Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about buying property in Spain through ostaInvest.
ostaInvest is a data-driven property investment platform focused on Spain’s Costa Blanca and Costa Cálida regions. We aggregate thousands of bank-repossessed and resale listings, enrich every property with a machine-learning price estimate and a proprietary Deal Score, and provide interactive analytics, calculators, and buying guides—so you can evaluate investment opportunities faster and with more confidence.
Bank-repossessed (or REO) properties are homes that banks have taken back after the previous owner defaulted on a mortgage. Because banks want to clear these assets from their books quickly, repossessed properties are often listed 15–40% below comparable market prices. They come with a clean legal title and are usually sold through the bank’s own portal or asset management company.
On top of the purchase price, expect to pay roughly 10–14% in additional costs. This includes Transfer Tax (ITP) of 6–10% depending on the region, notary fees (€600–€1 200), land registry fees (€400–€700), and legal fees if you hire a lawyer (typically 1–1.5% of the price). For new-build properties, VAT (IVA) of 10% plus stamp duty of 1–1.5% applies instead of ITP. Use our cost calculator at ostainvest.com/calculators for a personalised estimate.
Yes. Spain’s Golden Visa programme grants residency to non-EU investors who purchase real estate worth €500 000 or more. The visa is valid for two years, renewable, and extends to your spouse and dependent children. It does not require you to live in Spain full-time. Note that legislative changes to the programme are under discussion—always check the latest government guidance or consult an immigration lawyer.
The Deal Score is a number from 0 to 100 that ostaInvest assigns to every listing. It combines several factors: how the asking price compares to our ML price estimate, the desirability of the location, property characteristics such as size and number of rooms, and how long the listing has been on the market. A score above 70 generally indicates a listing that is priced well below its estimated market value and may represent a strong investment opportunity.
We currently cover three main areas along Spain’s south-eastern Mediterranean coast: Costa Blanca North (Benidorm, Altea, Calpe, Dénia, Jávea), Costa Blanca South (Torrevieja, Orihuela Costa, Alicante, Santa Pola, Guardamar), and Costa Cálida in Murcia (Murcia city, Cartagena, Mar Menor, Mazarrón). Together these regions offer over 5 000 active listings at any time.
Yes. Spain has a well-established legal framework for foreign property buyers. You will need a NIE (foreigner identification number), a Spanish bank account, and a notarised deed of sale (escritura). The purchase is registered at the Land Registry, which guarantees your ownership rights. We strongly recommend hiring an independent lawyer who specialises in Spanish property conveyancing to review contracts and conduct due diligence on your behalf.
Annual costs typically include IBI (local property tax, €200–€1 500 depending on the cadastral value), community fees if the property is in a complex (€30–€150/month), home insurance (€150–€400/year), and utilities. Non-resident owners also pay an annual imputed income tax of roughly 0.5–1.1% of the cadastral value. Our recurring-costs guide at ostainvest.com/guides/recurring-costs covers this in detail.
Our gradient-boosted machine-learning models are trained on 50 000+ historical sale transactions in the covered regions. On average the model predicts within 8–12% of the actual sale price (mean absolute percentage error). Estimates are most accurate for standard apartments and townhouses in urban areas; they may be less precise for unique or rural properties with fewer comparable sales. The estimate is a statistical tool—not a professional appraisal—and should be used as one input in your research.
No. ostaInvest is a property data and analytics platform. We do not sell properties, arrange viewings, negotiate deals, or provide legal or financial advice. Our role is to aggregate publicly available listing data, apply machine-learning analysis, and give you the tools to evaluate opportunities independently. When you find a property you like, you deal directly with the bank, estate agent, or seller.