Property sales down 40 per cent from last year

    Figures have just been released for property sales in the province of Almeria for the first half of the year and they show a dramatic decrease compared to the same period last year. The figures for new homes in urban areas, second hand homes in urban areas, building plots and properties with land in rural areas all show a decline: The sale of fincas rusticas, properties in rural areas, is the market sector which has slowed the least with 3,903 sold in Almeria in the first semester compared to 4,320 last year, a decrease of 9.7 per cent. The sale of 'solares' or building plots seems to show a certain optimism for the future with 1,554 sold in the first six months of 2007 compared with 1,395 this year, a reduction of 10 per cent, a sign that property developers are continuing to invest in possible long term prospects. The number of new homes sold from January to June this year totalled 5,382, the same period last year registering 6,322 sales, 15 per cent less this year. As for the sale of second hand homes there has been a drop of 45.5 percent from last year's first half sales; 3,119 in 2008 and 6,859 in 2007. The total number of homes in urban and rural areas, business premises, and plots sold up to the end of June this year was 23,755, the total for the first six months of last year was 39 ,558, a 40 per cent drop this year. We have no figures on the number of estate agents which have closed.