"The most popular location for Britons to buy is Spain, with an estimated 500,000 owning villas or flats, usually on the coast or in the hills. There are villages in Spainwhich are entirely filled by Britons who are now the biggest group of European foreign nationals living in Spain."

dailymail.co.uk

Up to 500,000 Britons have either moved to Spain or own a second home there. Another 20,000 are expected to join them this year. They outnumber any other foreign nationals.
The past eight years has seen a 150 per cent rise in Spanish house prices. Many Britons, who typically buy apartments on the coast near golf courses, have doubled their money.

dailymail.co.uk

To those who buy property in Spain, the country is just one big investment. The British are buying into Spain in ever greater numbers. Many see their investment as an alternative pension plan, as the high charges, stealthy tax increases and general complexity of "normal" pensions can be off-putting. Others point to a unique benefit of committing capital to a house or flat: it's just about the only investment you can live in.

telegraph.co.uk

The Daily Express Wednesday April 25,2007

Despite the recent shift to emerging markets such as Croatia and Morocco and concerns over its controversial 'land grab' laws, Spain remains the top choice for Britons buying property abroad. And most continue to be attracted to the Costas where development goes on apace.

express.co.uk

With stiff competition from cheaper destinations such as Bulgaria, and Spanish property prices looking a bit peaky, is it still worth buying a holiday home in Spain?Undoubtedly yes, in my opinion, but only if you are prepared to do your research, develop investment strategies based on local market insight and take a long-term approach.

property.timesonline.co.uk

Times online April 5, 2005

Spain is still the most popular overseas holiday destination amongst the British – over 16 million visits were recorded in 2003.

property.timesonline.co.uk

The biggest advantages of buying in Spain are those that make it Britain’s favourite holiday destination. The climate of the Costas is a big draw; Spain also has a highly developed tourist infrastructure, and is extremely accessible from the UK.

homesoverseas.co.uk

British housebuyers would do well to avoid traditionally popular areas like the Costa del Sol and Marbella but it was still safe to buy in other parts of Spain: for example Costa Granada — an area that has been overlooked.

thesun.co.uk

Both a centre of equestrianism and flamenco, Jerez has all the tourist and shoppingappeal of a big Spanish city without losing the charm of a smaller, traditional town.

observer.guardian.co.uk

Continued strong growth and signs of a more expansionary fiscal policy have led us to raise our 2008 GDP forecast.
The Economist

It is possible to obtain a three-year fixed rate mortgage loan at 5 per cent in Spain -

at least half a percentage point lower than the cheapest deals around in the UK.
Financial Times

House prices rose 7.2 per cent in the first quarter of 2007
Financial times

     
“We think the British market wants to see real Spain” It’s unspoilt, it hasn’t seen tourism like the coast. And, as in Granada, I don’t feel I’d be reliant on overseas buyers if I come to sell. There’s a big take-up by Spanish nationals. Jerez is that little bit special — and not particularly expensive.
The Times

"Acute housing shortages continue, despite all the building; demographic pressures

still exist and there remains a seemingly insatiable demand among many Europeans

for a place in the Spanish sun.”
The guardian
 
The main factors which have been attracting buyers to Spain in droves remain the same. It is near, it is accessible, the infrastructure is good, the economy and politics

are stable, and – most importantly – the sun still shines whatever happens in the markets.
EL PAIS