Archive for February, 2007
Posted on February 28, 2007. Filed under: press release, property development, real estate, real estate in Latin America, real estate report, travel hotspots |
by global property guide team
Costa Rica’s exploding Guanacaste Province (North Pacific Coast), which boasts resorts like the Four Seasons and the future home of a JW Marriott, along with numerous high-end communities, has returned wonderful profits for its land owners. Unlike the central pacific region of Puntarenas, land values in Guanacaste are continuing to grow, and new opportunities still exist. The proof of Guanacaste’s dominance is in the out performance of all other areas of the country when it comes to investment returns, especially in its southern area.
Why Guanacaste is hot
(PRWeb) February 23, 2007 — There aretwo primary reasons why Guanacaste is doing so well for investors, in comparison to other regions of Costa Rica. The first reason is that the real estate is so gorgeous. Magnificent beaches of soft sand, with colors ranging from bright white to pink, and turquoise, green and blue waters are a major draw to the region.
Additionally, in the region of Guanacaste, the mountains virtually drop right into the sea, which creates magnificent ocean view lots, even when miles from the beach. The second reason that Guanacaste is doing so well is that the development of the area has been done responsibly, with much respect paid to the environment. The communities are upscale with many private communities of million dollar homes.
Real estate opportunities
Skyrocketing values in Guanacaste are nowhere near the ceiling. Many times, when a region goes through the type of growth that Costa Rica is enjoying, the appreciation caps out before many investors can get involved. Luckily for today’s property investors, Guanacaste has a plethora of beachfront land that remains relatively undeveloped. This means one very important thing… Ground Floor Opportunities! Investors love them if they are lucky enough to find them, and Guanacaste still has some in its southern region. One particularly well-poised town in southern Guanacaste is Nosara Beach.
If you’re not in the know yet regarding Nosara Beach, you might want to hurry up and get involved there. Nosara, while primarily undeveloped, does have a fun town with plenty of restaurants and shops, plus an airstrip served by two daily flights from San Jose on Nature Air and Sansa Airlines. These amenities alone leapfrog Nosara in front of other potential investment areas. In addition to the airstrip and town are gorgeous white sand beaches, and a giant nature preserve which is home to many rare species. Two rivers keep the area green year-round, while the rivers’ estuary (where fishing is famous), and giant tree-covered mountains which overlook the ocean. The current climate in Southern Guanacaste makes a home site or community an attractive investment.
For the masses of investors who want to jump into owning a property in Nosara, or anywhere in Guanacaste for that matter, it may seem pretty complicated. For this reason, the majority of property investors tend to want pieces of land that are inside of planned communities being developed by companies who can remove most of the difficulties for them. Whether an investor wants to take on the challenges of carving out his own piece of paradise, or wants to go with a developer’s project, Guanacaste is a winner, and at this time, especially in it’s southern region.
via eMediawire
discuss: GLOBAL PROPERTY GUIDE FORUMS
Read Full Post |
Make a Comment ( 1 so far )
Posted on February 27, 2007. Filed under: building property, property development, real estate, real estate keywords, real estate resources, real estate tips, rental |
In my search for a little set of tips for the aspiring landlord (who is also in search of a good rental property guide) throughout the blogosphere, I found the following links truly useful. Do check them out and tell me if it’s worth your time reading them!
HOW TO PURCHASE A RENTAL PROPERTY
LANDLORDS, SAVE TIME AND MONEY BY BUILDING YOUR RENTAL LIKE A TANK
VACANT RENTAL PROPERTY OR BAD TENANTS?
or better yet, discuss them on the Global Property Guide Forums if you like!
Read Full Post |
Make a Comment ( 2 so far )
Posted on February 27, 2007. Filed under: buying property, buying real estate, housing, real estate, real estate in the Pacific, real estate keywords, real estate laws, real estate market, real estate news, real estate report |
by Global Property Guide team
The Daily Telegraph in Australia reports that “rents will jump due to a dramatic fall in the number of apartments built this financial year” (courtesy of BIS Shrapnel) and that because of the superannuation law that is due to change in the second half of this year, most properties are being bought by owner-occupiers.
(What is superannuation? Superannuation is a form of savings where money is set aside by you and/or your employer and invested for your retirement. It is generally an ideal way to invest money for your retirement. Many funds also pay benefits if you die, or if an illness or accident makes you unable to work. See Superannuation)
How does this affect Australia’s rental market in general? You can check out the following links to relevant news about the critical situation in Australia’s real estate today:
Australia: Rents to jump for years
Rental crisis deepens
Australia’s rental crisis to get worse, say agents
Peter Ryan reports on Australia’s worsening rental property outlook
Be fair and fix a price for rental properties
More buy into rental market
We are inviting you to discuss this into our growing roundtable, see the GLOBAL PROPERTY GUIDE FORUMS.
Read Full Post |
Make a Comment ( 3 so far )
Posted on February 26, 2007. Filed under: buying property, buying real estate, real estate, real estate agent, real estate forums, real estate keywords, real estate market, real estate tips, selling real estate |
by Global Property Guide team
Lost between the ins and outs of real estate auctions? Here’s a little primer that might actually help!
What is a Real Estate Auction?
How will auction benefit me?
Benefits to the Seller, Buyer, and Real Estate Agent/Broker
Q. What is a Real Estate Auction?
A. A real estate auction is an innovative and effective method of selling real estate. It is an intense, accelerated real estate marketing process that involves the public sale of any property — most certainly including those that are nondistressed — through open cry, competitive bidding.
Q. How will auction benefit me?
A. The real estate auction is a win-win proposition for everyone involved.
BENEFITS TO THE SELLER:
* Buyers come prepared to buy
* Quick disposal reduces long-term carrying costs, including taxes & maintenance
* Assurance that property will be sold at true market value
* Exposes the property to a large number of pre-qualified prospects
* Accelerates the sale
* Creates competition among buyers – auction price can exceed the price of a negotiated sale
* Requires potential buyers to pre-qualify for financing
* The seller knows exactly when the property will sell
* Eliminates numerous and unscheduled showings
* Takes the seller out of the negotiation process
* Ensures an aggressive marketing program that increases interest and visibility
BENEFITS TO THE BUYER:
* Smart investments are made as properties are usually purchased at fair market value through competitive bidding
* The buyer knows the seller is committed to sell
* In multi-property auctions the buyer sees many offerings in the same place at the same time
* Buyers determine the purchase price
* Auctions eliminate long negotiation periods
* Auctions reduce time to purchase property
* Purchasing and closing dates are known
* Buyers know they are competing fairly and on the same terms as all other buyers
* Buyers receive comprehensive information on property via due diligence packet
BENEFITS TO THE REALTOR:
* Generates a list of ready, qualified buyers
* Offers clients and customers new selling and purchasing options
* Increases revenue and market share
* Develops your own market niche
* Assurance that property will be sold at true market value
* Property is sold within a relatively short period of time
* Exposes the property to many potential purchasers
* Auctions bring people in to look at all your listings, not just the auction listing
* Successful auctions result in referrals and return business
* Agents can earn commissions as referring agent/broker, cooperating agent/broker, or as the listing agent/broker
via Realtor.org
Read Full Post |
Make a Comment ( 1 so far )
Posted on February 26, 2007. Filed under: buying property, buying real estate, property, real estate, real estate agent, real estate announcements, real estate market, real estate news, selling real estate |
via East Valley Tribune
There’s news that the National Real Estate Auction Corp. will host a massive real estate auction in downtown Phoenix next month — offering everything from starter homes to multimillion-dollar estates. This is according to East Valley Tribune.
Although auctions can be a good tool, buyers and sellers need to do their homework, said Brad Wood, an agent with Realty Executives in Scottsdale.
“It’s all about pricing,” Wood said. “Just because you’re buying from an auction doesn’t necessarily mean you’re getting a good deal.”
I totally agree to this. I mean, even when buying property overseas, you need to take your time, listen to different people, and do your homework.
But it’s interesting that competition drives a lot of real estate agents to the heights of creativity — in this case, auctions, which are a bit unconventional. Or are they?
Would you like to post your own announcements? Visit the Global Property Guide forums!
Read Full Post |
Make a Comment ( None so far )
Posted on February 23, 2007. Filed under: housing market prices, real estate announcements, real estate in North America, real estate keywords, real estate news, real estate report, rental |
by Global Property Guide team
It’s been known that the Orlando real estate is undergoing a phase, now that the government of Florida has issued a new insurance law that will take effect beginning the second half of year 2007.
Yahoo Finance reports that “The new law gives a state-created insurer wider latitude to compete with private insurers like Allstate Corp. and State Farm Insurance Cos. in selling homeowners insurance.”
Correspondents from Sun Sentinel state that “The new Florida law allows Citizens Property, whose board is appointed by state officials, to have rates that are lower than those of private carriers, under some circumstances. Previously, Citizens was required to keep its rates as high or higher than the private market. The state’s separate hurricane fund could end up taking on a larger role in catastrophe reinsurance. The U.S. market for property catastrophe reinsurance is estimated at $70 billion to $80 billion, according to the Reinsurance Association of America, and the hurricane fund’s reinsurance capacity was increased to as much as $35 billion.”
There were exceptions to the rule, of course. Just recently, it has been reported that “the Florida Insurance Council is dropping its court challenge to an emergency order that temporarily stops property insurers from dropping policies or raising premiums before provisions in Florida’s new insurance law take effect June 1.
The council acted after Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty ruled that insurance companies could proceed with plans not to renew policies for customers who had already been notified they were being dropped. Companies also can resume cancellation of policies when they file their new rates in March, as long as policyholders get 100 days’ notice.”
Consider this as a turning point for agencies and brokerage companies doing business in Orlando real estate. We would like to echo what the correspondents have demanded: Who really should have the back of Americans when disaster strikes?
via: Orlando Sentinel
Discuss this! Visit the Global Property Guide Forums.
Read Full Post |
Make a Comment ( None so far )
Posted on February 22, 2007. Filed under: buying property, housing market prices, real estate in Africa, real estate reader |
This letter was posted by Faniel Maanda, Windhoek on Namibian.com
|
Bringing Sense Back Into Property Market
ALLOW me space to air my concerns on the ever-escalating property market in Windhoek.
|
| |
| Housing is no longer a basic need but rather a money-making business.Benefiting the most are those who can afford to acquire properties at exorbitant prices, do little touch-ups and sell at ridiculous profit margins.Banks and estate agents play a big role in stimulating an environment of speculation in the property market in the country, especially in Windhoek.
The duo are interested in accumulating exorbitant profits for some selfish reasons whilst ignoring the plight of the public.
As a result more and more people cannot afford properties, the hardest hit being the middle-income group.
Banks play a pivotal role in any society and this is a fact.
However, as a business entity, they are profit-driven.
The main issue is that, when coming to market related property valuation, banks are not playing a fair game – or maybe their ambitious methods of property valuation is to blame.
A house selling for N$300 000 in 2005 might be selling at half a million today.
This is shocking, because not even our economy is growing at this alarming rate, and as a result, houses in Windhoek have become more super-expensive compared to other parts of the country.
Something needs to be done to stop this trend because it is drawing us more and more into poverty instead of delivering us from it.
Estate agents or “middlemen” have established themselves as a household name in Windhoek and the coastal areas.
They only go into areas where properties are in high demand, the standard of living is generally good and where the property market offers greater potential for speculation.
It’s for this reason that you find a lot of them in Windhoek, Swakopmund and Walvis Bay.
Their presence in these areas was supposed to be that of helping potential buyers to find affordable houses to buy, whilst at the same time helping both homeowners and prospective purchasers.
Estate agents were supposed to be neutral to both parties, and in a sense create a conducive environment that would see the conclusion of a “fair” and “just” transaction.
To this end, we came to learn that, estate agents take sides, in all cases they take the side of the seller.
Conveyancers: in order for a property to be rightfully yours it has to follow the legal channel, and for this, you pay a deed of transfer which is calculated as a percentage of the value of your property.
This is OK, but a flat fee would be very useful taking into consideration our economy in the making.
In order to combat speculation, people should promote more “private sales” done on the basis of “fair property valuation practices”.
I would therefore propose that, a property magazine similar to Property News and House Finder be born which will be fully dedicated to advertising private sales.
There is a greater need for a higher-level intervention at local or national level where this issue can be discussed in the open, e.g. in parliament.
Banks and estate agents should play fair because the society vest trust in them, and this will become more complicated if they are suspected of malpractice.
Conveyancers should act more fairly and justly by introducing affordable transfer rates for the common good of all people.
The City of Windhoek should improve on their methods of auctioning as these also contribute to speculation.
Lastly, increases in the property market should be related closely, if not on par with housing packages offered on the job market.
If employers and banks can work together, then a conducive environment for all will be created, and for this reason, Windhoek, despite its scarcity in developable land will be a good place to live in.
Let’s not rush the land market – a stressed population is not a productive population. |
Would you like to start a thread about this article? Visit the Global Property Guide forum!
Read Full Post |
Make a Comment ( 2 so far )
Posted on February 22, 2007. Filed under: building property, buying property, home search, homes, housing, housing market prices, mortgage, off topic real estate, press release, property, property development, real estate, real estate agent, real estate announcements, real estate bubble, real estate chart toppers, real estate facts, real estate feature, real estate forecasts, real estate forums, real estate in Africa, real estate in Asia, real estate in Europe, real estate in Latin America, real estate in North America, real estate in the Caribbean, real estate in the Middle East, real estate in the Pacific, real estate keywords, real estate lists, real estate management, real estate market, real estate news, real estate reader, real estate resources, real estate tips, real estate tools, real estate trends, rental, selling real estate, travel hotspots, Uncategorized |
Carry trade is defined as The speculation strategy that borrows an asset at one interest rate, sells the asset, then invests those funds into a different asset that generates a higher interest rate yield. Profit is acquired by the difference between the cost of the borrowed asset and the yield on the purchased asset.
There’s an echo among real estate forums lately that Japanese increasing rate versus the declining value of Japanese Yen may greatly affect the yen-carry trade. According to the latest Reuters report, however, “high risk yen carry trades exploiting Japan’s low interest rates are in no danger of losing their appeal as long as Japanese monetary policy remains predictable and financial market volatility stays low.”
So what is your opinion on this? Do check out the Global Property Guide forum and start a new thread!
via: Reuters
Read Full Post |
Make a Comment ( None so far )
Posted on February 22, 2007. Filed under: building property, press release, property development, real estate, real estate news, travel hotspots |
via PR Newswire
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — AMB Property Corporation(R) (NYSE: AMB), a leading global developer and owner of industrial real estate, today announced it has begun development of the first phase of AMB Siziano Business Park in Milan, Italy. When fully developed, the park is expected to total approximately 1.5 million square feet of distribution space.
“Milan is the economic heart of Italy and a strategically located distribution market, making it a natural fit for AMB’s focused investments in areas tied to global trade,” said Guy Jaquier, AMB’s president, Europe & Asia. “AMB’s expansion into Milan continues our program of entering new markets to serve our growing customer base.”
AMB Siziano Business Park is located 10 miles south of Milan’s city center; provides easy access to the Lombardia-Piedmont industrial region of Italy; and is situated along route SP40, linking the A1 and the A7, which connect southern Italy and the Port of Genoa, respectively.
“AMB Siziano Business Park is unique, as it is the only state-of-the-art distribution park of a large scale this close to Milan’s city center,” commented Mo Barzegar, AMB’s managing director, Europe.
“AMB’s portfolio of development facilities in Europe includes projects in Amsterdam, Hamburg, Dusseldorf, Paris, Lyon and Madrid, and we now look forward to accommodating customer growth in Milan.” Building 1, currently under development, is expected to total 437,000 square feet, and is anticipated to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2007. AMB’s joint venture partner in the development of AMB Siziano
Business Park is Milan-based Redilco Group. AMB’s portfolio in Europe now totals more than 7.7 million square feet of operating and development properties located in major markets tied to global trade.
Discuss this at Global Property Guide forum
SOURCE AMB Property Corporation
Read Full Post |
Make a Comment ( None so far )
« Previous Entries
Real Estate Buzz 