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Friday 14th April

Currencies Direct Shortlisted for Business of the Year Award

We are pleased to announce that Currencies Direct has been selected as a Business of the Year finalist in the regional stages of the UK’s "Business Oscars" - The National Business Awards. Currencies Direct was one of 4 companies selected from a huge number of entries, based on its strong financial returns, exceptional rate of growth and its position as market leader in the commercial foreign exchange industry.  Currencies Direct was the first company to identify a gap in the market 10 years ago and offer commercial rates to private individuals, predominantly those looking to purchase property abroad.

 Chairman and CEO, Mayank Patel, is delighted to have been shortlisted for the prestigious award which will be presented to the organisation that has (amongst other things) best demonstrated innovative strategies and unrivalled market leadership in its individual sector.

 He commented; “This is yet another accolade to our dedication to save our customers money, offering them a cost-effective alternative to the high street banks for their foreign exchange needs.

 “The fact that we have grown so quickly demonstrates the extent to which the industry has boomed over recent years, a trend that doesn’t show any sign of abating.”

 Since its inception in 1996 with just £8,500, Currencies Direct has capitalised on the growing British desire to own a place in the sun and has subsequently seen sales figures leap from £176 million in 2001 to £700.5 million in 2005.  Throughout its growth Currencies direct has maintained competitive rates for its customers and kept its margins slim.

 The Business of the Year awards ceremony will take place at the South East and West Country Regional Finals on Thursday 13 July at the Royal Lancaster Hotel.

My Home In Lanzarote are proud to be associated with Currencies Direct and to offer all of their services to our clients.

Friday 14th April

Ironman Lanzarote

Ironman Lanzarote Triathlon on May 20. The Spanish-held volcanic island, one of the Canary Islands located off the coast of Morocco, smacks of Kona is more ways than one. The race, since its inception in 1992, is regarded as the most challenging Ironman outside of Hawaii -- and the heat, undulating volcanic terrain, wind and solitude can be counted on every year.

This year, over 900 athletes are registered, including German Rolf Aldag. Once the lead-out man for pro cyclist and top sprinter Erik Zabel and stalwart for former Tour de France champion Jan Ullrich, of Team Telekom, Aldag is going it alone this time, making his Ironman debut as an age grouper and chasing a Hawaii Ironman slot.

Also slated to start will be fellow former Team Telekom teammate Kai Hundertmarck of Germany, Gerrit Schellens, who won Ironman South Africa on March 19, Steffen Liebetrau and former Hawaii Ironman champs Thomas Hellriegel and Luc Van Lierde.

But the most amazing story will come from Belgian Marc Herremans, who returns to the Lanzarote for the first time since crashing while training on the island in 2002 and sustaining a broken back that paralyzed him from the chest down. This time, he’ll be there to put some demons to rest and take on the race from his handcycle and race wheelchair.

The race has 60 Hawaii Ironman slots. As for relaxation after the race, the official host hotel is the Club La Santa, regarded as the ultimate athletes’ oasis with an eight-lane 50-meter lap pool as well as windsurfing, kayaking and diving opportunities. To boot, the hotel hosts mini-triathlons and duathlons for guests every week, for free.

Article from Triathlete Magazine   www.triathletemag.com

Kerry firm points the way to the sun

KERRY holiday makers looking for a spot of sunshine after the coldest march in a quarter of a century have been enthusiastically flicking through the pages of a new winter sun holiday brochure just launched by Tralee based tour operator Falcon Holidays.

It features all the well-known favourite winter sun destinations such as Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, Tenerife and Fuerteventura, as well as highly-rated newcomer the Red Sea Riviera.

The sunny island of Cyprus is also available throughout winter and for those who want to make Christmas 2006 extra special, Lapland will once again be available with three and four-night stays from Dublin and Cork.

Golfers who like to tee off in the sun can choose from a fantastic range of golf courses in the Canaries, and for those who like to be pampered on their well-earned break, many of the Falcon premier hotels offer Spas which are perfect for the self-indulgent holiday.

A good alternative to the weekend away, three-night stays are from Thursday to Sunday and four night breaks from Sunday to Thursday.

Spending Christmas and the new year in the sun is becoming increasingly popular, and the Tralee based operator has advised anyone looking to escape the turkey and tinsel next Christmas, to book early as people plan far in advance.

“Having just come through the wave of cold weather, it’s not hard to see why winter sun holidays continue to increase in popularity each year and we expect 2006/2007 to be no differ-ent,” said Falcon Holidays marketing manager Charlotte Brenner.

More flights to Lanzarote

Rapidly expanding budget airline Jet2.com have announced their 22nd destination from Leeds Bradford to the Canary Island of Lanzarote. When the twice-weekly service takes off on November 2 it will be the first time a no-frills carrier has ever run scheduled flights from Yorkshire to Lanzarote. Philip  Meeson,  boss of  Jet2.com, said:

“We’re really excited to further enhance the portfolio of Canary Island destinations we have on offer. Lanzarote is a perfect destination for guaranteed winter sunshine.”

Spain Top Easter List for Irish

300,000 bank holiday passengers for Dublin Airport 

Around 300,000 people will pass through Dublin Airport during the busy Easter bank holiday – a 20% increase over the same period last year.

With most passengers jetting off for breaks in the sun, more than 1,900 flights will arrive and depart between Friday and Monday.

A spokeswoman for the airport said the most popular sun destinations this weekend are the Canary Islands of Lanzarote and Tenerife along with trips to mainland Spain.

Thursday 13th April

Rental prices increase.

The Spanish National Institute of Statistics have released figures which show that Spanish rental prices have risen 4.2% over the course of the last year, making mortgages even more attractive for those considering a purchase.

Mortgage decisions….

The same office of statistics further goes on to say that 98% of new mortgages taken in January 2006 were on a variable rate, rather than a fixed.

This is an interesting statistic in so much as the Euribor rate, which is the rate used to calculate the repayments on most Spanish mortgages, rose in March to 3.1%. To the typical borrower, this means an increased mortgage payment of about 47 euros a month.

However, with 25 year fixed-term mortgages available at 3.4%, the overwhelming majority are sticking to variable rates which seems to imply that the Euribor will come down again soon. Some banking experts are predicting a rise to 3.5% during the year, and then a fall back to around 3%.

For expert mortgage advice, you can contact Solbank and La Caixa.