More and more people buying property in Spain consider taking out a mortgage with a Spanish bank to finance their purchase in this country. Not only expatriates or people moving to Spain, but also property investors, regular visitors to Spain etc.

Getting a mortgage with a Spanish bank does have certain important advantages - low interest rates, favourable write off conditions, easier for taxpayers to sort taxes out, no expensive bank commissions caused by international bank transactions etc. Spanish banks have targetted the non-resident property buyers as a lucrative group, and as a result a mind-boggling range of low-interest loans have invaded the market in recent years.

For the past few years, Euroresidentes has monitored the increasing number of products and loans offered by Spanish banks to non-residents in Spain, and we have advised several leading banks about the needs of non-Spanish property buyers, the kind of services we expect from a bank in terms of flexible banking, language support, low interest rates, personalised customer services, efficient online banking etc.

Each week we receive enquiries from property buyers seeking advice and information about getting a mortgage with a Spanish bank. In the same way that we help our users to contact reliable independent lawyers to represent their interests during a property purchase to avoid future complications or disappointments, we can also put you in contact with representatives from three major Spanish banks offering reliable services and mortgages to non-resident property buyers. We send out regular user surveys to monitor the standards of service and products being offered by these banks to clients forwarded on by us, because our commitment is to offer our users unbiased and professional advice.

 

During 2006, perhaps partly influenced by its purchase of British bank Abbey, the Santander Central Hispano has greatly improved its understanding of the needs of non-Spanish (and particularly British) property buyers in Spain, and has adapted its structure and products to cater for them accordingly.

The Santander Bank is Spain's largest bank, and places corporate emphasis on international expansion and quality close customer relations. It has invested time and resources in improving its ebanking interface in recent months, and the resulting online banking system is straightforward, user-friendly and extremely secure. British clients who have accounts with Abbey also have the added advantage of low-cost international bank transfers.

For this reason Euroresidentes is now recommending this bank as the best option on offer for non-Spanish property buyers seeking a mortgage and other banking services with a Spanish bank. We will be happy to put any users interested in finding out more about products available according to their specific needs in touch with the Director of a Santander bank. Send an email to euroresi@euroresidentes.com detailing your particular mortgage requirements (amount requested, estimated value and locationg of the property you intend to buy and estimated yearly income) and you will be contacted by a bank representative.

According to the terms of the agreement Euroresidentes signed with this Spanish savings Bank, Caja Madrid should give Euroresidentes users a reply within 24 hours of receiving their mortgage enquiry, and step-by-step guidance on how to apply for a loan (our experience during 2006 was that replies infact often took longer). Caja Madrid offers clients the security of a consolidated bank together with the standards they are used to receiving at home.

If you would like to find out more about the special rates being offered to non-resident property buyers, please contact us and we will put you in contact with a Caja Madrid International Financial Advisor.

Bankinter, possibly Spain's best online bank also offers special mortgages to non residents in Spain. Anyone interested in finding out more, contact us, euroresi@euroresidentes.com, and we will forward your enquiry on to a Bankinter foreign accounts advisor.