Sun, sea, sand and Speedos… The quest to find the perfect beachfront property

by Charlotte Ashton World

The world has a lot to offer holidaymakers. Skiing retreats, theme parks, safari adventures and city breaks are just a few of the options. Yet it seems that what people want more than anything is a relaxing beach break. The 2013 Expedia Flip Flop Report, an annual survey completed by holidaymakers around the world, found that 46% of respondents had taken a beach holiday in the past year and that a further 64% were hoping to take one during the year ahead.

  • 64% of people hope to take a beach holiday within the next year (Expedia)
  • 21% of Italians exercise more before hitting the beach (YouGov)
  • 90% of French people find the Speedo to be acceptable beachwear (Expedia)

Such is the popularity of beach breaks that many holidaymakers go one step further and purchase their own beachfront holiday home. In recent years, Albania has proven a particularly popular choice for this. Areas such as the pristine Adriatic beach of Lalzit Bay are attracting increasing amounts of attention from holidaymakers. In particular the award-winning Lalzit Bay Resort and Spa, which is tipped to become the most exclusive beach community in Albania and which offers apartments from just €30,000 and villas from €117,000, has experienced a surge in overseas buyers looking to own five star beachfront accommodation.

Though beach holidays are in themselves relaxing, it seems that they require serious preparation beforehand. The latest YouGov survey on pre-holiday trends, conducted for lastminute.de, found that 19% of Italians increase their exercise regime before going on holiday, while 17% go on a diet. With Italy having over 6% of the world’s Blue Flag beaches, according to the Foundation for Environmental Education, perhaps it is not surprising that the Italians want to look their best before reclining on such delightfully clean sand!

Dawn Cavanagh-Hobbs, founder of Appassionata, which has renovated the stunning fractional ownership property Casa Leopardi in Italy’s Le March region as a luxury holiday home (fractions cost £185,000 for five weeks’ exclusive use of the five bedroom/five bathroom house per year), commented:

“One of the things that has attracted our owners – as well as how wonderful the house and estate are – is Casa Leopardi’s proximity to the beach. We have three Blue Flag beaches (Pedaso, Cupra Marittima and Grottamare) all within 10 km. As holiday home owners become more discerning, they are increasingly listing access to a beach as one of their key requirements.”

Spaniards are also concerned about their summer appearance, with the same YouGov survey finding that 21% exercised more before their holidays and 14% dieted. With beach names like ‘Paraíso’ (paradise) perhaps this is understandable. This stunning beach on the Costa Blanca has long been popular with holidaymakers and now leading Spanish homebuilder Taylor Wimpey España is offering them the chance to own their own slice of paradise with its fabulous La Vila Paradis apartments. With direct access to Paraíso beach, as well as the pool and private gardens of the development, all for just €249,000, it’s easy to see why the two and three bedroom apartments are so popular.

While the French don’t feel inclined to exercise en masse before a beach holiday, they are the most open of European countries in terms of their attitude towards that most famous of beach garments – the Speedo. While invoking strong feelings in other European nations, Speedos are highly approved of in France, with over 90% of the country’s beachgoers finding trim trunks acceptable, according to the Expedia survey.

The Villages Group, which runs the Le Village –Rainbow, a gay active living retirement community in France’s beautiful Dordogne region, features superb indoor and outdoor pools on site as well as being only 29 km from the beach of Narbonne, on the Mediterranean coast. Their eco-friendly properties start from €180,000 for those within the LGBT community looking to enjoy an active retirement. Of course, choice of suitable swimwear is left down to each individual owner!

European beachgoers were also the most permissive with regard to sunbathing topless on the beach, with 23% feeling comfortable with upper-half nudity. However, 48% of the total respondents were unhappy with the idea of dropping their tops (or more) while on the beach. For those looking for a holiday home in a place with a slightly more conservative attitude towards topless sunbathing – as well as powder-fine sand and clear, sparkling seas of course – the Caribbean has long been the favourite choice.

Within the Caribbean the island of Grenada is currently the top spot for those looking to own a holiday home overseas, having been predicted to be the fastest growing market in the Caribbean from 2011 to 2021 by the World Travel and Tourism Council. At Bacolet Bay, Property Frontiers is offering incredible five star sea view hotel suites from £248,500 as an investment opportunity that also includes four weeks’ personal usage every year. As well as access to the secluded 300m long white sandy beach on Grenada’s tropical southern shore, owners will be able to enjoy the resort’s waterfront restaurant, bars, gymnasium, swimming pool and spa.

It seems that wherever people prefer to holiday, the perfect beach property is ready and waiting.

For more information on buying a beachfront property abroad, please contact AB Property Marketing by calling 0845 054 7524, visiting http://www.abpropertymarketing.co.uk/ or emailing enquiries@abpropertymarketing.co.uk.

Perth is top destination Down Under

by Charlotte Ashton Australian

Perth is the top destination Down Under, according to TheMoveChannel.com’s At a Glance. The infographic, which charts activity on the site over the past 12 months, shows that Perth was the most searched-for place for Australian property hunters.

 

The capital of the Western Australian state accounted for one-third (33.8 per cent) of all Australia searches on TheMoveChannel.com. Sydney came in a close second, attracting 28.21 per cent. Melbourne was also highly desirable among international buyers, responsible for 19.98 per cent of searches.
Despite Perth’s popularity, though, most buyers ended up in a different state when it came to signing on the dotted line: property in Queensland generated the highest number of enquiries (37.96 per cent), ahead of Western Australia (31.48 per cent).
Queensland’s activity was mostly driven by Brisbane, which was the most popular destination in the state, accounting for one in 20 Australian property searches. But Queensland was also home to three of the 10 most sought-after locations on TheMoveChannel.com, suggesting that while a large majority preferred Western Australia’s Perth, the eastern state had a broader appeal.
New South Wales accounted for one in five enquiries and one in 10 respectively, with buyers mostly looking for homes in Sydney and Melbourne. Adelaideattracted 5.17 per cent of buyers, enough to be the fourth most popular Australian location on the site, but the state of South Australia was responsible for just 0.92 per cent of enquiries.
Tasmania and the Northern Territory were the least popular states, receiving no enquiries on TheMoveChannel.com at all in the last year.
The At a Glance infographic also depicts the activity on Google over the past 12 months, revealing that houses are the most popular type of property in the Australia. Indeed, while previous At a Glance reports have found that generic searches are the most common for each country, “houses for sale in Australia” was the most frequently used keyword, consistently appearing in three times as many searches as “property in Australia” and “property for sale in Australia”. Overall searches for Australian property peaked in January 2013 before falling back to the same levels as last year.
Editor Ivan Radford comments:
“Australia has long been a top destination for expats looking for a new home. Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney and Perth are all regularly ranked among the world’s most liveable cities. That lifestyle reputation drives the majority of buyer interest on TheMoveChannel.com; it is no coincidence that those three are the most looked-for locations.
“The surprise is that while many people searched for the main Australian cities, buyers tended to end up somewhere else during the purchasing process. Only 1 in 20 were looking to Brisbane, but Queensland was the most popular property market in terms of enquiries. Is it a relative lack of listings in certain areas on TheMoveChannel.com that drives them to other cities, or the discovery of lower profile locations that are not as well known among international tourists?
“They may be flexible about where they will live, but buyers are very clear about what they want: it is unusual for a property type to appear in more Google searches than generic property-related keywords. Chinese investors are driving up investment in Oz real estate, but expats – particularly Brits – remain a big portion of the buyer market. With interest peaking at the start of a new year, as the weather worsened in the UK, the focus upon “houses for sale in Australia” may well be the mark of expats already picturing their new, sunny life Down Under.”
Click here to view the full infographic.
Notes to Editors
Founded in 1999, TheMoveChannel.com is the leading independent website for international property, with than 400,000 listings in over 100 countries around the world, marketed on behalf of agents, developers and private owners.
The website address is http://www.themovechannel.com and the office address is 24 Jack´s Place, Corbet Place, Spitalfields, London, E1 6NN.
Contact Dan Johnson on 0207 952 7650 for further information

A dream Italian holiday on a budget? Surely not!

by Charlotte Ashton Uncategorized

Italy is world’s 5th most visited country (WTO) but 2nd most dreamed of destination (Virtuoso)

Italy takes 5 of top 10 places in list of most expensive destinations (Trivago)

·         Luxury 5 bed/5 bath property in Le Marche costs just £185k (Appassionata)

Italy has never been viewed as a cheap holiday destination. Yet with its awe-inspiring scenery, Blue Flag beaches, fabulous cuisine and ancient architecture, it remains a top tourist destination, attracting more than 45 million visitors per year. It is the fifth most visited country in the world and also the fifth highest tourist earner, according to the World Tourism Organization’s (WTO) 2012 Tourism Highlights report.

Despite its leading position, the latest Virtuoso Travel Dreams survey has revealed that still more people want to visit Italy than currently do. The country came second in the list of worldwide dream destinations, beaten only by Australia. This year’s survey also included some newly categorised data, with five distinct types of travel personalities providing information on their preferred holiday options. Italy came top in three categories, second in one and third in another, cementing its position as a top holiday destination with a wide range of individuals.

So with holiday budgets seeming ever more squeezed, is it possible to visit Italy without breaking the bank? For smart travellers, the answer is a definite yes. By opting for ‘newly discovered’ regions such as Le Marche, which borders Tuscany to the north-west and the Adriatic Sea to the east, holidaymakers can enjoy authentic Italy at its best, while avoiding the hefty price tag of more traditionally visited areas.

Le Marche is a region of incredible natural beauty. The rolling, hilly land has over 170 km of coastline and includes the Sibillini Mountain national park, as well as featuring numerous attractions such as the remarkable Frasassi Caves. The cuisine is wonderful, aided by the 16 varieties of truffle found in Le Marche. For those on a budget who don’t plan to sample the tartufi bianchi(which can cost well in excess of £1,500 per kilo), local truffle oils, butters and pastes abound.

Accommodation in Le Marche doesn’t have to cost the earth either, if you know where to look. Family-run company Appassionata offers fractional ownership of its five bedroom/five bathroom luxury home Casa Leopardi for just £185,000. Appassionata’s founder Dawn Cavanagh-Hobbs explains,

“So many people dream of owning a holiday home in Italy but assume they simply can’t afford it. If they do save up enough, they spend the first week of every holiday cleaning the house, undertaking minor repairs and tackling the overgrown garden.

“At Appassionata we wanted to enable people to live the Italian highlife for just a fraction of the cost. Our owners are able to enjoy their own luxury holiday home for five weeks of every year, including its private swimming pool and the estate’s all-weather tennis court and basketball court. They even get to share in the produce from our vineyards, olive groves, lavender plantation and truffle orchard!”

Naturally, interest in Casa Leopardi has been intense. However, a couple of fractions remain available to savvy holidaymakers looking to live the Italian dream. Appassionata are even offering two years of free maintenance fees (worth over £7,500) for purchases completed before September 2013.

Despite its expensive reputation and dream destination status, all it takes is a little imagination for Italy to become an affordable, indulgent holiday hotspot for the whole family. So while budgets are tight and holidays matter even more than they usually do, smart travellers are heading for Le Marche.

For more information contact Appassionata on 0039 073 465 8775, visit www.appassionata.com or take a video tour of Casa Leopardi

Last chance to be an industry award winner: OPP Awards entry deadline extended

by Charlotte Ashton United Kingdom

With already twice as many entries as last year, the 2013 OPP Awards are proving popular with those in the international property industry. So popular in fact that, due to demand, the entry deadline for this year’s wards has been extended to Friday 16th August 2013.

 

Free to enter, the OPP Awards for Excellence, which have been running since 2008, recognise the best talent in the international property arena with more categories than ever before including new accolades for best small, large and new estate agency as well as the best property investment advisors.
OPP Award organiser, Xavier Wiggins, comments,
“The Awards team has quite simply been inundated with calls and emails from overseas property professionals from all over the world asking us to extend the OPP Awards entry deadline so that they can get their entries just right and, as part of our commitment to raise standards within the industry, we think they should be.
“For this reason we have extended the entry deadline by a fortnight to Friday 16th August with the independent judging process headed up by John Howell commencing swiftly afterwards.”
Being an OPP Awards of Excellence winner bring clear benefits whether you are a developer, agency or service provider. Leading international agents and businesses want to work with the best and a holder of an OPP Award of Excellence clearly identifies those companies with which to do business.
As Tan Sri Dato’Sri Leong Hoy Kum of Mah Sing Group Berhad, winners of Best Developer Worldwide 2012, comments,
“This award will definitely raise our profile in the international property market.”
Sponsored for the second year running by website Rightmove Overseas and foreign exchange specialists Smart Currency Exchange, the OPP Awards for Excellence will be presented at the glittering OPP Awards Gala Dinner on Wednesday 27th November in London´s Natural History Museum.
To enter please visit www.opp-connect.com/awards/index.php/enter-the-awards to download your application pack or call +44 208 540 2224 for more information.

Property Inspector: What next for Detroit?

by Charlotte Ashton United Kingdom

Earlier this month, Detroit became the biggest US city in history to file for bankruptcy after the city clocked up an estimated total deficit of $18.5 billion. As the application awaits approval, TheMoveChannel.com’s podcast asks what is next for Detroit.


–    Bankruptcy offers “fresh start” for Detroit, say estate agents
–    Bankruptcy is “exactly what Detroit needs – it couldn’t continue on this path”
–    Property prices predicted to rise in certain locations
–    Values up 13pc in last 12 months, 30pc below market peak
–    3 US cities filed for bankruptcy last year; all have seen house prices rebound
–    “The population has declined, but so has the size of the city… There are some streets where people just don’t go.”

 

The Property Inspector interrogates Chris Stead, Director of Property Investment House, who specialise in Detroit real estate, to find out where Motor City goes from here.

 

Click here to listen to the full investigation.

 


$18.5 billion. It’s a big number. Was it expected?
“Certainly, it is a big number and Detroit is obviously well documented now for being the biggest city in the US to file for bankruptcy. For people on the ground, the whispers have been going around for a number of years that it was on the cards. And yes, although the figure is a big one, $9 billion, just over half of the total debt is legacy costs. One of the reasons why Emergency Manager Kevin Orr decided to go this route is it gives the city a chance for the majority of this debt to be sort of taken off.”

 

So this is a chance for a fresh start?

 

“If it goes according to plan, Detroit will be coming back a lot stronger and leaner, which is the whole point of a bankruptcy.”

 

It’s better to be honest about the level of deficit rather than just pretend everything’s fine…

 

 

“And they have been for decades – that’s been the problem. They have been going on and hoping things will get better. The reality is that if you don’t do something about it, it can’t get better. So Kevin Orr had very little option: this is exactly what Detroit needs – it couldn’t continue on this path, it was getting deeper into debt. To file for bankruptcy and wipe the slate clean is certainly the way to go.”

 

Detroit isn’t the first city to file for bankruptcy…

 

“It’s just the largest. Three cities in California lastyear filed for bankruptcy and their housing markets have all rebounded very strongly. San Bernardino filed in August 2012, house prices increased just over 30pc year on year. Stockton was another. They filed in June 2012 and house prices there rose 24pc year on year. Mammoth Lakes was the other one and a year later their house prices were 13 per cent higher. So there is no correlation between a bankrupt city and a housing decline. It looks like it tends to go the other way. It’s the uncertainty that doesn’t drive growth. If you take that off the table that will give a lot of confidence to local people and investors from other states and other countries.”

 

There have been a lot of foreclosures in Detroit. A house last year was up for sale for just $1…

 

“It’s well documented that there are parts that you wouldn’t want to buy in! There are some streets and neighbourhoods where people just don’t go. There are a lot of homes that are rundown and vacant. Those homes, you could sell them for $1 all day long, because no one wants to buy them. Nobody wants to live there. If you want to make money in the Detroit market, and wherever you buy, it’s about the location. Certainly, he houses that we offer at Property Investment House are good houses on good streets in good neighbourhoods. When we advertise them for rent, we get 20 to 30 phone calls from people wanting to live there.”

 

Is that tenant demand still high, despite the population drop? The population was at 2 million in the 1950s. Now, it’s nearer to 700,000. There are something like 78,000 abandoned buildings…

 

“If you think the population has declined, so has the size of the city. There are blocks that the city has already allocated to rezoning and demolishing. What I will also say, again, just like in London and other parts of the world after the recession, a lot of people lost their jobs. They were forced into rented accommodation. Rental demand has been very strong because the majority of tenants cannot qualify for a mortgage because the banks aren’t actively lending. That’s why there’s a real opportunity for investors who have the liquid cash to go in and buy a home. These homes are solid brick homes – the first time we went to Detroit we were very pleasantly surprised by the leafy streets and how well the homes are built.”

 

 


Rewind 12 months and in July 2012 house prices climbed by 12.2 per cent year-on-year. What’s happened since then? Have they continued to climb?

 

“Absolutely. They’ve grown around 13 per cent in the last year but are still excellent value at 65% to 70% of the peak of the market. We believe, and a lot of wealth businessmen in the area are seeing, this is a buying opportunity.”

 


Do you think house prices will drop again if the bankruptcy application is approved?

 

“A temporary blip maybe, for a few months, who knows? But again, if you look at the three cities that filed in California last year, certainly on a 12 month chart whether there was a little dip or not, the 12-month chart shows they rebounded upwards of 13 and 30pc. There’s nothing to suggest that house prices will come down at all in the next six to 12 months.”

 

Subscribe to the TheMoveChannel.com´s podcast in iTunes.

 

 

Notes to Editors

 

Founded in 1999, TheMoveChannel.com is the leading independent website for international property, with than 400,000 listings in over 100 countries around the world, marketed on behalf of agents, developers and private owners.

 

The website address is http://www.themovechannel.com and the office address is 24 Jack´s Place, Corbet Place, Spitalfields, London, E1 6NN.
Contact Dan Johnson on 0207 952 7650 for further information.

My Online Estate Agent presents the half million pound home

by Charlotte Ashton United Kingdom

With data from Experian revealing that the number of £500,000 homes available for sale has risen by almost 20%, leading online estate agency My Online Estate Agent reveals what half a million pounds will buy you across the UK. 

Richard Patterson, Director of My Online Estate Agent comments on the recent lift in number of £500,000 houses on the market:

 

“Back in May this year we saw the average asking price for a home in London reaching the £500,000 marker (Rightmove) and whilst this might not come as a surprise for the Capital, readily heralded as a top global city, the significant rise in the number of half million pound homes coming onto the market across other parts of the UK was an interesting trend especially given the increase to 4% in stamp duty at this level.

 

“Here at My Online Estate Agentwe have certainly seen the number of half million pound homes listed for sale rise over the last quarter with properties from all four corners of the country represented.”

 

On the market for c. £500,000:

 

Tredean Cottagein Chepstowbacks onto open fields and hills with truly magnificent views to the rear of the property. The house is perfectly situated being only 9 miles from Monmouth and 6 miles from Chepstow. Although a cottage in name, all of the rooms are of a well sized with high ceilings and the property has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. Priced at £480,000.

 

This luxury four bedroom house in St Albans was built only 2 years ago by developers Martin Grant Home.  A high specification property which is set in a private cul-de-sac in the much sought after area of Chiswell Green on the south side of St Albans.  Designed for easy family living the house has a big open plan area on the ground floor and a delightful garden with inbuilt seating.  This house is likely to sell fast at just £530,000.

This character smallholding with around 4 acres of land in Monmouthshire comprises a large barn conversion, newly built 2012, as well as separate holiday cottage which sleeps 6, ideal for those wishing additional income or for dual family occupation.  There are also outbuildings and a hay barn plus another small stone barn which could be converted. The main dwelling has a very large kitchen/dining /family room which is partly vaulted to the roof as well as 3 bedrooms, a bathroom and shower room. Priced at £499,950.

As featured in the forthcoming movie “A Life in August“, this substantial detached 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom property in Ashfield, Carnbo in Scotland combines the charm of a traditional country home with all the comfort and efficiency of 21st century living. Traditional in appearance with Welsh Slate roof, exterior stone detailing, timber windows and natural hard floor coverings it was recently completed in 2012 to an exceptional build standard with a highly efficient eco heating system, providing underfloor heating, and an independent eco hot water system. Cat 6 and Digital Coax installed throughout the home. Guide price of £499,000.

 

For more information please contact My Online Estate Agent on 0845 257 1101 or visit MyOnlineEstateAgent. 

How to spot a landlord. Could you pick one out of a crowd?

by Charlotte Ashton United Kingdom

If this was a wildlife documentary then you might expect to hear Sir David Attenborough explaining in his distinctive tone, that far from being threatened by extinction, population numbers of landlords are thriving in the UK.

According to new research by the Strategy Society Centre (SSC), the number of landlords, as a proportion of the UK population, has more than doubled over the past 20 years with HMRC figures showing some 1.9 million private landlords operate on our shores.

  • 1.9 million private landlords operate in the UK (HMRC)
  • They are wealthier, better educated and more likely to have grown-up in an owner-occupied home (SSC)
  • Landlords earn £1,000 per month more than tenants (SSC)

Indeed with the 2011 England & Wales census revealing that more of us than ever before are renting, in excess of 3.6 million people, and that the private rented sector is worth an estimated £893 billion, being a landlord is an attractive prospect for many but who are they? Could you spot a landlord out in the wild?

The SSC, using data on 40,000 people from the UK Wealth and Assets Survey, took on the challenge of tracking down the increasingly prolific UK landlord looking at demographic, socioeconomic, financial and letting characteristics.

In short, the survey revealed that landlords were wealthier with higher incomes, better educated and more likely to have grown-up in an owner-occupied home. A somewhat predictable result one may think but the survey also revealed some interesting trends.

Firstly, due to the rise of Generation Rent, landlords and tenants sit within a similar age bracket, 48 and 32 years old respectively. Renting is no longer only a young person’s game, more and more families are renting for life with many savvy landlords tapping into this lucrative market sector.

For those landlords who haven’t made it their full time career and remain in employment elsewhere, they typically earn about £1,000 per month more than tenants highlighting the financial disparity between the two groups. On one side of the coin, the mean financial wealth of private landlords is £75,103 according to the SSC report compared to the other with a mean of £9,506 for tenants. Landlords are so markedly more affluent in fact that two thirds said that they could permanently cope, without any difficulty, with a 25% income reduction.

Commenting on the findings, Richard Patterson, Director of leading online estate agency, MyOnlineEstateAgent.com and himself a hands-on landlord for 7 years, says,

“When I was younger, I never dreamt that I would be a landlord. It was always something that other, older people did but having worked hard early in my career I wanted to make my money work equally hard and felt that property was the best way to do that. I purchased my first property, a 2 bedroom apartment in Harrow back in 2008 and never looked back.

”What has surprised me though is how many of my friends, family and colleagues have done the same. Some have one or two buy to let properties, mainly to top up their monthly income and as a pension pot but others have gone on to become career landlords but if I look at them, their ages, level of income and owner-occupier background, I should have seen it coming.”

The rapid growth in the private rented sector is a trend also seen by MyOnlineEstateAgent.com with the number of new properties listed each month for rent on the site doubling from January to June this year.

So if you are a UK landlord looking to purchase your next buy to let property or indeed find a tenant or a tenant looking to find your perfect next home, then visit MyOnlineEstateAgent.com or call 0845 257 1101 for more information.

Rise of the Virgin Landlord: Pop your B2L cherry with these top 3 investment picks

by Charlotte Ashton United Kingdom

With lower house prices, rising rents and improved access to mortgage finance it’s no wonder that more and more Britons are looking to join the buy-to-let club. Indeed with UK GDP growing by a mere 0.6% in the three months ending May 2013 and many workers worse off in real terms as salaries remain frozen yet the cost of living continues to rise, securing supplementary income in the form of rental income is increasingly appealing.

  • Virgin landlords looking to invest in 2013 at highest level in a year (Rightmove)
  • Paragon Mortgages’ intermediaries saw 22% of B2L business from virgin landlords in Q1 2013
  • Top 3 B2L investment picks from MyOnlineEstateAgent

Even despite average rental yields in the UK’s private rental sector falling by 0.1% last month according to Countrywide data, returns of up to 6.6%, as seen in Wales, are achievable driving more and more virgin landlords to enter the market.

According to the Rightmove Consumer Confidence Survey Q1 2013, the proportion of virgin landlords, looking to invest for the first time in 2013 was at its highest level for more than a year at 44%.

Improved access to B2L mortgage finance has also driven this sector forward with Paragon Mortgages revealing that intermediaries are seeing a steady increase in the number of first time landlords seeking finance. With echoes of the pre-recession boom period last seen in 2002, intermediaries saw 22% of business from virgin landlords in Q1 2013.

Indeed the latest figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders indicate that buy-to-let loans accounted for 13% of the total 11.26 million mortgages approved in Britain in 2012, up from 9.8% in 2011.

Richard Patterson, Director of leading online estate agency, MyOnlineEstateAgent, comments,

“I have seen, both on a personal level through friends and family and professionally at MyOnlineEstateAgent, a rise in the number of first time or virgin landlords. The rapid growth of the rental market and sustained yields which can be achieved, especially from 3 bedroom family properties which are in high demand, makes B2L a popular investment choice.“

But with thousands of properties on the market, how do you choose the right property to pop your B2L cherry? Utilising his expertise and experience as a hands on landlord for 7 years, Richard Patterson shares his top 3 investment picks available on the market today:

1.       3 bedroom semi-detached house in Greater Manchester – Offers over £125,000.

Ready to let with no chain or work required, this property is a safe bet due to its strong transport links near the junction for the M60 and M62. A good family home which will be in high demand with more and more people turning to renting as they struggle to buy. Expected rental return of over 6.5% based on achieving a rental figure of around £700 per month. http://www.myonlineestateagent.com/for-sale/manchester/whitefield/brightwater-close-329/

2.       1 bedroom flat in Blackpool – Offers in the region of £59,000.

This spacious purpose-built 1 bedroom apartment with sea views is perfect for young professionals as a starter home or a retirement property. Neutrally decorated and secure with intercom access, the convenient location of this apartment, close to the seafront, shopping and Blackpool attractions, makes this a strong B2L purchase. Even if purchased at asking price, with an estimated rental income of £400 per month, the yield is over 8%. http://www.myonlineestateagent.com/for-sale/lancashire/blackpool/greystoke-court-338/

3.       3 bedroom semi-detached house for sale in London – Offers in the region of £229,950.

For investors looking for a B2L property in the Capital this 3 bedroom property in Lewisham ticks all the boxes. Newly redecorated, this family home, even if secured at an asking price of £229,950, should produce a yield of over 7% with estimated rent close to £1,400 pcm. In addition, with Lewisham recording an 11.9% annual price increase according to Land Registry figures (Q4 2012 compared to Q4 2011), this property should also deliver future capital gain. http://www.myonlineestateagent.com/for-sale/london/lewisham/southend-lane-1267/

For more information on these or other properties for sale please visit www.myonlineestateagent.com or call 0845 257 1101.

A-grade seminar speakers confirmed at OPPLive’s Global Student Accommodation Forum

by Charlotte Ashton United Kingdom

“A mainstream global asset class worth an estimated US$200 billion” is how Philip Hillman, Global Student Housing Co-ordinator at Jones Lang LaSalle and confirmed speaker at OPPLive´s Global Student Accommodation Forum describes today´s student housing market.

 

Not alone in his positive view of this asset class, the latest Savills analysis reports that the student housing market in the UK has been a resilient and stable investment during the downturn with Marcus Roberts, another confirmed speaker at the exclusive OPPLive event, Director of Student Investment at the international real estate advisor stating that he is “confident that student housing will continue to prove a counter-cyclical investment”.
But with seemingly hundreds of student housing projects on the market today all over the world, how can developers present the right product and how can agents select the best for their clients?
“This is where the OPPLive Global Student Accommodation Forum comes into its own” says event organiser, Xavier Wiggins.
“High in content and value, The Student Accommodation Forum brings you real experts and real insight into this booming sector with three industry leading speakers, the release of the first OPP Student Accommodation Report and specialist networking sessions.”
Along with Hillman and Roberts, James Pullan, head of student property at Knight Frank, is confirmed as speaker, presenting the “Where are the current and future global student property hotspots?” session amongst others.
Wiggins continues,
“As an international property industry, we must remember that opportunities in the student housing market are not solely limited to the UK. Indeed the Savills Spotlight on European Student Housing 2013 report released only last week, highlighted the supply-demand imbalance present in many European cities and that is why we welcome debate from developers, agents and experts from all four corners of the world.”
Held on 27th and 28th November 2013 at the auspicious Central Hall in Westminster, London, attending the OPPLive Global Student Accommodation Forum is essential for anyone looking to sell or those already selling student accommodation.
Attend the Business Breakfast, meet with industry leaders under one roof for debate, join the Attracting international investment to UK student accommodation Round Table – The state of the UK student accommodation sector, take part in agent to developer networking, arrange one to one meetings, attend the press conference and get your copy of the first OPP Student Accommodation report, find out about agent trips to student projects and round the day off with the popular UK and Global Student Accommodation Hot Spots Cocktail reception.
Delegates can now purchases passes for OPPLive online through the new registration system available here http://www.opp-live.com/buy-delegatepasses/ with a special Early Bird Rate of £195 for one ticket or two tickets for £295 available until Friday 6th September 2013.
With Delegate Passes selling fast visit http://www.opp-live.com/buy-delegatepasses/ today to ensure you don´t miss out on the industry event of the year!

Not only a tasty treat for pandas, bamboo provides the answer to rising global energy demands

by Charlotte Ashton United Kingdom

Concerns over energy provision and security remain high on the political agenda. With fuel prices set to rise due to instability in Egypt, environmentalists campaigning against shale gas fracking in the UK and activists even scaling London’s Shard in protest against oil and gas drilling in the Artic, never before has the drive for reliable and sustainable energy sources been so great.

•Global demand for biomass will double within 2 years alone (RISI & North American Bioenergy Studies)
•Biomass accounts for more than 75% of final energy consumption in sub-Saharan Africa
•Bamboo is the best source of biomass delivering a wide range of economic, social, environmental and financial returns
•Exclusive biomass investment seminar: Thursday 18th July 13.00 & 18.30, London 

One new renewable energy source which is meeting this demand is biomass, a biological material derived from plants primary which can either be used directly via combustion to produce heat or indirectly after converting to biofuel.
Indeed as population growth and economic development increase energy needs, the global demand for biomass, particularly for energy generation, is quite simply soaring.
In 2012 alone 4.36 million metric tons of biomass was shipped from the US to the EU according to the U.S. Industrial [biomass] Pellet Association and recent RISI and North American Bioenergy studies anticipate that global demand for biomass will double within 2 years alone, within 5 years reaching 37 million dry tonnes per year in Europe and 20 million dry tonnes in the USA. By 2020, the demand for biomass in Europe should reach 243 million dry tonnes with more than 77% of the overall demand coming from the energy sector.
Within the UK the positive role biomass can play has been recognised with Chancellor George Osborne committing £75 million to the conversion of the Drax coal-fired power station to biomass in his 2013 Budget.
Outside of the major Western markets, demand for biomass is also growing and changing in the nature of its supply. In sub-Saharan Africa, biomass accounts for more than 75% of final energy consumption with wood biomass the most common source of domestic fuel, but today it is increasingly being supplied from more sustainable sources such as green charcoal rather than through cutting of natural forests.
In South Africa alone, which is highly coal dependant, there is a rapid movement towards the use of biomass for heat and power. According to the Pew Clean Energy Report the country’s clean energy investment grew a mind-boggling 20,500% from 2011 with $5.5 billion invested in 2012, up from under $30 million the year before.
Ray Withers, Chief Executive of multi award-winning investment agency, Property Frontiers, comments,
“Biomass is attractive in a green energy mix because unlike intermittent renewable energy sources like wind or solar it provides stable baseload power. Global biomass power production is set to rise 9% per year but we must move away from our already challenged forests to finding other sustainable and efficient sources of biomass.”
High performing and fast growing sources of biomass have the edge in this rapidly evolving market place and as bamboo is the fastest growing plant on earth with some species obtaining growth surges of 100cm per day, bamboo is now in favour not only with hungry pandas but biomass producers.
Thriving in some of the poorest, most degraded soils on earth with growth patterns which ensure sustainability and its ability to sequester four times more carbon that other timber, bamboo is fast becoming the biomass source of choice with commercial demand for the harvest from plantations such as the Kowie Farm on the Eastern Cape of South Africa at an all-time high.
The Kowie Bamboo Farm at Port Alfred covers some 482 hectares, divided into lots available for qualifying high net worth and sophisticated investors to purchase as a 15 year commercial land lease through Property Frontiers.
Each full hectare plot, priced at £25,700 consists of 400 individual Bambusa balcooa plants, or clumps which have already been planted, and if managed correctly is projected to return, through the pre-agreed sale of raw biomass, £110,705 gross over the 15 year lease period.
So with bamboo offering not only a wide range of economic, social, environmental and financial returns, contact Property Frontiers today on +44 1865 202 700, visit www.propertyfrontiers.com to find out more or join the free exclusive biomass investment seminar on Thursday 18th July, 1300 & 18.30 at the Hilton Park Lane, London, click here for tickets: http://propertyfrontiersbiomass2.eventbrite.co.uk/