Global demographics dictate that the largest market in the next twenty years will be for the baby-boomers who will be retiring. In the UK/Europe and USA these citizens are 42 to 58 years old now. The bulk of the wealth is in the middle classes, in the middle ages requiring middle market homes for retirement. These are not “retirement homes” per se, rather homes that are suitable for active 58 to say 75 year olds. They are likely to be in the hotter, drier and sunnier areas of a country, at the coast, near picturesque towns or in the center of cities.

The bulk of a country’s retiring population is likely to stay in their base country with general migration south to sunnier climates, and/or to coastal areas. Very few retirees will leave their region because of the necessity to be close to family and friends, not least in case they get ill, but more immediately because they will want to spend much of their spare time socialising with family and friends.

So if you are looking for capital value increases in future, it might be best to try and capture part of this market, or at least expose yourself to part of it.

The full version of this article first appeared on Propertyinvesting.net

Despite the recent property crisis in Spain, Tenerife in the Canary Islands, property sales are still rising. Reports that the housing bubble in Spain has burst have led to an increase in property sales elsewhere around the mainland. Tenerife, fortunate to have all year round perfect weather, is well placed to cater for the large number of people from the UK wishing to purchase somewhere in the sun. Tenerife must be viewed as a “micro-market”, operating within the larger Spanish economy but independent to factors affecting a crash from the Spanish market.

The property boom in the Costas looks to slow due to an over supply of property, corruption scandals and land grab issues, diminishing the confidence of the buyer.

In 2001 the Tenerife government voted a moratorium on new touristic building, limiting the supply of new homes thus preventing over building. Despite the restricted supply, with no artificial media frenzy similar to that incited on the Costas, price rises were more moderate.

To read this article in full, click here.

In Tenerife, in the Canary islands, where Britons come to feel at home, talks about artist impersonators, ex-pats who own and have named the various pubs and that “The ghosts of old television shows haunt the casual observer. It’s as if Only Fools and Horses and Rising Damp never came off the air.”

You can understand how it comes about, when time stood still for most expats who have been here for years. Precious few learn Spanish or take on any new culture. Partly, because running their “dream” British bar does not afford them time, opportunity or motivation to do so.

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Always wanted to get married abroad on a Carribean Island with beautiful beaches, palm trees swaying and beautiful views but it seems a dream, not anymore!

Fuerteventura, the 2nd largest Canary Island just off the coast of Africa has Carribean style beaches and a hot climate all year round. It is increasingly becoming a top destination for tourists with its varied scenery from sand dunes, forests and mountainous views. It has something to offer everyone. It is the least commercialised but that makes it a perfect destination for your Wedding or Celebration and you will be glad to know it wont break your bank balance.

They offer :

* Civil Wedding Ceremony
* Marriage Blessings (civil ceremony taking place in your own country)
* Renew of Vowels
* Celebration Parties – Wedding Anniversaries, Birthdays or a special occasion

If you would like further information in getting married in Fuerteventura, or any of the other Canary islands, please click here.

The Blue Flag was born in France in 1985 where the first French coastal municipalities were awarded the Blue Flag on the basis of criteria covering sewage treatment and bathing water quality

The award of a Blue Flag beach is based on compliance with 29 criteria covering the aspects of:

1) Environmental Education and Information

2) Water Quality

3) Environmental Management

4) Safety and Services

All Blue Flags are only awarded for one season at a time.

If some of the imperative criteria are not fulfilled during the season or the conditions change, the Blue Flag will be withdrawn.

Check out which Beaches in the Canary Islands currently hold Blue Flag Awards by clicking here.

Read More About The Blue Flag Organisation

Did you know, if you book a package holiday here with a tour operator, they are responsible for what happens to you, not the hotelier, not the manager of the apartment complex or anyone else, it is the tour operator who looks after you and ensure you get the holiday that you paid for.

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Thousands of Euros in overpaid Spanish Capital Gains Tax could be recovered by former owners in “no win, no fee” cases

A leading Costa Blanca lawyer with many years experience has announced he is confident that he can recover large sums of Capital Gains Tax that have been over-paid to the Spanish tax authorities prior to 1st January 2007. Most of the overpaid tax will have come from the sale of property by non-resident British, Irish and other Northern Europeans.

Cloud Nine Nails and Beauty Salon

Liz is the brains behind Cloud Nine, a Nail and Beauty Salon based in Los Cristianos, Tenerife. She has been here for 13 years and came over with her husband to give them and their children a better life.

Of the increasing number of people coming to live in the Canary Islands, many want to start their own business. Members of EU countries have an automatic right to run a business in Spain, often with no more required than a foreigners personal identification number (NIE). But this should not be taken to imply that it is easy to set up or achieve success in a business in the sun: running your own business, anywhere, will be hard work, day in and day out, and should not be undertaken until you are absolutely certain that it is exactly what you want to do, and that you have done everything you can to make the best possible start.

For example, did you know (and can you believe?!) that 85% of people who are thinking seriously about starting a business do not have an accountant; only 3% fewer do not have a lawyer; more worrying, 80% do not have a business plan; and 75% have not arranged finance! Start off in the right way, and you will be streets ahead of the so-called competition!

The Cloud Nine phenomenon was born many years ago when Liz was staying in America and had her nails done by an Iranian, “It was the first time that I had ever seen Sculpted Nails and they were incredible, so when I got back to the U.K., I searched the whole of Liverpool until I found one girl who could do them”.

“When we decided to come over to Tenerife I knew that no-one would be able to help me out nail-wise and luckily her sister was able to train me to do my nails myself. All those years ago you couldn’t even buy a decent deodorant or English bread, so I was lucky that I could at least do my own nails”.

Initially Liz and her family moved to a Villa in Amarilla Golf, where a neighbour saw her nails and was desperate to have them herself. This led to friend after friend requesting her nail treatment and within a very short space of time Liz was doing the nails of most of the residents of Amarilla Golf. It was then that she decided that proper qualifications were required so attended a recognized nail course back in the U.K. and went mobile as a nail technician.

Any business you establish will need to be registered both locally with the town hall, which will provide an operating licence, and regionally with the Hacienda, or tax office, with which you will need to file your tax returns. As Liz was a mobile nail technician, she needed all her paperwork for both Arona and Adeje allowing her to trade legally in both areas.

“At first it was me in my little black Panda that I pushed more than I drove! But after a very short while I had more clients than I could manage and so hired a table in the salon Aromazone, in The Patch in Las Americas, so that clients could come to me”.

It was then that everything started to fall into place as the owner of Aromazone decided to sell the business, Liz bought it and Cloud Nine was born

“The first time I became aware of the brand Creative Nails was when a client came in for a small repair, I had never seen such beautiful nails and explained that although I could do the repair, it would not look as good as the initial work. So the next obvious step for me was to train as a Creative Nails Technician. I have never looked back”.

“As there were no other Creative Nail Technicians on the Island, I looked ahead at the next twenty years, looking at the bigger picture and decided to go on to train as an Educator. It took 2 years of study before I was fully qualified and am now able to call myself an Educational Ambassador. I love it when other girls come to me for training, I set the standards very high both in training and in my salon, and that’s the way it will stay”.

As a fully qualified Educator, Liz was also able to get a Distributors Licence, so all Creative Nails products are available to qualified technicians on the Island. Cloud Nine is the sole distributor in the Canary Islands province covering Tenerife, El Hiero, Gomera and La Palma.

Liz moved Cloud Nine to its present location above Supermarcado Carolina in Los Cristianos to make it more accessible to her clients, and she has also recently re-opened the original salon in The Patch, in Las Americas, and is looking at new premises in Santa Cruz with a view to opening a college to train in Hairdressing, using Paul Mitchell products, Beauty Therapy as well as the Creative Nail Academy.

Legally when your business is growing at a rate similar to Cloud Nine, you need to decide whether to operate as a sole trader or a limited company – this is the S.L. suffix after a business name, though there is also the option to operate as a PLC, this is the S.A. suffix. You must be aware that your business can be inspected at any time, and you will need to be able to provide any paperwork requested (and for up to the previous seven years!) So shortcuts simply cannot be taken.

You will, of course, need to pay taxes here, as anywhere else! But you may be able to opt into a modular system, whereby you pay a set quarterly amount of tax on a regular basis. You will also need to keep up-to-date books, and to submit paperwork to your gestor (accountant) every month. A further requirement is monthly social security payments, for yourself and any staff you employ and note that if your employees have not previously worked in Spain, you will need to obtain copies of their passports and forward them to your gestor with their contracts of employment in your business. These fiscal and contributory payments will, in all likelihood, be made from a business-only bank account, and these accounts statements will need to be included in any paperwork sent to your gestor and he or she will take care of the numerous forms and allowances that apply to your business activities.

“The best advice I can give anyone thinking of starting a business over here is to realize what it will cost you financially, family wise and socially. The fees are not cheap and what you make and what you see in your till are not necessarily the same thing. Having said all that, I would definitely do it all again, I have loved every minute of it, starting mobile and going right up to distribution, it has all been brilliant”.

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