Posts tagged ‘Property Investment’
Cate Blanchett’s latest South Pacific plot
This is a legacy post from the findaproperty.com blog which is now maintained as an archive within the Zoopla blog. Links have been preserved.
FindaProperty.com just loves it when politics, green issues and property somehow come together into a big celebrity sandwich and that’s exactly what’s happened with Oscar winning actor Cate Blanchett and her new digs.
Australia’s most ethereal star turned eco-warrior has been making headlines Down Under for her role fronting an advertising campaign for a rather controversial carbon tax aimed at reducing the country’s emissions.
For the Elizabeth star it’s proved that climate change is an issue that’s very close to home, especially given she’s reportedly recently bought a plot of land in Vanuatu – a tiny island nation in the South Pacific that’s just as famous for its sandy beaches as it is for suffering the effects of global warming.
Sleepy Vanuatu made headlines back in 2005 when an entire village was evacuated because of rising sea levels – the first time climate change is known to have displaced a whole community.
The Lord of the Rings star is thought to have bought some overseas waterfront property in or close to the luxury Havannah Harbour area during a visit last year, which according to Australia’s Daily Telegraph, boasts a booming property market for international celebrities and where a typical piece of beachfront property can go for £456,000.
The effects of climate change are likely to keep Ms Blanchett on her toes, so to speak, as experts warn that sea levels could rise by as much 59cm by 2100 in Vanuatu, which could, lets face it, swallow up a fair bit of her tropical getaway.
We still love overseas property, but not as often as we used to
This is a legacy post from the findaproperty.com blog which is now maintained as an archive within the Zoopla blog. Links have been preserved.
Us Brits still like our overseas bricks and mortar, but we’re not buying nearly as much, or as freely, as we once did. That’s according to some new research by the property investment company Assetz, whose latest report has recently passed across FindaProperty’s desk.
Assetz says the days of high volume sales from speculative investors are over. But demand for overseas property is still solid, especially from Brits with a little extra cash in their pockets. And FindaProperty can certainly see why – it’s not surprising that these buyers would rather invest their nest egg in a French apartment or a Spanish villa and benefit from a rental income rather than have their cash languish in a low-interest savings account in Blighty.
The quality of our property purchases is also improving, according to Assetz. Before the global economic downturn approximately 20 per cent of prospective investors would organise a viewing trip to their chosen development in order to investigate the developer, the local area and the quality of the scheme. Today, Assetz says, 80 per cent of those thinking about investing in property abroad will devote quality time to cautiously researching developer credentials, land ownership, local facilities and rental demand.
Most Brits who are investing overseas are also putting down more money as a deposit, according to Assetz chief executive Stuart Law. “The position, facilities and quality of build must be spot on, with strong tourist rental demand and plenty of scope for personal use,” he says. ”Most buyers are putting down deposits of around 50 per cent, as opposed to the 0 – 10 per cent commonly seen just a few years ago, and focusing almost entirely on long-term rental income rather than capital gains.”
Bank of Mum and Dad helping more kids onto the property ladder
This is a legacy post from the findaproperty.com blog which is now maintained as an archive within the Zoopla blog. Links have been preserved.
In the old days, children grew up, left home and fended for themselves in the big bad world. Not so anymore. New research by my colleagues here at FindaProperty has found mum and dad are increasingly getting involved in their adult children’s lives, sometimes to the tune of thousands of pounds, which amounts to, let’s face it, a pretty forceful helping shove up the property ladder.
FindaProperty.com sat down with a group of people who’ve bought a home with their parents’ help in the past five years and over half of them said they had no intention of repaying a single penny to their dear old mums and dads. And we’re not talking small potatoes here either. Sixty-one per cent of first-time buyers say their parents gave them up to £20,000 to help them buy their home, while 32% got more than £20,000. Incredibly, 11% of first-time buyers got more than £50,000 from their parents to put towards their first bricks and mortar.
The research also found that first-time buyers need more support from the so-called Bank of Mum and Dad than they originally expected. Before they bought their property, nearly half of first-time buyers, or 46 per cent, thought they would need less than £5,000 from their parents to help with the purchase. But after the purchase only 22% received up to this amount, with most buyers getting much more.
However it seems that parents understand the need to give their children financial support and don’t expect much in return. When asked what the attitude of their parents was when they gave them money, 42% of first-time buyers said that their parents understood it was the only way they could afford to buy a property. Another 30% said their mum and dad saw it as part of being a parent, while 20% saw it as an investment in their child and 8% as an investment in the property.
In truly smashing news for children, over half of all parents who stumped up cash to help their kids get on the property ladder expect to get absolutely nothing back on their investment. Well, nothing financial anyway. I’d hazard a guess they’d be expecting a pretty permanent standing invitation to visit on Mothers’ Day, Fathers’ Day, birthdays, Christmas, Easter … the list goes on.
Investor With 900 Houses Reveals Buy-To-Let Secrets
How do you become the UK’s Buy-To-Let King?
“We did it,” says Fergus ’900 houses’ Wilson, “by avoiding buying flats … Poor people live in flats … and they live in flats because they can’t afford a house.”
These and other nuggets of wisdom can be absorbed over at the Renegade Economist website in a priceless exchange between a flat-renting critic of the housing market and a pragmatist who happily admits that he amassed his empire with other people’s money.
Depending on your point of view, you’ll either be clutching your head in your hands along with economist Ross Ashcroft (who sounds strangely like Jack Dee) or applauding the savvy of the impassive Fergus, who’s not about to be brow-beaten by anybody.
Compelling stuff.
And while you’re here: any thoughts on flats vs houses as an investment strategy?
Via: the rat and mouse.
Five To View: Houses in Turkey
A recent report claimed that Turkey has what it takes to be a potential hotspot for property investors over the coming twelve months.
So, because holiday season is well and truly underway – and the much promised barbeque summer hasn’t quite materialised – we decided to have a little jaunt overseas to Turkey for this week’s Five to View.
And what an enjoyable trip it’s been, too. We’ve picked a mix of holiday-esque homes in a variety of locations, with prices ranging from “That’s amaaaazing value!!” to “Blimey, that’s a bit steep.”
Starting with the highest priced, here are our tasty Turkish delights*:
*(I know, I know, I’m sorry…!)
(click on pics for full property details)
1. 6 bedroom detached, Bodrum, £4,700,000
2. 5 bedroom detached, Kas, £1,200,000
3. 4 bedroom detached, Kalkan, £320,000
4. 5 bedroom detached, Fethiye, £305,000
5. 5 bedroom detached, Cesme, £289,000
