For Sale/Wanted Villages for sale in Galicia

[thetimman]

If you have some spare cash...

http://www.aleteia.org/en/society/a...d-villages-for-sale-in-spain-5785323686592512

 

[Pelegrin]

This smells fishy to me - " The mayor in rural Cortegada (southern Galicia, near the border with Portugal) is offering an abandoned village for free." If the village is abandoned how can it have a mayor??

Ondo Ibili !

Mendi.

First of all ¡Aupa Althletic! Zorionak.
Secondly. That situation of an abandoned village with a mayor is possible in Galicia.
In this case, the Council of Cortegada has a mayor and a lot of aldeas (villages) depending on him, some af them abandoned, especially in Ourense province .
In Galicia. A Council has some parishes and each parish some villages.

 

[Pelegrin]

It seems that in Spain, as elsewhere in rural areas, you can be mayor of several villages, or as is the case here, mayor of a village and a hamlet. It's even in Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortegada
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Barca
I think this is a fairly old story (2013? see http://www.cortegada.es/a_barca_prensa.html). However, as I can read only English sources where the info usually comes from another English source which was re-edited and copied one from yet another English source etc - I don't really know what the actual situation was and currently is.

One mayor with a lot of villages is normal in Galicia but not in Spain in general. In Castilla every village (100inhab or even less) has its mayor.

 

[KinkyOne]

There's a beautiful monument dedicated to Galician immigrants in Negreira.

 

[Kiwi-family]

Where exactly is A Barca? Googlemaps anyone? What I'm finding does not add up with the description.

 

[William Garza]

The Plan?
A Village full of expats from,around the world living the Camino in fact rather than rumination....
Everybody move over there,live in harmony
Drink Vino and be happy!

 

[KinkyOne]

It is marked as "A Barca" on the IGN maps which are accessible online. It is near the river Miño and North West of Cortegada, more or less opposite Surreiro on the other side of the river. The Concello de Cortegada has an information page for A Barca online with a planning map where the hamlet of A Barca is one of the areas marked by red boundaries (I can't see place names on this planning map but it is easy to spot).

I don't know how close it is to any of the Caminos but since there are so many roads now being labelled as Camino there is probably one close by .

PS: When you zoom closely enough into the area on Google Earth, you will see that there are a number of photos for A Barca and surroundings.

Cortegada (and A Barca) is between two Caminos. To the west it's 50kms to O Porrino on Camino Portugues (a bit more to Tui and Valenca) and to the east 40kms to Ourense on Camino Sanabres.

 

[Ribeirasacra]

here is the original article:
Just read this comment.
just one big piece of publicity for the real estate firm, who wrote this article?
I do seem to recall an expat real estate agent trying a few years ago to sell this village.
Loads of nice properties to be found in Galicia without having to pay for the restoration of a whole village.

 

[MichaelRpdx]

No prices quoted. Shucks.

 

[MichaelRpdx]

If you´re interested why don´t you make an offer?

Ondo Ibili !

Idle fantasizing does not rise to the level of interest. That and needing to convince my wife of the sanity to the idea.

 

[Juanma]

No prices quoted. Shucks.

Here you have some prices: http://www.aldeasabandonadas.com/venta-de-aldeas.html (web si te in Spanish, but you can use the google translator widget up on the right side to translate it

 

[peregrina2000]

I guess this idea of selling an entire village might work, but I think the government of Aragon had a better idea. The town of Arres was essentially abandoned and in ruins. The albergue was up and running. The government offered houses, 1 euro each, provided you renovated the house according to their rules and lived in it (in other words, no flipping). The town has come back to life. It has a bar/pension and a number of beautifully restored dwellings. The location is good, most people drive to Jaca to work. It is up on a hill, tremendous views, clean air, and a ton of peace and quiet. Maybe boring for some, but it had a serenity that many would love. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[MichaelRpdx]

Here you have some prices: http://www.aldeasabandonadas.com/venta-de-aldeas.html (web si te in Spanish, but you can use the google translator widget up on the right side to translate it

It sure does. thank you.

 

[ivar]

Here is a story on this from NPR that was published a few days ago:
http://www.wnyc.org/story/in-spain-entire-villages-are-up-for-sale-and-theyre-going-cheap/

 

[jayree]

In Spain, Entire Villages Are Up For Sale — And They're Going Cheap
by Lauren Frayer

NPR - August 23, 2015

As Spaniards migrate from villages to cities for work, education and access to health care, rural hamlets are ending up on the auction block. Foreigners are in the market for these properties.
http://www.npr.org/sections/paralle...or-sale-and-theyre-going-cheap?sc=ipad&f=1004

 

[Castilian]

In Castilla every village (100inhab or even less) has its mayor.

That's commonly said but it isn't true/accurate. Each municipality has a mayor and many/most municipalities in Castile have just one town/village (some of them with less than 100 and even than 10 inhabitants). However, in Castile, there are also municipalities with more than one town/village. Those municipalities with more than one town/village may have also local mayors. Those local mayors have (some) powers just in the village(s) of which they are local mayors while the mayor of the municipality may have also some powers in those villages with a local mayor (as well as in the rest of the municipality). An example of Castilian municipality with more than one town/village is Valle de Mena. The muncipality of Valle de Mena has more than 100 villages, something like 40 local mayors and the mayor of (all) the municipality.

P.S.: I'm not sure if I explained well-enough the concept of local mayor (alcalde pedáneo or alcaldesa pedánea) but let me know if you need further/more explanations and/or examples.

 

[Tincatinker]

It was foreigners in the market for cheap Spanish property that stuffed the Spanish banks. Offering over-inflated prices for marginal property on mortgages secured against fanciful future values. "Build a golf-course and they will come..."

I remember when it was German "hippies" buying up anywhere with sun-shine and a beach. I remember whole valleys in Andalucia, Olive and Citrus groves, Fincas and Molinas - just no water, no knowledge of how to maintain Adobe buildings, no clue as to local politics, Spanish inheritance rules or even Spanish. Newspaper columnists have been writing this fantasist shite since the '60's.

Ah, having a grump again.

 

[fraluchi]

Entrepreneurs with innovative ideas and seed financing have managed to be successful (long term planning) elsewhere with similar acquisitions.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

I remember a conversation with the owner of an outdoor/sports equipment shop in Burgos where the man shared his view in the housing/banking issues: why does a man like me own 4 homes? Why do the banks lend a man like me money to buy 3 more homes than I need? Thrn there's my cousin anf the offer he got from banks for a mortagage of 11o% of the value of the property he was interested in. None of them were/are foreigners looking for a property in the sun.

Now, I took a lok at the Galician realestate company and its offerings. New albergue in Samos for sale: 225k€. But I prefer the 14th century castle. Interestingly, a number of properties directly on the Invierno... Invest and develop,that route...

 

[KinkyOne]

Interestingly, a number of properties directly on the Invierno... Invest and develop,that route...

Hi, Anemone,
Where did you see this about Invierno? Any link?
Thanks!

K1

 

[Ribeirasacra]

Here you have some prices: http://www.aldeasabandonadas.com/venta-de-aldeas.html (web si te in Spanish, but you can use the google translator widget up on the right side to translate it

That is not MR Ackinson's website. Actually this is the website of the original instigator for the project. We know as we appeared on a TV and radio show for him.
Here is another bit about this sale. with a price.
http://www.npr.org/sections/paralle...llages-are-up-for-sale-and-theyre-going-cheap

 

[ivar]

We had two threads on the same topic. They have been merged into one (this one).

 

[Ribeirasacra]

Ivar, thank you.
Took some time but eventually found one of the photos taken of us on national radio talking about the aldeasabandonadas.com website. Photo taken in August 2010. By then the website had been on line for around 8 months. The website owner can be seen wearing the blue top.

 

[Ribeirasacra]

An article from 2011 elcorreogallego.es

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Hi, Anemone,
Where did you see this about Invierno? Any link?
Thanks!

K1

In the NPR article therés a link to a real estate company. You can view the properties for sale. Some are identified as veing on the Invierno, others the Norte.

 

[Ribeirasacra]

Hi, Anemone,
Where did you see this about Invierno? Any link?
Thanks!

K1

Like I posted earlier:

......
Loads of nice properties to be found in Galicia without having to pay for the restoration of a whole village.

 

[Pelegrin]

That's commonly said but it isn't true/accurate. Each municipality has a mayor and many/most municipalities in Castile have just one town/village (some of them with less than 100 and even than 10 inhabitants). However, in Castile, there are also municipalities with more than one town/village. Those municipalities with more than one town/village may have also local mayors. Those local mayors have (some) powers just in the village(s) of which they are local mayors while the mayor of the municipality may have also some powers in those villages with a local mayor (as well as in the rest of the municipality). An example of Castilian municipality with more than one town/village is Valle de Mena. The muncipality of Valle de Mena has more than 100 villages, something like 40 local mayors and the mayor of (all) the municipality.

P.S.: I'm not sure if I explained well-enough the concept of local mayor (alcalde pedáneo or alcaldesa pedánea) but let me know if you need further/more explanations and/or examples.

Yes I know what a alcalde pedáneo is.
But I think that in Castile there are few cases like that one in Valle de Mena.
In the South of Segovia province the council of Aldealengua de Pedraza is formed by four villages.. It is said in the area that this specific configuration of Aldealengua is because it was repopulated with people brought from Galicia after the Reconquest. As a matter of fact the next council is called Gallegos.

 

[Ribeirasacra]

Some more of this Bull..... This time in Spanish and about the area I live in. The head photo is taken in the village of Belsar which is on the Camino de Invierno.
As far as I can tell a website based in Russia; The Federal State Unitary Enterprise Russian Agency of the Internat (from Domain Tools), no less:
Translated quote "Most buyers are foreigners. Approximately 70 percent of the buyers are foreigners, compared to 30 percent Spanish." That is news to us who live here we are not exactly swimming in expats at the moment.
Website.

 

[Castilian]

Yes I know what a alcalde pedáneo is.
But I think that in Castile there are few cases like that one in Valle de Mena.

They aren't so few as you may/seem to think. In the comarca of Las Merindades (http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Merindades), all the municipalities, except Arija, include more than one village. Las Merindades isn't the only place in Castile where you can find municipalities including more than one village. Those of you who walked the camino francés may recall Belorado. Well, the municipality of Belorado includes several villages too (like, for example, Eterna, which alcalde pedáneo is also in charge of the village of Avellanosa de Rioja). Puente Duero, on the Camino de Madrid, is in charge of the mayor of the city of Valladolid (and part of the municipality of Valladolid). The municipality of Rueda, on the camino del sureste, includes not just the town of Rueda but also the villages of Foncastín and Torrecilla del Valle (both of them with an alcalde pedáneo or an alcaldesa pedánea). If we continue walking on the camino del sureste, we'll arrive to Tordesillas which municipality includes not only Tordesillas but also other towns like, for example, Villavieja del Cerro or Villamarciel. And to Rueda you will have arrived from Medina del Campo; another municipality including more than one village... On the Ruta de la Lana, the municipality of Retortillo de Soria includes not only Retortillo de Soria but 11 villages more (plus another one nowadays without population). On the Camino Vasco del Interior, the municipality of Miranda de Ebro includes several villages too (not all of them with their own alcalde pedáneo)... Those are just some examples of municipalities in a camino to Santiago, there are more examples both in caminos to Santiago and out of them.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Salto de Castro is for sale at €260,000. It includes 44 homes, a hotel, a church, a school, a municipal swimming pool and even a barracks building that used to house the civil guard. It is directly on the border with Portugal not too far from Zamora.

Salto de Castro: Spanish village on sale for €260,000

With 44 homes, a hotel and a church, an uninhabited town on the Portuguese border is on the market.

www.bbc.com

Salto de Castro · 49511, Zamora, Spain

49511, Zamora, Spain

maps.app.goo.gl

 

[paulavdp]

If you have some spare cash...

http://www.aleteia.org/en/society/a...d-villages-for-sale-in-spain-5785323686592512

Wow! thank you. I also saw some here.