Cortijo del Mar is a new residential complex in the heart of the Costa del Sol on the New Golden Mile just minutes from San Pedro, Puerto Banus and Estepona.

Located in an elevated position, Cortijo del Mar is a few minutes away from the beach and is ideally located around several golf courses, one right on the doorstep offer excellent Golf, Tennis, Pool and Spa facilities. Cortijo del Mar is a secure gated complex with hi-tech video entry and intelligent home systems available as standard in all of the properties.

These systems allow you to control music and video throughout your home, climate control, open and closing of the shutters all from a convenient control panel. Best of all, you can control your home remotely, you can even turn on your air con on the way from the airport meaning you arrive in complete comfort.

• Prices from €282,000
• 10% Launch Discount
• All Properties are Fully Furnished
• 80% Finance Available
• Deal Directly with the developer

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Cortijo del Mar Golf & Country Club, Costa del Sol : Intelligent Home Systems

Obelisk prides itself on ensuring that investment recommendations always fit investor requirements and budgets. Obelisk’s latest recommendation does just that as well as offering the ultimate investment mantra – low-entry, high-yield and fully-managed. An investment in cheap land in Ukraine starts at US$2800, has projected returns in excess of 400% over five years and is hassle-free.

With the fluctuations of the world’s economy, investment requirements change. In times of tighter budgets, it’s time for low-entry investment. In times of ever-falling interest rates, it’s time for high yields. In times of uncertainty, it’s time for a worry-free investment. It’s therefore time to add cheap farmland in Ukraine to your investment portfolio.

Obelisk specialises in emerging markets and to date, has offered only property investments. A hallmark of Obelisk-recommended properties is their low-entry price, but the current economic climate has reduced many investors’ budgets leading to the need for even-lower entry prices. And they don’t come much lower than US$2800.

Farmland in Ukraine is perhaps a surprising addition to Obelisk’s recommendations and is certainly radically different from a beachfront villa in north east Brazil. But variety is a vital statistic of any investment portfolio and just as Laguna Beach adds one of the best investment potentials to a portfolio so does cheap land in Ukraine.

In a world where the population is increasing at the dizzy rate of 150 people every minute and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) calculates that an additional 1 billion tonnes of grain are needed by 2030, farmland is unsurprisingly fast becoming highly sought after.

Last year saw the highest grain prices ever and this year, according to the FT, “agricultural commodity prices have returned to levels last seen at the start of the 2007-2008 food crisis”. With wheat yields expected to fall this year but global grain consumption forecast to increase by 0.75%, grain prices can only go up.
Known as the ‘bread basket of Europe’, home to rich fertile soils and already the world’s 10th largest cereal exporter, Ukraine is an obvious choice for land. Add to this the facts that Ukraine land prices are cheap (a fraction of those in Western Europe) and that current yields in Ukraine are far below its potential, Ukraine farmland makes real investment sense.

Investment in the latest Obelisk recommendation starts at just US$2800 and offers a dual-moneymaking opportunity. Investors reap 30% of net profits from the annual crops on the land and harvest 415% projected capital appreciation after five years. The land investment is fully-managed and therefore worry-free. And true to the essence of the Obelisk philosophy, investment in Ukraine land comes with total peace of mind – this investment is through a well-established London-based plc whose property management portfolio comes in at over €100 million.

The World Bank sees the current situation as “a major opportunity for Ukraine” and highlights that “Ukraine is in a position to make a significant contribution to the international food crisis, while providing attractive investment”.

With an entry level of just US$2800, projected returns of 415% over five years and no worries, this is also “a major opportunity” for investors – Obelisk’s latest recommendation puts you in a position to make a significant contribution to your personal wealth. And major opportunities don’t come better than that.

News submitted by Alison Kane, Obelisk Investment Property

Post from: Overseas Property Blog

Cheap Land in Ukraine Offer The Best Investment

To many travellers, one of the biggest pleasures of a holiday is enjoying a few drinks in the evening, (and afternoon, and morning) so visitors to Bali will be horrified to hear that the country is facing an alcohol shortage, which tourism chiefs fear may dent the tourist high season which is so crucial to the Bali economy…

The alcohol drought is due to customs officials confiscating thousands of bottles of booze from some of the island’s top hotels, restaurants and bars.

But why, I hear you cry? Well, apparently the bottles have counterfeit tax labels meaning they are being illegally sold. Popular tourist areas such as Kuta and Nusa Dua are said to be running low on their supplies of alcohol, and hoteliers and bar owners are concerned that this may deter tourists from visiting Bali.

As the credit crunch has led to many people choosing to have a staycation this year, Brits may well avoid Bali and opt for less riskier destinations closer to home. As everyone knows that the British have a reputation - whether deserved or not - for enjoying their booze on holiday- this latest alcohol shortage could prove the deciding factor when it comes to holidaying in Bali this year.

Perry Markus, Head of the Bali branch of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association, said, “We’ve asked for this confiscation process to be temporarily suspended because we are running out of stocks.”

Ida Bagus Subhiksu, Head of the Bali Tourism Board, believes the raids could damage Bali’s international reputation, “We asked the customs office to stop the process and if they have to do something, please continue it later on, after the high season,” he added.

This latest alcohol problem isn’t the first to hit Bali recently - 26 people, including four foreign tourists, died after drinking local rice wine - called Arak - which had been poisoned with methanol.

Arak has become increasingly popular in Bali since a Government crackdown on imported alcohol forced up the price of spirits and wine.

The case of Queenslander Schapelle Corby almost five years ago - in which a hugely high profile trail followed her conviction for smuggling cannabis into Bali- although she maintains it was put into her bag by airport workers - also deterred a number of Australians from visiting the country.

News submitted by Dan Johnson, The Move Channel

Post from: Overseas Property Blog

Alcohol Shortage = No Booze In Bali

New research has found that a whopping 11 million Brits are thinking of taking a job overseas within the next two years – a significant dent in the population – and a fifth of those would choose a new life down under…

Britain is experiencing the greatest exodus of its own nationals in recent history while immigration is at unprecedented levels, new figures show.

In 2007, 207,000 British citizens - one every three minutes - left the country and currency specialist Foreign Currency Direct has revealed that one in four working Brits are now looking to abandon their homes in the UK for sunnier climes and better job opportunities.

More British live abroad than any other nationality and the levels of emigration are now the same as those seen in the late-1950s when the £10 Poms left for Australia.

An increase in tax levelled at high wage earners coupled with rising UK unemployment is thought to be partly behind the mass exodus.

The research found that men are almost twice as likely as women to opt for a job overseas and moving abroad was most popular with Brits aged between 18 and 30 and also those in the 51 to 60 age bracket, perhaps seeking a better lifestyle for their retirement.

With the number of unemployed in Birmingham higher than in any other major UK city, people living in the Midlands are subsequently the most likely to look for a job overseas – 17 per cent of them compared to just 13 per cent in Wales and the South West.

The majority of people planned to head for a country with a warmer climate, more days of sunshine and those that were English speaking. A fifth of people named Australia as their top choice; one in six selected the USA and one in ten chose New Zealand. Canada was also a popular choice.

Peter S. Ellis, Chief Executive of Foreign Currency Direct, said, “As people struggle to find jobs, it is no wonder that Brits are considering bailing out of the UK.

“In the last year, Foreign Currency Direct has seen an 37 per cent increase in the number of clients transferring funds to Australia and the USA as Britons look overseas for a better quality of life.”

Love note – not only could you enjoy a better lifestyle in Australia, but your relationship could be happier too - divorce rates are just 40 per cent in Australia compared to 70 per cent in the UK.

News submitted by Dan Johnson, The Move Channel

Post from: Overseas Property Blog

11m Brits To Emigrate Over Next 2 Years

Plenty of us harbour a secret ambition to do a César Ritz and try our hand at hostelry. Jerez real estate agents, Mercers, have two city centre residences on their books which will allow you to do just that. The first is for those who like to work smart and is ready to go whilst the second is for those who like to work hard and is ready for renovation. Both have enough period flair and exquisite detailing to satisfy even the late ‘King of Hoteliers and Hotelier of Kings’.

Most famous for being the spiritual home of flamenco, the birthplace of sherry and a centre for Andalucian dancing horses - Jerez has much to offer the globetrotter. Its ‘Casco Histórico’ with a walled medina concealing cobbled streets, authentic tapas bars and the period palaces of the sherry dynasties draws year-round attention whilst the unblemished beaches of the Costa de la Luz are a swift 20 minute drive.

Easy to reach, for nationals and northern Europeans alike, Jerez’s modernized International Airport is set to serve four million passengers each year by 2012 (up from 1.4 million in 2006) and will crucially have its own AVE (bullet train) station connecting it to Spain’s major cities. Would-be hoteliers have little to fear, Jerez has earned its place on Spain’s cultural tourism map.

In order to hit the (cobbled) ground running Mercer’s recommends JER113, a ten-bedroom turn of the 20th century guest house set in a charming narrow street at the heart of town. Only one minute from Jerez’s central shopping district, Calle Larga, this Parisian-style boutique hotel has been welcoming paying guests for a number of years.

With a tardis-like 506m² constructed area plus a magnificent suntrap roof terrace of 180m² which throws light down into the vestibule via a large skylight, JER113 is a rare find. Excellent value for money considering the city-centre location, the ten bedrooms and six bathrooms are arranged over three floors whilst there is a shady courtyard patio at ground floor level and private garaging for up to three cars. The recently reduced price now stands at 599,000 euros (down from 850,000 euros).

The kind of renovation project that Michelangelo would’ve liked to have got stuck into, JER137 is a vintage family home dating back to 1858 and the belle of Mercer’s books. One step across the threshold and the typically Andalucian courtyard with its grandiose main staircase, pillars, arches, beveling, cornicing, coving and Frank Lloyd-Wright inspired stained glass will already have the imagination running wild. Inside many of the rooms have Arab-esque stucco detailing, intricate tiling as well as the most incredible hand-painted ceilings with frescoes of countryside landscapes.

Counting at least seven bedrooms, four bathrooms, two kitchens and six iron-railed balconies, this precious part of Jerez’s history is built over 847m² to include a private rooftop terrace with potential penthouse suite. A rear garden and garage complete the scene for an idyllic city centre destination hotel. Although technically priceless, JER137 has been reduced from 1,000,000 euros to a give-away 850,000 euros.

News submitted by Sarah Drane, Mercers

Post from: Overseas Property Blog

Vintage Jerez Offers Would-Be Hoteliers A Property Opportunity

Investors concerned about the notorious Cyprus property title deeds issue will be interested to hear that new legislation has been introduced in a bid to clear up years of problems – however, before you pop the champagne corks – the new rules will only apply to new purchases, meaning that vast numbers of owners will still be without legal documentation…

Thousands of overseas buyers have chased cheap property deals in Cyprus over the last five years, but buyer confidence has taken a knock after some owners found developers were hanging on to title deeds for their property in Cyprus.

As so many of the property owners in Cyprus are foreigners, this new legislation surrounding title deeds was crucial to their peace of mind about the ownership of their homes.

Up to 100,000 buyers – both locals and foreigners - have paid for their properties but have no legal documents to prove that they own them – which means that they are trapped as they are unable to sell them on without the documents.

But now, much to buyers’ distress, the Cypriot Government has seemingly reneged on a promise to sort out the mess and ‘help everyone,’ as it confirmed that the new law will not effect old transactions.

This means that buyers remain at the mercy of the developer who sold the property to them and the banks that hold their title deeds as collateral for loans.

The Cyprus Property Action Group, which is a collection of British nationals who have bought homes on the island and are campaigning for better protection for foreign property owners, are furious.

Back in February of this year, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband revealed that the British High Commissioner to Cyprus had ‘received assurances’ from the Cypriot Interior Ministry that they would introduce a bill to address the situation soon. At that point there was no mention of the new law relating only to future transactions, thus the buyers assumed the rules would help all of them.

Tasos Coucounis of law firm Andreas Coucounis & Co, said those denied deeds could file an action in court.

Cyprus Property Magazine reported that Mr Coucounis advised if vendors still failed to issue a deed after a successful action, buyers can “ask for Specific Performance of his sale contract from the court, in which case a Court Order for Specific Performance can be issued fast and presented at the Land Registry for transfer of the Title Deed without the vendor’s signature or participation”.

Now, they face a long court battle to get the rights to their title deeds and months more worry in the meantime.

News submitted by Dan Johnson, The Move Channel

Post from: Overseas Property Blog

New Property Legislation Introduced In Cyprus

Natal in Brazil’s north east has just been given the honour from football’s ruling body FIFA to become a host city for the 2014 World Cup. Already a favourite with property investors, this coastal paradise will now be showcased on TV sets across the globe.

Samantha Gore, Sales & Marketing Director of Brazil specialist agents uv10 comments, “We couldn’t be happier - Natal put on a very impressive pitch in order to become one of the host cities. This decision cements the great investment opportunity offered by property in and around Natal and we expect interest to accelerate in the run-up to 2014. Owing to its huge popularity it can already be tricky to find rental accommodation in Natal’s more desirable catchment areas such as the chic beach resort of Pipa, and recent investors will be delighted at this news.”

Samantha continues, “Major global sporting events automatically improve local transport links and facilities, we can only imagine the effect the World Cup will have on the area, particularly with the new airport on the way in Natal which is set to be the largest in South America. Here in Natal the Brazilian property market is far from its peak and there’s plenty of growth to be seen between now and 2014.”

As Brazilian president Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva said “soccer is more than a sport for us, it’s a national passion” and having won the Cup five times, they certainly have the credentials for a good event. It’s a real opportunity for Natal to enter the global stage and the real estate market has received a welcome boost.

uv10 offers a range of hand-picked, upmarket property located along Brazil’s spectacular northeast coastline. Properties range from one bedroom furnished apartments in the resort of Morada dos Ventos, Pipa, with a rental income of 8 – 10% per annum for an entry level price of around 70,000 euros right up to four bedroom individually designed villas with private pools in Natal Ocean Club from around 900,000 euros.

News submitted by Sarah Drane, UV10.com

Post from: Overseas Property Blog

Natal 2014 World Cup Host City

The islands of the Maldives, a string of iridescent pearls stretching across the Indian Ocean, are best known for luxury breaks and honeymoons, but now, the Government has announced plans to make the country carbon-neutral within ten years, in a bid to combat climate change and appeal to green tourists…

The Maldives, the lowest nation in the world, stands to be one of the countries most affected by global warming thanks to rising sea levels which could submerge the islands within 50 years.

Scientists and climate experts have predicted that sea levels could rise by as much as a metre by the end of this Century.

Thus, if the sea levels continue to rise at their current rate, the future looks pretty bleak (and watery) for these 1,192 paradise isles as many of them are already only 1.5 metres above sea level.

The islands, which lie near the southern tip of India and Sri Lanka, are inhabited by around 400,000 people who live across 250 of the islands.

In a desperate bid to control the effects of climate change, the Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed, has announced his Government’s plan to make the country ‘carbon-neutral’ within the next 10 years, hoping that other countries will follow suit.

As the Maldivian economy relies so heavily on tourism, raking in over £700,000 each year, the Government is also hoping that the carbon-neutral promise will attract more environmentally conscious tourists.

The Government is working with climate energy experts to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy sources.

A new British film about climate change, called ‘The Age of Stupid,’ provided the perfect backdrop against which to launch the carbon-neutral pledge.

The President admitted that becoming carbon-neutral would be very expensive, but it was something they simply had to do – giving new meaning to ‘costing the earth.’

President Nasheed said, “Climate change isn’t a vague and abstract danger but a real threat to our survival.”

New home

Shockingly, contingency plans have already been put into place in case the islands are submerged at some point in the future.

Mr Nasheed plans to create a sovereign wealth fund using tourism revenues to buy land in either India or Sri Lanka, where the culture is seen to be fairly similar.

He fears that if he does not take action, the future descendants of the 300,000 islanders could become environmental refugees.

News submitted Dan Johnson, The Move Channel

Post from: Overseas Property Blog

Maldives To Go Carbon Neutral In 10 Years

With the footballing calender over for another season, international fixtures are underway looking forward next years World Cup in South Africa. International sporting events are widely recognised as a driving force behind all kinds of investment, particularly infrastructure and property.

The Olympic Games are perhaps the biggest generator of investment, but even minority sporting events such as the America’s Cup are major engines behind regeneration and regrowth in an area. It is estimated that a typical sporting event raises £500,000 a day.

In spite of the initial outlay, hosting a major international event can reap huge benefits for the host nation. For example, the most recent Olympic Games in Beijing were an important factor behind the nearly 6% increase in revenue from tourism in China, which reached US9.5 billion. In Singapore, sporting events such as the Formula 1 Grand Prix and the Singapore Air Show (both held for the first time in the country) meant 2008 was a record year for tourism spending. The Rugby World Cup in Paris was also a substantial contributor towards the city’s excellent tourism figures last year.

The next Olympic Games in London in 2012 are expected to draw major investment to the capital as well as bring London to the forefront of international attention. Many property analysts believe that the Games will bring the additional benefit of signalling the end of the property slowdown and help kickstart the capital’s housing market. Glasgow is expected to receive similar positive publicity and investment when it hosts the Commonwealth Games in 2014.

The king of sports, football, is also responsible for drawing investment when a major football championship is held. A football tournament requires massive investment and draws millions of spectators, and an event such as the World Cup or European Football Championship has the additional advantage of bringing visitors to different parts of the country, therefore spreading investment and tourism. Next year’s World Cup in South Africa will see matches in nine different cities including Cape Town, Durban and Pretoria.

Brazil organises the World Cup four years later when a total of 14 Brazilian cities will host matches. Natal in north east Brazil is widely expected to be one of them – Abreu & Barros Arquitetura, the architects behind Obelisk Investment Property’s Brazil projects including Laguna Beach, are designing the proposed stadium.

It is not only hotels that benefit hugely from sporting events, but also property – rental accommodation is popular among visitors to events, especially tourists wanting to combine spectating with a holiday. “The benefits of owning property near the location of a major sporting event are obvious,” says James Gonzalez, Market Analyst at Obelisk Investment Property, “and these benefits often outlive the duration of the event.” James points out that once the event is over, the destination often becomes the preferred holiday choice for many tourists with clear advantages for those who have invested in the area.

News submitted by Alison Kane, Obelisk Investment Property

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Sporting Boost For Property Investment