Holiday property investment

The billboards that line the road from the airport to the center of this metropolis in China's southwest proclaim as soon as you arrive that the country's property boom has spread firmly to the interior. Touting housing developments like "Venice Impression" and "Dream Town," they are as ubiquitous as the cranes and frames of high-rises covering the hills on the outskirts of this gateway to the west, which not long ago were only dotted with villages. Once a scene reserved for eastern cities like Beijing and Shanghai , they testify to a transformation overtaking China 's second-tier cities, as investment in factories and infrastructure brings in jobs and raises incomes. "Chongqing's property market right now is a lot like Hangzhou's five or six years ago, only without the same kind of bubble Hangzhou went through," said Lian J H Ye from the Chongqing office of property consultants DTZ Debenham Tie Leung. Hangzhou, and its close neighb...

When Toledo fire fighter Rudy Garcia went looking for land on which to build a home, he was eager to find a real estate tax haven. He didn't have to search far. Newly built homes in a wide swath covering a majority of land in Toledo are eligible for a program that forgives most property taxes for 15 years. Begun more than two decades ago in an attempt to spawn home construction in "discouraged" areas of Toledo, the program has grown to cover two-thirds of the city, municipal administrators said. In a little noted development last year, City Council added the popular neighborhoods of Point Place, the North Towne area, and Reynolds Corners. The program now stretches to the city of Oregon to the east, Springfield Township to the west, Bedford Township to the north, and Rossford and Northwood to the south. More here .

The emerging markets of Central and Eastern Europe are current hot spots, attracting a lot of interest with low entry costs and the potential for high capital growth. However, the advantages and the security of more mature markets should not be overlooked. France is a great example. According to the annual French Property Market Report, published by the French property experts, VEF, France is still an exciting market with house prices set to rise by an average of 11 per cent this year. VEF's long term prediction for the market is healthy with prices set to perform over the 8-9 per cent p.a. rate over the next decade, which shows there is still plenty of room in the Gallic market for growth. This is reassuring news for investors looking for sustainability and no unwanted surprises to their portfolio. However, perhaps the best part for many is France itself. You can buy your dream apartment or villa as a buy to let and you can also use it for your own holidays. Tips from VEF...

While Spain is the number one location for overseas property purchases, a biannual survey for A Place in the Sun Live reveals that the US has overtaken France to move into second place. Australia takes fourth place ahead of Italy and New Zealand in the survey, which shows that the reasons for Brits making an overseas property purchase are varied. More than a quarter of Brits are so-called 'family sun seekers'. They would buy an overseas property because they are looking for a safe reliable haven for holidays with their children. Buying a place in the sun to enjoy a well-deserved retirement – 'reward reapers' – is the reason a fifth of people want to make an overseas property purchase. Lifestyle concious Brits who want to expand their social horizons with an overseas property drive 16 per cent of purchases, while eight per cent of would-be-buyers are 'life changers', leaving the UK for a new life abroad. Surprisingly, the number of people buying abroad for in...

If you could create the ideal holiday destination from scratch you’d probably want the perfect mixture of near-deserted white beaches, breathtaking scenery, year-round warm weather, sumptuous cuisine, a friendly native population and plenty to discover and explore. Fortunately this destination already exists in Southeast Asia in the shape of the Kingdom of Thailand ; officially translated as the ‘land of the free’ but known to travelers the world over as ‘the land of smiles’. Barama Bay Island is an 80 hectare parcel of paradise set in sheltered waters off the east coast of Phuket. White sand beaches are lapped by warm turquoise waters and an abundance of virgin tropical vegetation from coconut palms to mangroves covers the Island. Barama Bay has been conceived to be the most exclusive resort in the world. There are two options for gaining physical access to the Island, either a 15 minute drive from Phuket International Airport followed by a three minute water taxi journey to Barama ...