Why Do Many People Move From The UK To Spain

By Les Edwards

A lot more people, particularly from the UK, move to Spain in order to live, work or retire. The reasons as to why they choose Spain vary as it could depend on certain personal circumstances. Even so, Spain has become the top destination for many expatriates. In fact, it's a paradise for those who aim to live and retire abroad.

But take note that relocation ought to be decided well in advance and planned carefully. Living in Spain is not all about sightseeing, enjoying the cuisine and sunbathing. You need to be familiar with the pros and cons, particularly if you wish to buy a Spanish property. More importantly, you need to reflect on the following reasons that make the idea of moving from the UK to Spain a dream come true:

1. It is cheaper and more laid-back to live, work or retire in Spain.

The cost of living is perhaps the main deciding factor of many individuals. After all, who would want to stay in a country where the taxes and costs of commodities just keep on skyrocketing? The European Union (EU) statistics reported that it is about 15% cheaper to live in Spain.

In addition, you can find some unique yet cheap Spanish properties for sale. Indeed, you won't need to spend a fortune to be able to buy Spanish homes. You can purchase a good Spanish property for as little as €35,000. Research well to find the best deals.

The Spaniards are very hospitable and outgoing. They have that refreshing disposition that makes it easier and more rewarding to live in their country. Although there are also some negative aspects to moving, the quality of life is still more pleasing than in the UK.

2. Spain is in close proximity to the UK, and it has larger expat communities.

Many people from the UK choose Spain because it is within the European Union. It's roughly two hours away by plane, and so you can easily go back and forth if you need to. This is ideal for those who plan on visiting their friends and relatives every year, or should you feel homesick. Moving out is not a problem; you also get to exercise your rights to live and work.

More importantly, the Spanish community welcomes expatriates from different parts of the world with open arms. Immigrants of diverse ethnicity occupy various regions of the country. It is more accessible, heart-warming and cheaper to move out from the UK to Spain. You won't have difficulty starting a new life as there are loads of responsive expats to lend you a hand.

3. The climate is rejuvenating; the cuisine is enchanting, and the culture's diverse.

The warm and gentle atmosphere is one of the reasons why a lot of tourists return and become immigrants in Spain. The thought of enjoying long summers and 300 days of sunshine is just too enticing. Many British dream of alfresco living while checking out a multitude of world-famous national museums and monuments. There is so much to explore in a Spanish heritage and culture and can you ever say no to mouth-watering Spanish food and beverages? The Spaniards are truly passionate about imparting the real meaning of pleasure, satisfaction and relaxation.

Other Important Things That You Need To Know About The Kingdom of Spain

· It is the fifth largest country in Europe (with an area of 505,992 square kilometers) and the 52nd largest in the world. Its highest mountain peak, Mt. Teide in Tenerife, is the 3rd largest volcano in the world.

· Spain's capitalist mixed economy is the 12th largest in the world and the fifth largest in the European Union. Its quality of life index rating is the 10th highest in the world. In 2006, its Spanish tourism industry became the second biggest in the world (with about 5% of GDP).

· The country's population density is 91/km² (235/sq mi). It said to be lower than other Western European countries. About 88% of its total population consists of Native Spaniards while the immigrants make up the 12%. Within the EU, it is next to Cyprus in terms of immigration rate.

· Spain has been considered by The Financial Times as the most ideal and widely chosen destination by those considering to living, working and retiring in a foreign country.

Conclusion

It seems like a really great idea to move out from the UK and live, work or retire in Spain. However, there are several important factors that you need to consider before making that final decision to relocate. Think about your needs and budget including your personal circumstances.

Is this a good time to consider moving to Spain? Have you found a decent Spanish property to buy? Is your desired location ideal for business? Perhaps you can engage in the buying and selling of Spanish homes. Careful planning, proper research and sufficient preparation are essential if you want to live a good life in a Spanish territory.

Have an understanding of the pros and cons of living in Spain and compare to your current situation. Know what needs to be done and seek professional advice, if possible. Remember, it is never wise to settle for anything less. Take into account the long term benefits and effects of your choices, particularly when buying a property in Spain.

Les Edwards is an estate agent and Internet marketer with many years of relevant experience. You can find more useful insights on the market and property in Spain by visiting http://www.bestpropertyforsaleinspain.com.

When in Cebu City, please visit http://www.gregmelep.com for your real estate and retirement needs. Avail of the opportunity to own a condominium unit in Cebu City at the low amount of only P 9,333.33+ and House and Lot @ P 7,306.81/month only. Hurry while supply of units still last. Just call the Tel. Nos. shown herein: (053)555-84-64/09164422611/09173373687.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Les_Edwards

Push to attract expat retirees offers ‘bonus’

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By Katlene O. Cacho

Saturday, January 5, 2013

CEBU’s positioning as a retirement destination for foreign individuals may help prevent medical professionals from leaving the country, an official said.

According to Cebu Investment and Promotions Center (CIPC) managing director Joel Mari Yu, aside from selling Cebu as an ideal business destination for foreign-based outsourcing firms, his office is also “aggressively” promoting the city as a retirement destination, specifically for Japanese retirees who need medical attention.

“We are after getting a big chunk of retirees who need permanent medical attention,” said Yu, adding that in Japan alone, some two million of the population retire every year.

By 2060, the older population of Japan could make up as much as 40 percent of its total population.

Graying population

Yu said the Japanese Government is now looking for possible developments outside their country, given the fact that it’s getting expensive for their government to provide health care and pensions for a huge retiree population.

The Philippines, specifically Cebu, can be a potential destination for retirement and recuperation. Yu noted Cebu still has vacant properties for the development of a retirement village where there are nursing homes and other wellness facilities.

Cebu’s proximity to Japan, abundant attractions like the beaches, sophisticated medical facilities, well-trained medical professionals and Filipino hospitality are among the factors that make Cebu an ideal place for foreign retirement.

The entry of Japanese retirees is also expected to generate economic and job opportunities for Cebu. Yu said this would boost local spending and more importantly, prevent medical professionals from leaving the country.

Infrastructure

He said the Japanese insurance system may spend $2,000 to $4,000 per patient every month. “Let’s say we have some 1,000 patients at a rate of $2,000 each per month. This figure alone would definitely increase spending in Cebu,” Yu said.

But transforming Cebu as a retirement hub in the country entails a lot of hard work from the local government unit and the private stakeholders. Yu said Cebu should prepare the necessary infrastructure.

“We have been going back and forth to Japan for five years now, and we are getting positive feedback from them. This might take a long time but I believe this would happen,” Yu said, anchoring his optimism on how his office was able to help increase the number of BPO locators in Cebu.

When in Cebu City, please visit http://www.gregmelep.com for your real estate and retirement needs. Avail of the opportunity to own a condominium unit in Cebu City together with your own parking space at the low amount of only P12,000.00+ and House and Lot @ P 7,306.81/month only. Hurry while supply of units still last. Just call the Tel. Nos. shown herein: (053)555-84-64/09164422611/09173373687.

The Retirement Money That Never Was

By Lourdes C Burias

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If I could only go back in time and choose an option between a lump sum of five years or an outright monthly pension, then I would. I would go revisit that very crucial moment where I made the wrong choice. I would have chosen the latter option. That would have made the situation different.

I just can't forget the date when I retired, July 1, 2011. I wish I could but the wrong choice I made brought me to the circumstances where it is hard to forget. Nonetheless, it has provided me with important life lessons involving decision-making. You would say, "it's too late to fret about it. The milk has been spilt, what benefit could it bring?"

I know. I should have fussed over it long before I have decided to retire. I did have plenty of time to think about it, but didn't give it a chance. I did not listen to my colleagues and didn't heed of anyone's advice... I thought the one million buck was worth defying all the well-meaning warnings. I never thought about how fast money could fly and be lost.

That's why I decided to write and be published. I still have children working. Maybe they can learn from it. I still have lots of friends out there who are in their golden years already; and are retiring soon. I worked with these people for thirty-seven years. They will be looking for advice before making that final resolution. I would like to make things right; for everyone interested to gain from my experience.

Lesson # 1 - Set Aside Old Age Fund for Health Maintenance

Poor health sometimes comes a year after we leave the regular routine of going to and from the office; of rising up early to beat the traffic, of running to the bandy clock to avoid that red mark on the DTR, of regularly interacting with co-employees and clients, and of laughing out together when an office-mate strikes a one-liner joke. These are all the necessary ingredients to maintain good health without really trying. I miss this kind of routine. My system has gotten used to it. I did not look for an alternative exercise. Look what it did to me. I was hospitalized, and I began spending the money for my medicines. This is the one thing I have not considered to happen to me. And worst of all, I have not provided for events such as this.

Lesson # 2 - No Blowout please... Remember your debts and pay!

My first consideration right after I got the check was to make some people happy, especially the relatives and the nearest of kin. I didn't realize my clan was so big. So a bigger fraction of the amount went as blowout money. All were pleased, who wouldn't be? I was more than happy to see their reactions with my generosity. However, the happiness was short-lived. A couple of months after, I have nothing in my wallet. It was empty. And the creditors started to come over one by one for the payment which had long been overdue. It was only then I remembered; I am no longer employed, which simply means I have no more sources to get money from to pay off my debts except after the lapse of five years.

Lesson # 3 - Learn to Say No and Purchase only things you cannot live without!

Everyone in the neighborhood knew I received one million. One million are a great amount for a community where everyone belongs to the low-income group. Since we were all good friends, I found it hard to say no. Each one was dealing some stuffs like a house, house and lot, a car, curtains, and so forth and so on. I bought that small lot for my brother, a second-hand car supposed to be for my business. The car dived overboard a bridge and six people were hospitalized, and the car became one of the items in a junk shop!

Lesson # 4 - Make investment your first Priority!

Then I finally remembered investing on something. That was the irony of it all. It came to my mind last, when it could have been the first. I did put money on business though, but only up to the extent of what was left. It did not survive. No business will carry on when all the daily needs are taken from there. It lasted only for a year.

I have learned my lessons. And I want my kids, my friends, and you my dear readers, to learn yours too from this experience.

When in Cebu City, please visit gregmelep.com for your real estate and retirement needs.

Avail of the opportunity to own a condominium unit in Cebu City for only P12,000.00/month with its own parking lot. Hurry while the supply of units last. Just call the Tel. Nos. shown below.

Tel. No. 555-8464/09164422611/09173373687

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lourdes_C_Burias

Retirement Planning: Things To Do When You Retire

By Edward Santos Lim

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When you reach your golden age, you simply can't wait to do what you've always dreamed of. Let us not jump into that dream yet without making a thorough retirement planning. Try to rethink the definition of retirement today compared centuries ago. It is downsizing these days, making seniors turn back to either part time work, staying on the current job, or even opening a business that could sustain their daily needs until they can be stable. People who have worked hard during their early years are looking forward to their pension.

When we retire, there will be more time and longer hours to fill our daily schedule. We should always plan ahead on what our first day as a retiree would look like. We could think that we have saved enough for 30 years of working and if it isn't enough, we might be forced to do some business or part time jobs. Indeed we have gained lots of experience throughout the years of working and yet we can still make use of it. We only need some patience and make smart choices to kill time and earn money at the same time. This would greatly help your mental health as it exercises the brain and would greatly aid in prevention of age-related diseases.

There are downsides with developing a wrong plan which could result to backfire on your ability to retire. When you have too much debt and you could not get out of it even until you retire, paying off your past purchases or debts can be difficult and won't save you from getting the good life. When you rely on a single income for your savings and expenses, you should always have an emergency fund. Having a back-up strategy before you get into a bad situation is a good move.

Let us be smart, responsible and hard working to lead a path of pure bliss. Don't make the mistake of not getting an insurance plan because you won't use it. It is better to be prepared and be economically stable when you withdraw from work or business. Learn ways to help you develop your proposal by hiring a retirement planner. They can easily help you prepare and control your monetary income and spending to simply secure your future. Find ways to deal with your assets and stick to your investment strategy that you feel is best. A retirement plan would be your road map to your future self.

The author writes for http://www.mercurywealth.com.au which provides information regardingRetirement Planning.

When in Cebu City, please visit also gregmelep.com for your additional retirement needs.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Edward_Santos_Lim

Philippine developers are out of sync with foreign retiree market

Foreign retirees benefit from facilites such as on-site hotels, restaurants, entertainment, and medical centres.

Philippine property developers must carry out more research in the retiree sector if they want to attract the foreign retiree market, according to the country’s retirement and healthcare sector.
The European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines ECCP led Retirement and Healthcare Coalition (RHC) highlighted that property developers in the country must do more homework on their products and marketing if they want to appeal to foreign retirees.

“Sleeping villages”, whereby leisure, entertainment, health, and wellness services are absent are only scarcely available to this particular market, stated RHC executive director Marc Daubenbuechel.
A senior citizen’s residence needs to have special facilities catering to the needs and wants of those who live there, including amenities like a clubhouse, restaurant, grocery stores, swimming pools, activity centres, sports facilities, and on-site medical aid, said Daubenbuechel.
He advised that developers must re-modify their marketing strategy and cater for the needs of this particular market rather than looking for a quick fix sale. In achieving this, he advises that sincere connections or partnerships with tourism or retirement agencies are vital.
In global comparison of retirement projects, Daubenbuechel summarised: “Here in the Philippines, it is mostly focused on the real estate. They are not using tourism marketing tools and the only option in nearly all their projects is buying a property.”
“Foreign retirees that leave their home country do not want to live in an empty village. For them it is very important to be embraced by the new community. Those interested in moving to a senior citizen residence are usually very particular about the community they will be living in,” said Daubenbuechel.
According to the RHC executive director, a successful retirement village will offer and upkeep attractive and specific surroundings for residents who have particular expectations of their new foreign home.
In making the transition more appealing, Daubenbuechel cited a separate hotel or condotel within or nearby a village would offer visitor accommodation or provide an accommodating option for potential residents to use whilst they trial their possible future surroundings.
Long-term leases attract the retirement section which does not wish to make initial concrete residential decisions and would therefore more readily subscribe to a long-term lease.
“For foreign retirees, buying a property means they will be permanently tied to a new country they are not yet very familiar with. Giving them the option to have a long-term lease gives them the feeling of owning a property but at the same time retaining for them the option of moving back to their home country, if necessary,” concluded Daubenbuechel.

By Laura Neve Tacey

1016 RESIDENCES - Ayala Business Park, Cebu City

1016 RESIDENCES - Ayala Business Park, Cebu City

Why you should take notice of the retirement phenomenon

By: Tessa R. Salazar
Philippine Daily Inquirer

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AN EXAMPLE of a retirement village is Saujana in Silang which has housing structures in earth colors that deflect heat, and designed to consume minimal electricity. Photo by Tessa R. Salazar

First in a series

Anyhow one looks at it, retirement is a serious matter. The person retiring not only brings with him or her the accumulated financial savings earned from decades of being a productive member of society. The retiree is also laden with the wisdom of having lived life to the fullest.

It would be perfectly understandable, then, why retirees sometimes take a lifetime to ponder over where to spend the next chapter of their lives. And there has been a lot of    pondering, lately, as the elderly population steadily increases. There has been discernible growth in the retirement sector for the last several years.

Elderly spending, particularly on the property sector, has been on the rise, fueled mostly by maturing life savings and retirement benefits. But the retirement demographic doesn’t even involve merely the elderly. There have been also younger individuals who plan to retire soon and invest in properties at the same time.

These retirees, whether of “retirable age” or still in the peak of their productive years, are meticulously choosing the places they want to settle into and invest in. This is most evident among the first and second generation of Filipino-American professionals or active retirees who have decided to come home to the Philippines for good.

It is a phenomenon, however, that is not exclusive to the Philippines. The over-60 population worldwide is expected to triple by 2050, according to projections by the United Nations Population Division.

In a retirement warp

Enrique M. Soriano III, Ateneo program director for real estate and senior adviser for Wong+Bernstein Business Advisory, said “The aging population is in a retirement warp.”

Soriano, formerly marketing committee chair of the Philippine Retirement Inc. (the private counterpart of the Philippine Retirement Authority), said this demographic shift will not only provide vast opportunities to capitalize on the talents and skills of older persons, but also create challenges in maintaining financial security for the aging populations.

While a markedly increased aging population is a nearly universal phenomenon, countries are at varying stages in the process. Soriano said the Philippines, along with other countries, is not prepared for the growth spurt of the elderly population.

Ironically, the Philippines has been positioning itself to become the major retirement haven in Southeast Asia for foreigners. But before any massive retiree migration is to take place, infrastructures and services that cater to this sensitive sector need to be either established or finetuned.

THE FACILITY should have adequate facilities and amenities to serve the needs of the retirees. Photo by Tessa R. Salazar

A few years ago, the PRI, in collaboration with the PRA, disclosed to Inquirer Property the accreditation standards for the design and structure of buildings for nursing homes. These standards require provisions for disability access in line with relevant building codes. It was stressed that communal areas would have to be easily accessible by persons with disability and with comprehensive programs that cater to elderly patients who cannot live on their own. The basic structures to be followed cover primary facilities and amenities, among others.

Some of those mentioned are:

Big space and wide alleys to allow wheelchairs and beds to move around

Floorings must be made with resilient, nonslip tiles

Gradual access elevation for wheelchairs for a two-story facility. Beyond two stories, an elevator must be available

Mechanized equipment for bedridden retirees

Grab or handle bars in necessary locations like toilets and bathrooms

Priorities

Paul Vincent Chua, Colliers International’s associate director for valuation and advisory services, and the head of consultancy and research, enumerated the priorities of the retirement sector:

The weather or climate of the location;

Accessibility to healthcare;

Distance or accessibility to central locations (i.e. airports, opportunities for work); and,

Accommodations

Claro dG. Cordero Jr., head of research, consulting and valuation of Jones Lang LaSalle Leechiu, said the ideal place for retirement facilities should have the following elements:

Sustainable community-type developments—The facility should have adequate facilities and amenities to serve the needs of the retirees, such as recreational and retail facilities, and oftentimes, the presence of limited right to be employed locally.

Presence and availability of superior and advanced health-related facilities

Highly developed infrastructure (that are well-connected with major cities through direct flights) and telecommunications facilities as well as reliable supply of utilities (water and electricity)

Safety and security

Adaptability of the community to the culture of the retirees—e.g., presence of well-trained personnel fluent in the native language of retirees

Support and assistance of the local government

A HEALTHY environment is a must for retirees. Photo by Tessa R. Salazar

National Real Estate Association chair Alejandro S. Mañalac noted that considering the basic needs of typical retirees—whether middle-aged active or even medically assisted—there are a few places which he believes would qualify.

“While most people think the quiet and peaceful beaches are the perfect retirement havens, you will be surprised that a lot of these retirees think otherwise.”

He added, “It is nice to stay in a fancy beach house for a few days, watching the sunset, walk on the sand, listen to the waves, however, they don’t want to spend the rest of their lives that way.”

Mañalac stressed that based on the standards set by the Philippine Retirement Authority, aside from several required specific designs of retirement homes, it also has to be near reputable hospitals with adequate and modern medical facilities. A healthy environment is a must, free from both noise and air pollution. It should also be near places of entertainment and exercise.

Next: How big is the retirement phenomenon?