France remains number 1 for Brits buying abroad according to recent report

by Charlotte Ashton France The Villages Group

The latest overseas property ‘hot spots’ report conducted by overseas mortgage specialist, Conti has revealed that France remains the number one choice for Brits buying property abroad.

Taking the coveted top spot for the fourth year running, France has represented 45% of mortgage enquiries received so far in 2012 according to Conti’s data having grown from 39% last year and just 15% back in 2008. Spain takes second place with 33% of enquiries.

Conti’s operations director, Clare Nessling, commented: “Buyers have increasingly been sticking to locations they know and trust, which is why France and Spain are out on their own at the moment and Portugal is starting to rise in popularity again too.”

Meanwhile, according to a recent study by SAGA, France still remains a holiday favourite for over-50s planning to take a vacation soon with Danny Silver, MD of the ‘active living’ resorts in France for the over 50’s, The Villages Group commenting:

“It is clear that France’s perception of stability and being a ‘safe haven’ for both holiday makers and property buyers still prevails. Over the years French property has enjoyed practically constant success, and with the Euro dropping against the pound, it’s no wonder that France is still the top choice for British overseas buyers.”

Silver continues,

“With a strong reputation and the opportunity to get more for your money, it seems many are making their dream of escaping to France a reality. For those entering their third age especially, France is often the ideal destination which is why we have developed our active living Villages for the over 50’s here, providing services and amenities that encourage an active, happy and healthy lifestyle focussed around a strong community of like-minded individuals.”

For over 50’s contemplating a move overseas, the Languedoc-Roussillon region in France could provide the answer. The Languedoc is one of the most visited parts of south west France often chosen for its climate, coast and countryside and as a result of Languedoc’s popularity, The Villages Group has decided to develop their first active living resort ‘village’ for those over 50 to enjoy at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Canal du Midi, one of Europe’s longest and widest canal systems.

The Villages Group will provide a village community of around 107 villas on the banks of the Canal du Midi. This village site will afford full on-site amenities including tennis courts, indoor pool, gymnasium and quality entertainment programmes, perfect for living an active and fulfilling life within a community of like-minded individuals.

For more information please contact The Villages Group on + 33 1 4007 8625, email info@thevillagesgroup.com or visit www.thevillagesgroup.com.

Buy a new Property to maximise gain with minimum pain

by Charlotte Ashton United Kingdom Barton Wyatt, Millgate

The appetite for new homes is back.

A recent poll by a national house builder showed that 79% of prospective home owners would prefer to buy a brand new home as opposed to renting or buying a second hand property. The research represents a 27 per cent increase in the popularity of new build, since the house builder conducted the same research in 2008. The NHBC state that registrations to build new homes in the private sector were up 5% when compared with the same period last year.

New homes are showing positive quarterly price growth across the UK which is bucking the trend for falling house prices. The SmartNewHomes July index shows that a new home in the UK will cost £6,975 more than at the same time last year.

James Wyatt, Owner of award winning estate agent, Barton Wyatt, in Virginia Water comments:

“In the micro-climate of Surrey, as yet, I have seen little evidence of a decrease in construction of new homes. I do agree, however, that the price of these new homes is very buoyant and there is a great deal of interest in the market as soon as these houses are ready to view. It is also true to say that many of the older style houses that are coming on the market are under scrutiny of packs of developers who are swarming around the Surrey market looking for the perfect plot.

“It is without a doubt that savvy developers are fighting over the best spots and working hard to find the funding to build state of the art new houses.”

The average property price in the South East of England is around £300,000; the greatest investment most people ever have in their lives is buying a property. So it makes sense for consumers to want a brand spanking new house that normally comes complete with a brand new set of white goods and always with a 10 year NHBC guarantee.

Buying a used house gives the consumer much less protection – aside from insurance that most people are loath to make use of. And your house buyer will opt for mortgage survey which is not reliable to show up any defects that lurk beneath the surface.

There is also a misconception that buying a new home will cost you a great deal more than a used property – this is not correct. The average price in the south east of England for a new-build property is £291,000 vs a pre-owned at £302,000.

Almost every new home built in the UK comes with a 10 year guarantee from the builder, and buying from a reputable builder with a great reputation puts a home buyer in an enviable situation.

Some of the benefits of buying a new home:

• A new home will come with the very latest technology which will mean your household bills are lower. New house should have excellent insulation and energy saving heating systems.
• Weekends will be DIY free – no more painful trips to B&Q. Apart from the saving on your time, there is a great saving on your pocket.
• Chic design with all the convenience – most house builders create quality design and include the latest gadgets to impress in a new home. Often they may offer a choice of kitchens, bathrooms, fixtures, fittings and even the internal colour scheme, so you can personalise your new home before you move in.
• Fewer possibilities for long laborious chains to exchange – you could possibly be offered a part exchange in some cases and have a full turnkey experience without another buyer being involved at all – which in England is a true blessing.

Jonathan Cranley, Sales & Marketing Director of Millgate Homes, explains what sets a Millgate Home apart from the rest:

“We only build about 45 bespoke homes a year – we focus on what we know best, that is building luxury homes in prime high wealth areas. We carefully select the most beautiful and luxurious materials available to mirror the expectations of someone looking for spend £2 – 3 million pounds on their home.”

“Our latest house to be launched on the market is in Kingswood in Surrey – our house is up against the very best in country mansions. But the proof is in the pudding – we are quietly confident that buyers considering their options on new homes in Kingswood will be totally blown away by the attention to detail and height of luxury that has gone into the conception and build.”

EDITOR’S NOTE

The following new build houses are available:

Burford House, Kingswood Surrey £3,250,000

Set within private landscaped grounds is a palatial 6 bedroom detached house offering privacy, exclusivity and allure in equal measure bearing all the hallmarks of a truly exceptional home.

For more information contact Millgate Homes on 0118 934 3344 or visit www.millgatehomes.co.uk.

For a new build Property in Wentworth – Pine Acre, Wentworth Estate £4,975,000

Fantastic family living this house enjoys all that the Wentworth Estate has to offer in the way of peace and tranquility. Pine Acre has been finished to the highest specification and build quality throughout, extending to just less than 9,000 square feet.

On the first floor there are four bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms. A particularly impressive master suite stretches across the rear of the property with fabulous dressing room and balcony overlooking the mature landscaped gardens. The second floor includes a further bedroom suite and open plan games room, separate bathroom and gym. Approached from the rear entrance is a one bedroom staff apartment with lounge, bathroom and kitchenette.

For more information contact Barton Wyatt on 0134 484 3000 or visit www.bartonwyatt.co.uk.

Bag a bargain! Find the very best overseas property deals under £150k at PropertyBargainsOverseas.com

by Charlotte Ashton United Kingdom property bargains overseas

With falling property prices, foreclosures and re-possessions on the increase across the globe, there are many excellent property bargains up for grabs. In response to this buyer demand, http://www.propertybargainsoverseas.com , a new portal which showcases both commercial and residential properties up to the value of £150k, lists hundreds of overseas property bargains, helping buyers find the very best deals.

Chris Thompson, Director of PropertyBargainsOveraseas.com comments,

“Our site is designed to help those buyers who want the luxury of buying a second home, but due to the economic situation at the moment, have been unable to secure a mortgage, as banks demand increasingly higher deposits and more stringent terms and conditions. Property prices have dropped significantly over the last few years and bargains, especially under the £150k mark are plentiful so we have decided to list them all on one, easy to use website.”

PropertyBargainsOveraseas.com not only appeals to buyers but is also a great platform for agents. One of the main advantages of using the site is that leads are never re-sold, meaning agents get given the lead they have paid for and the chance to beat their competitors to the sale, whilst the client avoids uttering the dreaded line: “you know, you’re the 10th agent calling me today!”

For agents, PropertyBargainsOveraseas.com can also offer an unrivalled, lead qualification service through their sister site http://www.qualifiedpropertyleads.co.uk whereby once a lead has been generated, a friendly and experienced representative will qualify it by telephone, before sending it across to an agent.

Director Chris Thompson states: “With many years´ experience of the sales process in the property market, I know first-hand just how expensive, time-consuming and demoralising it can be managing a team facing thousands of leads with incorrect contact details, or scammers from far-flung corners of the world pretending they have money to send you. We´ve got a simple and cost effective solution to the problem where real estate agents can switch the service on and off as they need with no long-term commitments. We´re here to help out when that extra resource is needed.”

To search for your property bargain or to advertise your properties please visit http://www.propertybargainsoverseas.com , email info@propertybargainsoverseas.com or call +44 (0) 208 281 3687.

Get your chequebooks at the ready… Charity auction to be held at OPP Gala Dinner

by Charlotte Ashton United Kingdom Property Frontiers

With less than a month to go until the long awaited return of the OPP Gala Dinner on the 10^th October 2012, we are delighted to announce that not only will this prestigious event recognise the very best in the overseas property industry through the presentation of the OPP Awards for Excellence but also provide an opportunity for individuals and companies alike to give something back via the new charity auction.

Organised by the Frontiers Foundation, the charitable organisation set up in 2011 by trustees Ray Withers, Chief Executive of OPP award-winning Property Frontiers and Charlotte Ashton, MD of leading PR agency, AB Property Marketing, the charity auction will raise funds by the auctioning of six superb prizes ranging from a weekend for two in a 5* French chateau to international rugby tickets and dinner for two in a top London restaurant.

Following the overwhelming success of the Frontiers Foundations’ first project, the drilling of the borehole at Ngwezi B in south west Zambia earlier this summer, every penny raised from the auction will go directly to the Frontiers Foundation’s next project – Kids in Kenya: Transforming the Ket Wangi orphanage.

The Frontiers Foundation has chosen to support the Mother of Ket Wangi, Emily Odera, in her quest not only to maintain but expand and improve her orphanage, Ket Wangi on the shores of Lake Victoria in Western Kenya.

Emily’s modest family home currently houses 32 kids affected by the post-election violence in Kenya in 2008 and another 40 or so arrive each day for food and education, 21 of them are HIV positive. The orphanage has no formal classrooms, dormitories or even a suitable kitchen; let alone a dining room, bathrooms, library and educational resources yet the children are happy and safe.

Ket Wangi’s needs are great in all extents but the Frontiers Foundation has committed to assisting in two key areas:

1. Building a block of 3 toilets with 2 sinks following the collapse of the old block in April due to a landslide

2. Building of 3 temporary classrooms dedicated to education and completion of the one classroom already started by visiting students

Charlotte Ashton, Frontiers Foundation Trustee comments,

“One of the core values underpinning the Frontiers Foundation is supporting individuals such as Emily Odera who have taken it upon themselves to make a real difference to those in need in their communities. The Ket Wangi orphanage receives no government funding and only survives on Emily’s meagre nurse’s salary and donations.

“The total funds required to complete both the classrooms and toilet block are £7,000. This relatively small amount, an average sales commission, will truly transform Ket Wangi, enabling the children to have separate sleeping and learning areas as well as hygienic toilet facilities. These new buildings will also enable the orphanage to meet official requirements, ensuring its sustainability and a future for the children.”

The auction will be conducted by the ever talented Paul Owen, Owner of the Clear Path Company, and tickets for the OPP Gala Dinner at The Brewery in The City of London are still available for £225 + VAT per seat (£191.25 + VAT per seat for OPP Connect members) and tables of ten for £2,025 + VAT (£1721.25 + VAT for OPP Connect members) via Naomi Zammit on +44 (0) 208 734 3969 or Naomi.Zammit@richmondgreengroup.com.

If you would like to know more about the Frontiers Foundation and the Kids in Kenya project you can like them on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/FrontiersFoundation or if you would like to show your support by donating an auction prize then please contact fellow Frontiers Foundation Trustee, Katie Bidwell on +44 (0) 1865 202 700.

Infographic – At a Glance: Greece

by Charlotte Ashton Greece

The Greek housing market is all at sea, according to TheMoveChannel.com´s latest At a Glance report.

The infographic, which depicts the activity on the portal over the last year, shows that interest in mainland property is markedly low compared to homes on the islands, which accounted for an overwhelming 64.97 per cent of all enquiries.

The Peloponnese was the most popular region on solid ground, generating 15.49 per cent of enquiries, while Attica received some attention thanks to property in Athens, but northern areas, such as Central Macedonia, received far fewer enquiries. Some, such as West Macedonia, saw no enquiries whatsoever – indicative of a lack of sellers as much as buyer demand.

The islands, in contrast, are visibly full of investors and Crete is king, receiving almost one-third of all Greek property enquiries (29.71 per cent). Indeed, size matters, with the largest Greek island only rivalled by the South Aegean region, which took 19.65 per cent of enquiries.

The infographic also shows that a large number of buyers travel south when hunting for property, with the red bottom half of the chart getting warmer as it stretches into the Mediterranean Sea. As a result, North Aegean property, while more preferable than many mainland markets, attracted 5.72 per cent of enquiries, just one fifth of the number generated by Crete.

Crete´s profile stretches across the infographic to tower over buyer searches as well. Indeed, out of the 10 most searched-for Greek locations on TheMoveChannel.com, a staggering seven are located on the island.

The At a Glance series also charts buyers´ wider search behaviour on Google, revealing that when buyers are looking for Greek property on the internet, they like to look for villas. Indeed, "Greek villas" appeared in 3,000 searches in the last quarter of 2011, far overshadowing searches for "property for sale in Greece". That number almost doubled in the third quarter of 2012 compared to general nationwide searches, which only increased by 710.

Editor Ivan Radford comments: "Crete is undoubtedly the most famous of all the Greek islands. With its climate and tourist appeal, it´s no surprise that buyers are keen to look there for property. What is surprising is just how many shun the mainland altogether, although the lack of enquiries away from the popular hotspots may simply be an indication that there are fewer homeowners looking to sell during the ongoing eurozone crisis when prices are lower.

"While the words ´all at sea´ seem to describe Greece´s housing market in more ways than one, though, the Google search trends paint a promising picture. Searches for "Greek villas" peaked in the third quarter of this year, appearing in 5,900 searches. The curious thing is that the same thing has happened with of the other keywords too: after a year of falling prices, is interest in Greek property starting to reappear?"

Click here to view the full infographic.

Notes to Editors

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.

Silver surfers represent today’s typical overseas buyer according to recent survey

by Charlotte Ashton France The Villages Group

Around 70% of prospective overseas buyers are aged 50 or over according to the recent Overseas Buying Trends survey conducted by The Overseas Guide Company (OGC).

With a sample size of 1,114 respondents, the results identified that over half (59%) stated that emigration for retirement would be the purpose for their overseas property purchase with 40.7% explaining that their property budget (including buying costs) would sit between £100k-199k.

When it comes to financial support, 73% of respondents claimed they will rely on pensions and/or investments to support themselves. Richard Way, Editor of The Overseas Guide Company comments:

“The evidence paints a clear picture of today’s typical overseas buyer – a financially self-sufficient retired or semi-retired person looking for a discounted home abroad where they can enjoy a better way of life than in the UK.”

As more and more people look to move abroad for their golden years, seeking lower living costs and a better quality of life, France remains one of the most popular destinations affording a wonderfully warm climate, relaxed lifestyle, stunning natural beauty and easy access to the UK.

For those in their third age contemplating a move overseas, the Languedoc-Roussillon region in France will make for a wonderful place to relocate. Chosen for its three C’s – climate, coast and countryside as well as being one of the best places in the world to go canal boating, Languedoc is one of the most visited parts of south west France with 18.72% of all French enquiries accounting for the Languedoc region in September 2012 according to figures from overseas property portal, TheMoveChannel.com.

Alexis Goldberg, a writer for The Overseas Guide Company based in the Languedoc had this to say about the region:

“We live on the border of the Aude and Herault departments and we’re about 20 minutes south of Minerve. We chose this area as we love the Mediterranean climate and colours. The people are extremely friendly and you are close to Spain and the coast as well as the mountains and there are some wonderful towns and villages.

“There is not a huge amount of industry down in the Languedoc and many folk make a living by running vineyards or small agricultural farms as well as relying to some extent on the tourist industry. One of the things we love about living here is that people are not concerned with status – there’s a much simpler attitude to what makes life worth living here.”

As a result of Languedoc’s popularity, The Villages Group has decided to develop their first active living resort ‘village’ for those over 50 to enjoy at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Canal du Midi, one of Europe’s longest and widest canal systems, situated in the Languedoc region.

Danny Silver, MD of the new “active” living resorts for over 50’s, The Villages Group explains,

“The Overseas Guide Company has perfectly highlighted that people over 50 represent a significant market in the overseas property industry today. Interestingly, they discovered that 42.2% of respondents in the survey would like to buy property near a local village close to a resort. All our resorts will be built close to local towns to ensure residents can submerge themselves in the local community as and when they please and with a price tag of around €165,000 our villages match their budgets too.”

The Villages Group first “active living” village community will comprise of 107 villas on the banks of the Canal du Midi. This village site will afford full on-site amenities including tennis courts, indoor pool, gymnasium and quality entertainment programmes, perfect for living an active and fulfilling life within a community of like-minded individuals.

For more information please contact The Villages Group on + 33 1 4007 8625, email info@thevillagesgroup.com or visit www.thevillagesgroup.com.

Ethical investment agency launches exclusive new South African renewable energy opportunity

by Charlotte Ashton World EcoInvestments

In an attempt to meet the ever growing global demand for energy whilst at the same time considering the health of the planet, attentions are increasingly turning to the use of biomass as a source of renewable energy.

Producing products such as green charcoal, energy pellets and activated carbon, biomass, derived from a variety of sources including the bamboo plant, can be grown and harvested sustainably and burned efficiently to generate heat and / or electricity.

According to recent RISI and North American Bioenergy studies, it is anticipated that global demand for biomass will double within 2 years alone and within 5 years reach 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.

Outside of the major Western markets, demand for biomass is also increasing and changing in the nature of its supply. In South Africa alone, which is highly coal dependant, there is a rapid movement towards the use of biomass for heat and power. Today 10.7% of primary energy demand in the nation comes from renewable sources but carbon reduction targets and economic need are driving the renewable energy sector towards a likely contribution of 47.8% of all primary energy needs by 2050.

So what is the best source of biomass? It makes sense that the world’s fastest growing land plant – bamboo – is quite simply the best source of biomass.

Marcus Vassiliou, Sales Manager of leading alternative investment agency, EcoInvestments, explains,

“Bamboo is an excellent base material for the production of ‘green charcoal’ or ‘bio char’. One species in particular, Bambusa balcooa has a higher calorific value when used in charcoal than many traditional wood sources and performs excellently when used as activated carbon, a material widely used in water filtration and air conditioning systems. It truly is a super-material.”

Fully appreciating the vast potential of bamboo as a source of biomass and the rapidly rising demand not only in South Africa itself but globally too, EcoInvestments has secured an exclusive opportunity for investors to purchase a biomass plantation lease.

Building upon the success that their partners enjoyed in Nicaragua in becoming the world’s largest owner and operator of commercial bamboo plantations outside of China, EcoPlanet Bamboo Southern Africa has undertaken thorough due diligence over the past 18 months to ensure that the optimum location has been secured to grow bamboo for biomass.

Working with highly experienced partners on the ground with a proven track record, this bamboo, which is already planted and thriving, will be harvested sustainably upon maturity to produce biomass which will be sold to the energy market. Plots are available from USD $20,000 per hectare with 22.6% annualized yields and 226% ROI forecast – an income of $65,295, over the 9 year and 10 month lease.

For more information about this new, excusive and ethical investment opportunity, contact EcoInvestments today on +44 (0) 20 3012 0306 or visit www.ecoinvestments.co.uk.

Upad, the online lettings company, partners with Telegraph Media Group to launch Telegraph Private Lettings

by Charlotte Ashton United Kingdom upad

92% of tenants are now searching online for properties and over half would prefer to meet their landlord. To meet these changes in a growing market, Telegraph Media Group (TMG) has partnered with Upad, the online lettings company, to launch Telegraph Private Lettings.

The new service available at Telegraph.upad.co.uk will provide professional and ‘accidental landlords’ across the UK with a quick and efficient way of finding tenants, ensuring vacant properties are filled and void periods minimised.

With almost half of UK private landlords now no longer using traditional high street letting agents, Telegraph Private Lettings has embraced Upad’s revolutionary model tailored to self-managing landlords, to find and secure tenants.

James Davis, CEO and Founder, Upad, said: “We are very proud to announce the launch of Telegraph Private Lettings. We have for some years now believed in a better way of letting properties, putting landlords and tenants directly in touch with each other and it’s brilliant to have such a respected media brand such as TMG support our way of doing things. I have no doubt that Telegraph Private Lettings will be hugely popular with today’s landlords across the UK.”

Telegraph Private Lettings offers landlords a complete lettings service for a flat fee of only £299 (+ VAT) which includes professional photography and a floor plan, a ‘To Let’ board erected outside the property and advertising across all major UK lettings sites as well as comprehensive tenant referencing, drawing up of the tenancy agreement, deposit registration and crucially, rent collection.

Having let over 4,000 properties over the past 12 months alone, with an average of 16 tenant enquiries per property, readers will benefit from Upad’s market leading expertise in online lettings as well as a customer service rated five star by other landlords.

In addition Telegraph readers who register with Telegraph Private Lettings will also receive an exclusive £40 gift card redeemable against their next property listing.

Nigel Leigh, Head of Digital, TMG, said: “We have seen a marked increase in interest in lettings from our readers in recent times and with the current state of the housing market it’s only going to rise further; it is for this reason that we believe the time is right to launch Telegraph Private Lettings.

“As ever, we strive to offer the very best services to our readers and that is why we have chosen to partner with Upad whose solid track record, numerous industry awards and five star customer reviews make this a brand you can trust to deliver.”

For more information about Telegraph Private Lettings please visit Telegraph.upad.co.uk or contact Charlotte Ashton at AB Property Marketing on charlotte@abpropertymarketing.co.uk or call 020 3137 8035.

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO INTERVIEW: What do students really want from university accommodation?

by Charlotte Ashton United Kingdom Property Frontiers

With the 2012/13 academic year about to get underway, finding accommodation will be at the top of most university students’ to-do lists.

For many, especially in their first year of higher education, a shared or if they’re lucky, a single room in university owned halls will be the most likely place they’ll rest their studious minds but with more young people than ever, especially from overseas, attending UK universities, competition for accommodation is rife with many forced to consider other options including the private rented sector.

But what happens when the quality of accommodation and the supply is just not there as is the case in the popular university city of Brighton?

This is what student Adele Debono found during her time in the city when interviewed exclusively by Property Frontiers on her graduation day earlier this summer. One of 30,000 students in Brighton, Adele found the city “awesome” as a university location but when asked about student accommodation she said that there wasn’t too much available and that purpose built accommodation, as is being developed at The Regency on Lewes Road, just minutes from campuses and the city centre, would “be amazing”.

For Adele one of the most important factors was affordability, especially with the additional financial burden of higher tuition fees but also being able to live with other students, coming home to housing dedicated to them would be ideal.

And it is just the needs of students like Adele that The Regency in Brighton is designed to meet. The 39 high grade self-contained studio apartments won’t solve the 18,900 student bed shortage in the city but it will be the first purpose built student accommodation investment opportunity in Brighton and set the standard for a higher grade of student housing.

Ray Withers, Chief Executive of Property Frontiers which is exclusively selling The Regency, comments,

“We have searched extensively, carefully considering dozens of developers and projects up and down the land, to find a new and exciting student property investment – one which makes the grade. Working in close partnership with a reputable developer with over 15 years’ experience, we have put together this premier student accommodation investment model, one which delivers high yields assured for 2 years from an affordable entry point for investors but also meets the exacting needs of today’s students.”

Already 40% sold within weeks of launch, the self-contained luxury studio apartments are available from £70,500 with only 50% deposit required to exchange, in addition a favourable payment plan is available and 5% interest will be paid on the deposit funds during build.

For more information contact Property Frontiers today on +44 (0) 1865 202 700, visit www.propertyfrontiers.com or watch Adele’s exclusive interview here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ys-1feJ3UU8.

Property Inspector: Alternative Investments – Reliable or Rip-Off?

by Charlotte Ashton United Kingdom AB Property Marketing

TheMoveChannel.com´s Property Inspector, taking a closer look at global real estate each month.

In August´s podcast, The Property Inspector follows a lead from the FSA that takes him away from real estate into the mysterious world of alternative investments.

This week, the FSA announced new proposals to regulate the alternative market because of "the high levels of unsuitable advice it has uncovered and the potential for customer detriment", The Telegraph reports.

If the proposals go through, the promotion of Unauthorised Collective Investment Schemes, or UCIS, will be banned to retail investors, while sales will be limited only to investors who earn over £100,000 per year and have over £250,000 to invest or have extensive experience and understand the risks.

Are the FSA correct to crack down? Carbon credit schemes are one of the higher profile products, with over 100 companies reported to the watchdog in the last 12 months – up from 6 in June last year. Are alternatives a rip-off or a reliable investment strategy?

The Inspector´s case begins with Alternative Marketplace, a portal that advertises alternative products ranging from farmland and green energy to bamboo and carbon credits. Interest in alternative investments increased this summer, they said, with traffic to the site up by 72 per cent between July and August.

They then introduced the Property Inspector to Caesar Alternatives, an investment consultancy specialising in rare earth metals.

The Inspector questioned Andrew Cook, Managing Partner in the firm, to get some answers.

What are rare earth metals?

“Rare earth metals are the elements used primarily in high-end technology, such as mobile phones and solar panels. China has now cornered the market, which now allows them to raise prices, which may cause values to spike.”

What kind of returns can investors get?

“It’s very difficult to say. It’s at the medium-to-high end of the risk spectrum. Values have increased in the last few years and could go up.“

Alternative investments have a reputation of being risky and unreliable. Do you find that’s an obstacle you have to overcome?

“The people that we pitch our product towards are looking for something speculative. For a potentially higher return, they accept that there is naturally a higher level of risk involved. The metals are stored in London, so it’s not a paper asset or something out in South America – it’s something that’s physical that they can inspect themselves. That’s crucial.”

Words like “scam” and “con” fly around a lot. Have you encountered activity, or companies, in the market that made you think “Hmmm… that’s a bit dodgy”?

“I’ve encountered firms in the regulated marketplace that I would consider quite dodgy! Just because it’s regulated, it doesn’t mean the investment will give a good return – it just means that the money won’t be siphoned off into someone’s offshore account and the directors aren’t going to run off with your cash! If the money is invested in something that’s worthless, you’re going to get burned.”

Is that a case of a bad product or a bad broker?

“The problem is that the way it’s structured, clients are pitched on products that give good returns to the broker. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad investment, but clients need to be aware of it.”

What tips would you give to avoid scams?

“You need to think logically and do your own research. Buying into property funds in 2007, when property was at its peak, probably wasn’t the best idea, but people did it. And then some of the funds became illiquid and people’s money was locked away for years. It’s a case of looking at what you’re investing. Your money should never go directly to a firm unless they’re regulated. It’s always best to deal with things based in the UK and Europe so you can check on what you’re buying. Don’t just believe the sales pitch. Be sensible.”

Listen to the full investigation.

Would you consider investing in bamboo or is it all one big bamboozle?

Get in touch with the Property Inspector via Facebook or Twitter @TheMoveChannel and share your thoughts on alternative investment.

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 45 Lafone Street, Shad Thames, London, SE1 2LX.

Contact Dan Johnson on 0207 952 7650 for further information. Property Inspector image courtesy of Snowshot.

Menu