Slowest rise in housing prices for past 4 years.

This weekend Spain's Director General of Arquitecture and Housing Policy announced that in 2005 prices of property in Spain rose by just 12.8 percent, the slowest rise for the past four years.

The regions to experience the highest rises in (15.1 percent) and Castilla la Mancha (14.6 percent), whereas Cantabria, Castilla y Leon and Catalonia registered the lowest growth in the housing market, with rises and just 6.6, 7.5 and 8.8 percent respectively.

Experts expect prices to continue to rise during 2006, but at a gradually slower rate than in the housing boom of the past few years, as national demand slows down, investors turn away from the property market and look towards other forms of investment. And whereas prices are certainly not expected to freeze or fall in the short term, they are expected to rise least in areas with massive supply of new housing development.

Foreign markets will become more and more important to building developers and promoters from now on, especially since building has not slowed down yet, even though prices seem to be doing so.

So while it is a good moment for foreign buyers to find a possible bargain purchase in Spain, as always they are advised to go carefully, not to jump headfirst into a property purchase and to seek legal advice. If you are considering buying a property in a certain area of Spain and want our opinion on the price you are being offered, let us know.