Tag Archives: Property

Obelisk International Puts Climate Change at the Heart of its Property Investment Strategy


Marbella, Spain (PRWEB) July 12, 2007

Obelisk International is proud to be involved in a unique opportunity in Bulgaria known as Seven Lakes. The development provides clients with an excellent investment that also uses eco-friendly construction methods. The developers of Seven Lakes have worked in conjunction with The CarbonNeutral Company to offset emissions caused by construction and to bring a balance between convergence and contraction of Co2 gases. All of the major material for this development is locally sourced to avoid extensive shipping and transportation costs and to drastically reduce the pollution caused by long distance, fuel consuming travel.

“Ensuring more efficient and careful use of building materials has an added bonus within construction as the action reduces costs” says Stephen Prior from Forest Carbon. “New buildings offer the opportunity to improve materials and designs using sustainably grown timber frames and walls that are more environmentally friendly and in many cases are classed as carbon neutral in comparison to modern materials. The construction industry, perhaps more than any other, is well placed to take the lead on playing an influential role in reducing the causes of climate change.”

In the first major policy commitment of his campaign, Gordon Brown announced plans for five new “eco towns” with up to 100,000 low carbon or carbon neutral homes. In his comments Gordon Brown stated “It is quite new in the dimensions, it is quite new in also the imagination I think we have in combining the environment and the gains we can make in the environment with housing.” This gives a clear indication to the industry that there is support for eco-friendly and cost effective housing and provides strong encouragement for developers to create innovative eco-friendly designs by using renewable resources.

As a direct consequence of the unique approach to a Global Industry, Obelisk International’s operational procedures have enabled us to reduce our Co2 emissions and more importantly the impact on the environment. Obelisk International believes that this environmentally responsible model sets the standard within the industry and includes: Using high quality E-Format investment brochures, discouragement of superfluous inspection trips, excludes the use of company cars and operates a non shop window policy. Obelisk International is able to deliver this pure approach and ensure meticulous due diligence and investment tangibility.

The Seven Lakes development is situated within the breathtaking Rila Mountain range with one of the finest ski resorts and Golf Club & Spa in Bulgaria. The golf club features the first Nicklaus Design course in South East Europe and will meet the standards of both the PGA and Royal St Andrews. The facilities will include an 18 hole course, a practice range with six short par 3 holes and a short 9 game area, a clubhouse with restaurant, member’s room, pro shop, general store and a spa centre. There are also a provision for shopping centres and restaurants to be built within the surrounding area.

In line with Obelisk International’s unparalleled commitment to quality and excellent returns, Seven Lakes demonstrates exceptional quality and eco-friendly standards whilst being an astute, secure and viable property investment. The Rila Mountain area boasts a vast array of tourism all year round and as such will provide a consistent, high value rental income. In addition to external tourism, the capital of Sofia generates prolific internal tourism to the area and will capture the high end, luxury holiday market. This extraordinary opportunity will encompass dependable growth with the added assurance of a minimal impact on the environment.

Obelisk International Puts Climate Change at the Heart of its Property Investment Strategy


Marbella, Spain (PRWEB) July 12, 2007

Obelisk International is proud to be involved in a unique opportunity in Bulgaria known as Seven Lakes. The development provides clients with an excellent investment that also uses eco-friendly construction methods. The developers of Seven Lakes have worked in conjunction with The CarbonNeutral Company to offset emissions caused by construction and to bring a balance between convergence and contraction of Co2 gases. All of the major material for this development is locally sourced to avoid extensive shipping and transportation costs and to drastically reduce the pollution caused by long distance, fuel consuming travel.

“Ensuring more efficient and careful use of building materials has an added bonus within construction as the action reduces costs” says Stephen Prior from Forest Carbon. “New buildings offer the opportunity to improve materials and designs using sustainably grown timber frames and walls that are more environmentally friendly and in many cases are classed as carbon neutral in comparison to modern materials. The construction industry, perhaps more than any other, is well placed to take the lead on playing an influential role in reducing the causes of climate change.”

In the first major policy commitment of his campaign, Gordon Brown announced plans for five new “eco towns” with up to 100,000 low carbon or carbon neutral homes. In his comments Gordon Brown stated “It is quite new in the dimensions, it is quite new in also the imagination I think we have in combining the environment and the gains we can make in the environment with housing.” This gives a clear indication to the industry that there is support for eco-friendly and cost effective housing and provides strong encouragement for developers to create innovative eco-friendly designs by using renewable resources.

As a direct consequence of the unique approach to a Global Industry, Obelisk International’s operational procedures have enabled us to reduce our Co2 emissions and more importantly the impact on the environment. Obelisk International believes that this environmentally responsible model sets the standard within the industry and includes: Using high quality E-Format investment brochures, discouragement of superfluous inspection trips, excludes the use of company cars and operates a non shop window policy. Obelisk International is able to deliver this pure approach and ensure meticulous due diligence and investment tangibility.

The Seven Lakes development is situated within the breathtaking Rila Mountain range with one of the finest ski resorts and Golf Club & Spa in Bulgaria. The golf club features the first Nicklaus Design course in South East Europe and will meet the standards of both the PGA and Royal St Andrews. The facilities will include an 18 hole course, a practice range with six short par 3 holes and a short 9 game area, a clubhouse with restaurant, member’s room, pro shop, general store and a spa centre. There are also a provision for shopping centres and restaurants to be built within the surrounding area.

In line with Obelisk International’s unparalleled commitment to quality and excellent returns, Seven Lakes demonstrates exceptional quality and eco-friendly standards whilst being an astute, secure and viable property investment. The Rila Mountain area boasts a vast array of tourism all year round and as such will provide a consistent, high value rental income. In addition to external tourism, the capital of Sofia generates prolific internal tourism to the area and will capture the high end, luxury holiday market. This extraordinary opportunity will encompass dependable growth with the added assurance of a minimal impact on the environment.

Brazil’s Winning Economic Stability is Fast Attracting Overseas Investors to the Property Market


Marbella, Spain (PRWEB) July 13, 2007

The Brazilian property market is fast becoming a popular investment destination for overseas investors due to the massive benefits of low property values and the fast strengthening Real, gaining nearly 10% so far in 2007, thanks to the county’s increasing economic stability and investment inflows. This, combined with a significantly lower cost of living than many traditional property investment locations, allows for a more luxurious lifestyle and the still large areas of the country unexplored by foreigners, are drawing attention on property investors radar.

Despite the relatively low property values in Brazil, the growth of house prices over the last few years has been recording impressive performance with an average increase of 20% per annum, placing the country at the top of the property investment league table. Investors may look to Brazil for their next investment move particularly as early entry into the market takes advantage of the high level of capital growth that is expected over the coming years.

Foreign investment into Brazil has grown at an increasing pace hand-in-hand with the county’s economic growth. Foreign direct investments reached $ 3.47 billion in April up from $ 2.78 billion the previous month. These strong inflows are reflected in Brazil’s balance of payments with the current account surplus recording the highest ever figures in April of $ 1.82 billion an increase from $ 817 million in the previous month and exceeding average forecasts (of 21 economists in the Reuters poll) of $ 1.5 billion.

The Daily Mail Overseas Property supplement recently remarked that emerging markets in particular are presenting some excellent opportunities for investment, some of which are beginning to overtake more traditional established investment markets in terms of return on cash invested.

Brazil offers a fantastic lifestyle with a superb all-year round climate and the increasing number of charter flights from the UK will surely see demand for the purchase of second homes and the rental of holiday lodgings significantly increase. This is supported by Obelisk International’s recent launch of the Estrela do Atlantico project, in Natal, Brazil, where all available units were sold out within 48 hours. Obelisk International is committed to a global search to present only the most lucrative quality investment opportunities to their clients.

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“Best” Overseas Property Portals Revealed by New Study


London, UK (PRWEB) January 7, 2008

A new study published today examines the “best” overseas property portals for real estate agents and developers selling international property to UK buyers. The research focuses on the natural search rankings of nearly 50 property portals on Google (UK) and ranks each one by the frequency with which they appear in the search results for popular search phrases used by buyers of overseas property.

A new study published today by independent trade website, Globaledge.co.uk reveals the best-optimised overseas property portals on Google (UK). The research undertaken in December 2007 examines the natural search positions of 46 property portals on Google (UK) for property-related search phrases in over 200 overseas buying destinations.

FindaProperty.com is top of the list, appearing in the top 20 in 68% of all searches, with Primelocation.com a close second. The Move Channel is next and is one of three performance-based portals in the Top 10, which also includes Lead Galaxy in fourth and Sunshine Estates in fifth.

Ashley Rigg, director of Globaledge.co.uk says, “We put together this study to provide real estate agents and developers with an overview of the overseas property portal market. 2008 will be a tough year for many international agents. Estate agent marketing will be more important than in previous years as there are likely to be less buyers around. The research should help real estate companies targeting the UK choose better marketing partners.”

The research however is not without its problems. It takes no account of paid search spend, which can drive significant volumes of traffic to portals. It also ignores the influence of brand awareness and direct traffic and how web design and content can influence lead generation.

Countering the criticisms, Ashley says, “Natural search rankings are one of several important factors agents should consider, but in our opinion it’s the most important. Natural search listings tend to get more clicks than paid listings and do not disappear when budgets run out. We’ve also written nearly 50 independent portal profiles which evaluate each portal on a much wider set of criteria to help agents see the bigger picture.”

The research is most useful to agents and developers with property to sell in many countries as the aggregated data hides regional variations. Globaledge.co.uk are planning country-and-region specific studies in the coming weeks. If you would like more information please contact us.

Ready Rental Property is Pleased to Announce the Appointment of Brian Burnett as Head of Sales and Marketing


Malaga, Spain (PRWEB) October 16, 2008

Ready Rental Property is pleased to announce the appointment of Brian Burnett as Head of Sales and Marketing.

Brian brings substantial experience in financial services and real estate to Ready Rental Property, having formerly held senior management positions with Barclays Bank in the UK, Bank of Boston, Fleet Bank and SunTrust Bank in the USA, and more recently, overseeing operations of several Spanish offices of German luxury real estate company Engel & Voelkers.

“The plan is to further enhance and expand the marketing, promotion and service available to clients for their properties to an even wider audience. The impact on overseas home owners who cannot afford to sell in the current financial climate mean that the need for efficient and strategic rental marketing is paramount” said Burnett.

Brian continued: “Regardless of economic conditions, people will always find time and money to take a holiday each year. Our packages allow overseas property owners the ability to tap into this market in a way which was not possible before through major wholesale holiday suppliers, as a result both sides benefit. The owners earn more rental income and holiday makers are able to stay in accommodation which meets their needs and suits their lifestyles accordingly.”

Ready Rental Property offers an overseas property rental solution for people wishing to rent their property to both the long and short term markets. By forming and utilizing relationships usually only seen within the travel industry, Ready Rental Property is able to offer to the public a service that was traditionally only available to the hotel trade.

By ensuring that quality properties are listed and industry standards are met, Ready Rental Property are seeing a rapid rise in the number of holiday bookings and property listings within its’ core areas of business in Spain, Cyprus and Portugal which is expected to grow further given the current world financial situation.

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According to Profile Europe, Free Zones Boost Dubai’s Property Market as Brits Flock to Their Shores


Marbella, Spain (PRWEB) February 28, 2008

Free Zones in Dubai are helping to poise the nation as one of the “most sought after business and holiday locations rolled into one”, according to one expert.

Profile Europe has stated that population, workforce and economic growth created and driven by the free Zones and specialised industrialised cities are responsible for attracting scores of reputable companies to Dubai.

Martin Bowen, UK sales director of Profile Europe, stated that the influx of new companies is having a “huge” effect on the property market.

Thousands of employees need accommodation and this has improved both Dubai Property home sales and rental property markets.

There are currently four Free Zones in Dubai – Jebel Ali, Dubai Airport, Media City and Internet City- these tax-free regions are treated as off-shore areas and offer 100 per cent repatriation of all profits.

It has also emerged that an increasing numbers of Brits are being enticed towards a life overseas by the lure of a better lifestyle and increased work opportunities..

Natwest has claimed that people retiring abroad to places such as Spain and Canada are often motivated by the better standard of living which can be found there, while a growing number of people are attracted to work opportunities.

A survey conducted by the bank showed that by 2025 1.8 million Brits will opt to spend their latter years abroad, a number which could increase to 3.3 million by 2050.

David Isley, head of Natwest International Personal Banking, said: “There’s a lot of opportunity now for people to go abroad and just expand their horizons; in terms of work opportunity, but also in terms of actual lifestyle opportunity.”

Natwest’s survey also showed that 87 per cent of expatriates claim their life is better since they moved overseas.

Louise Shipway DreamHomes Worldwide

Homes Overseas Announces New Malaga, Spain Property Buying Guide


(PRWEB) December 1, 2008

Homes Overseas, the leading overseas property experts, have recently released an informative property for sale guide on Malaga, the capital of the Costa del Sol. Penned as an article, the guide apprises reader’s with the region specific details, particularly highlighting upon property related nuances. The full write up can be viewed at: http://www.homesoverseas.co.uk/articles/property-buyers-now-buying-property-in-malaga-city/17030

First section of the guide elaborates upon the topographic appeal and architectural background of Malaga city. Infrastructural innovation and growth is also highlighted in this section of the article.

The next section presents interesting property related information, especially for buyers wary of the property investment related hiccups. Regional details of Alhaurin de la Torre are discussed at length to assist with the decision. The stated includes comments from property experts and numerical facts to validate the outlined scenario.

Enhanced accessibility between Malaga and adjoining cities is the subject enumerated upon in the next section. The advantages of the improved access, with reference to the property scenario, are analyzed and presented for the reader’s scrutiny. The concluding section of the guide sheds light on the now effective administrative measures, which caters to illegal building concerns.

About Homes Overseas

Homes Overseas is the world’s leading international property magazine since 1965, providing advice and information for people buying property overseas as an investment or a holiday home. Homes Overseas magazine is published monthly and is available on subscription and from leading newsagents. For more details on Spain property, visit http://www.homesoverseas.co.uk/property-for-sale-in-spain/1882

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Spanish Property Market: New Study Reveals Most Popular Locations with Overseas Buyers


London, UK (PRWEB) September 19, 2008

Independent overseas property business portal, Globaledge has released the results of an in-depth study into the most searched for Spanish property destinations by internet users outside Spain.

The Globaledge Search Index collects data from over 13,000 unique Spanish property search phrases on the Google’s Keyword tool and aggregates the information by location to create a list of the most popular destinations for foreign buyers. Google only began releasing this information in July this year and it’s the most comprehensive study to be performed to date on international demand for property in Spain.

Tenerife on Top as the Islands Beat the Costas

According to Ashley Rigg, Managing Director of globaledge.co.uk, the island destination of Tenerife ranked top when it came to property searches, with 53,805 property related searches taking place on Google in July 2008.

“Globaledge’s findings show that during July 2008, Tenerife was the most popular Spanish destination for foreigners searching online to buy property in Spain. It accounts for a remarkable 15.3% of all searches in the top 20. What’s more, the Canary Island is twice as popular as the Costa Blanca and more than three times as popular as the Costa del Sol. It proves overseas buyers are increasingly looking beyond the traditional coastal resorts of old.”

Tenerife is not the only island to make the list. Mallorca is the next most popular destination with international buyers with 24,215 searches or 6.9% of the total in July. With both Tenerife and Mallorca ranking above the popular Costas, Rigg thinks this could be the result of past mistakes:

“The seeming decrease in the popularity of the Costas could be due to a long-term effect of poor planning regulations and over-supply pushing buyers to more picturesque destinations, an important note for real estate agents and developers to consider.”

Interestingly, and more specifically, the Tenerife resort of Los Cristianos also made the top 20 of its own accord, ranking in 13th place with 4,112 searches, ahead of both Alicante and the Costa Brava.

Island Under-Supply?

Globaledge also examined the competition on Google Adwords for popular property phrases in each of the top 20 locations. Interestingly, their findings suggest that Tenerife and Mallorca are not only more popular than the big coastal resorts, but they are also less crowded by agents and developers trying to sell property there. Rigg says “The findings suggest that there is either an under supply of agents and property serving the islands or that agents in these areas are not prolific users of Google Adwords. Either way it looks like a less saturated market than many other parts of Spain. It represents a good commercial opportunity for both national and international agents willing to spend the time finding collaborative partners on the islands”.

Editor’s Notes

The full story can be viewed here http://www.globaledge.co.uk/news/details/spanish-property-market:-top-20-overseas-buying-destinations/25835

For full methodology on our analysis of search volumes view the Globaledge Search Index at

http://www.globaledge.co.uk/news/analysis/details/globaledge-search-index/25862

Top 20 Overseas Property Search Locations for Spain

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Spain to Seek Foreign Funds to Offload Property From Banks


Spain to Seek Foreign Funds to Offload Property From Banks
Less than three months after tightening rules to force lenders to recognize deeper real-estate losses, Spain is seeking new ways to convince the bond market that bank losses won't overburden public finances. De Guindos was speaking just hours before …
Read more on San Francisco Chronicle

Select Property Launches Aquitainia Luxury Development


(PRWEB) October 4, 2008

Select Property, UK property developer, and Dubai based Select Group have teamed up to launch the exclusive luxury development Aquitainia, which is located in Dubai on the fabulous ‘The World’ development.

Located just four kilometres off the coast of Dubai, the project is scheduled to be completed in 2012.

The new Aquitainia property (http://www.aquitainia.co.uk/property.php) development is situated on the fusion of the two islands, France and Spain, which form part of the awe-inspiring archipelago cluster of 300 islands which create ‘The World’.

Designed to compliment the artistic creation of The World, the