Monthly Archive for August, 2009

Now is the time to invest in Florida property, according to one lucky owner who has himself snapped up a bargain apartment.

Investor Andrew Vitch, who already owns seven properties in the US, bought his first Florida property, a two-bedroom, 1,300-square-foot condo, in the south-west coastal town Fort Myers last December, according to the Toronto Star.

Mr Vitch tells the newspaper: "The property was listed at US$189,000 [£115,600], down from $389,000 three years earlier."

However, the investor had other ideas and offered an even lower price for the dream Florida property. "We offered $170,000 and paid $177,000", he adds.

The amount of cut-price Florida property available to investors has been attributed to the high rate of foreclosures in the state, which is the highest in the US, the newspaper reports.

Florida property is becoming an increasingly popular choice, it seems, with recent figures from the Florida Association of Realtors showing a 37 per cent increase in house sales in July, compared to the same month in 2008.

Visit Rightmove Overseas for the best selection of Florida property. Stop dreaming, start searching!

The Costa de la Luz region has been recommended as a unique destination for those seeking Spanish property with a little something extra.

A relaxed pace of life and excellent value for money in the housing market are just two reasons why many overseas buyers could soon be investing in a piece of Spanish property in the area, according to Spanish Hot Properties.

Nick Stuart, managing director of the firm, states: "Costa de la Luz has everything, with prices starting as low as 70,000 euros [£61,500] to some very special properties over one million euros."

Spanish property in Costa de la Luz is particularly recommended for water sports enthusiasts by the company, due to it having slightly windier conditions than many other popular coastal destinations.

Costa de la Luz, meaning Coast of Light, is located in the Huelva province of Spain and runs from the Guadiana river, which separates the country from Portugal, right the way to the Guadalquivir river in the east.

Visit Rightmove Overseas for the best selection of Spanish property. Stop dreaming, start searching!

Anyone who owns a Portugal property may get a thrill from knowing that the country has just been named Europe’s most pleasurable.

According to a new online survey by ice cream company Magnum, in terms of the level of pleasure enjoyed by its citizens, Portugal comes head and shoulders above all other European countries and third in the world.

Over 111,000 people have so far taken part in the survey, which features ten different categories specially devised by psychology professor Alex Linley of Leicester University to give an overall "Pleasure Quotient" for each country.

Portugal property owners can rest assured that their second home destination is rated as highly pleasurable in all categories, including taste, relaxation, group activities, sounds, smells, solo activities, and vision and touch.

The country’s overall score of 129 pleasure points placed it just behind top-ranked Columbia with 136 points and Mexico, which achieved a pleasure rating of 135.

Golf fans may get further kick out knowing the Professional Golfer’s Association recently recommended golf resort-based Portugal property as some of the finest in the world.

Visit Rightmove Overseas for the best selection of Portugal property. Stop dreaming, start searching!

Re-mortgaging your home to purchase an Italy property may seem like a risky strategy, but for the Finch family it appears to be paying off.

Chris and Vicky Finch, along with their children James and Ben, adore their Italy property on the banks of Lake Como.

Mr Finch tells thisismoney.co.uk: ‘We use it year-round - in the summer for the sun and winter when we drive the 45 minutes to Madesimo, the best local ski resort.

‘It’s been a great buy as we’re using it five times a year and let it to family and friends. And the value has remained the same, if not a little more, which is a bonus.’

He adds that the couple have been told that if they elect to let their Italy property during the long high season, which runs from March to October, they could command up to £775 a week from eager tourists.

Hollywood icon George Clooney is a big fan of Lake Como. He was recently spotted romancing new love Elisabette Canalis at his Italy property nearby.

Visit Rightmove Overseas for the best selection of Italy property. Stop dreaming, start searching!

People interested in buying French property have been advised that the best place to find their dream home may be in the auction hall.

Plenty of prime examples of French property go under the hammer each year, according to French Property News, which provides some handy hints for those tempted to get bidding.

A fluency in the language is the most important tip for negotiating the French property auction hall, with buyers advised to take along a translator or fluent friend if their French is not up to scratch.

Researching each potential French property purchase is also a must, according to the website, as is looking into the various methods by which bargain homes can be sold before the day of the auction.

French property settings were recently recommended by Wedding magazine as a romantic and relatively cheap destination for couples seeking the perfect wedding overseas without annoying friends, family and future in-laws with excessive travel costs.

Visit Rightmove Overseas for the best selection of French property. Stop dreaming, start searching!

The Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson is said to be enjoying a Spanish property getaway – with former husband Prince Andrew.

Fergie and Andrew are reportedly soaking up some summer sun at a luxury Spanish property near Sotogrande on their first holiday together without children Beatrice and Eugenie since their infamous divorce, the Daily Mail reports.

A "royal watcher" is quoted as saying: "It’s really quite amazing to think that Andrew and Fergie have been holed up together in a six-bedroom house on their own."

The stunning Spanish property is set on a hillside overlooking the village of San Enrique de Guadiaro and comes with 350 acres of parkland, including lakes, forests and its own private polo ground, according to the newspaper.

Sotogrande is one of Spain’s largest country estates, containing 4,400 acres of land spread between the Mediterranean beaches found a few miles east of Gibraltar and the foothills of the stunning Sierra Almenara region.

Visit Rightmove Overseas for the best selection of Spanish property. Stop dreaming, start searching!

An over-supply of new-build Spanish property has resulted in bargain prices for people seeking the perfect holiday investment, it has been claimed.

A backlog of over one million homes are available in some of the country’s most popular regions, including brand new Spanish property in the Alicante area of the Costa Blanca, Valencia and Malaga on the Costa del Sol, kyero.com reports.

Rhona Hutchinson of Integrated Relocation Spain tells the website: "Refine the search to established developments that are mature and run well.

"Prices may be 30 per cent to 40 per cent lower than last year, and further negotiation is possible."

Further locations recommended for those seeking Spanish property at knock-down prices include famous party city Barcelona and Mallorca for those seeking a taste of island living, according to the website.

Paul Bradley, spokesman for the Spanish Property Owners Guild, recently advised second-home hunters that falling prices in the country will not last long, making now the perfect time to invest in a Spanish property.

Visit Rightmove Overseas for the best selection of Spanish property. Stop dreaming, start searching!

Anyone who bought themselves a Florida property last year should consider themselves a trendsetter, as new figures show property sales are on the up.

The latest statistics from the Florida Association of Realtors reveal a rise in the number of Florida property purchases in most areas during July, representing the eleventh month in a row that house sales have shown a year-on-year increase.

A total of 15,882 units of Florida property were sold across the sunshine state during July, compared to just 11,595 during the same month in 2008, equating to a 37 per cent sales increase.

Miami is currently the fastest-rising Florida property hotspot, with sales up 64 per cent last month, while Fort Lauderdale is also faring well, registering a 56 per cent increase in the number of homes sold, compared to July 2008.

Savills’ Sean Adams recently recommended Florida property to people looking to make a long-term investment, telling the Times that plenty of bargains can currently be found in top tourist destination Orlando.

Visit Rightmove Overseas for the best selection of Florida property. Stop dreaming, start searching!

Italian screen siren Monica Bellucci has extolled the virtues of Italy property, claiming she would rather stay at home than go to glamorous celebrity parties.

The beautiful ex-model and actress, 44, who owns Italy property in Rome as well as a house in London, says she finds staying in with her four-year-old daughter Deva far more fulfilling these days than treading the red carpet.

Ms Bellucci comments: "I am at a stage in my life where if I don’t go out, I don’t feel I’m missing something. I get bored surrounded by people smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol.

"And I’m not so interested now in going to premieres or being photographed on the red carpet. I want to be with my daughter."

The actress was born in the Italian village of Citta di Castello, in Italy property hotspot Umbria, and attended the University of Perugia before leaving to pursue her silver screen aspirations.

Ms Bellucci, who also keeps a French property in Paris, is married to Deva’s father, actor Vincent Cassel.

Visit Rightmove Overseas for the best selection of Italy property. Stop dreaming, start searching!