Parador Properties:anyone purchased from this company or did anyone go on inspection?

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xpot4

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has anyone purchased from this company or did anyone go on one of there inspection trips
 
Re: Parador Properties

I'd be interested to get info on this company too. Anyone?
 
Re: Parador Properties

Ciadan said:
I'd be interested to get info on this company too. Anyone?
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Ask Linda & Keith

For Linda, 62, and Keith Horler, 63 from Hertford there really was no contest says Linda: “We’ve been coming to Spain since our first ever holiday abroad, back in 1965. It was just fishing villages back then and it’s changed enormously, but we still love it and we are about to move out here permanently.”

The Horlers have bought a large three bedroom villa with two bathrooms, enormous roof terrace and garden where they plan to install a large swimming pool.

The couple paid £150,000 when they bought off plan from Parador Properties, before the property was built and took possession of the house last year.

“It was great value, especially when you compare it to what you get in the UK. We want to retire abroad to a place with a great climate and a lower cost of living. And we want to be easily accessible to the UK so that our son and daughter can visit us, they can travel to Spain by car, train or low cost flights, it’s easy.”

Before they bought, the Horlers admit to feeling apprehensive about being given the hard sell on a Viewing Trip, but found that they need not have worried. “

The guys we met were so lovely I even wrote to Parador Properties praising them. They really looked after us and didn’t mind when at one stage I changed my mind completely and backed out of the purchase!”

Happily, Linda changed her mind again and returned to the UK the proud owner of a Spanish dream home, which she describes as her own ‘Moroccan-style’ palace. Her new home is in Calasparra, Murcia, forty minutes inland and around eighty minutes from Alicante airport: “We didn’t want to be right on the coast. As we’re going to live there we want to be among other permanent residents rather than holidaymakers.”

Linda is unfazed by the many Spanish property market scare stories she hears about. She even saw her own villa appear on a TV programme as part of the supposed ‘Spanish slump’: “ I couldn’t believe my eyes.

They showed the weeds in our garden and said it was proof that properties were lying empty, unsold. I had to laugh, it’s only because we haven’t moved out there yet that it looks like that, we’ll soon have it looking nice when we get there, I can’t wait!”
(Daily Express)
 
Re: Parador Properties

Linda may have had a happy experience, but the recent TV programme on the difficulties of reselling a 'place in the sun' featured a couple who bought in Spain, after "heavy pressure" (they claim) from Parador and ended up with a main road yards from the front door and the estate infrastructure left unfinished. Parador are agents, that's all. Never go on a trip subsidised by an agent; travel independently and look at all developments in the area you are interested in as individuals. That way you will see more and you'll be better placed to negotiate on the price. (It goes without saying that you should use an independent lawyer and NOT the one recommended by the agent).
 
Re: Parador Properties

UrbanDev, when quoting from Newspapers please note Posting Guideline
 
Re: Parador Properties

Bunch of friggin twats - the people on the telephone were rude, abrasive and British - what is the world coming to...Anyhow - who wants to buy a property from a bunch that only slag the "foreigners" constantly...laughable...
Moral of the strory - go solo - the rates they screw you on is huge...you can buy a car to go with your house in Spain if you were to go alone...
 
Re: Parador Properties


Firstly we're not talking about an independent article with a piece like that.

Second Parador are a big company in the mold of MRI and Ocean Estates. Now Im not tainting them with those companies brush but, they are formulaic and would have a set structure for viewing trips designed to a tee to make you buy on the trip. From a business perspective thats a smart approach as they would obviously be doing their best to close the deal and make sales. From a buyers perspective you are like Rog says most likely going to be dealing with high pressure which could make you uncomfortable on your trip. These subsidised viewing trips are not for the good of the companies health...

As regards the lawyer, I would disagree with BigRog because it not that cut and dried.
Some developers will be working "in bed" with the lawyer and in that case he is right, because the lawyer is not going to tell you anything other then go ahead with purchase.

But if its an independent credible company that has already completed the due diligence which should take at the very least a couple of weeks if not months, and will give you a preferential rate because they get a volume of business I don't see a reason not to use them.
If you are buying in lets say Croatia for example, and you ring an Irish property lawyer, or a family lawyer are they going to be licensed to offer legal advice in that country? I have dealt with many lawyers that will take the business anyway.

Much of the time the company will contact then a local law firm pay them half the fee they are getting from you and get them to do the due diligence. Now as the original law firm are unlikely to be up to scratch on Croatian law its most likely they will be taking the local law firms advice for granted. But the problem is you will never know who that local firm is, and what kind of a firm they are. You also end up paying twice the fees. Lawyer A isnt going to put their neck on the line without getting a decent fee and the local firm isnt going to spend weeks doing a due diligence without a decent fee.

The key is to look at it case by case, and check out the reccomended law firm, and to really be sure ask them to supply you with a letter stating they are completely independent of the developer, and solely representing the client.

www.sansonanddunne.com
 
Re: Parador Properties

Parador properties originated in Spain where they had quite a sizeable operation which has been cut back due to the current state of the market over there they also operate in portugal and turkey and have recentley taken on the region of Calabria in southern Italy.From what i have heard so far they have a fairly good reputation in the industry.
 
Re: Parador Properties

My brother went on an inspection trip last year with Parador to Spain.

He was assigned an agent for his full stay to show him apartments.

Hardly got a minute on his own - even the agent met him for dinner and immediately after breakfast.

Others out also inspecting and no time to mingle as assigned an individual agent.

Heard that 2 who travelled out to inspect on a cheap junket spent too much time in the bar early on and were promptly despatched home as had no interest in property just the cheap flight out.

Serious subtle pressure builds up to buy when an agent is with you for 2 full days.

My brother did pay a deposit on an apartment but on returning home got his money back.
He was lucky.
 
Re: Parador Properties

Heard that 2 who travelled out to inspect on a cheap junket spent too much time in the bar early on and were promptly despatched home as had no interest in property just the cheap flight out.
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I don't see anything wrong with sending time wasters packing, I mean I don't think if you took a test drive in a car, drove 10 miles down the road and got out and thanked the sales guy for the lift he'd be happy either. don't expect to go on a highly subsidised trip and not at least have somebody try and sell to you.

Serious subtle pressure builds up to buy
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What does that mean? Surly its either serious or its subtle.
 
Re: Parador Properties

OP requested information on Parador.

I supplied what I know and heard.

No need to analyse what I have said.
 
Re: Parador Properties:anyone purchased from this company or did anyone go on inspect

No offense intended Daddy, I just find it hard to understand that if people go on a subsidised inspection trip, how can they expect the company involved not to try to sell to them? Surly the only way to be independent is to make all your own arrangements and 'go solo' as pigletta 1 said. I mean the term 'free inspection trip' is a misnomer as there is no such thing as a free lunch - i.e. companies like Parador supply free or cheap trips - the investor gives full access to their ear for the duration of the trip. I personally think if a person is interested in an area to purchasing property they should investigate the area on their own steam before they get in to bed with a company like Parador (or any other similar company). These guys are trained to turn peoples heads as your brother experience illustrates.
 
Re: Parador Properties:anyone purchased from this company or did anyone go on inspect

Advanced pressurised sales techniques are both very subtle and very serious
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I don't mean to come across as pedantic but I have to disagree, It's one or the other, anybody involved with any type of sales employs subtle sales tactics. Its hard sales tactics that are 'very serious'.
 
Re: Parador Properties:anyone purchased from this company or did anyone go on inspect

2 or three days on a inspection trip is not really alot of time to find someone a property that matches their budget and requirements,it is all about doing as much research as possible before you go 1 on the country, 2 the buying process and most importantly what to exspect for your money.I see far too many agents pack people off on planes to far off places with unrealistic budgets for there requirements.People always have a choice of going it alone which can be difficult particularly in a country where english is not widely spoken.and whether you like the sales consultants or not they are only trying to do there best in finding a property that suits their client. i sold around 40 propertys last year on inspection trips and i am far from a pushy sales type i did it because i found them what they wanted.which gives me my satisfaction
 
Re: Parador Properties

UrbanDev said:
The couple paid £150,000 when they bought off plan from Parador Properties, before the property was built and took possession of the house last year.

“It was great value, especially when you compare it to what you get in the UK. )
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What a bizarre way to assess 'value'...by that rationale everywhere is great value compared to Ireland! That's how people get stitched up overseas; They compare prices to prices at home rather than looking at the local market and local salaries.
 
Re: Parador Properties:anyone purchased from this company or did anyone go on inspect

Inspection trip - If it is what is says on the tin is a trip with the opportunity to inspect properties for sale by a given company.

However, this does not give the company the right to invade your space and bully you into an action that you are not comfortable with...

I think people who get cornered in this way should simply tell these gangsters to F##k Off. However, I presume that they pick on older more vulnerable people....
 
Re: Parador Properties

Daddy said:
Hardly got a minute on his own - even the agent met him for dinner and immediately after breakfast.
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My GF and i went on an inspection trip with Parador in May 07. I turned out to be one of the worst weekends ever. We didnt get a minute to ourselves, we had to go out for meals with this guy who was actually really annoying and wouldnt talk much. This was very awkward.

Unfortunaltely we had to endure this for 3 full days. And at the end of the trip i told him we were not going to buy anything and he was not one bit surprised. I will never go on a "free inpection trip" again.
 
Re: Parador Properties:anyone purchased from this company or did anyone go on inspect

Thanks for your input Phil.
 
Re: Parador Properties:anyone purchased from this company or did anyone go on inspect

I know of loads of people who have gone on inspection trips with parador and a graet deal of other companys some have bought some have not. but if some feel threatened by inspection trips,the simple answer is do not go on them go and make a appointment with a number of agents and pay for the trip yourself if anyone is half serious they will not mind doing that. just takes alot more time and organization but you have to go to the country if you want to buy something disasters happen when people do not go and inspect.
 
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