Snagging In the East - Algarve at the Marina Village

Snagging on Roof’s with views…….

When I first came to Portugal 20 years ago it would be fair to say that Olhao would not have been high on the Algarve’s list to snag and clean!

Typical Algarvian and because of its close proximity to the capital Faro more residential than touristic, Olhao is renowned for its fish market, restaurants and it’s striking distance to one of Portugal’s most famous secrets – The Rio Formosa National park.

Stretching over a huge 42,000 acres of preserved and protected land the park from the air looks like 5 colossal sand banks. Arguably the most well known is “ Tavira Island “ close to the Cabanas Garden development where we were snagging last week.

Generally a small journey by boat will take you over to the park and its beaches, however if you head towards the Santa Lucia area you can catch a small train over to one of the beaches. (More Ivor the Engine than Virgin Trains)

If you want spoil yourself this summer book the speedboat and head to one of the finest restaurants in Southern Iberia. Resting on its lonesome on the island of Barrata (or deserta) it’s a favorite chill out zone for the Snag Crowd, particularly in the long sun drenched summer days. (And remember it’s only open in the summer months)

The National park differs from the more well known beaches in the central Algarve near Snag HQ. Here in the East you find the water warmer and the beaches long flat and can often look more Caribbean in appearance.

We have just started snagging inspections in the Village Marina Olhao – this is a view from the roof. It’s a top quality development and you can make out the lighthouse on Farol Island in the distance. Nestled next door will be the 5 Star Real Marina Spa and Hotel – snag please! – Both overlooking the new marina.

No doubt about it………Olhao has most certainly changed! It even has a football team in the Top Division! (Managed by one time Charlton player Jorge Costa!)

Facebook R us! Please become a fan of SoS

The always funny staff at Snagging Overseas often fail to do the right thing when it comes to marketing so it comes to me, Serafina, to put things right.

So I would ask that you go to Facebook and become a "Fan" of Snagging Overseas. Our goal is to reach 500 fans by the end of February.

To do so you can login to your Facebook page and search for Snagging Overseas. When you have selected the page, just click on "Become a fan" and that is, as you English speakers say "Job done!".

Thanks very much in advance!

Snagging Conundrum..Retreat? Hell No! We're just fighting in a different direction..!

And so goes the quote from an American General in the Vietnam war!




...And just when we thought it was safe to go back in the water…..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(What the snag was the name of that film..??!! Glues: Benchley, Bruce and bigger boats!)

Well done to those keen eyed Snagging Overseas blog regulars!! You spotted the utility offer service for the first 20 to sign up must have "slightly"exceeded that number! And just to make it more fun for the Sal Snagging Crew the information costs were incorrect as well! Thank heavens we only obtained that information from Electra – whoops! True to our word and Serafina’s purse we'll fight to get the correct information in future!

For those about to sign up we can confirm that the utility connection service will remain at 50 Euros with Electra’s costs at an additional charge. As their figures have changed as many times as an Enron accountant in the last few days we will advise you at the point of connection.

We understand Electra’s costs this week, for example, a Three bed room apartment is 50 Euros - smaller properties should be less (however this is Cabo Verde so we’ll only know when we are there sweating in the office!)

As before, for those that want to register just send an email to info@snaggingoverseas.com with your property details and we’ll send a Payment request for the 50 Euro connection service – when we eventually have the opportunity to connect we’ll send you a further payment request with Electra’s fees.

Many thanks for your continued support and well spotted the Snag Blog groupies’! (And you know who you are!!) ( and you should get out more!! )

By the way, Serafina tells us constantly that we have to put links in, help our clients find useful information. So here is the link of the week:

http://www.electra.cv/

The last time we went there the site had suffered what the IT boys and girls call a DSN Hijack, ie, it redirects you to a place where you can buy dodgy loptops off the back of a lorry. Go figure!

Have a snag free week!

Snagging Super Sunday at the Superbowl!!

New Orlean Saints v Indianana Colts v CSI v The Who!

Although Florida is known as the Sunshine state it actually has a similar climate to Southern Portugal. Today the sun is shining, its 20 degrees and a far cry from the last snow that fell on Albufeira in 1913 – Serafina doesn’t understand the fuss recently in the UK and Ireland (!) Here its great weather to snag and clean!

Ironically plans are afoot to launch our next phase of Global Snagging Domination as we intend to snag and clean our way around the sunshine state in Florida. Now that Grisham has retired from “Crime Scene Investigation” he’s a must for a snagging job! For now though most of the eyes of the world will be homing in on Miami on Sunday along with practically every American for the ultimate game of games : Superbowl!


Nearly 200 million Americans alone watched it last year with the live feed going to another 230 countries. (It was “live “in Sal 3 weeks later!) Hoping to avoid repeats of Nipplegate and chronic half time miming the organizers have brought in one of THE bands to entertain the masses – Get your mohair pressed, fire up the 2 stroke and get ready to rumble for “The Who” – as Mr. Daltry will be booming out the 3 theme tunes to the global phenomena that is CSI (Question of the week has not been will Manning outfox Brees (of course he will) but which Who tunes go with which CSI!! – Can you name them? )
Hopefully they’ll play live rather than lip sync as there are few sights better to witness in rock than Mr. Townsend windmill his guitar into a musical frenzy. Genius!

Here are the boys opening their European Tour in Lisbon 2007 - We were there and we Snagged them! And then cleaned the Pavillion! Serafina managed to get hospitality tickets for herself and the family but we managed to snag them! Geddit??

Have a snag free week!

Cape Verde Lights Up!! Vila Verde has Power!.. What now Dr Frank?!?!

BREAKING NEWS....................................VILA VERDE HAS SEEN THE LIGHT........!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At long last Electra - the Utility company for all of the islands in the Cape Verde Archipelago - has assumed responsibility for the connection of the water and the electricity which means the Green Village should soon start resembling the Vila Verde real estate development that is on the website and the original Cape Verde promotional materials!! (Remember them?! – Tom Baker was Doctor Who!! )

Positive news indeed and now that one hurdle is cleared, oh the joys and delights of the Cape Verdean bureaucratic connection system come next!! And if you thought the Indian civil service had a reputation for over staffing………! This is a civil service even Sir Humphrey would be proud to lead around the maze at Hampton court!

Once you have signed your Cape Verdean title deed and are the proud owner of an apartment on the Island of Sal – as many people have already done a long long time ago on the island of Mindelo not so far far away – you will receive the official legal documents stating that you are now the proud owner of your property on the Vila Verde development. These documents need to be taken to the Electra office and produced along with your passport and several other documents to prove you are the legal owner of your Sal property.

From our experience it is always far more effective if you set up a direct debt for the monthly "ish" utility payments. We know some people are wary of using these for the fear receiving query able bills, however better to face this possibility knowing when you arrive at 04.00 in the morning your utilities will not have been cut off from lack of payment!!

You can always query the bill when you are there – or as you are on Sal, and you will become Cape Verdean do what the locals do and get somebody else to go and query it for you! The good news is that, like all things in Cape Verde, even if you don't pay we are told that they sometimes can take up to a year to cut you off! So sometimes the delays work in your favour!

Here at Snagging Overseas we offer a connection service to save you the journey and, above all the queue. So please contact us on info@snaggingoverseas.com and book your utilities with us now. The first 20 clients get a 20% discount!

This is how most people feel after leaving the Electra office….! But at least you’ll be connected!

Life At Lisbon's Legoland!

PALMELA VILLAGE

Yes we are back at the "Pam", one of " Lisbons" most famous resorts!

For those that haven’t had the pleasure of viewing Palmela Village, close to Setubal and south of the capital Lisbon, this development is one for that old adage where you either “love it or hate it”!!

I recall my first sighting some years ago and was struck by the infamous color scheme and the highly unusual design of the properties. Like the “Guilty Pleasure” cd or admitting that you miss Val Doonican at Christmas I confess that my initial opinion has changed quite dramatically over the years.

Whilst I am still not overly convinced that the color scheme actually works and on the wrong day looks like Sporting Lisbon’s Football stadium ( lets hope Everton find the right place! ) but then it was designed by the same architect, Tomás Taveira, of both architectural and amateur movie fame!!

In Palmela Village the use of the living space and internal lighting is extremely effective and the split level mezzanine floors in the Villas does actually justify the price. Sometimes.

Whatever opinion people hold it is certainly a landmark resort and now that the Golf course has bedded in after what feels like 200 years it is starting to resemble the model village we saw years ago! (It wouldn’t be a Portuguese development if some properties hadn't been built incorrectly, or where building had been refused completely because of cork trees where the kitchen was going to be or just not built at all!)

Anyway our Portugal Head office will be closed during the Christmas period to renew our laser guns, rest our cameras and recharge the batteries. Well all of us except Serafina who is, by her own account, going to "catch up on marketing reading!". Sounds brill eh? *yawn*

You can still email us info@snaggingoverseas.com should you have any questions or queries during this time and be sure to visit http://www.snaggingoverseas.com/ to remind yourselves of what we do and where do it.

In the meantime on behalf of all the team in Portugal, Spain, Cabo Verde, Turkey and Dubai may we take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Healthy New Year.

Have a Snag free Crimbo.

Dads Army Snagging in Dubai,

DON’T’PANIC …!!

We are still " Snagging In Dubai !"

Whilst the world has been held spell bound by the economic excitement in Dubai our boys took it easy dropped their snagging tools and went on holiday! Suffice to say that in the developments we are currently snagging at Dubai Marina, Downtown Burji and out at Al Hamra and the Core Project it seems like a case of business as usual now that the religious holidays are over.

Which was quite unlike the furor caused by Dubai World’s statement that they were “a little short “before closing shop for a few days – it makes it exciting to say the least when comparing the style in which different cultures structure their affairs! (Although they all seem to embrace the word “delay! “ )

Doooommmmm….!!!!!!!!!!!



Speculation is rife that the capital Abu Dabu would shore up the Dubai debt – although it looks likely that they will not inject as much of the readies as its dear neighbour, and cousin, requires. This poses an interesting questionas to what exactly will happen in the short to mid term. Pragmatic observers believe it is merely a downward blip on the Dubai Radar and have advised investors not to panic whilst others have gone Full Dads Army and proclaimed "We're all doomed!"

Our advice : Always check the situtaion with your legal representative and engage directly with the developer where possible - Watch this space for photos of the developments currently under the Snagging Overseas Magnifying Glass.