Brazil Property Enjoying Sustainable Growth

While some countries have suffered heavily as real estate bubble’s were abruptly popped, other’s have remained stable and stayed on track for a steady trajectory of long term growth.

Brazil property is a prime example of this. Throughout 2009 when we all had realised the hopes that most emerging markets would avoid property market crashes were in vain, Brazil was frequently mentioned as a hotbed of potential growth, with big names like Sam Snell acting as patron saints.

The latest big name to put his weight behind Brazil as a property investment hotspot is Donald Trump, who has just entered into a joint property development venture in the country, and told the Los Angeles Times that he felt investing in the country to be a safe bet.

Another, Warren Buffet stated to Fox News that Brazil could just become “one of the world’s greatest investment opportunities in modern times.”

The former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was highly committed to fuelling growth in the property and housing market. His increasing the maximum mortgage repayment term from 12 to 30 years, and the Minha Casa Minha Vida (My House My Life) scheme, have helped the youngest and those on a low income to buy a house.

It is predicted that the Brazilian economy will have grown 7.5% in 2010, making it one of the fastest growing economies in the world. 100 economists recently predicted that growth will slow next year, to a still-very-strong 4.5%. With da-Silva's protégé having taken the helm experts predict this growth to continue being channelled into housing market growth.

UK Employment Data Turning Positive will Spark Rise in British Appetite for Overseas Property

Today the Office for National Statistics revealed the latest data on the UK labour market, and while it is a lot more positive than previous reports, overall it is still negative, as we can see from Sterling losing some ground to the Euro and the Dollar.

Positivity comes in the fact that 86,000 more people were in part-time employment in Q3 than in Q2. Unfortunately that is tempered by an 80,000 fall in the number of people in full time employment. The combination of the two gives a positive 6000 more people in employment in the July-September quarter than in the previous quarter. However, the number of unemployed people climbed 30,000 to 2.46 million.

While I said that the report was negative overall, which as you can see it is in terms of raw data, however, in terms of interpretation this can only be called a positive report. This is because the rise in unemployed people is a lot smaller than previous quarters, and it contains the words "increase" and "in the number of people in employment", in the same sentence. All previous reports this year have been a solid wall of negative data.

The fact that the number of people in part-time employment rose could be said to show that employers are beginning to test the waters of expansion by hiring part-time staff, although the report says it is simply people taking part-time jobs because they can't find full time ones.

Either way, like I said, this is the first labour market review to contain any positive data, and it confirms that the UK economy is passed its lowest point and on the road to recovery. How this relates to overseas property investment is simple.

Since the first UK economic indicators turned positive in April, demand for overseas property has been increasing as British buyers returned to their favourite foreign hotspots. This has primarily been well-off Brits, who weren't left in financial difficulty by the recession, but who were fearful of just how bad it could get; that they might become affected eventually. Now that the full effect can be measured more easily their confidence has returned.

However, many more potential buyers have been waiting for unemployment to run out of rocket fuel before they felt confident in the recovery. Now that the ONS has revealed clear data that suggests that point is upon us. It will likely mark further increases in demand for overseas property among British buyers.

This will be hindered by the fact that finance is still very restricted for property purchases abroad, just as it is in the UK. This is because, unlike the first group of returning buyers, those returning because fear for their job is subsiding are more likely to be looking for finance to make their purchase.

That said, while finance is hard to come by, it is not impossible, so there will be a rise in demand for overseas property from British buyers. This demand will continue to rise as unemployment falls, as mortgages get easier to obtain and as Sterling regains its former glory.

Panama Economic Activity in June Up on Last Year

Economic activity in Panama was 0.31% higher in June 2009 than it was in June last year, prompting optimism from the government that it could mark the beginning of an overall return to growth in one of Latin America's best performing economies.

After two consecutive months of falling economic activity the June rise brought the decline in Panama's economy down to 0.5% for the first half of this year. This is compared to an 8.44% growth in Panama's economy in the same period of last year.

However, the fact that Panama's economy was so strong in the first half of last year, makes the 0.31% June increase on last year's performance even more poignant.

Panama has average 8% GDP growth in the last few years, and even now, during one of the worst global recessions the world has ever seen, the median forecast for Panama is a 3% growth in GDP for 2009.

I agree that a 3% growth is entirely possible, with potentially even a 4.5% growth over the fiscal year. If this is indeed the turning point in the Panamanian economy then I believe we will be looking at a v-shaped recession/recovery track, with a strong return to growth and a return to similar levels of growth seen in previous years in the 2010/11 fiscal year.

I believe this because Panama is currently like a magnet for investment because of the expansion of one of the most important waterways in the southern hemisphere, the Panama Canal, which cuts Central America in two to link the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic oceans.

The expansion, due to be completed in 2014 will triple the Canal's expansion and has the potential to increase Panama's GDP by at least 25% in subsequent years. This is making it a hotspot for overseas property investment, with property values also forecast to grow massively.

View property for sale in Panama

Goldman Sachs Forecast on Brazil Overly Cautious?

Jim O'neill, Goldman Sachs chief economist has said that the Brazilian economy has come through the global economic crisis extremely well and is set for 5% growth in the next few years.

His statements have been picked up by the media but no one has mentioned that 5% growth is a very cautious forecast for the Brazilian economy's growth in the next few years.

Brazil is a production powerhouse, with the potential to become one of the world's biggest exporters. Despite its having among the largest stocks of cattle in the world, Brazil is also embracing the world's great growth sectors like renewable energy, thus future proofing the economy to as great an extent as that is possible.

Brazil's economy grew at 5.4% in 2007 and 5.2% in 2008, so to say it will resume growth at a similar rate in the next few years is a very cautious forecast indeed. Especially considering other countries in the region like Panama, which grew at around 10% in the past few years.

The global financial crisis did great damage to Brazil, but after such a scything growth should restart at an accelerated level, because the environment is conducive to greater growth.

This is true in the property market as well. Because Brazil property prices haven't grown in the way that they were forecast to, and probably won't this year, this means that international investors can still pick up some great bargains in the country -- although they will be disappointed that prices haven't fallen.

View property for sale in Brazil

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Canada Signs Free Trade Deal With Panama

Canada has signed a free trade deal with Panama, which will immediately slash tariffs on exports between the two countries by up to 90%.

The deal will be mutually beneficial, because, though Canada exports far more than it imports from Panama and vice-versa, both will be able to import goods cheaper, because prices will not have to factor in the tariffs.

Panama's imports from Canada, and many other places around the world are vital to its economic emergence.

Panama's economy grew by over 9% last year, and is expected to grow by over 3% this year according to the International Monetary Fund. Therefore this is a savvy move by Canada, as Panama's imports are likely to drop by a lesser margin than that of recession-hit countries.

The US proposed a similar deal with Panama last year, but it has been stalled and now looks likely to be shelved in favour of new policies by the Obama administration.

In 2008 Canada's top goods exports to Panama were:

• Vehicles, including diesel
• Electrical and electronic equipment
• Aerospace (primarily flight simulators)
• Pharmaceuticals
• Pulses (primarily lentils)
• Frozen potato products

The top exports to Canada from Panama were:

• Mineral fuels and oils
• Fruits and nuts
• Fish and seafood products
• Spices
• Coffee
• Mineral ores (primarily silver ores and concentrates)

In 2008, Canada exported six times the amount of goods that it imported from Panama.

Panama's incredible economic present and future continue to make it increasingly popular with overseas property buyers and investors. View Panama property for sale

Economic Growth Potential Makes Panama a Hot Property Investment

I have just read an excellent article on Panama property investment, written by Liam Bailey for the Overseas Property World blog on Wordpress.

It explained the massive boost the Panama economy is going to receive even before the Panama Canal expansion is completed in 2014.

The Panama Canal is one of the biggest contributors to Panama's GDP, and it is a well known fact that the completion of its expansion will be a massive boost to Panama's economic growth, which had average 10% in the few years preceding 2008.

Bailey also pointed out that the Canal Expansion is already proving to be a boost to Panama's GDP, because in advance of the massive boost its completion will be, Panama has become a hot investment tip, for property and all sorts of other investments. In fact, this is the reason why Panama's economy is continuing to grow (3% this year and 4% next according to International Monetary Fund forecasts) throughout the global economic crisis according to Bailey.

But Panama's economy is to receive a massive boost before the expansion is completed. Bailey believes that when global economies, including the US begin to recover, use of the Canal and neighbouring Colon Free Trade Zone will increase GDP growth, as will tourism and exports, which Bailey believes will also start to grow post-crunch.

Increased imports into America as the economy recovers will benefit many South American markets as well as many more around the world, including Italy.

Bailey forgot to mention the fact that property prices are still comparatively low in Panama, increasing the potential of it as an investment.