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Continuing Good News … and Banderas the Footballer

The definitive figures are now being released for the first quarter of Spain’s reinvigorated real estate market and the news is good – at least for popular residential-tourism areas like the Costa del Sol. More of that later… but main priorities first! Following our news last week about Antonio Banderas the fledgling fashion designer, we can now reveal the Málaga-born actor was also a pretty adept footballer in his youth. This week on Twitter he released a photo of his licence to play as a 14-year-old back in 1974. He was a keen player until an injury thwarted his progress and he turned instead to school theatre. [caption id="attachment_4283" align="alignleft" width="150"] Banderas at Maracaná in 2015[/caption] [caption id="attachment_4284" align="alignleft" width="150"] Chris Hemsworth in Hong Kong[/caption] But back to business… According to figures released this week by the Spanish National Statistics Institute, the number of home sales in February increased by nearly 15.8 per cent compared with the same month in 2015 – a total of just under 35,000 transactions. Andalucía led the way among Spain’s regions, with 6.476 registered sales. This encouraging news reinforced a burgeoning sense of confidence in the market as final official figures from 2015 confirm the industry’s resurgence. Latest statistics published by the Ministry of Public Works show that sales of homes in Spain increased by nearly 10 per cent in 2015, rising to just over 400,000. Real estate law specialists Fuster & Associates reported that this was the third consecutive year that home sales had risen and was the largest volume since 2010. They also noted that transactions carried out by foreign residents in Spain had shown year-on-year growth for an 18th consecutive quarter, increasing by 9.9 per cent compared with the fourth quarter in 2014, to a total of just over 18,029; while an additional 1,453 homes were bought by non-residents (a 10.3 per cent rise). On a local level, Fuster & Associates highlighted a growing sense of optimism among property professionals in Marbella, who are “foreseeing a bright future for the local property market in 2016 following a year which saw the consolidation of the recovery transforming into growth on a regional level in the Costa del Sol.” They noted that the property market is currently “quite balanced, with no more distressed properties and a solid demand for the lifestyle that Marbella and its surroundings offer.” According to the company, “Demand has shifted from being mostly price-driven to focusing primarily on quality and lifestyle considerations. The market is consistently strong for prime beachside and golf fronting/country club locations although there’s an increasing preference among many for contemporary villas and apartments that offer the latest architectural styles and technological features.” Our featured home this week is a good example of why Marbella is leading the way: superb location (Los Monteros), magnificent features and excellently priced at €1,074,524. Banderas himself, of course, has a villa in the same area, not far from Marbella rugby club’s headquarters. He is also not the only Hollywood star with some impressive sporting skills away from the big screen. This past week, Chris Hemsworth was photographed (Getty Images) making a stylish ceremonial kick beside Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong to help launch the international rugby sevens tournament. Exceptional Homes We appreciate your taking the time to read about this outstanding property, but perhaps it is not exactly right for you? If not, we invite you to have a look at our other special selections for: La Zagaleta, Luxury Villas, Golf Properties, Seafront Properties, Apartments and Special Offers. Click on the category of your choice and follow the link. Also please feel free to roam around our website: www.villamarbellanow.com