A steady capital growth rate coupled with an increasing demand for rental properties is making Spain a real hot spot for property investors and people simply looking to buy their dream home in the sun.

Last year, Spanish property prices grew by an amazing 18%, with prices in some areas growing by over 30%! Many of these areas were on the coast offering a combination of holiday properties and retirement homes.

And Spain has now surpassed France as the No. 1 holiday destination for Brits and many other North Europeans.

Wise investors are taking advantage of the demand for buying and renting Spanish properties. And the demand is set to soar, with the numbers of non-Spanish residents estimated to jump from 1m in 2001 to 6m by 2015.

And, according to specialist website www.spanish-property-secrets.co.uk, the Spanish property market is set to remain hot for 2004 and beyond due to three demographic factors:

• Euroland interest rates remain low (2.25%) and may drop further in 2004
• The pound is currently at a one year high against the Euro
• Brits can now get 80% Loan to value mortgages on Spanish Buy to Let properties

However, Neil Lewis from the website warns that while investing in Spain now is a fantastic opportunity whether you are an investor or purchasing a second home, buyers should beware.

He says: "People do sometimes get it wrong if they make an uninformed decision when buying in Spain. For example, there are a lot of properties that are not selling and won't sell. And there are a lot of regions in Spain which are experiencing growth of only 4 or 5%.

However, help is at hand, with the secrets of how to successfully buy a Spanish property now available to anyone, whether they are an investor or just looking for their dream home.

Spanish Property Secrets 2004 has hard hitting advice sourced from Spanish property investors and experts and is designed to help people looking to buy in Spain to make the best possible investment decisions. It covers everything you must know to make the project a success such as:

• How to avoid being ripped off
• Wealth tax and other Spanish levies
• Where's the hot region for your money and dream investment
• How to finance your purchase
• How to figure out your annual on-going costs
• How to buy new developments, off plan or old fincas and land
• Tips and tricks the experts use
• How the Spanish legal system works and how to protect your investment in Spanish law

Lewis summarises: "The success of a buying a Spanish property depends on many factors, from choosing the right finance method through to knowing where – and more importantly, where not to buy. Spanish Property Secrets shows you all the tactics and methods that the property experts use, to get the best returns from their investment."