{"id":49715,"date":"2026-08-23T19:31:28","date_gmt":"2026-08-23T17:31:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zar2010.com\/?p=49715"},"modified":"2026-08-23T19:31:28","modified_gmt":"2026-08-23T17:31:28","slug":"property-prices-almeria-coast-short-term-outlook","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zar2010.com\/en\/property-prices-almeria-coast-short-term-outlook\/","title":{"rendered":"What to expect from the housing market in the short term"},"content":{"rendered":"

Headlines about falling sales figures and overheated prices are making buyers and sellers nervous \u2014 but the picture on the ground in Garrucha, Vera, Moj\u00e1car and San Juan de los Terreros looks rather different.<\/strong> At ZAR 2010 we have been selling property on Almer\u00eda’s Levante coast for thirty years, and what we see in our day-to-day work does not always match the national statistics. This article gives you an honest reading of where the market stands right now and what you can realistically expect over the coming months \u2014 whether you are buying or selling in this corner of south-east Spain.<\/p>\n

What the national data says \u2014 and why it does not tell the whole story<\/h2>\n

A recent report published by Spanish financial daily Expansi\u00f3n<\/a> points to a drop in the number of second-hand property transactions completed across Spain. That kind of headline understandably worries people who are thinking about buying or selling. But statistics need context, and in our experience the context here is crucial.<\/p>\n

At ZAR 2010 we have not seen a slowdown in the number of deals we are closing.<\/strong> The pace of sales in our area remains solid. So what are the national figures actually measuring?<\/p>\n

Fewer homes for sale means fewer sales recorded<\/h3>\n

The logic is straightforward. If the number of properties available on the market drops, the number of transactions will fall with it \u2014 not because demand has dried up, but simply because there is less to buy. The shortage of second-hand stock is the primary driver of the statistical decline in completions at national level.<\/strong> It is a supply problem, not a demand problem.<\/p>\n

On the Levante coast, demand remains firm. Buyers from the UK and Ireland \u2014 who make up roughly half of our client base \u2014 continue to look for homes in Garrucha, Vera, Moj\u00e1car and San Juan de los Terreros, whether as a permanent move or as a holiday base with the option of renting out. That interest has not weakened.<\/p>\n

The Almer\u00eda Levante coast: solid demand, tightening supply.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Will prices keep rising?<\/h2>\n

This is the question we hear most often, and it deserves a straight answer: it depends entirely on whether the asking price of a given property reflects what the market can actually support.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Prices have risen significantly across Spain in recent years, and the past twelve months have seen particularly sharp increases in some areas. That environment has produced a split in the market that is becoming increasingly visible here on the Levante coast.<\/p>\n

Correctly priced homes are still selling well<\/h3>\n

Properties listed at prices that genuine buyers can afford \u2014 and that Spanish banks are willing to lend against \u2014 are continuing to sell at a healthy pace and within a reasonable timeframe.<\/strong> The buyers are there. The mortgage finance is available for those transactions. And deals are getting done.<\/p>\n

In almost every case, these are homes whose owners listened to professional advice when setting their asking price. They factored in the condition of the property, its location, what comparable homes were actually selling for, and what a realistic buyer could pay. That approach works.<\/p>\n

Overpriced homes are sitting unsold<\/h3>\n

At the other end of the scale, we are seeing a growing number of properties that attract very little interest \u2014 few enquiries, almost no viewings, and minimal traction in the market. The common thread is almost always the same: an asking price that has drifted too far above market reality.<\/strong><\/p>\n

How does this happen? Often a seller has read about rising prices nationally and applied that trend to their own home without accounting for local conditions, the age and state of the property, or what else is available at that price point. There is also a very human factor at play: it is genuinely difficult to value your own home objectively. You have invested money, time and emotional energy in it. That is entirely understandable.<\/p>\n

Word-of-mouth comparisons with neighbours who have recently sold also play a role. In our experience, the price people say their neighbour got and the price the neighbour actually received are rarely the same number.<\/strong> Sellers tend to share the optimistic version, and any negotiation discount quietly disappears from the story. The result is that some owners enter the market with expectations that no reputable agent can responsibly support.<\/p>\n

A technical signal worth paying attention to: mortgage valuations<\/h2>\n

There is a specific indicator that tells us something important about where certain parts of the market have moved: some bank valuations (tasaciones) are now coming in below the agreed sale price.<\/strong><\/p>\n

For British and Irish buyers this is a particularly relevant point. In Spain, the mortgage a bank will offer is based on the official valuation, not the purchase price. If there is a gap between the two, the buyer must cover the difference from their own savings on top of the standard deposit. That makes some transactions simply unworkable. When valuations consistently fall short of asking prices, it is a clear signal that those prices have moved beyond what the wider financial system considers sustainable.<\/p>\n

\n\"Garrucha
Garrucha: one of the most active property markets on the Almer\u00eda coast.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What should buyers and sellers actually expect in the short term?<\/h2>\n

Based on everything we are seeing on the ground, here is our honest assessment of the near-term outlook:<\/p>\n