French Leasebacks at the NEC A Place in The Sun Show

There were the obvious investments about again for those of us who often go to these shows.There were fewer stalls, but enough punters to mean you had to queue for a coffee. Taylor Woodrow were slashing the prices of their Spanish property. The Dubai offers were tempting as usual. The Argentina wine region of Mendoza was as off plan as it could be, and very interesting.

But for closer to home, and for the fainthearted, and the highlight of my day was the French leaseback at Evian-les-bains. Having spent a night at the Casino in Evian-Les-Bains for my 36th Birthday I can recommend it. Its a very exclusive and beautiful destination on the shores of Lake Geneva and at the foot of the Alps. The Highlights of the offer are these;
Leaseback rental of up to 4.5% for 11 years, 11 months
Developer pays the VAT, meaning a very low deposit
Fixed Euro mortgagerates available (subject to status)
Fully furnished, Fully maintained and Fully managed
Flexible personal usage packages available Freehold Purchase.

France has not always been the first choice of the British Property Investor, but scare stories about Spain, overdevelopment in other favourite destinations like Bulgaria and the Algarve may mean you need to look at your old age pension a bit differently; If you are prepared to be in it for the long term this is pretty close to a sure thing.

Oil, Gas and Investment in The Premiership

The English Football Premiership news last weekend and to the end of the transfer window on Monday night, had nothing to do with football. The Premiership is the new battlefield for the oil rich billionaires.

Abu Dhabi United agreed to buy Manchester City from Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Thai prime minister and within hours of the deal, the new owners had snatched Robinho, the Brazilian forward, from Real Madrid from under Chelseas nose, for a record fee of over £30 million. Chelsea, of course is owned by Roman Abrahmovic, the Russian oil billionaire, who bought the best and acheived Premiership success in his second year as Chairman. Well done Roman. Its been done before by millionaires (Blackburn Rovers and JJB Sports Chairman Jack Walker) but money does not always produce a team, good looking football or success.

At this time Manchester City fans will just be happy with 'financial stability' and at least a trophy. Noel Gallagher, Oasis songwriter and reknowned City fan revelled in the fact that every time a Utd fan fills their car with petrol, they will be supporting the City Transfer fund ! A successful year for City in the past has been one where they have beaten Man Utd. Maybe, if the interest in this new investment is sustained, Manchester City will be the new Chelsea, threatening Utd in the Premiership and in the Champions League. Roman abramovich is not always in attendance at Chelsea games these days and perhaps this lack of interest is reflected in the results; second in every competition last season.

In their haste to show their committment to their investment t Abu Dhabi Utd almost succeeded in stealing Dimitar Berbatov from under Manchester United's nose. Relieved but worried Man Utd fans mumbled something about cash not buying class or history. Deep down they must be worried. How can the US owners, the Glazer family, compete with the massive financial surpluses of the fast-growing, oil exporting investors from the Middle East. and Russia?

Diversification of Abu Dhabi business interests from property in the Emirates to football in England is dabbling, with the sums of cash involved being small change. But I doubt Manchester City was 'their team' last season, and hope they take care with an institution which is so dear to so many.

Brits Continue to Invest Abroad Despite the Credit Crunch

Recent property statistics confirm that Brits just cannot get enough of overseas property. Figures released by the Association of International Property Professionals (AIPP) claim that in 2007, the British spent a staggering £246 billion on homes abroad, a 21% increase on 2006.

Spain still tops the favourite destination chart – Spanish homes accounted for over a quarter of all purchases – but newer markets are fast emerging as investor favourites. City Property in Berlin, Warsaw or Bucherest are proving good investments for the brave, and those in search of a safer risk are looking towards the Middle East, with Dubai and Abu Dhabi the property hotspots.

Savvy investors have seen high capital growth and strong rental yields in their property investments, but this is by no means always the case. Media reports continually highlight the flip side to property investment and horror stories involving purchases abroad appear almost daily.

Overseas property investment is not something to be taken lightly, but there are certain steps you can take to ensure that investment in a home overseas does not end in tears. By applying a combination of thorough research, due diligence and canny financing, buying a property abroad should have a happy ending.

Research holds the key to success. Only careful analysis of the myriad of factors involved in a purchase means you can be sure of walking into an investment with your eyes wide open. Aspects such as the local and national economy, the tourist industry and property market history are all essential when it comes to making an investment decision. Investment Property Sales offers overseas properties, bought as investments, retirement properties, holiday homes, buy to let property or development opportunities in emerging property markets and can help you make the right choices.

Bonaire, Bucherest, 1 Bedroom, 81 sqm Apartment, 85,100 Euros

Warsaw 3 Bedroom,110sqm Apartments Price: € 221,000

1 Bedroom, 58sqm Apartment in Berlin-Mitte.Germany Price: € 95,750.

Dubai Apartments for sale at Madison Residence, Majan

Morgan Stanley Launch in Cairo

Cairo:
Morgan Stanley, a leading global financial services firm, announced their intention of seeking regulatory approval to launch an office in Cairo, a statement from the company read. The firm also revealed the appointment of Amr Diab as Executive Director and Country Representative for the Egypt office.
As we continue to grow our business in the Middle East and North Africa, Egypt is an increasingly important market for Morgan Stanley,Dr. Georges Makhoul, Morgan Stanleys
President for the Middle East and North Africa, said in a statement released by the firm.
While we have advised the Egyptian government and private corporations for many years, we believe that this is the right time for us to establish a Morgan Stanley presence in the country,
Makhoul added. Morgan Stanley has over 600 offices in 31 countries focusinon a wide range of investment banking, securities, investment management, wealth
management and credit services.

High Retuns for Egyption Property

Egypt seems to be the next country of choice for investors who are benefiting from high returns from both rental yield and capital growth. More visitors and potential property buyers are visiting not only in the Sinai tourist areas but also in the major cities such as Cairo and Alexandria. Off plan properties are currently selling for 30% less than market value, and the tourist industry runs for 12 months of the year. Egypt offers ancient history from Alexandria to Aswan and the length of the Sinai peninsula offers a divers paradise with warm water and an abundance of coral.

Investors looking for a low risk place in which to invest their money would be wise to seriously consider Egypt. Once people realise that Egypt is more than just history and culture, the Egyptian property market will really escalate, and when that happens, investors who have bought into the property market early are certain to make a very good return on their low risk investment.

Hyde Park New Cairo Villas for Sale, Egypt
Spread across 4 million square meters, Hyde Park Egypt is the most exclusive villa development with Detached and Attached Villas nestled with a 1 million square meter landscaped park, the biggest private park in Egypt. Designed to suit multi-cultural tastes, the villa designs range from the Neo-Classical, Italian-Country to California-Spanish styles. Set atop beautiful vistas and surrounded by Egypt's natural beauty, your home will be amidst striking landscapes and beautiful water features. A gated community with several entrances, 24-hour security and controlled entry, living here is designed to give you total peace of mind and privacy.

Intelligently designed to ensure you enjoy your exclusive lifestyle, Hyde Park, Egypt offers:A garden setting with lush greenery, the main park is exclusively for the residents of Hyde Park and has garden pavilions, gazebos, comfortable benches, an amphitheatre and multi-purpose open grass field.
A pedestrian friendly neighbourhood with up to 7 kilometers of walking and jogging trails that wind throughout the park.Separate pocket parks for the exclusive use of residents living in the detached and attached villas. Equipped with shaded trees, benches, swing sets and gazebos. A Country Club and Spa for 'Members only', with lounges, specialty restaurants, cafes, cigar lounges, beauty salons, indoor swimming pools, a spa and fitness center, kid's play area as well as a banquet area.A 'Members only' Sports Center offering sporting facilities like football, volleyball, tennis, basketball, squash as well as multi-purpose activity halls to host aerobics and martial arts classes.Located in close proximity to Hyde Park, is downtown New Cairo incorporating a mix of residential, commercial and retail zones. Giving you easy access to piazzas with shaded trees, fountains, cafes, restaurants, international and local shopping outlets as well as entertainment venues.
Beautiful water-bodies and bridges surrounded by shaded trees that offer the most romantic of views.

The Hyde Park development offers a selection of the 14 possible villa types both detached and attached. A selection of floor plans are offered below for viewing and download below. Please contact us for a full list of available villas.

Dubai or Not Dubai (2)

In answer to Dubai or not Dubai, I have just come across this:

"In simplistic terms property markets in oil producing nations, especially in the Middle East, are currently riding high, enjoying a construction boom. With Goldman Sachs forecasting $200-a-barrel oil over the next six to 24 months, OPEC, Russia, and Norway are going to be the winners in the global markets.

A prime example is Dubai where short term investments in off-plan property are proving profitable with prices for re-sales rising dramatically. Finished property is also a popular investment as rental yields are high, currently rising at 20%."

Another clue is the ongoing population growth which can be seen as a sign that the property boom won't end in the near future. Meanwhile I shall have to search out some Moscow and Oslo Apartments to add to the UAE collection.

Dubai or not Dubai?

Dubai as a property Investment Destination

There seems to be some debate on whether or Dubai remains one of the top 5 Hotspots for Property investment at the moment.It has been suggested that due to the property boom Dubai is currently experiencing the volume of new units coming onto the market in such a short space of time will shortly cause Dubai property prices to plummet.

Other arguments start with the worry that buying an apartment in an artificial city in the desert is extremely unfriendly to the environment, let alone the cost of air conditioning and water desallination!Then there is the recent escalation of warnings of terrorist threat to "High", meaning the most serious of four terrorism risk levels which the Foreign Office uses in its warnings, the others being "general", "underlying" and "low". But that threat is with us wherever we travel.Wherever you invest in property there will be considerations, other than the annual return.

Clearly, investing in any market carries no 100% guarantee, but it seems thart Dubai is still experiencing an extremely favorable upward appreciation in the property values, which are showing no sign of a downturn at the moment. There are at least 100,000 UK citizens resident in the UAE and more than one million Britons travel there every year, so it has not lost its appeal just yet.