1º Never ever use a lawyer recommended to you by the estate agent that showed you the property you are purchasing. Estate Agents recommend a solicitor known and regularly hired by them

2º Don´t pay reservation fee non refundable when you are buying off-plan. Your agent often put you under pressure to pay the reservation fee, insinuating that you will lose the opportunity unless you move fast, but perhaps the development is illegal.

3º There are two different types of lawyer in Spain. One that wants your money up front and one that requires no payment for their services until completion.

Spanish Law Firm
www.fljordan.com

I disagree. As an Estate Agent in Spain I entirely disagree with this advice.

1) Good Estate Agents recommend lawyers that they know do the job correctly and swiftly. There are good and bad lawyers and we prefer to recommend our clients good lawyers. A good lawyer saves you time and money. One of the biggest complaints we get from clients is how upset they are with lawyers and one of our client's biggest regrets is not having used lawyers recommended by us.

2) A reservation deposit takes the property off the market. By law reservation deposits are fully refundable. Never pay a reservation deposit that isn't fully refundable. Make sure you only pay a reservation deposit if the terms are clearly laid out and it's fully refundable. Any decent agent or promoter will not have a problem with this.

3) Never pay lawyer fees upfront.

1º All the serious guidelines about buying property in Spain are clearly in this issue, don't hire a solicitor recommended by your Estate Agent. It's very well known that there are so many British cheated and with huge problems because there are so many Agents, both British and Spanish with no qualms about doing everything to get their commissions, for instance, selling houses without Licences or with Bank Guarantees when you are buying off-plan. I am sure you are not in this bunch.

2º As a solicitor in Spain I have to say that you can sign a reservation fee refundable or non refundable but usually this reservation is non refundable and it is a standard form and also signed without seeing the others required documents by Spanish law such as Licences or bank guarantees.

Your statement is totally wrong and manipulated. I truly think It was a misunderstanding on your part otherwise you are not contributing to help people needed of fairly advice


Felix Lopez
www.fljordan.com Spanish Law Firm

reservation fee non refundable when you are buying off-plan. Your agent often put you under pressure to pay the reservation fee, insinuating that you will lose the opportunity unless you move fast, but perhaps the development is illegal.

3º There are two different types of lawyer in Spain. One that wants your money up front and one that requires no payment for their services until completion.

Be very careful if your thinking of buying a property in Spain or anywhere else for that matter.....

Buying Property in Spain What Questions Should I Ask the Agent?
Suppose, you went to Spain and fell in love with the area. You want to buy a house. What would be questions you should ask the Real Estate Agent? What would be some things to watch out for? How can I be sure I am getting the best deal?

With the sterling pound about to assume parity with the Euro what good reason is there to but property in Spain at all ?