Cheap Flats In London

There was more good news on the home buying front last month. The National Association of Realtors, or NAR for short, reported that pending home sales were up from February by 3.2 percent. Pending home sales is a forward looking indicator that counts the number of contracts signed. The Analysts were predicting no increase, but for the market to remain flat.

Not only were the numbers up from February, 2009, there was also a 1.1 percent increase over March of last year, right around the time the economy began it’s decline.

Pending home sales are not yet actual sales, just signed contracts awaiting loan approval. They are still considered a very good gauge to the overall health of the housing market. The positive numbers could be thought of as an anomaly in an otherwise severely depressed economy. The next report will give more of an idea if the housing market is gaining momentum. Two months of positive growth will be good news for the overall health of the U.S. Economy. Three months of positive numbers will not bear well for those sitting on the sidelines waiting for property values to contract yet further. That will show that the population is out buying in force, and when that happens the best deals will be snatched up quickly.

Once the real estate market gets some momentum behind it, there is a good chance that home prices and interest rates will rise quickly. The theory behind such a prediction is simple supply and demand. Right now there is a glut of housing on the market,. Builders are holding to much inventory for to long, and what they have been able to sell has been at deep discounts, often below costs. People wanting or needing to sell homes are sometimes forced to take much less than the homes value as recently as last year. Then there are the foreclosures the banks are trying to get rid of. All of this makes for an over burdened market ready to explode.

Prices and interest rates are at almost historic lows. When the housing bubble and the failing economy met, it left many people hurting while opening up a once in a lifetime opportunity for buying or investing in residential real estate properties. Brokers and agents around the country are reporting an increase in activity and sales. The people are coming out and looking again.

Going into and at the height of the real estate bubble buying rundown properties and fixing them up to re-sell at a profit was popular. Many people missed the opportunity, but it is back again. There are decent properties out there that can be picked up at substantially lower prices than what they are worth. There has been evidence of this already. It’s an easy way for aspiring entrepreneur to make substantial profits with little investment.

The biggest incentives in history are being offered by the Government. An up to $8000 tax credit is available for qualifying first time home buyers. This program alone is expected to bring 30000 new home buyers to the market. That could very well be the beginning of the end for bargain hunters.

The time to buy if one is intending is now. Many analysts and economists both are optimistic about the economic recovery happening soon, if not already in it’s early stages. Those that wait to long for better deals may get left behind as we leave the contraction behind and start working on a new and prosperous future.

Joel Weihe

China is an incredible country with a number of attractions to boast of. This favorite destination offers investors, tourists, and prospective residents a wealth of opportunities. Before 1990s, there were only few office buildings, commercial properties and housing units in the country. But the country has now undergone tremendous changes and you can see high-rise condominiums, luxury apartments, and commercial buildings dominating the skyline of China.
All of the destinations in the country including Chongqing, Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin are hotspots for investing in all types of properties. Beijing, the capital and seat of administration, has a population of 13.5 million people. Shanghai (16.4 million) is considered as the financial capital of the country, and it is also home to the Shanghai Stock Exchange. Shanghai has been chosen as the venue for some parts of the 2008 Olympics. Investing in Chinese properties can certainly fetch you handsome returns.
There are several reasons why savvy investors are attracted to invest in the country’s real estate. China is one of the world’s fastest growing economies. With the formation of the World Trade Organization, the country has emerged as the leader of the global economy.
Property prices in many of the Chinese cities are one third of the prices of world’s leading cities such as New York, London and Tokyo, as a result of the huge number of direct foreign investments every year. The crime rates in China are very low, In contrast to other countries in Asia. This has made China a safe place to live in. To crown it all, China is welcoming foreigners wholeheartedly. Westerners are attracted to the country in large numbers thanks to the highly educated, amicable, and well mannered Chinese people.
Investors interested in entering the Chinese property markets can be classified into institutional investors, commercial property investors, and residential property investors. Institutional investors are interested in investing in multistoried office complexes and latest retail units, owing to their high demand and potential for shortage in future.
Commercial property investors invest mostly in properties such as office spaces, hotels, warehouses and commercial lands. Residential property investors largely invest in residential properties such as houses, single detached houses, townhouses, villas, condominiums, apartments, and serviced apartments. Many people invest in these properties with a view to sell them in future when their prices rise, and there are others who invest in these properties to rent them out and reap high profits.
The price of a property in China depends on many factors such as the nature of the property and the location. For example, a standard apartment in Shanghai costs about 20000 Renminbi (people’s money) per square meter. However, the price of a Chinese serviced apartment with high end amenities ranges between 25000 and 30000 RMB per square meter. Real estates around city centers or near transportation hubs are always likely become the most valuable. In China there is a growing demand for retail and industrial space, as more and more Chinese citizens move to urban areas seeking jobs.
If you are interested in real estate in China you can either directly invest in the property itself or through a Real Estate Investment Trust. An REIT is an investment firm specializing in real state business. It is a commercial organization that handles real estate portfolio in order to make profits. REITs engage in owning and operating income-generating real estate properties such as apartments, shopping centers, condos, hotels, offices, and warehouses. They offer investors financial instruments of the nature of mutual funds. While mutual funds focus on stocks, REITs concentrate on real estate.
One of greatest benefits of investing through a real estate investment trust is that it brings huge tax benefits, as investors are exempted from paying any tax over the dividends. Another great benefit in investing through REITs is that you can trade your assets just like stocks. Yet another advantage of investing through REIT is that no minimum amount has been fixed for the investment.
There are a number of real estate firms to help you find your dream property in China. They offer a range of real estate services such as market analysis, property search, advertising and negotiation with sellers. Most of these real estate firms provide services of professional attorneys to verify the authenticity of documents.

Buying abroad and renting in Britain could well be the new trend for young property buyers living in the UK. This trend is being demonstrated by first time British buyers choosing Bulgarian property over the UK

Nearly one in four are now priced out of the UK property market altogether, so it’s no surprise that they are now considering alternatives that will give them that all-important first step without succumbing to the UK’s sky- high property prices. With talk of 100 percent mortgages, shared ownership schemes and 75-year loan terms, UK home buyers are looking to the Bulgarian property market to make their first home purchase.

The average UK house price is now in excess of £200,000 as quoted by the BBC and recent interest rate rises coupled with a bleak economic outlook have not aided the situation. The burden of a lifetime of mortgage payments is weighing heavily on young homebuyers’ minds. Added to this, a survey with National Savings and Investments showed that a massive 84% of 18-24 year olds believe that buying their first home abroad is more viable than buying it in the UK. The National Savings and Investments survey revealed that in London, 36% of first time buyers would consider buying abroad as an alternative to purchasing in London. .

Research from Quest Bulgaria Magazine indicated that the Bulgarian property market is still buoyant and looks set to grow even further. It seems there is no better time than now to invest in Balkan bricks and mortar. Despite this positive forecast, many first time buyers remain reluctant to actually put down roots in Bulgaria. This could be due to preconceptions about the country which include, fear of the language barrier, its reputation for being a haven for senior citizens and worries about employment prospects.

UK salaries are disproportionately low when compared to the rising house prices, so it is not unusual for British twenty somethings to opt for a life back home with Mum and Dad instead of venturing onto the property ladder. The high deposit and crippling mortgage of UK property ownership need not elude potential homeowners. A Bulgarian bolt-hole can provide a rental income and potentially build equity if the Balkan market performs according to expectation. The buy-to-let market is on the up in Bulgaria, which coupled with the country’s very low taxation of just 10% shows there is a huge financial incentive to make your first property purchase there.

Bulgarian property offers enormously good value for money and house prices are currently forecast to rise on average by 15% this year. If you’re banking on a quick return, look for up-and-coming areas in the process of regeneration. Similarly, improvements to transport links are usually a sure sign that an area is going up in the world. Low cost airlines tend to have a ripple effect on the surrounding areas of any airport they add to their ever-expanding routes.More and more people are making the most of long weekends and cheap flights for mini breaks overseas. Nowadays, it is normal for people to take frequent trips to second homes instead of traditional, single longer vacations. This broadens the scope for Bulgarian property investment with some regions enjoying both long summers and ski-friendly winter seasons.

Regions with the best transport links offer a compromise between buying for pure investment and full-scale relocation. It is financially possible to live and work between two countries. Working in London and then spending your weekends in Sofia or Varna is now perfectly possible. It’s worth bearing in mind that, under the UK’s flexible working legislation, parents with a child under the age of six and certain adult carers have a legal right to request flexible working hours. Even if you do not fall in this category, it might be worth asking your employer if you can work flexibly. An employer may only refuse a request from an eligible employee should there be recognised business grounds for doing so. With high-speed internet connections available in Bulgaria, employees can take the opportunity to work from their Balkan home.

The UK is awash with TV shows on property renovation, taking these elements and applying them to a Bulgarian home could pay dividends too. Many will agree that the UK property market is saturated with developers making renovation bargains thin on the ground. By comparison, Bulgaria is packed with potentially lucrative properties, from ready-made holiday apartments to serious building projects.

Review

“Nolo Press approaches housing issues with the consumer – and costs – in mind. Selling Your House in a Tough Market is another helpful offering from a company that goes out of its way to provide timely, accurate material. –TOM KELLY, Nationally syndicated columnist and author”Nolo Press approaches housing issues with the consumer – and costs – in mind. Selling Your House in a Tough Market is another helpful offering from a company that goes out of its way to provide timely, accurate material. (TOM KELLY, Nationally syndicated columnist and author. )This is an incredibly timely and informative book. The tips from experts make it easy to find and take real action. Everything you need to know from how to prepare for and start the process, to how to work with an agent, to selling strategies, and finally to sealing the deal. A real one-stop guide.In this day when sellers are struggling to sell homes that are no longer appropriate for them, along comes a book that t (more…)