NEWS AND COMMUNITY EVENTS

Life begins at 40, or so the old adage goes. Certainly the thought patterns of younger years are overtaken by the seriousness of inevitability as we progress through our fourth decade into the fifth, and retirement sneaks quietly onto the agenda.

The talk surrounding eventual pension positions promote additional unease, retire later, increased limitations on income, the crystal ball doesn't seem to offer any better solution to varied expert opinions so, as in most things, its down to the individual to steer a path following their own intuitions.

Property has offered a safe haven and good investment strategy in the past although current conditions have been the bleakest for many a year with sector performance predicted to remain stunted whilst the banks impede first time buyers with stringent mortgage conditions.

Does the cloud have a silver lining, possibly, particularly for those who are further up the property ladder and or those with liquidity - cash / equity.

Dependent on interpretation, prices are either bad or good. If you are selling they are not as good as they could be, but if you are buying, then they really present a good opportunity to get a bargain platform on which to build a long term financial return.

Spanish property on the Orihuela Costa potentially offers a strategy for much of the above - retirement in the sun and a long term investment. So, whilst you are at or progressing towards your peak earning years, maybe it is prudent to think about buying Spanish property now whilst prices are low. Come retirement time, built in equity - sorted.