The community of homeowners is a legal entity comprised exclusively of the owners of the apartments, villas etc on the urbanizacion. The purpose of the community is to own and maintain the common elements of the estate and homeowners share the expenses of the community. A budget for the annual community expenses is presented at an annual general meeting of co-proprietors and the owners or their representatives must approve such budget by a majority vote at the meeting. Expenses vary according to services required and include salaries and social security for those employed by the community (gardeners, pool attendants, hall porters etc), repairs, refuse collection, electricity for the lighting of common areas, administration fees. The president of the community must by law be an owner and serves without salary. The amount of community fee varies according to area, types of building etc.

If you are not able to appear before the Notary in person for the signing of the Escritura (title deed), you will need to authorise someone, such as your lawyer, to appear for you by means of a Power of Attorney.

Unfortunately, yes. You are deemed to be a non-resident in Spain if you spend less than 183 days there in a year. As a non-resident you will be liable for two annual taxes - Wealth Tax (Patrimonio) and Income Tax (Impuestos Sobre la Renta). Wealth Tax is charged on the value of all your assets in Spain but is only at the rate of 0.2% in general, so the amount payable is very small. Income Tax is charged on any rental income from your holiday home and is at the rate of 25%. However if your property is not let out then you will be taxed on a deemed income of 0.2% of the value of the property.

The total expenses incurred in the purchase should not, on average, amount to more than 10% of the purchase price. This can be broken down as follows:

If you buy a new property from a developer then IVA (Spanish equivalent of VAT) will be charged at the rate of 7% of the declared price. In addition you will have to pay a further 0.5% for the Legal Documentated Acts Tax. Resales vary between 6-7% depending on the area of Spain.
Land Registry fees
The fees charged for registering the property at the Land Registry will generally be in the region of 0.2% of the declared value.
Notary's fees
These will amount to approximately 150 - 250 Euros depending on the value of the property.
Legal fees
The fees that your lawyer charges will vary from firm to firm. You should allow 1-2% of the purchase price.

When agreeing to purchase, a suitable completion date will be agreed between vendor and purchaser. The date will be inserted into the contract document. All details relating to the property will be included in the contract, including its description, the purchase price, the method of payment, any penalty clauses etc. Contracts will be drawn up and given to both parties or their legal advisers. A deposit - normally 10% of the purchase price - will be required when contracts are exchanged. Prior to the signing of the public deed ('Escritura') a 'Nota Simple' will be obtained by your legal adviser or agent to ensure that the vendor is the registered owner of the property and that all taxes have been paid and that clear title to the property exists. It will also establish the existence of any debts, charges or mortgages against the property. Bills for services such as electricity, water, rates and community fees will be checked to ensure that the vendor has paid all accounts. Full payment for the property will be required before the title deed can be transferred into your name. If buying a property under construction, a payment schedule will be included in the contract. On completion, the Escritura will be signed at the Notary's office.