Fragen und antworten

Ambera ist ein neuer Name für eine neue Art zu leben, die wir in unseren Ambera-Communities schaffen. Der Name wurde für eine internationale Verwendung geschaffen und baut auf dem englischen Wort „amber“ – Bernstein – auf: ein Material, das eine warme, goldbraune Farbe hat und das gerne für Schmuckstücke verwendet wird, die heilende Wirkung haben sollen. Wir denken, dass diese Eigenschaften unsere Vision gut widerspiegeln.

Wir haben in den letzten Jahren über 100 „Active Adult Communities“ in den USA besucht, die wir aus über 2.000 derartigen Projekten ausgewählt haben. Dabei haben wir untersucht, was dort funktioniert und was nicht funktioniert, was verbessert werden kann und was wir an europäische Verhältnisse anpassen müssen. Wir sind daher zuversichtlich, dass wir genügend Kenntnis haben, um ein erfolgreiches, funktionierendes Projekt entwickeln zu können. Amerikanische Marktstudien zeigen übrigens, dass Häuser und Wohnungen in erfolgreichen Active Adult Communities im Wert rascher steigen als vergleichbare Objekte in der Umgebung, die nicht Teil eine solchen Projekts sind.

Einer der Schlüssel aus unserer Sicht ist es, nicht ein weiteres Projekt mit Ferienwohnungen zu bauen, das in der Nebensaison zur Geisterstadt mutiert – davon gibt es bereits genügend entlang der spanischen Küste – sondern eine lebendige Community, in der das ganze Jahr lang Leute wohnen und für Aktivität sorgen. Wir sind sicher, dass das Ambera-Wohnungen attraktiv machen wird und die dementsprechende Nachfrage Ihr Investment sichert.

Wir sind der Meinung, dass gerade die Größe es ermöglichen wird, eine echte Seele in Ambera-Communities aufzubauen.

Das Herz jeder Ambera-Community ist das Aktivitätszentrum – und die Seele sind Amberas Bewohner. Das Aktivitätszentrum macht es Bewohnern einfach, sich im Rahmen der Community zu engagieren. Dort finden Sie alles an Mitteln und Hilfestellungen, um Ihre Ideen zu realisieren und Aktivitäten zu starten. Würden nur 150 bis 200 Menschen in einer Ambera-Community wohnen, wäre dieses Aktivitätszentrum den Großteil der Zeit leer (da es immer einige Bewohner geben wird, die z.B. einen Teil der Zeit in ihren Wohnungen verbringen, in der Umgebung unterwegs sind, verreist sind oder Freunde besuchen) und wir könnten dort nicht die Vielfalt anbieten, die eine Ambera-Community ausmacht. Darüber hinaus sind sowohl der Bau als auch der Betrieb des Aktivitätszentrums viel leichter finanzierbar, wenn über 1.000 Wohneinheiten dazu betragen, als wenn die Kosten unter rund 100 Einheiten aufgeteilt werden müssen.

Die Projektgröße ermöglicht auch die Nutzung sogenannter „Economies of Scale“ – Skalenvorteile – die die Bau- und Betriebskosten pro Wohneinheit reduzieren und den Betrieb der Gemeinschaftsanlagen leichter finanzierbar machen (d.h. dass jeder Bewohner einen kleineren Beitrag leisten muss). Indem wir viele Wohneinheiten in jeder Community bauen, ziehen wir eine Vielzahl von Bewohnern mit unterschiedlichen Interessen, Wissen und Ressourcen an, sodass immer viele Menschen zur Community beitragen. Das macht die Seele von Ambera aus.

Unser Ziel ist es, dass sich möglichst viele Menschen ein Leben in Ambera leisten können, nicht nur die Reichsten. Der Preis einer Wohneinheit und eines Lebens in einer Ambera Community hängt zu einem wesentlichen Teil von der Lage und damit vom Kaufpreis des Grundstücks ab. Darüber hinaus ist die Projektgröße entscheidend. Grundstücke, die näher zum Meer liegen, sind teurer als weiter im Landesinneren gelegene Grundstücke, und je mehr Wohneinheiten wir errichten können, auf die sich die Kosten aufteilen lassen, desto günstiger wird es pro Haushalt.

Ambera Desert Springs, unser erstes Projekt, liegt nahe zum Meer, da sich viele unserer Interessenten und zukünftigen Bewohner dahingehend geäußert haben, dass das ein wichtiges Kriterium für sie ist. Das kann dazu führen, dass die Preise in unserem ersten Projekt etwas höher liegen werden als in einigen zukünftigen Projekten. Wir werden aber in Zukunft mit hoher Wahrscheinlichkeit auch – lagebedingt – teurere Projekte anbieten. Konkrete Preise für Wohneinheiten in Ambera Desert Springs finden Sie ab November 2020 in auf unserer Website.

Für diejenigen Interessenten, die es bevorzugen, eine Wohneinheit zu mieten, wird Ambera auch langfristige Mietwohnungen anbieten. Wie bei den Hauspreisen wird auch die Höhe der Miete von der Lage und Größe der Community abhängen.

Die monatliche Gebühr – die Aktivitäten, Instandhaltung und die Kosten für allgemeine Einrichtungen deckt – liegt in US-Projekten teilweise im Bereich von EUR 150 pro Haushalt. Wir haben die Ambition, ein ähnliches Kostenniveau in Ambera Desert Springs und in zukünftigen Projekten zu erreichen. Bitte abonnieren Sie unseren Newsletter und besuchen Sie unsere Facebook-Seiten, um nähere Informationen zu erhalten und auf dem Laufenden zu bleiben.

Es gibt zwei Hauptprinzipien, die wir hier nennen wollen: (1) eine entsprechende Projektgröße und (2) Interessegruppen und Aktivitäten, die von der Community betrieben werden.

Indem wir entsprechend große Projekte bauen, können wir die Kosten für die Errichtung und den Betrieb der Gemeinschaftsanlagen auf viele Haushalte aufteilen. Das macht das Leben in Ambera wesentlich billiger, als wenn man kleinere Communities baut. Wir haben in den letzten Jahren über 100 derartige Projekte in den USA besucht und festgestellt, dass dieses Prinzip dort perfekt funktioniert. Die Bewohner dieser Communities lieben den Lebensstil, den sie sich in einem solchen Projekt leisten können.

Um eine aktive und soziale Community schaffen zu können, stellen wir in jedem Projekt einen sogenannten „Lifestyle Director“ an, d.h. eine Person, die dafür zuständig ist, es spielerisch einfach zu machen, wenn jemand einen neuen Club oder eine Aktivität starten möchte. Wir helfen Ihnen gerne mit dem Start und dem Einladen zusätzlicher Teilnehmer – danach setzt nur Ihre Fantasie Ihnen Grenzen, was Sie daraus machen. Ein pensionierter Journalist könnte beispielsweise einen Schreibkurs starten, eine Klavierlehrerin könnte das Orchester der Ambera-Community dirigieren, ein Hobbytischler einen Kurs für Holzarbeiten ins Leben rufen und so weiter. Indem wir einen einfachen Start ermöglichen, schaffen wir eine motivierende Kultur, die das Leben für alle Bewohner unterhaltsamer macht, wenn möglichst viele mit ihren Fähigkeiten, ihren Talenten und ihrer Begeisterung beitragen.

Taking advantage of people is the last thing we want to do. We think that most of the other current offerings on the market are taking advantage of people – giving them very little service for sky-high prices and expecting people to be grateful for it. What we’re trying to do is offer an opportunity for a new and better life for people who are approaching retirement, or who have already stopped working.

We’re talking about a very resourceful, experienced generation who are fully capable of making informed decisions about whether they want to buy a home in Ambera or not. All of our residents will be people who have made a very active, conscious decision about how they wish to spend their lives at the end or after their professional careers. What we want to do is give them the opportunity to live life to the fullest.

Ambera is not aiming at the luxury market segment, which is traditionally very exclusive. True luxury, in our eyes, is having lots of options for things to do, and having a great social environment. This is dependent on the people in the community. No matter how much money you have, there is no such thing as an “exclusive community” – having a wide range of people is what makes communities work.

Consequently, Ambera is trying to offer affordable homes by building large scale projects, where the cost for the amenities will be distributed among many units. The homes will not be cheap, but considering all the facilities and corresponding possibilities, we believe that we really offer a lot of value for your money. 

For those who have a challenge raising the equity necessary to buy, or who for various reasons don’t want to buy, we will offer rental homes as an option.

The reason we can offer a wide variety of amenities and activities for reasonable prices is that we will build large scale, i.e. many homes in one project, reducing the cost per person. After completion, most of our groups and activities will be run by our homeowners as community members on a voluntary basis, which will enable Ambera to cover the operational cost with an affordable monthly fee which will grant access to everything – from tennis courts and ballet classes, to health centres and gardening services.

Whether you live in the smallest apartment or the largest villa, all members will have the same rights and opportunities at Ambera. Our hope is that it will become irrelevant how much money you have, because everybody can have a great life regardless of the size of their wallets.

Ambera is a real estate development company. That means we buy land plots, hire architects, plan, design, and build homes, sell them to residents, and then operate them. Through this process, we make money. It is important to us that everyone involved in creating this value chain gets their fair share. At the same time, we are determined to make Ambera affordable for our residents. We are not building a luxury project for the rich and wealthy, but an affordable project for everybody.

Ambera is building homes where people live for longer periods of time, because residents and not visitors make a community. We believe this is necessary in order to establish an active and social community. Regular holiday homes are typically used or rented for only a few days or weeks throughout the year, and most owners/visitors are not interested in getting to know their neighbors or engage in the wider community during their stay. These types of communities transform into “ghost towns” in the off season – and we think there are enough of those already.

Ambera’s designs will reflect the fact that they are long-term homes. Typically, holiday homes have as many beds and bedrooms as possible, little (if any) storage space, and small, efficient living room areas. They’re little more than a place to sleep, and maybe have a guest over for a nightcap. Ambera’s homes are intended for year-round use, with plenty of storage options, spacious living areas, and functional spaces that will prove useful for longer stays. Our homes will be places to live.

Ambera’s first project will be built as an extension of Desert Springs Golf Resort and Spa – an already-existing 400-unit project in Almeria, Spain – with an award-winning golf course, a restaurant, and various sports and recreational facilities. 

Ambera is also in discussions with various landowners in Spain and other European countries about potential future communities. We hope to create some projects near larger cities all over Europe. For these projects we’d extend our concept to include both active adults (our current target group) and younger families with children. We feel these groups have different needs which complement each other. Families with children need to maintain work/life balance, get their kids to school/kindergarten, get them to their leisure activities (and enjoy a few of their own), and often find there aren’t enough hours in the day. Conversely, active adults without dependents usually have more time available, and gain satisfaction from being able to engage in the community and help each other out. Our eventual goal is to organise our communities in such a way that we can “match up” these two groups through a joint activity centre and organisation platform. If we can meet everyone’s needs, it’s a win-win scenario for everyone involved.

Absolutely. But nobody is saying that you have to. At Ambera, your freedom (and privacy) is always our top priority. No-one ever tells you to do anything, but there will always be plenty of interesting things you can choose to be a part of if you wish. 

We are trying to create an active, social community, that is true. But enforcing participation goes against the core principle of Ambera – choosing your future. Ambera facilitates socialisation by offering a wide range of interest groups and activities, and helping people create their own. Our residents will be the ones choosing whether or not to socialise, and where and when to do so – it will always be on your terms.

Ambera is for anyone and everyone who has the time and desire to engage in the community. This includes golfers, cyclists, scuba divers, bridge players, budding linguists, and enthusiasts about activities and topics of all kinds. Ambera is not an exclusive “luxury” project. “Luxury”, in our eyes, comes from having lots of options for things to do, and having a great social environment. All the money in the world can’t buy good neighbours – it’s dependent on the people in the community. Our goal is to provide homes at prices that should be affordable for the European Middle Class, starting at around €180,000 for our first project in Desert Springs.

Ambera is in discussions with various landowners in Spain and other European countries about potential future communities. Our eventual goal is to have a network of one or more Ambera communities close to every major European city. This network would enable co-operation, exchanges, and joint activities across national borders. As a homeowner in any one Ambera project, you will be a member of the family, and will be welcome in every Ambera community in the world, and it will be easy to find friends with common interests.

For projects which will be located close to larger cities, we’d be looking at an extended version of our existing concept, including both active adults (our current target group) and younger families with children. We feel these groups have different needs which complement each other. Families with children need to maintain work/life balance, get their kids to school/kindergarten, get them to their leisure activities (and enjoy a few of their own), and often find there aren’t enough hours in the day. Conversely, active adults without dependents usually have more time available, and gain satisfaction from being able to engage in the community and help each other out. Our eventual goal is to organise our communities in such a way that we can “match up” these two groups through a joint activity centre and organisation platform. If we can meet everyone’s needs, it’s a win-win scenario for everyone involved.

It is actually impossible for Ambera to have a soul without building hundreds or thousands of properties. 

The heart of every Ambera community is the Activity Centre, but the soul of Ambera is its residents. The Activity Centre will make it easy for our homeowners to engage in the community and help them get going with new ideas and activities. However, if we only have a couple of hundred residents, then not only will the centre be perpetually empty (rememberthat some people will be at home with a book, others in the towns nearby, and others on holiday visiting friends) and unable to offer many activities, but each resident will have to pay a lot of money for its upkeep. 

By building many properties in each community we: attract lots of residents with different interests, knowledge, and resources; get to take advantage of “economies of scale”, which reduce the cost of building each home and running all the facilities (meaning it’s easier for our residents to afford); and ensure that there will always be plenty of people at Ambera able to participate in the community. Without enough people, Ambera has no soul.

It is easier to build a project that is based on the Ambera concept from scratch, because we can develop a master plan and other elements to exactly match our specifications. Having said that, we are absolutely open to implementing the Ambera concept in existing projects, as long as they have clear borders and the space for an activity centre. 

We think that residents that live in an Ambera community most of the year won’t be considered as traditional tourists. They will engage in both the Ambera community and also in activities in the local area, i.e. neighbouring villages. Wehave heard from many of you that you are interested in learning Spanish (or the local language in future communities elsewhere), which will allow you to integrate and communicate with the local population.

Each Ambera community is of course also open to local buyers, who we expect to show just as much interest as international buyers. With Desert Springs, we have received several inquiries from Spanish people who are interested in buying a home.

As an owner

You get your own privately-owned house or apartment. It is yours (freehold) and can be sold, inherited, financed and used at your discretion. Terms and conditions for subletting, community-rules and snd so forth will be published in connection with sales start.

Through Ambera’s low monthly community fee, you are granted free access to and use of shared common areas: First and foremost, an Activity Centre with more than where several rooms are dedicated to activities.

The low monthly community fee covers external maintenance of all properties to maintain the high standard on the Ambera properties. Maintenance of all common infrastructure and gardening of all common areas are also included.

Benefits of owning in Ambera Desert Springs are detailed here

As a member of Ambera Community

You get access to all of our upcoming European projects.

You become a part of an active and social community.

A Lifestyle Director is responsible for helping organise activities and reserve amenities that you need for your activities, free of charge.

The Ambera team will broker benefit programs with relevant service providers such as airlines, health services, insurance companies, carpool services and other institutions for the mutual benefit of the Ambera Community.

Ambera Desert Springs – benefits

A reduced fee for use of sports facilities: Golf on the Desert Springs PGA-course, paddle tennis, tennis and exercise room.

Pools are available at no extra expense.

Access to the Club House. Desert Springs restaurants are open to all Ambera members.

Through Ambera’s low monthly community fee, you are granted free access to and use of shared common areas – first and foremost, an Activity Centre with more than 1,000 sqm, where several rooms are dedicated to activities such as:

• All-purpose rooms for workshops, games, painting, classes, yoga, etc. – or anything you want to do

• Common rooms for mingling and just meeting your friends

• Community Kitchen where you can invite friends to a gourmet dinner or cooking class

• Music room for dancing, theatre group, or watching movies together

• Cafe