fair to others with whom you have an adversarial relationship. Acting like a dictator will get you nowhere.’

She has top 20 questions about corporate blogging and in one of those she talks about the three most important things to know before starting blogging. The book also has good examples of blogging policies. One of her points is savvy bloggers read other blogs. My advice is the simplest way to do this is to subscribe to them.

One concept that she talks about is citizen journalist and citizen media. Blogs are a new media and it is run by the citizens. Blogger Halley Suitt explains, ‘The word PR will be gone; the word blog will be gone. Your employees will be your ad agency and your customers will be your back-up ad agency’

‘Naked Coversations:How Blogs are Changing the Way Businesses Talk with Customers’ by Shel Israel and Robert Scoble
This is an excellent book. I am passionate about business blogs. I truly believe they have value for a business. The book re-affirms this. ‘Naked Coversations’ is easy to read, fast and well organized. It combines advice on blogging (and why blogs help companies) with stories of real bloggers.

Blogs have dangers but those dangers tend to be overrated. Not blogging is a greater danger. As I have said many times, blogs are a new media. Companies that ignore it do so at great peril. At the same time, blogs cannot be blatant self or company promotion – readers (and other bloggers see right through that and can decimate a company).

How do I know if a book is good? If I make a change as a result. I turned off word verification on my blog to make it easier to comment (I still review all comments and don’t let spam through but am trying to make it easier to have a conversation). I get twice as many emails as comments on my blog as a result of my blog. The book drives home that comments and conversations are good.

I also know a book is good if I buy multiple copies for people that I think should read it. And in this case I did.

All three of these books, ‘Blog!’ by David Kline and Dan Burstein, ‘The Corporate Blogging Book’ by Debbie Weil, and ‘“Naked Conversations’ by Shel Israel and Robert Scoble should be read by anyone who has a blog or anyone interested in blogging.

About The Author

Jim Estill is the CEO of SYNNEX Canada. He is an active blogger at http://www.jimestill.com

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Welcome to Javea

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