Do you have any questions?
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What is the relationship between ACV and real estate agencies?
ACV works exclusively for the buyer and has no connection with nor profit from real estate agencies.
An estate agent is engaged by the seller to achieve the highest possible price for their property and will only be able to offer those properties on the books, usually in a well defined area. We are engaged by the buyer to find the right property at the lowest possible price and are not restricted to one particular area. We are able to offer balanced and impartial advice about a variety of locations and we use our intimate local knowledge to pinpoint the most likely options for each individual’s requirements.
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Are there any fixed costs for the searching service?
No, ACV works to succeed, we only bill our fees in the case that the customer buys or rents one of the houses proposed by us.
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But why should I pay you to find a property when I don’t have to pay anything to an Real Estate Agency?
There is no such thing as a free property finding service. If the fee comes from the seller then the ability to give independent and impartial advice is lost. Because we work exclusively for the buyer, there is no conflict of interest between the buyer and the seller. And real estate agencies will not actively search for a property on your behalf regardless of their promises. In almost every case, our clients find that we save them money. Add up the cost of a few wasted viewing trips, never mind the time it all takes. Best of all, we know how the system works; we know the right people to use and we are convinced we will always be able to negotiate a better price than our client would have been able to achieve on their own. We regularly save our clients considerably more than the value of our fees in this aspect alone. We do not take the place of a lawyer and always recommend one is used – but we do double check everything and if a problem with the title has been identified we make sure that the strategy to correct it is in place before the contract is signed.
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How does the buying process go?
In spite of what all the horror stories in the media imply the property buying process in Spain is actually very simple and transparent. Once you have settled on a particular property the normal practice is to pay a small reserve deposit to ensure the property is taken off the market while legal enquiries are made. This can be a range between 1,000 € to 5,000 € . Meanwhile, your lawyer will request the Nota Simple, a shortened version of the Title Deed or escritura, and raise a draft contract. Signing private contracts is not legally required in Spain; in fact, many Spaniards dispense with this stage and go straight to the notary to sign the escritura, but as most overseas property buyers will need time to arrange transfer of funds or organize a Spanish mortgage, it has become the norm in transactions involving a purchaser from abroad for a private contract between the seller and buyer to be signed, usually within 30 days, at which time the buyer pays 10% of the agreed price, less the reserve deposit amount. At this stage, the transaction is binding on both sides; should the buyer subsequently default, the 10% is forfeit while if the seller pulls out Spanish law requires that double the 10% deposit is returned and it is very important for this to be specified in the contract.
All property purchase completions in Spain must take place in front of a notary, with both the seller and purchaser present or represented by means of a power of attorney. The escritura will be signed, the keys and monies will be handed over and that’s it. Many property buyers from overseas choose to give their lawyer a power of attorney which covers things like applying for the NIE, the fiscal identity number which must be issued before completion can take place, and transferring utilities after completion, otherwise you are required to do this in person.
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What is the type of customers do we represent?
Our clients are people with a firm intention to purchase or rent, who have neither the time to search nor the knowledge needed to carry out the search process, and who require a professional company to perform this service for them.
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Is there a contractual agreement?
An agreement which details all of the search parameters (features, area, size and budget) as well as the service fees will be signed at the beginning of our professional relationship.
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How can I ensure that I am buying at the lowest price?
ACV works exclusively for you, does not own a housing portfolio nor charge real estate agency commission. ACV will present market reports from your area of interest with the objective that you are able to obtain all of the necessary information in order to make a decision. The business reputation of ACV relies on their customers´ trust and recommendations