Location Focus: The Turkish city of Bahcesehir is one of the hottest places to buy investment property.

Turkey is currently the hottest destination for travel and property, the 16th largest economy in the world which welcomes 30 million tourists per year and rising according to ABTA. The economic powerhouse of Istanbul is the destination in Turkey ranking as the number 1 city for new property acquisitions and developments according to the latest Emerging Trends in Real Estate Report Europe from PwC and the Urban Land Institute. And Bahcesehir is the hot new destination in Istanbul for property investment with a growing university, high demand from the middle classes for quality property and impressive transport links to the central business district.  Read more... (621 words, 1 image, estimated 2:29 mins reading time)

Due to recent rapid social and economic development, Brazil is becoming increasingly popular with overseas property buyers. A new progressive government coupled with the country hosting both the FIFA World Cup and Olympic Games within the next decade mean that many real estate investors are scrambling to jump on the Brazil property bandwagon.

Rio de Janeiro is probably the most popular area to buy thanks to 45 miles of beautiful beaches making it a tourist hotspot and therefore an ideal place for rentals. Sao Paolo is also popular, being the financial centre for Brazil, however many real estate investors look more to business lettings rather than residential lettings here. Other areas which garner interest are Natal, which boasts the highest quality of life in Brazil, and the resort of Bahia.  Read more... (675 words, 1 image, estimated 2:42 mins reading time)

Eurostar has revealed that they are hoping to extend their network of trains in Europe. Amongst the new hoped-for destinations is the South of France.

Eurostar already runs trains into Paris from London, however the addition of new French destinations could be good news for overseas property investors who have already purchased in France. The extra routes would likely see an increase in tourism in the local areas and therefore help stabilise and improve local rental and sale prices due to extra demand.  Read more... (208 words, 1 image, estimated 50 secs reading time)

At a recent press conference held by the Turkish Real Estate Investing Partners Association (GYODER), it was revealed that property sales in Turkey to foreigners in 2010 were up 40% reaching sales of $2.5 billion compared to the previous year.

Not quite eclipsing the pinnacle of Turkey’s property performance, between the economic peak in 2006 to 2008 sales to foreigners approached $3 billion, the recent figures disclosed in their “The Real Estate Sector of Turkey and The World, Fourth Quarter 2010″ report, clearly show that Turkey’s popularity as a holiday home and investment destination, unlike some countries, is far from waning.  Read more... (622 words, 1 image, estimated 2:29 mins reading time)

If you are looking to buy property in Europe, France’s property market is starting to pick up again and could be a good choice for overseas property investors.

According to the latest Knight Frank Global House Price Index, France has ssen a 9.5 pc annual increase in property prices in the last quarter of 2010 compared to the previous year. The French national estate agent body, the Federation National de l’immobilier (FNAIM), backs these figures up stating that in 2010, there was a 15 pc rise in the number of property purchases compared to the previous year.  Read more... (177 words, estimated 42 secs reading time)

“DON’T BUY IN BRAZIL” says AIPP Award-winning agent specialising in Brazil

Brazil specialist agent SPC Overseas has won the coveted AIPP award for Best Small Agent 2011 by warning potential clients not to buy property in the South American country.

Anthony Fernandes, director of SPC Overseas says: “Brazil Buyers Beware! There are a huge number of projects springing up in Brazil and many simply “don’t make the investment grade”.  Read more... (654 words, estimated 2:37 mins reading time)

Prices of homes in Florida are at their lowest for 13 years. Figures out this week from the Orlando Regional Realtor Association show that Orlando’s median home price in January 2011 sank to $94,950 – its lowest level since November 1997.

Cheap cash deals are driving more than half the sales. The Orlando Sentinel reports: “Usually a drop in prices means a boost in sales, but January’s total was down sharply from December, which is the historical pattern. Only 1,950 sales were recorded for the month by the local Realtors group, down 21 percent the previous month and the slowest month in a year.  Read more... (593 words, 2 images, estimated 2:22 mins reading time)