International Property News

The prospect of living through a recession is driving more than 400,000 over 50s Brits to consider packing their bags and leaving the UK for good to improve their financial position, according to new research from RIAS, specialist insurer for the over 50s.

The financial landscape in 2008 has been dominated by dramatic declines on stock markets and currency crashes; this has resulted in instability in many nations' economies as the very fundamentals upon which stable economic practices are built have been undermined.

Better weather is the top the reason that UK expats prefer living abroad, according to the latest poll conducted by Alliance & Leicester International (ALIL), the offshore savings bank with a strong focus on expatriate customers around the globe.

Turks and Caicos has come first in the Condé Nast survey of the most popular Caribbean destinations making a giant leap from its previous position of 10th in 2007.

The property market in India has been hard hit by the global economic downturn but China is showing more resilience says the latest RICS Global Commercial Property Survey.

It seems absurd to buy an overseas home that you never see or enjoy, but put it in the context of securing your future, in particular financial stability in your retirement, and perhaps it’s not so daft to ‘buy-to-forget’.

Leading Portuguese developer - Oceanico Group - today (30.10.08) confirmed the positive impact the introduction of the Overseas Exchange Bond has had on sales volumes, stemming from the successful two year partnership with Exchange Insurance Company (ExCo.)

Enjoying in excess of 340 days of sunshine a year and with temperatures only fluctuating by about 4ºC during the entire year, the Caribbean island gem of Isla Margarita is considered a paradise by all those who visit and all those lucky enough to reside on the island.

Diversify. Diversify. Diversify. Smart investors saw the opportunity. They invested in Di Pacifico Dos in Costa Rica at an early stage and have bought all the plots with the oldest teak trees. They are now watching their investment grow.

Synonymous with cerulean seas lapping pristine white sandy shores, clear blue skies and tropical temperatures and with luxurious real estate, glamour, chic and affluence on tap, the Caribbean is quite possibly unique in that it is beloved by all and is a destination location we all dream about.

Baydonhill, the FX, overseas property and mortgage specialist, has highlighted a recent trend which indicates that British consumers are selling their overseas properties and bringing the capital back to the UK.

Island city Abu Dhabi, capital of the UAE, is a very interesting place in which to invest right now. Like many of its Arab neighbours, the authorities are keeping mindful of the day when oil runs out - although that could be as far as 90 years away for Abu Dhabi - and diversifying into trade, financial services and tourism, with some incredible projects underway.

New Zealand rated best for both quality of life and cost of living, according to a new study from Alliance & Leicester International (ALIL), the offshore savings bank with a strong focus on expatriate customers around the globe.

The prime residential market is weakening across the world – due to the fallout from the credit crunch and declining economic conditions in western markets, according to Knight Frank.

In light of difficult market conditions here in the UK, Britons are increasingly looking to invest in buying property abroad.

AXA has revealed significant increases in the number of enquiries it has received for its international private medical insurance suggesting that the trend of record numbers of Brits moving abroad is set to continue.

North Africa’s smallest nation, Tunisia, may be mightily overshadowed by near neighbours Morocco and Egypt in the current property press; however the country is set to make a big impact.

GEM Estates (Global Emerging Markets) was established in 2004 in direct response to the biggest shift in the recent history of the overseas property market. Suddenly buying a home abroad became so much more than just a holiday bolthole on the Côtes, Costas or Keys and the world became the property investor's oyster - with 'emerging' the new buzzword.

In keeping with Limpopo-Lipadi's ethos as a sustainable and environmentally conscious game and wilderness reserve, the eco-friendly sandbag construction technique is being implemented for the first time in Botswana.

A new breed of investor is emerging. Better informed and better educated into overseas property investments, their main focus is to invest into high tourism areas and its real turn-key solutions, in the form of apart-hotels that have become the preferred investment vehicle.

With investors into overseas properties proving to be more cautious than at any other time and the term ‘buyers market’ becoming ever more prevalent, Owner Invest are delighted to be marketing The Bali Kuta Hotel and Residence in Bali, which comes with a ‘cast iron’ guarantee that the developer will offer an optional buy back clause in four years time.

Global house price inflation continues to slow, with annual growth standing at 4.8% during Q2 2008, down from 6.1% in the previous quarter, according to the Knight Frank Global House Price Index.

There are signs that UK pensioners fear increasing costs will affect their standard of living and are considering moving overseas according to currency exchange specialist FC Exchange.

As the UK recovers from Bank Holiday chaos, RCI, the world’s largest timeshare exchange company, revealed the lifetime value of the British traveller.

One in five (20%) British expats surveyed said their sense of being British has diminished after moving abroad. Brits are adopting new ‘International Identities' and becoming more localised. However some do still miss certain aspects of the UK such as the pub and the British sense of humour.