The branch expansion will enable Banco Halifax Hispania to serve the growing British expatriate market looking to buy a second home in Spain. Banco Halifax Hispania also has branches on the Costa del Sol in Málaga, Marbella, Benalmádena, Fuengirola and Torrox.
About The Costa del Sol
Running along 300 kilometres of coastline from Gibraltar in the West to La Herradura in the East, the Costa del Sol is the most popular area in Spain for British expatriates looking to buy property and is easily accessible from both Málaga and Gibraltar airport.
The current redevelopment of Málaga airport, which will provide the Costa del Sol with a modern airport infrastructure, will also add to the attractiveness of the Costa del Sol area amongst British expatriates.
The second runway, new passenger terminal and car park building means that the airport will be capable of handling more than 20 million passengers a year by 2008. This will provide easy access for British residents to this part of Spain.
In addition, the new AVE train line, due to be completed by 2007, means that the journey time between Málaga and Madrid will be reduced to just over two hours.
Alejandro Rubio, Costa del Sol area manager at Banco Halifax Hispania, said:
"Banco Halifax Hispania is continuing to report an increase in demand for mortgages in Spain. Our continued investment in the popular expatriate area of Costa del Sol clearly demonstrates our commitment to enhancing customer service and providing customers with contact and support from a local branch."
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The Benefits of Banco Halifax Hispania:
All dealings are carried out in English
All dealings between Banco Halifax Hispania and its customers can be carried out in English. In addition, there is also a UK based, specialist customer service team for those customers that wish to open a Banco Halifax Hispania bank account or arrange their finance for a Spanish property before they leave the UK. This also means that international telephone charges can be avoided and all paperwork, if preferred, can be handled in the UK.
Mortgage products
Banco Halifax Hispania not only offers one year tracker products, where the interest rate is fixed for a period of 12 months and reviewed annually, but also fixed rate mortgages, where the rate can be fixed for up to five years. Loans are normally available for up to a maximum of 70% of the valuation of the property. However, in situations where someone holds Spanish residency papers, the maximum loan will usually be increased to 80%.
An approved panel of solicitors and surveyors
Banco Halifax Hispania also has an approved panel of qualified solicitors and surveyors in the popular Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca regions that can help with all aspects of the purchase. These solicitors and surveyors have local knowledge and experience of acting for British customers.
Ian Smith, head of European Operations at Halifax plc, said:
"Most Brits buying property in Spain demand similar products and services to those available in the UK. The combination of a network of branches in Spain and a customer service team in the UK is best placed to provide the product range and standards of service expected by British customers. This provides the best of both worlds."
