Romania Property Market Seeing Increased Foreign Interest

Romania is seeing more and more interest from overseas property investors, as the property market works towards recovery. Investors seem to have a good deal of confidence that the property market in Romania will be worth the investment over the long haul, as property values are expected to increase over the years. According to Vission House, overseas property investors are “quicker and more determined” to sign sales contracts than residents of Romania.

With the property market beginning to show more signs of life in certain regions of the world, Romania is no exception. Plenty of foreigners who work in Romania, who normally rent homes, are purchasing homes due to the low prices and affordability. They are looking at it as an investment opportunity or perhaps they may end up staying in Romania. Either way, the decision to purchase saves them money when compared to renting.

The northern part of the capital city, Bucharest, is seeing a pick up in the purchase of apartments, as the prices are thought to be at their lowest sales prices. Rental vacancies are quite low so property investors believe investing in apartments is a safe and wise investment.

Just recently, the Bucharest Stock exchange listed one of central and Eastern Europe’s largest property restitution funds and experts hope that this will give an added boost to the property market, as this may draw even more foreign investors to the area.

Within the next two to three years, property experts believe that they will see Romania’s economy and property market strengthen and grow.

German Property Offers Excellent Value for Money

It seems as if you get a lot more house for your money in Germany these days, as home prices set at more affordable prices have peaked the interest of a rather large number of people.

The general consensus as to the reason German property seems to be such a bargain is that there is a steady growth in supply of homes. You can get a very nice four bedroom, three bath with a garage, sauna, pool, and garden in the suburbs of Berlin for under $600,000 Euros. This price has peaked the interest of foreign investors looking to purchase in the area.

When compared with similar properties in Britain, Australia, and New Zealand, Germany’s prices are quite the bargain.

Why have German house prices been able to remain stable and more affordable? According to an analysis by the German property market, the reason is because Germany’s property market has never had a big boom or crash.

Before the global financial crisis, when property markets in other countries soared, Germany’s prices actually fell. In the 7 years between 2000 and 2007, Spain’s home prices soared 94 percent, New Zealand 80 percent, and Britain’s increased 80 percent, while Germany’s home prices actually decreased by 18 percent.

Germany’s property market has been marked with stability over the years.

What distinguishes Germany from other countries is that it has built more houses and flats then other countries and has zoned more land for development to be sure that there is a continual and steady supply of housing. Additionally, German builders and developers are able and willing to make sure that the building process is smooth sailing, taking into consideration supply versus demand.

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Cypriot government urged to act over title deeds

The Cypriot government has been urged to take action over the issuing of title deeds which would help to revive the property market. While the Cypriot banks are financially sound the property market in the country represents more than 40% of the loan collateral, and there is concern that the island is not competitive enough when compared with other European countries who have already lowered their interest rates and property taxes to encourage foreign investors.

Property in Cyprus underwent a ten-year boom period until 2008 but has since suffered a decline which can be attributed to a number of different reasons; these include the fact that many overseas buyers were British, and the decline in value of sterling against the Euro has made investments more expensive, and buyers in general are being much more cautious about their purchases. The property laws in Cyprus are not as transparent as they need to be even if the government is now trying to rectify that situation, and Cyprus are currently has about the highest interest rate in Europe.

Property prices in Paphos have dropped by up to 30% of the last three years; although there are signs that the market is recovering property sales are still well below those achieved during the boom. There are some important property developments taking place in Cyprus which include luxury villas and residential properties, golf courses and marinas. While some of these projects are expected to be completed very shortly, others will not be available for another couple of years but can be expected to greatly boost the appeal of the island, especially as a new seaport is planned that will cater for the large cruise ships that cannot currently dock using the present facilities.

Slovakian Economy Growing Strongly

Slovakia is experiencing economic growth after a long and hard struggle due to the global financial crisis. The current economic recovery is seeing average house prices fall only 1.36 percent as observed in the third quarter of 2010. There has been a 15.8 percent decrease in house prices from the time of the housing peak.

Slovakia saw significant housing growth from 2006 to 2008, with increases ranging from 14 percent to 35 percent annually. Since the end of 2008, and the global financial crisis, prices have continually been dropping. Last year, in 2010, Slovakia began to see the economy grow stronger largely due to renewed export demand and the economy grew by 3.8 percent.

Apartment prices during Slovakia’s property boom increased about 87 percent between 2005 and 2008, but have since decreased since the onset of the global financial crisis. Last year saw a little improvement in apartments, but villas and flats are still struggling.

Interest rates have been decreasing gradually throughout 2010 and as of November, the average mortgage loan rate was 4.68 percent for a floating or fixed rate and 4.64 percent for a fixed rate.

Slovakia’s economy struggled during the financial crisis and saw it’s GDP drop to a 4.66 in 2009. Unemployment was significantly high last year, in 2010, at a rate of 14.1 percent.

Last year a new free-market government promised Slovakia good news economically. The Ministry of Finance anticipates that the deficit will be cut to 4 percent this year and to below 3 percent by 2011. According to experts, Slovakia’s future looks promising as the International Monetary Fund reports that the economy expanded by 4.1 percent in 2010.

Boost to Qatar's property market

The recent announcement that Qatar will hold the 2022 World Cup would already seem to be having a positive effect on the housing market.

Ivanka Trump flew out to Qatar to meet with potential property partners within hours of the announcement from FIFA. Coreo, which is one of Qatar's largest estate agents, has already reported an increase in the number of enquiries from foreign investors who are looking to get in early to make the most of any capital growth.

The announcement has proved to be of particular interest to British buyers.

Prior to the announcement the demand for residential property had not been high as investors had tended to shun Qatar in favour of Dubai.

Qatar needs to make substantial investments into infrastructure which will include new transport links and man-made beaches as well as football stadiums, and they are already reported to be behind with the building.

It's estimated that it will create tens of thousands of jobs which will potentially be filled by workers from overseas who will all need accommodation and this is expected to push rents higher which will in turn affect property prices.

While Qatar is one of the richest nations in the world it did not escape the recent downturn and property prices are estimated to have fallen by up to 40% in 2008. Foreign investors can buy freehold properties within four designated areas and are able to buy leasehold homes in 19 regions throughout Qatar.

The Lusail Iconic Stadium is set to host the opening ceremony and final match, and has a capacity of 86,000, and a studio in the new coastal Lusail City currently costs £135,000.

Investment in Spanish Property Expected to Pick Up in 2011

Spain’s property market is expected to draw investors this year and perhaps even the next couple of years due to predictions that its economy will experience more stable growth.

CEO Pere Vinola stated to Reuters last Wednesday that there would be significant opportunities in Spain because it will be easier to rotate portfolios.

Also reported was that Spain’s savings banks have had a lot of change and have consolidated to more than half their numbers to clean up their balance sheets.

The ailing property market has had its negative effect on banks and the economy as a while, but experts believe that the market will be beginning to pick up this year.

Experts also believe that the Spanish property market will recover quicker from its debt crisis than the wider economy because of low rent prices and the demand for properties increasing. Spain is in strong demand for tourism and people looking for vacation property, retirement homes, or second home.

Rents are low right now and may even continue to see slight decrease for awhile but it is predicted that an increase will occur this year, according to Thomas Beyerle, IVG’s head of corporate social responsibility and research.

Developers are hoping that the positive reports are true, as plans to push forward with construction of properties move forward. According to Taylor Wimpey de Espana, a large developer in Spain, 25 percent more properties sold last year, in 2010, than the previous year. This is good news for developers, as the percentage of completed and built property stock being sold comes in at nearly 100 percent.

A good example of the kind of investment property that will draw investors: Azure Overseas is currently marketing 2 bedroom 2 bathroom apartments in Costa Calida at just £121k. The bank repossessed properties are available with 100% finance and an interest rate of just 2.5%.

Nicaraguan property bargains

Nicaragua is steadily increasing in popularity as a tourist destination, as numbers have risen during the last three years. One million tourists visited Nicaragua last year and it's rated as one of the top 10 destinations for 2011 by Lonely Planet. It has been tipped for a property boom since the beginning of the turn-of-the-century, and speculators invested heavily in beachfront land during the first half of the decade. Many of these investors were from the US and are now having to sell their property due to the declining prices in the US market.

This has increased the chance of bargains and it's now possible to buy a two-bedroom condo right on the beach for hundred and $179,000, while a condo in an established development just a short stroll from the beach can be bought for just $45,000.

There are several good reasons to buy here as the popularity of this country can only increase. It's very easy to get to as it's just a short connecting flight from many major US cities, and as yet is wonderfully un-spoilt and makes an ideal destination for anyone who appreciates outdoor life in outstanding natural beauty.

Nicaraguan has everything as it has volcanoes, virgin rainforests, colonial cities and exotic wildlife and would probably appeal to eco-tourists. It’s easily as attractive as the far more popular and commercial Costa Rica but it's just not as well-known. The cost of living here is very low so that tourists and residents can both enjoy eating out without breaking the bank. It is only a matter of time before this country is properly discovered and becomes a major tourist destination.