Marbella may not have had the best reputation over the past two years, but it seems that the town still provides its residents with the best lifestyle in the Andalucia region.According to a study entitled Dynamism in the towns of Andalucia, Marbella tops the region as the municipality with the highest level of social wellbeing. The research carried out by the Andalucian Statistics Institute (IEA) assessed 14 variables grouped into four sections: income; services and communal facilities; access and quality of housing; and training and education.

Of the 154 municipalities with more than 10,000 inhabitants examined in the study, Marbella stands out as one of the wealthiest places in the region, taking into account the income and spending power of the inhabitants. This might not seem very surprising, given the number wealthy and famous holidaymakers mooring mega-yachts at Puerto Banús marina, and the high number of rich expats residing in the area.

Marbella also ranks highest when it comes to the number of private clinics, health spas, private schools and sports facilities, particularly golf courses. The municipality’s position at the centre of the Costa del Sol district has led to a high level of tourist facilities, including the famous Puerto Banús marina, and you’ll find more hotels per inhabitant here than in any other in Andalucia.

All of this means that Marbella is also among the top ten Andalucian municipalities for average declared income, and top of the list when it comes to job stability and ability to create new positions.

All in all, Spain’s Golden Mile seems to have regained its sheen, and looks set to go from strength to strength.

Investors in Spanish property anticipate a range of benefits as part of a plan to revitalise the economy.As part of an 11-part plan to boost the Spanish economy, tax breaks are to be given when the cost of renovating a property more than a quarter of its purchase price.

The government has also promised to speed up the way public works are put out to tender and contracts completed, in an effort to revive the construction industry.

In addition, there will be the option of extending mortgages on primary residences for an additional two-year period with no added fees, and 150,000 state-subsidised houses are to be built annually with an emphasis on energy efficiency.

To encourage consumer spending further, Spain’s economy minister Pedro Solbes has proposed a €400-rebate on workers’ personal income tax. A total of 16.4 million employees and self-employed workers, including expats, will receive a rebate of up to €400, dependant on salary. Furthermore, small and medium-sized businesses are to be permitted to apply for monthly rather annual than VAT refunds from 2009, in an effort to enable them to increase their investment activities.

The move that’s likely to make the most difference to British expats is the abolition of Wealth Tax, which will be paid in respect of the year 2007 for the last time.

These announcements provide foreign investors and residents with more incentives to invest in Spain than ever.

Madrid’s local government claims the city’s the best place in Europe to set up an innovative new business.Spain’s capital city in embracing free enterprise in an effort to boost the region’s economy, and it seems to be working.

Madrid’s GDP per capita of €27,000 is already 30 per cent higher than the overall European Union average, and is expected to rise in 2008, partly due to the number of new companies starting up in the city and surrounding area.

Last year Madrid’s regional economy grew four per cent - more than double the rate in the rest of Europe, and growth is projected to be just as strong this year.

A large part of this can be attributed to two government agencies, PromoMadrid, which was created in 2004, and Madrid Emprende, which was inaugurated in 2005.

The local government agencies are working to attract foreign investment by assisting entrepreneurs from other parts of Europe, America and the rest of the world with everything from work permits to office space to corporate taxes to commercial real estate.

However, the most important aid is the personal touch, providing introductions to key policy officials in the provincial government and helping newcomers to build up vital relationships.

The agencies are happy to provide in-depth customised kits with answers to everything you need to know, all in English, as well as contacts at local head-hunters who will deal with your staffing needs.

However, that’s likely to be the least of your problems, as Madrid’s high quality of life and convenient position in relation to the rest of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa means you’ll have your pick of the talent.

Average Spanish property prices have fallen for the fist time in a decade, according to the official data released by the Spanish Ministry for Housing.The numbers reveal that the average price of a property in Spain rose by 4% in 2007, which is half a point lower than Spain’s current inflation rate of 4.5%, which is at a 13 year high.

The information comes at a time when a new Minister for Housing, Beatriz Corredor, has recently been appointed. The figures also meet the previous government target to cut speculation in house price rises, and to see house price growth in line with general inflation.

However, this has of course been achieved in the climate of a sharp down turn in the sector, and further decreases in Spanish house prices is widely expected. The National Statistics Institute (INE) says that the number of Spanish house sales last year fell by 36% for resale housing and by 15% for new properties.

The last time Spanish property prices declined in real terms was in the 1990’s when the loss of value lasted for some seven years.

In a bid to boost its flagging resale market, agents in Spain have been advising vendors to sell their property in Sterling to attract British buyers put off by the poor performance of the Pound against the Euro.Last week the Pound fell against the Euro to its lowest level since the single currency’s inception in 1995. It has strengthened since and currently, £1 will only buy around €1.25 compared to roughly €1.50 just 12 months ago. To put this in context, a property for sale in Spain worth €200,000 will now cost a British buyer £160,000 compared to around £133,600 this time last year.

Although British buyers will face this problem anywhere that has the Euro, agents in Spain are particularly worried as the British buyer, once their biggest foreign investor, are not as active as before and some agents see this as another marketing tool to help draw them back in.

One market where this is happening in greater numbers in Menorca which has one of the highest ratios of British owners across Spain. At present, 95% of transactions on the island are for resale property and 75% of the vendors are English.

Although it has been legal in Spain for many years to fix a contract in certain currencies before the sale, many agents are unaware of this option to give to sellers.

Spanish builders are tempting home buyers with free cars, mortgage holidays and hard cash as they try to lift the gloom shrouding the housing sector. Some companies are also diving into the rental market.At the annual SIMA property fair in Madrid last week, the number of promoters was down by a third from the previous year, many of them victims of the deepening housing crisis. With fewer buyers milling around models of white-washed housing estates, there were fewer lines to see sales representatives.

With prices of existing Spanish houses down by more than 4 percent since peaking in mid-2007 and the market still overvalued by up to 20 percent, according to the International Monetary Fund, some companies are shifting to rental properties.

Brokers say U.S. and northern European funds are snapping up coastal plots for 20 percent to 25 percent less than the asking price and new apartment prices, even in Madrid, are down 15 percent to 20 percent on average - a trend yet to show up in official price data.

As the rental market accelerates, these buyers may benefit.

Spain has built more than five million new houses in the past decade, taking the stock of existing homes to 24 million, because of economic growth averaging 3.8 percent, historically low interest rates and an influx of immigrants to cities and foreigners to the coastal regions

UK property buyers, in shock following the sudden decline in the domestic market and state of the UK economy, are showing increased interest in the bargains now on offer in sunny Spain.Spain’s property slowdown is seen as offering more opportunities compared with the constricting UK economy. Many Brits are realising they can get on the property ladder by grabbing a bargain-priced home in the sun, enjoy more property for their money, with lower mortgage repayments and running costs.

There is also more property choice in Spain amid a multitude of varying locations ranging from Real Spain villages to cosmopolitan Costa’s plus the famous lifestyle and climatic benefits of the Mediterranean.

Members of the European Parliament have held a two-day meeting in Brussels to address the growing number of complaints from British, German, Dutch and other European citizen’s whose properties have been demolished in Spain - particularly across the Valencian region.At the close of the meeting, MEPs from both sides of the political divide in Britain have been making their voices heard and called on the Spanish government to put an end to the demolition of private British-owned property in the country.

Tory MEPs also waded into the discussion and called for an immediate cessation on all demolitions and future land grab developments until a solution can be finalised.

The European Parliament has previously issued four resolutions calling for action to be taken to protect property owners, and although the law was amended in the form of the new Valencia Land Law (LUV), many still face the expropriation of their land without compensation or arbitrary costs for what the Conservatives are calling “unnecessary infrastructure developments” in their region.

The “Feria de Abril” (Seville Fair) takes place just two weeks after Semana Santa, so if you have the energy you can enjoy both spectacles during your stay in Seville. However, consider yourself forewarned in that this is a week of serious dancing, drinking, eating and enjoying entertainment with late nights the norm. As a non-native, you will have to pay very special attention to how the authentic “Sevillanos” (natives of Seville) manage their time and energy in order to make it full force right through to the end.The official fair grounds are called the “Real de la Feria”. This is an area covering 1.2 million square metres that is divided into three parts, one for parking, one for the amusement park and then a vast area set aside for the main attraction- the casetas. These are canvas tent pavilions that are set up every year in rows that make up the streets of the fairgrounds. Some of these belong to eminent local families, some to groups of friends, business owners, others to clubs, trade associations or political parties. Inside the tents the drinks begin to flow and tapas are served from around 1:30 mid-day till early next morning. Each caseta is equipped with a full bar, small “kitchen” area and a sound system or live entertainment with the official Sevillana style of music the order of the day as everyone is set to dance “Sevillanas” all week long. This is the official genre of folk music in Seville. It is based on a set pattern upon which local artists fashion ever new themes.

Some men and virtually all women wear the traditional costume. For men - particularly those on horseback or driving carriages, this is the “traje corto” - or short suit consisting of fitted pants and a short cut jacket. It goes together with a wide-brimmed hat. Women on the other hand, turn out in an astonishing array of the latest styles of the traditional “traje de gitano”, literally “gypsy outfits” or flamenco dresses.

Most of the casetas are private and thus open only to members and their guests. If you’re lucky enough to make friends with someone in Seville who has a caseta, you could be lucky enough to receive a much coveted invite. However, there are also “open” casetas. The “caseta municipal” is run by the town hall, and is one of the largest and always open to everyone, but it can be completely full if a well known band or singer is on stage.

The sheer size of the April Fair’s spectacle is extraordinary, and the dancing with its intense and knowing sexuality, a revelation. Most infectious of all is the universal spontaneity of enjoyment. After wandering around drinking in the scenes that surround, you may wind up a part of it, drinking and dancing in one of the open casetas which welcome everyone on board.

Following the re-election of the Spanish Socialist Party, Partido Socialista Obrero Espanol (PSOE), led by Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, on March 9th, investers planning to buy property in Spain can look forward to a simpler, more buyer-friendly process.As part of the pre-election promises, the PSOE vowed to make life easier for buy-to-let investors by allocating funding to better regulate the Spanish property market.

Zapatero intends to encourage the purchase of properties for rental through mortgages, while improving security and guarantees for landlords and simultaneously boosting protection for tenants.

The Association of International Property Professionals (AIPP) 2007 market report recently revealed that Spain was still the favourite destination among Brits looking to buy a second home in 2007. In order to sustain this popularity, Zapatero has promised to regulate the property market, a move that will include a shake up of both estate agents and property administrators.

Equally as important, the PSOE has promised to eliminate wealth tax. In addition, an increase in the tax-free allowance for Inheritance Tax of up to €60,000 will mean that approximately 80 per cent of beneficiaries will now pay nothing plus an exemption for main homes.