Property Abroad Channel
Overseas property news and information.
Steady as She Goes: Cashing in on Canadian Property
If you want to profit from Canada’s property market you could invest with REITs and ETFs
The one word that comes to mind when considering the Canadian property market is ‘steady.’ Steady growth, steady returns, steady demand, steady interest rates and a steady underlying economy. And when it comes to any form of investment, steady is a very attractive word these days!
Following on from the market turmoil experienced over the last couple of weeks globally, and on the back of depressing news about the state of economies in Europe and elsewhere in North America, we’re actually more than happy to report that the outlook for Canadian real estate assets is so calm and solid!
However, if you’re still a little uncertain about the potential sustainability of this stable period in Canada’s property market history, there are alternatives to directly investing which could bring you greater security and peace of mind, whilst still exposing your investment capital to Canadian real estate.
Buyer Beware a Bulgarian Property Boom
There’s industry talk that the Bulgarian property market is back in favour with Brits seeking affordable property abroad for escape
TheMoveChannel, usually a reliable source for property statistics, has revealed that buyer interest in Bulgarian property has once again surged, following the death of the nation’s real estate market post the global economic meltdown of 2008.
We find this extremely hard to believe however, because we cannot accept that British buyers, who are reportedly the ones now searching for Bulgarian bargains, have that short a memory!
Can people not recall all the horror stories that came from the Bulgarian property market back when it was originally booming? Property in Bulgaria should have come with a health warning back then, and we find it hard to believe that anything has changed…so let’s examine what’s seemingly created this resurgence in interest, and see if we can bring some common sense to the subject
Buying up Belize: How to Own Your Own Private Island
If you want to own the ultimate in terms of luxury real estate, consider buying a private island in Belize
Would you like to live like a film star in the lap of luxury on your own private island? Belize is one of the few countries in the world with a plethora of private islands for sale from as little as £300,000 – which when you think about what you’re getting for your money, i.e., a Caribbean island, is a very reasonable sum!
Others who have bought locally include Bill Gates, Leonardo di Caprio and Francis Ford Coppola, so if you want to rub shoulders with business moguls and Hollywood greats whilst living in the lap of luxury, let us explain to you how you go about buying a private island in Belize.
You may need to extend your budget considerably if you want to buy the best, and if you want to develop your private island…but you’ll then own a piece of paradise in arguably one of the most desirable parts of the world. Here’s how the process works…
Australia’s Cooling Economy: 2 Things Expats Should Know
Australia’s economy is being talked down: so is property in Australia a bad buy, is employment Down Under drying up?
Australia remains one of the most popular overseas destinations with Britons dreaming of a new life abroad. It embodies the dream with its near perfect climate nationwide, its strong economic record to date, the lovely Aussie laidback lifestyle, and the outdoor centric way of life.
However, ever since at least 2008 economists have been consistently talking the nation down, warning of an economic cooling, of rising interest and inflation rates and a property bubble about to burst.
Against this backdrop of doom and gloom however, Australia was continuing to rise – defying all those who said the real estate market was overvalued, and that the fundamentals were not in place to support the nation’s economic ascension. But…things are finally beginning to change…for the worse. But don’t panic – it’s certainly not all bad. Here are the 3 things that expats and would-be emigrants need to know about Australia’s cooling economy, and how it may affect jobs and property in Australia.
Selling Property at a Loss to Finance New Life Abroad
Would you consider selling your UK property at a loss to finance your new life abroad? Many expats already have, but just how much of a financial sacrifice is sensible to enable you to move abroad?
How much would you be willing to sacrifice in order to finance your new life abroad? A fascinating thread on the BritishExpats.com forum informed us about what Britons are willing to do to enable their dream of a new life overseas.
The forum thread in question is related to living in Canada, and the original post is all about how much fellow forum members potentially lost on property sales in the UK in order to fund their new life abroad.
There’s a discussion about whether you can really say you ‘lost’ money when it’s only accrued equity, but the bottom line is that most members were comfortable with any losses, (real or perceived), because ultimately they were living their dream life in Canada as a result of selling up in Britain. So, would you sell your property in the UK at a loss to finance your new life abroad? It’s an interesting question. Let’s look at the arguments for and against cutting your losses to enable a new chapter in life.
Buying Property in Europe to Become Safer and More Transparent
A relatively new pilot scheme, backed and funded by the EU, is running well between Spain and Holland as it aims to make buying property across Europe’s borders safer for purchasers who can buy according to the laws of their own home nation
The property boom that peaked across Europe somewhere around 2007 apparently resulted in many investors achieving significant gains, and many who dreamed of owning a second home or a retirement property abroad achieving their ambitions.
However, as the boom surged towards its unsustainable peak, greed was found to be undermining the entire real estate industry; and when economies began to falter across much of the EU, we were left looking at a devastated property landscape.
Since then stories of mis-selling, lies, corruption and broken promises and dreams have become so commonplace that perhaps we no longer pay sufficient heed to the tales of woe from those who came unstuck as a result of property transactions undertaken in parts of Europe. However, these tales of real estate dreams gone wrong have been heeded by some in positions of significant power fortunately, and they are working towards making the purchase of property in Europe a safer and more transparent process, with cross border legal guarantees.
Turkey Property Attracts Investors
According to one Turkish property expert, the news coming from Turkey - and in particular Istanbul – is purely positive in terms of property investor potential. We take a closer look…
To suggest that Turkish property is experiencing something of a purple patch would be the understatement of the year so far according to one property expert who we recently spoke to.
The largest property developer in the United Arab Emirates recently announced that it will invest $700m into an Istanbul housing project, and research by top accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) reveals that Turkey’s GDP has grown from 3% to 5.5% in just two years – therefore according to Graham Flaherty from IstanbulPropertyInvestment.com, there is little question that Turkey - and in particular Istanbul - remain attractive real estate investment locations.
Despite the global economic downturn and the direct impact that this has had on many investors’ activities, there are still small markets with massive potential for growth and rental return…and seemingly Turkey is one of them.
How to Sell Your French Property to Avoid New Second Home Tax
Sarkozy is proposing to bring in a new property tax which could impact British owners of French homes – this is the final straw for some Brits who now want to sell up. We discuss the top tips for selling a property in France quickly and profitably.
It’s not just in the UK that the government is seeking to stealthily increase taxes in a bid to bring the nation back from the brink of bankruptcy; President Sarkozy is implementing similarly sneaky tactics in France. His latest idea is to add an additional tax burden on to owners of second homes in France…which could of course impact many Britons who still retain French holiday properties.
The idea has faced stiff opposition, with some alleging it is discriminatory against foreign owners of second homes, therefore it has some way to go before it could become law. However, the move has served to force the hand for some Britons who were already concerned at the high cost of maintaining their second home abroad.
If you want to sell your French property in a bid to avoid this potential new tax, or because the cost of having a second property overseas is just too expensive, the good news is that you can potentially benefit as the euro is still strong against the pound. But the bad news is that the property market in France, which has never been particularly buoyant compared to our own in the UK, has slowed right down and you will have to fight to find a buyer. So, here are 7 top tips that will hopefully enable you to sell up and encash your French property asset as profitably as possible.
Tax-Friendly Turkey Gains Property Investor Attention
Not only is Turkey weathering the global recession well, it has emerged as a low tax country in relative terms: it’s tourism market is strong, and property investments in Turkey offering strong yields are therefore attractive – if you have a SIPP you may want to use it to buy in, says Turkish property expert Graham Flaherty
Turkey’s strong emergence from the global recession has been documented countless times already, and whilst positive press reports have helped put it under the spotlight in terms of being a potentially sound investment opportunity with further room for growth and development, less has been said about opportunities for the tax-savvy investor looking at Turkey.
Did you know that the most recent Revenue Statistics report by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) unearthed Turkey as having the second-lowest tax to GDP ratio amongst OECD countries? That’s surely interesting news for anyone thinking about buying a property in Turkey and enjoying rental income from it for example.
What’s more, there has been a small upsurge in the number of British investors using a Self Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) to buy property - which could indicate that Turkey presents a series of significant tax-friendly opportunities for would-be British property investors.
North Cyprus and Turkey Should Learn Property Lessons from Spain
Instead of trying to take homes off those who have already invested in property in Turkey and North Cyprus, the governments of those 2 countries should learn from the mistakes made by Spain – which they have now reversed in a bid to bring buyers back to the Spanish real estate economy…
The Housing Secretary in Spain has issued an all out appeal to Britons to return to the Spanish property sector - please! As we all know, the Spanish economy has been flailing, and one of the biggest causalities has been the construction industry. Buyers have been conspicuous by their absence – put off in part by stories about properties being illegally constructed and then demolished, as well as tales of corruption and nose-diving values of homes in Spain.
Now, in a bid to get Britons back in and buying in big numbers, Beatriz Corredor the Housing Secretary has issued a statement to reassure Britons who may feel that the Spanish property sector has got something of a crooked reputation. She wants Brits to feel confident in “the system” and “the transparency” now in place in Spain’s real estate industry, and to return and start investing again.
Well, if that’s the case then we think Northern Cyprus and Turkey could both learn some very important lessons from Spain if they want to protect their fragile property economies, and not alienate the one market of buyers that has, to date, remained loyal to each country in question. Spain all but ruined its property market because of greed – and if what we’ve been told by our readers is true, Northern Cyprus and Turkey are following in Spain’s unfortunate footsteps.