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The Global Property Guide ? Relaunched!

The Global Property Guide today re-launched its web site to make its data more accessible. The home page has been simplified. Major categories have been spelled out. The new Home Page has been organized around an expanded menu, to help the reader navigate the site. Key data items are easier to find, more obvious.

The Global Property Guide

The Global Property Guide is the authoritative source of information on buying residential property. It covers every investible country in the world, from the perspective of income, tax, and capital gains. We provide research and information on 131 countries to residential property investors, with brief information on 85 countries.

Property, as an asset class, is highly susceptible to booms and busts. Across the Western world major countries have experienced a prolonged residential property boom.

Like stock prices (but with markedly different dynamics) residential property prices are now coming back down to earth. We help investors make sense of these swings by providing tools of analysis, and displaying data in a clear, comprehensive and accurate format.

Our fundamental residential property market data includes

• Price change 1 year

• Price change 5 year

• Price change 10 year

• Square metre price city centre

• Total round-trip transaction cost

• Gross yield

• Price to rent (P/R) ratio

• Price to Gross Domestic Product

• Change in interest rates

• Taxes on income (effective rates)

• Capital gains tax (effective)

• Inheritance taxes (effective)

• Buying process (graded by quality)

• Tenant legislation (graded as landlord-friendly)

• Residence (high tax / low tax)

• Economic growth

• Competitiveness

• GDP per capita

• Competitiveness rank, improvement over 5 years

• Stage of economic cycle

“Our aim is to be the Bloomberg of international residential property,” says publisher Matthew Montagu-Pollock, referring to the financial site on trading desks around the world (http://www.bloomberg.com/). “Bloomberg provides data – but also makes it easy to use.”

“It’s important for a residential investor be able to see what his likely return on investment will be. What his taxes will be. To be able quickly to check whether the laws are landlord-friendly. To survey the inheritance laws. All this is now available, for almost every country in the world, on our site, without any marketing material or any attempt to sell you anything – just the facts.”

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Description:

The Global Property Guide is an on-line property research house.

Publisher:

Matthew Montagu-Pollock Phone: (+632) 867 4220 Mobile: (+63) 917 321 7073

Email: editor@globalpropertyguide.com

Address:

Global Property Guide

http://www.globalpropertyguide.com

5F Electra House Building

115-117 Esteban Street

Legaspi Village, Makati City

Philippines 1229

info@globalpropertyguide.com

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The Property Market in Portugal

This is www.buypropertyportugal.com ‘s next chapter of how to buy a property in Portugal, here we focus on the Algarve as it’s currently one of the most attractive places to invest and to enjoy investment growth while enjoying the sunshine on the beach

 

The Property Market

 

Why not choose to base yourself in an area with over 3000 hours of sunshine each year and give yourself the quality of life you deserve?

 

 

Portugal is an attractive location for house buyers, with the Algarve being the most popular area for British buyers, mainly due to the weather, golden beaches, and the abundance of golf courses. It is Portugal’s busiest, most developed region and it is reported that 90 percent of all property sales to foreign buyers are in the Algarve.

 

The age of Internet and ADSL means that mobility of labour is very much a reality and it is easily possible to maintain instant contact with colleagues anywhere in the world. Satellite TV means access to English language television and VOIP systems give you a U.K. telephone number and U.K. calls at low rates.

 

There are excellent air connections to anywhere in Europe and intercontinentally from Faro or Lisbon airports, making it perfectly possible to base yourself in Portugal and ‘commute’ back to the U.K. Many of the ‘budget’ airlines fly into Faro from Stanstead, Luton, Bristol, Gatwick, Heathrow, East Midlands, Dublin or Manchester and offer excellent value charter fares. Additional routes come on stream during the summer months.

 

Where to Buy

 

The Portuguese property market is showing consistent growth, strong rental demand, relative living costs and safe environment.

 

 

There is a wide choice of great properties in wonderful locations and often less expensive than the equivalent in France or Spain.

 

Remember that the summer months in the Algarve, especially August, are very busy in terms of traffic and there are visitors from the north of Portugal and from Spain as well as holidaymakers from all over Europe, all expecting good access to the beach. Unless you enjoy being part of the crowd you may appreciate being a little removed from the bustle. Being just a few kilometers inland can have considerable benefit.

 

Don’t forget to take into account your proposed usage of the property, if you are expecting to live in Portugal permanently then the factors that affect your decision on what to purchase will vary from those required if you are planning to rent the property out for part of the year.

 

Many properties inland or ‘up in the hills’ do not have mains water or drainage. Instead they rely on a system of cisternas (tanks) to collect rainwater and store water brought in by or pumped from a ‘furo’ (a bore-hole), whilst a ‘fossa’ or sceptic tank contains and treats sewage waste.

 

All of these facilities are reliable and capable of many years of unattended operation. Bear in mind if you plan to re-plant the garden, water can be at a premium in the summer months and a new garden may require a bore-hole to be drilled to obtain the necessary extra water needed for irrigation.

 

Drilling companies charge per metre for drilling and then the cost of the pump, control equipment and electrical installation must be added.

 

At Exclusive Algarve Villas, we  try our hardest to give you the latest and most up to date information on the Portugal property market and costs.

 

Please feel free to question our consultants about anything to do with buying and investing in Portugal, in person, via email at info@eavillas.com or on the telephone (+351) 282 353 019

 

Portugal remains an exclusive location, with fewer of the ‘over development’ problems of some of its neighbours. The opportunity to buy quality property in a great location remains excellent but, like all good things in life, availability can’t last. Portugal is slowly but surely being ‘discovered’ and if you’re going to do it, now could be the perfect time to step in to this beautiful country!

 

Portugal is an utterly charming country and relatively speaking still overlooked by second-homebuyers.

 

Many areas have an exclusive feel and second-homebuyers and investors are waking up to the advantages of buying in a country which has not suffered the mass development of other parts of Europe, which is quick and easy to get to, and where the cost of living is still relatively cheap.

 

The Portuguese market is very active, with purchasers from across Europe.  There are plenty of Dutch, French, Spanish and Scandinavians buying, as well as the British. This means that to buy your dream property, quick and decisive action is often required. New developments are selling particularly quickly at the moment and many properties are sold from plans.

 

Investment Market, Portugal, Property

Wow-Gold-Team’s Special “world Of Warcraft Gold”

World of Warcraft has over ten million players, many players of which are never stop farming cheap wow gold . However, farming wow gold is really boring and time-wasting. Therefore, they try buying from wow gold sellers. While the idea of spending just a few dollars on a few thousand wow gold seems attractive, it’s also full of danger. It was at this point that wow-gold-team appeared. Wow gold team began to sell cheap wow gold 3 years ago, and it specialize in offering cheap wow gold with safe.

Wow gold team was built 3 years ago, since then, they are trying their best to offering the first class service to their customers.Wow gold team has many advantages over other wow gold selling sites. Firstly, it is apparent that wow gold team has the cheapest wow gold which you might never meet before. Secondly, it is very secure to buy cheap wow gold from wow gold team. They will choose the face-to-face delivery way which is the safest. Wowgoldteam also promised that the players will get full compensation if their account get banned for buying wow gold from the site. Thirdly,the players can query for their stock in every server on their site. So the players can make sure whether they have ample stocks before they place an order.

Wow gold team has updated their website and added many categories to the site this month. You can know many information about WoW in every aspect. They reduce the price of wow gold to the cheapest Wow gold team has won a good reputation in wow gold market, and the most unique feature of wow gold team is that they are special in offering the cheapest wow gold with safe. It is very safe to deal with wow gold team for their specialization and good reputation. The wow players can log on wow gold team and have a look at their site. Wow gold team is really a professional wow gold provider.

Investment Gold, Special, Warcraft, World, WowGoldTeam's

Superior Gold Group – How To Buy Gold Coins?

Gold is a valuable form of investment. The gold you buy today can be sold off at a higher rate in the future. If you look at the rise on gold value from the year 1999 up to 2006, you will find that there has been a steady rise in the price. Even when the re was a decline in the Stock market between 2000 and 2003, gold prices continued to rise. When dollar value declined, the price of gold only raised and this is the reason why investors buy gold. It serves as a hedge against inflation.

One of the most popular forms of gold investment is buying gold coins. You can find gold coins in many sizes and from different counties. Usually people buy the US Dollar old coin however there are other countries that offer gold coins which are considered valuable for investment purposes. Investors buy gold coins because they can use it as a hedge against inflation.

Steps

Do Research. Learn all that is required to invest into gold coins. There are many types of gold coins and each has a history behind it. The value of a gold coins is based on when it was minted and also the country whose currency it represents. You should check out on the se factors before investing.

Decide on the Type of Gold Coins for Investment. You can invest in commemorative or numismatic coins, else you can opt to invest in bullion coin. Numismatic coins are valued based on their rarity, condition, age and yea of mintage. On the other hand, bullion coins are purchased as a form of investment, like investment into stocks and other commodities. Bullion gold coins are made according to the specifications denoted by federal governments.

Decide How Much to Buy. If you choose to buy bullion gold coins, decide on how much you want to buy. You can get gold bullion coins in the form of one ounce, ½ ounce, 1/4 ounce, 1/10 ounce and 1/20 ounce coins. Each country has its own design for such coins and usually the design is the same. Popular gold bullion coin types are South African Krugerrands, Gold American Eagle, Gold Buffalo, Canadian Maple Leaf and Chinese Pandas.

Find Reputable Coin Dealer. You can find many internet sites selling gold coins, but since this is a high value investment you should seek a reputable dealer. Do not buy gold coins from any dealer. Ensure that the dealer you select has been dealing for a long time and has a good reputation in this business. In case of numismatic coins, you need to be very clear on this as the history of the coins determine its value.

Check out South African Krugerrands. If you are looking for gold bullion coins that are slightly lower in price than normal one ounce gold coins, check out South African Krugerrands. They are available in large quantities and their production quality is good. Small investors will find it ideal to buy them, even though they are as good as sovereign god bullion coins.

Investment Coins, Gold, Group, Superior

Can You Still Make Money in UK Property in the Credit Crunch?

Since the credit crunch mortgage lenders have drastically changed their lending criteria, making it virtually impossible to make money from property.

Previously it was quite easy to buy a property, add some value to it (by refurbishing or decorating it) and then re-selling or letting it out for a tidy profit or a nice monthly residual income.

Things are really different now; lenders (the few that are left) require a 50-75% deposit on a purchase, a squeaky clean impeccable credit history and for the buyer not to be over exposed. So if you have, say, a few properties, you may be considered as a high risk because of the fear of over exposure (particularly as property prices are steadily going down in value) resulting in negative equity.

So let’s take a look at a scenario. Let’s say you want to purchase a property on a Buy To Let. The property costs £250,000, a deposit of between £62,500 and £125,000 will be needed. You may if you are lucky get a positive rental cash flow of £100 – £150 per month. Ahem, excuse me if you had a spare £62,000 or £125,000 lying around I’m sure you would put it to a much better use than to invest it for a measly return of £100 per month.

So the question is, what should one do?

Is there another way to make money in UK property in this current economic down turn?

What about buying a property, (since the prices are low at the moment), doing it up, renting it out for a few years and then selling it when the prices go back up?

Well, in theory that could work but property prices will most likely go down further before they go up. Economists are saying that even when the prices go back up they would perhaps only return to the prices of 2007, not only that it could take another 7 years before that happens anyway.

What can we do in the meantime?

Surely there must be another way?

Is there another way?

The answer is yes!

One must find buyers, buyers who are prepared to buy UK property regardless of the economic climate. Buyers that are in the property game for the long haul, buyers who are prepared to sit it out for better times.

Simply find these buyers, ask them what they are looking for and find it for them.

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Investment Credit, Crunch, Money, Property, Still

A Mixed Year for Asian Residential Property in 2006, According to Global Property Guide

The winners: Singapore, South Korea and the Philippines

Singapore experienced Asia’s highest residential property price increases during 2006, with 9.5% real (inflation-adjusted) house price rises.

There were also 9.3% real house price increases in South Korea, and 9.1% real house price increases in the Philippines. These were seen in the Global Property Guide House Price Indices, the biggest collection of residential property price indices.

Singapore’s strong 2006 GDP growth rate, at 7.9%, pushed up demand for Singapore property. The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) private residential property price index rose by 10% (9.5% in real terms) in 2006.

South Korea also saw a strong rebound in property prices, despite continued efforts by the government to depress the market. The Kookmin Bank’s house price index rose 11.6% in Dec. 2006 (9.3% in real terms) from a year earlier.

In the Philippines, strong economic growth and reduced inflation contributed to the continued recovery of the real estate sector. In addition, demand from Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and dual citizens has been strong, pushing prices up. Luxury condominium prices in the Philippines rose 15% (9% in real terms) in 2006, following an 11% nominal price rise in 2005, according to Colliers International.

Japan and Hong Kong are laggards

Japan’s residential property market continued to fall in 2006, despite repeated attempts by the media to portray the market as rallying. Nevertheless, the residential urban land price index registered a smaller fall in 2006 (-2.8%) compared to last year (-4.7%).

Hong Kong’s property market turned negative (-2.13%) in 2006, after impressive gains in 2004 (27%) and 2005 (8%). Higher interest rates in the US, mirrored directly in Hong Kong, were a major cause of the downturn.

Taiwan’s messy political crisis seems to have frozen residential prices, with 0% appreciation during 2006. In real terms, Taiwan experienced a decline in house prices during 2006 (-1.7%). During three years prior to the second quarter of 2006, Taiwan’s Sinyi house price index rose 17%.

In Malaysia, house prices did not to keep pace with inflation. Malaysian house prices today are at the same level as 1995, in real terms.

Thailand saw the end of ending its strong post-Asian crisis property market recovery, as the political crisis impacted the economy. House prices moved up just 1.9% in 2006 (-2.4% in real terms), after 2005’s price increase of 7% (1.5% in real terms), and 2004’s rise of 9% (6% in real terms).

Indonesia managed to reduce 4Q 2006 inflation to 6% from 16% during the first three quarters. With the house price index registering a 6.6% increase in 2006; house prices rose by 0.5% in real terms.

The 2007 elections – risks abound

2007 is an election year in Korea, Taiwan, and the Philippines, and political uncertainty is likely to increase. There will also be elections in Japan and Hong Kong, but they are unlikely to have much impact on the real estate market. In Thailand, uncertainty will increase if elections are not called.

The Philippines. A victory for President Arroyo’s party in the upcoming Congressional elections would be positive for real estate. Election years in the Philippines bring money inflows, but also increased uncertainty. But if Arroyo wins enough seats in Congress she will push constitutional change, removing constitutional limits on foreign ownership of real estate and companies – good for real estate.

South Korea. The economic interventionism of left-of-center President Roh Moo-hyun has been damaging for Korea’s housing market. His support is crumbling, and a less interventionist president may be elected in December. But even if the opposition Grand National Party wins, excessive government intervention in the housing market has a very long history in South Korea.

Taiwan. Parliamentary elections at end-2007 will provide a strong lead on whether the Kuomintang (KMT) can regain control of the presidency in 2008 from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). President Chen Shui-bian’s two terms have largely been spent on keeping him from being ousted. Significant banking and tax reforms have been held hostage by politics.

Japan. Half of the seats in the upper house will be contested in July. Seats held by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) may be reduced, risking its reform agenda. These seats were won with the help of former prime minister and popular reformist Junichiro Koizumi.

Hong Kong. Donald Tsang is up for re-election as chief executive where elections are still largely ceremonial and Beijing’s anointment is the only significant factor. Pro-democracy campaigners are hoping and pushing for reforms to full democracy and Mr. Tsang’s failure to push for constitutional reforms in 2005 means that this will be his last term.

Thailand. The sooner elections are called, and Thailand is returned to democracy, the better it will be for the property market and the economy as a whole. The fate of Thailand’s property market hinges on the junta. If the junta prolongs military rule, the market will suffer.

The Global Property Guide sees inflation risks to be minimal in Asia in 2006. But other risks threaten the real estate market, particularly the re-emergence of bird flu in several countries, Indonesia in particular.

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Superior Gold Group – Diversify with Gold

The gold market has evolved as one of the most trusted investment sectors in world economy. There are various factors that have contributed to this wide spread acceptance. Inspite of the new investment options promoted by companies, people tend to stick with gold investment. An added advantage of using gold as a currency is the comparatively stable gold prices. Gold experts can provide useful recommendations in gold prices which can help you to make the maximum utilization of your resources.

There are few other materials which are more consistent than gold in terms of value. Gold possesses certain unique features which no other metals can claim. Therefore, gold was able to put up a consistent performance throughout these years. Consistency is one factor that has always been a trade mark of gold currency. A general fact to note here is that the gold prices are not determined by a single nation or community.

Business experts have always stressed the need for diversification of investment options. They recommend that one should not deposit all their money in a single source since this can pose serious threats to your financial security. Certain programs might appear 100% safe, but stranger things have happened in the investment sector. So, it is not a risk worth being taken. The introduction of investment in precious metals has brought a slight change in this concept, but it will take time before it can spread to more investors. Platinum, gold and Palladium are commonly referred to as the precious metals.

Even though, investment in gold is relatively safe, it is not free from all potential dangers and risks. One should be well prepared and informed before setting out to invest in this market. There are various forums and discussion boards on the internet where one can obtain a lot of vital information on the trends and throbs of the gold market. People who have prior experience with other investment markets would soon discover that the gold market is entirely different from the others.

The common types of gold products that one can buy from the market include gold bullion products and gold coins. Infact, there are other attractive gold products such as gold bangles, necklaces and similar ornaments available in the market. But, from an investment perspective it is better to go ahead with coins and bullion products.

It is quite clear that volatility has always been a trade mark of the gold industry.  This brings into light the importance of being up-to-date with all the developments of the gold market. If one decides to wait for information to reach him, it might well be late when he actually receives it. There is no room for such incompetent efforts in this cut throat sector. It is always about being on your toes and acting quickly and diligently.

 

Investment Diversify, Gold, Group, Superior

Asian Property: a Decade After the Crisis

A decade after the 1997 Asian Crisis erupted, most housing markets in Asia are well on their way to recovery.

Boosted by strong economic growth and strong local and international demand, residential real estate prices in the Philippines, Singapore and South Korea rose by more than 10% in nominal terms y-o-y to Q1 2007.

In Hong Kong, after registering price falls in early 2006, the over-all residential price index is back in positive territory. The index rose 5.2% y-o-y to March 2007. However this is significantly lower than the annual price increases to the first quarter of 2005 and 2004, at 21% and 28%, respectively.

No bubble this time

Although property prices in most Asian countries are still below their peak levels, rapid price appreciation has taken place over the past five years, leading to renewed fears that a speculative property bubble is forming in several Asian countries.

The fear is not unfounded; one has only to recall Asia’s spectacular and disastrous property bubbles of the 1990s.

However, the recent price increases are actually recoveries from the previous slump caused by the Asian crisis and other phenomena.

As of Q1 2007, property prices in most Asian countries are in fact still below their peak levels in real terms.

Strong housing demand

Current economic and monetary conditions suggest continued strong demand for housing. All economies affected by the Asian Crisis grew by 5% or more in 2006. GDP growth from 2002 to 2006 has been markedly stronger than during the crisis period – 1997 to 2001, although slower compared to the tail-end of the “Asian Economic Miracle”.

As a result of financial and monetary reforms implemented after the crisis, banks and other financial institutions are in much better shape now. Asia’s mortgage market is set for a boom. This is despite the fact that mortgage lenders are more cautious of over-exposing themselves to particular sectors (some pundits worry that banks are actually being too cautious).

Despite recent interest hikes, in line with global interest rates, base interest rates for mortgage lending are generally lower now than before the crisis.

Socio-economic conditions also point to continued strong demand for residential properties. Strong urbanization and population growth has led to high population densities in several Asian cities.

In view of the relatively restrained dwelling price rises, strong economic growth and banking sector caution and healthy yields to be enjoyed on properties in Asia, talk of another bubble seems far-fetched.

Other problems

A more pressing concern for Asian economies is the continuation of reforms to improve real estate efficiency and transparency. Transaction costs remain high and the property registration is still cumbersome in several countries.

While Malaysia is encouraging foreign property buyers, Thailand’s military junta is pushing them away. Thailand announced that it is completing a crackdown on foreign companies established for the sole purpose of buying landed properties. While the motivation for this move is unclear, the signal is clear “foreigners are not welcome.” Political uncertainty and policy flip-flaps by the ruling junta are undoubtedly hurting the real estate market.

In the Philippines, proposed property market reforms are languishing in congress. These laws include the establishment of a centralized agency for registering property and a standard property valuation system.

Full Report:
http://www.globalpropertyguide.com/articleread.php?article_id=93&cid=

Economics Team:

Prince Christian Cruz, Senior Economist

Phone: (+632) 750 0560

Email: prince@globalpropertyguide.com

Publisher and Strategist:

Matthew Montagu-Pollock

Phone: (+632) 867 4220

Cell: (+63) 917 321 7073

Email: editor@globalpropertyguide.com

Address:
Global Property Guide
http://www.globalpropertyguide.com

5F Electra House Building

115-117 Esteban Street

Legaspi Village, Makati City

Philippines 1229

info@globalpropertyguide.com

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