Spain Tops British Investors Property Destination List

For the past 50 years we Brits have had a love affair with the Spanish costas and Balearic islands, reports the Independent

"A home from home for many, Spain's climate, infrastructure, ease of access from the UK, combined with good hospitals and healthcare system, political stability, timeless tourism appeal and affordable housing market draws buyers in their droves," says Marc Pritchard from housebuilder Taylor Wimpey España.

There is a huge oversupply of newbuild and off-plan properties, so there are big discounts up for grabs but remember to pick carefully. There are many horror stories of Brits who saw their homes bulldozed because cowboy builders and planning officials didn't obtain valid building licences. if countries like Spain were to leave the euro and return to a devalued national currency, foreign investors could come unstuck.

Spain also continues to be the most popular holiday destination for Brits over the Easter period with data from Carhiremarket.com revealing that from the 31st March to 15th April, 35% of UK holiday makers hiring a car through the company booked a holiday to Spain, reports A Place in the Sun.

The news is positive for those looking to rent out their property in Spain, showing that our appetite for sun, sea and sangria has not disappeared despite the global economic crisis. Almost 2.8 million foreign tourists arrived in Spain in January this year, of which 19.1% were Brits. This was a 4.6% increase on January 2011.

For all you needs if you are buying renting or letting property in Marbella you should check out the Marbella Directory which will give you the details of estate agents, freight and transport companies, healthcare,industrial supplies, cars and classified ads. If you are already a member of the Marbella Community, with something to say, follow the link to become an author and add your article to the directory.

International Real Estate Professional Study

International Business Times reports;
A survey of more than 360 internationally renowned real estate professionals, including investors, developers, property company representatives, lenders, brokers and consultants has revealed the emerging top earners for the real estate sector in 2012.

Residential real estate is the second top investment for the year 2012 across the Asia Pacific Region, the study revealed.

It said that in spite the weak global housing market this year better prospects are to be seen in 2012, although caution and planning are still the keys to success.

Apartments. Interviewees favoured investing in multifamily property development, which can be class A, value-enhance class B, develop from scratch, purchase in infill areas, acquire in gateway cities, or hold in lower-growth markets. "Even buy class C and upgrade, spend a little more, hold a little longer-demand will be there."

The only caveat: avoid severely affected housing markets where a surfeit of empty single-family homes will compete as rentals.

Fortress Malls, Infill Shopping Centres. Aptly named fortress malls, near upscale suburban neighbourhoods and strategic highway intersections, continue to concentrate the top brand chains and attract more shoppers away from their weakening competition-centres situated near older or more commodity class housing districts. These types of property development attract necessity shoppers to anchored centres with leading supermarket and drug store chains. Investors are in for steady cash flows.

Coastal Port Industrial Space. Global trade will power export activity around the nation's primary seaboard ports, where traditional big-box warehouse distribution assets rebound after experiencing uncomfortably high vacancies. All eyes focus on which East Coast cities can position themselves to capture Pacific container-ship traffic slated to come through a widened Panama Canal in 2014. Some winners will turn into new industrial hubs, but first need to dredge harbor channels to handle deep-hulled vessels. Miami, Charleston, Savannah, and Norfolk look like prime contenders, and New York/New Jersey will not be left out. Houston should pick up business along the Gulf Coast.

Business Center Hotels. ULI and PwC said that 2012 will be within that the point in the real estate market cycle where lodging makes sense. But only the major 24-hour cities attract consistently strong combinations of business and tourist travelers to sustain occupancies and advance room rates during the week, as well as into weekends. Middle-market hotels without food and beverage service lure budget-conscious travelers without outsized operation overheads, enhancing bottom-line results.