ABPM now representing The Villages Group – a new concept for active over 50’s living in France

France

AB Property Marketing, the UK based leading property PR agency, is pleased to announce the representation of The Villages Group – a new concept for active over 50’s living in France.

Brought to the market by established marketers/developers Property Direct France, the concept for The Villages Group has taken four years of research and development to create the first active living resorts in France dedicated to the over 50’s. Designed for living, the Villages situated near existing French communities in Bordeaux / Perigord, Canal du Midi and Provence offer one-level eco-friendly homes set within outstanding natural environments with full on-site amenities.

Danny Silver, MD of The Villages Group, explains,

“The Villages Group draws inspiration from the established +50 active living resorts which have become so popular in the US and Australia.  Accommodating only residents of 50 years and above, The Villages are geared up for active living with purposefully no medical or nursing facilities on-site. All Villages are English speaking and bring together like-minded people looking to enjoy the wonderful French way of life.”

Sales begin in mid-2012 with houses from €165,000 in three stunning locations across southern France, owners of homes at The Villages are able to fully enjoy all on-site amenities including tennis courts, gymnasium, indoor and outdoor swimming pools and quality entertainment. Uniquely residents do not only own the land and freehold title of the property but also a full equal shareholding of the entire Village.

Charlotte Ashton, Director of AB Property Marketing, comments,

“Having worked with Mr Silver and the Property Direct France team before we are very excited to be promoting this new concept. France remains one of the most sought after second home and indeed relocation destinations in the world with more and more people attracted to the relaxed pace of life, charming natural landscapes and lower cost of living.

“Dedicated communities for over 50’s have been well established in other western nations and it is exciting to be able to introduce this to France.”

For more information or media enquires on the active lifestyle living concept, The Villages and indeed locations in which they are situated please contact the team at ABPM on + 44 (0) 207 952 7227 / + 44 (0) 1737 222 334 or c.ashton@abpropertymarketing.co.uk. High res masterplan images and expert market comment are also available upon request.
 

Success on the Slopes: Top French ski resort, La Plagne, celebrates 50th anniversary

France

As France continues to dominate the ski holiday market, La Plagne in the French Alps, one of the largest and most popular ski resorts in the world will be celebrating its 50th anniversary this winter.

Visitors will be invited to share in the celebrations at an evening light show and fireworks display in the heart of the resort on the 21st December 2011 where the history of skiing, tourism and the evolution of the conquest of white gold between 1961 and the present day will be explained.

At its official opening party half a century ago, La Plagne ski resort had only two lifts and four buildings but now the resort has blossomed incorporating 53,000 beds in 10 sites and is now part of the "Paradiski" ski area with around 425 km of tracks.

Indeed, the anniversary celebrations will be further enhanced by the news that the ski industry is on the up again after numbers dwindled in the face of the economic recession with tour operators reporting that bookings are considerably higher for this season, increasing by as much as 20% in some resorts while early snowfalls over the last two weeks in the Alps has prompted a flood of bookings for ski holidays.

Business Development Manager, Charlie Williams of Terresens, France’s leading eco-friendly property developer with projects in Belle Plagne, comments,

“Winter sports enthusiasts are once again beginning to show an interest in the ski slopes with France remaining the most popular country for skiers. Indeed, 8 out of 10 resorts in terms of customer searches on Skipad.co.uk were for resorts in France, which is wonderful news.

“France affords easy accessibility to the rest of Europe, a wide choice of ski locations, superb food and an electrifying atmosphere and with low cost airline Ryanair launching its London Winter Ski Programme for 2011-12, providing 17 weekly flights from London to ski destinations near Grenoble and Lourdes more tourists will feel inspired to grab their skis and hit the French pistes.”

And it’s not only Ryanair that is after a slice of the slopes as easyJet Holidays launches its first ever ski programme offering holiday packages in a range of resorts catering for skiers and snowboarders of various abilities, including winter sports destinations such as Tignes, Val d´Isere, Chamonix and of course, La Plagne.

In light of the positive effects being felt across ski resorts in France, it appears the value of properties located in the French Alps has recovered from the global recession with a Ski Index report from Knight Frank highlighting that the annual price growth for ski properties in Europe grew by 1.7% during the second quarter of this year.

Charlie Williams of Terresens further comments,

“Property in the French Alps has remained popular with buyers as homes can be used all year round, not just in winter. During the summer months there are plenty of opportunities for rental income that is why we are urging potential second home buyers to invest here particularly in our key ready Le Centaure development in Belle Plagne which hosts events and activities throughout the year and offers excellent returns.”

Le Centaure in Belle Plagne, a beautiful character resort situated in an ideal location in the heart of the French Alps in the Savoie provides studios to 3 bedroom apartments which are spacious and bright as well as offering a range of luxurious facilities dedicated to wellness and relaxation such as an indoor heated swimming pool, massage room and Turkish bath.

Nestled between forest and mountain pastures, Le Centaure in Belle Plagne offers stunning scenery, a splendid panorama and slopes for all the ski delights and as a snow sure key ready development Le Centaure priced at €190,748 excl. VAT offers a 4% guaranteed rental income as well as the added benefit of 4 weeks personal usage.

For those looking to buy and use a ski property such as Le Centaure in Belle Plagne this season please contact the developer Terresens on + 44 (0) 203 101 110 or visit www.terresensproperties.com to find out more.

 

A key asset class in a proven market: Istanbul student accommodation welcomed by investors

Turkey

Over the past year, two property sectors have upheld an exceptionally strong position seeing considerable growth in student accommodation and the Turkish property market. With this in mind, purpose built student accommodation in Istanbul is currently in high demand providing the perfect opportunity for savvy investors to own a key asset class in a proven market.

Ray Withers Director of Turkish investment expert’s Property Frontiers comments,

“Combining the proven key market fundamentals of Istanbul with an asset class deemed by Knight Frank to be a “critical component of a balanced investment portfolio”, the two sectors combined together make absolute sense”.

With the ongoing success of Turkey’s economy and predictions that the nation will be the 9th largest economy in the world by 2050, Turkey affords 154 universities, four of which have secured a place in the prestigious Times Higher Education World University Rankings (2011-12). While Turkey has as a total student population of 3.78 million, Istanbul represents the educational hub of the nation boasting 36 universities and a student population of 298,000.

Currently, Turkish universities accommodate students from around 147 countries, including the UK, seeing a rise of 59% over the past 5 years and with the international increase in enrolment combined with an 8% annual student growth rate, enormous pressure has been placed on existing student accommodation stock.

Withers explains,

“Student accommodation traditionally supplied by University Dormitories and Government Funded Dormitories account for only 12.7% of demand and has resulted in a shortfall for around 254,000 students. Our new student accommodation development in Istanbul, HAN Florya, provides an optimum opportunity to capitalise on the growing demand for student housing.”

With a huge undersupply of student accommodation mismatched with growing demand, students are transforming the rental market in Turkey offering excellent returns potential for investors.

Located in the booming western suburb of Küçükçekmece, home to some 600,000 people, HAN Florya occupies a prime location close by to three universities in Istanbul with a combined population of 19,000 students and less than 2 minutes’ walk from the Metro bus station enabling easy and quick access to the city centre.

With only 38 student rooms available on a leasehold basis, HAN Florya has been explicitly designed to cater for the market requirement of separate male and female accommodation. Comprising two blocks (one for male, the other for female residents) this attractive student residence offers a secure high yielding low level investment starting at £14,965 with no buying, ongoing maintenance or management costs while investors can enjoy a guaranteed NET yield of 10% per annum. 

For more information on investing in the key asset class of HAN Florya in Istanbul please contact the experts Property Frontiers today on +44 (0) 1865 202 700 or visit www.propertyfrontiers.com.
 

Going it alone and selling your house online? Get the right price for your home with new free Value My Home tool

United Kingdom

With 90% of potential buyers now starting their search for a home online, it’s no wonder that more and more of us are ditching traditional high street estate agents and choosing to sell our homes privately via online estate agents.

But if you aren’t a Phil Spencer or Sarah Beeny property expert and aren’t too sure of what your home is worth then the handy new free Value My Home tool from the experts at Think Online Property might provide the answer.

Available instantly to all prospective private house sale vendors, the free 20 page valuation and report draws together detailed information about your property, your neighbours, your road and your area. Each report, generated by filling in a one minute online survey, includes prices of comparable properties in your area, the duration those properties have been on the market, demographic profile and average price to earnings ratios of the community, a breakdown of current stock to determine how desirable your property is, house price trends over the last 5 years, rankings of the most expensive streets and those with the highest turnover of properties in your area.

Peter Joseph, Founder and MD of Think Online Property, comments,

“Traditionally sellers have relied on high street estate agents to provide valuations on their homes and to set the asking price. However this valuation is quite often purely subjective and can be incorrect leading to a property selling under market value or at worst not selling at all. Our free online Value My Home tool utilises hard facts and figures combined with our own extensive research in accurate pricing to ensure the marketplace value of your property is pretty accurate.

“At Think Online Property the client comes first and that is why we believe it is so important to present a realistic value of a seller’s home which will save a lot of heartache and hopefully result in a quicker sale being achieved. Plus, more importantly, if the bank’s surveyor does not agree with a specified sale price then your potential buyer may not be able to secure a mortgage and the deal may fall through.”

Available for residential properties across the UK, the free Value My Home tool can be accessed here http://www.onlineestateagentsuk.com/value-my-home/ or for more information call 0844 381 4787.

$1.3 billion invested into Turkey – Ranked 7th most visited global destination by the UN

Turkey

Turkey has become one of the biggest success stories of late having emerged as a sound economic marketplace; but let us not forget what it was that that helped propel the country into the dominant powerhouse it is today. Thanks to a highly successful tourism industry, Turkey has sky rocketed to the top much to the delight foreign property investors.

At present, Turkey ranks seventh in the most-visited global destinations list, according to the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). Since 2000, Turkish tourism operators were able to record the first noteworthy increase in tourist numbers, resulting in an impressive 10.4 million visitors that year. From then on, Turkey has experienced consistent growth in its inbound tourists leading the country to reach an incredible 28.63 million visitors in 2010. Today, the tourism sector continues to grow and is a primary contributor to the nation’s national income and success on the global stage.

Indeed, increased tourist numbers over the years certainly contributed to the 11% year on year economic growth seen in Q1 2011 with Turkey’s ‘city of desire’ Istanbul seeing a 30.1% increase in tourist revenue this year helping Istanbul become the 34th richest city by GDP in the world according to data from PriceWaterhouseCoopers.

Recording better growth than any of the largest emerging markets in the first quarter of this year, Turkey’s $735 billion economy grew 8.8% in the second quarter, developing faster than India and more than four times the Eurozone’s expansion. And, with the help of ever growing tourist numbers and credit growth prompting rising consumer demand, Turkey has been experiencing the best year for takeovers since 2008 with the value of transactions involving Turkish targets rising by 59% annually to $8.8 billion.

Meanwhile, figures from the Turkish government have shown that foreigners invested in excess of $1.3 billion in the Turkish property market last year. At present, there is a shortage of homes across the country, especially in urban areas such as Istanbul, which is currently on the receiving end of massive internal migration. With this in mind, the projected demand of 2.9 million houses by 2015 has led investors into the lucrative Buy-to-Let world where there is high demand for good quality rented housing in Istanbul and surrounding areas.

Ray Withers, Director of Turkish property investment experts Property Frontiers comments,

“Thanks to huge waves of tourists to the country over the years with some 1.4 million Arab tourists visiting the country between January to August this year alone, it seems everyone wants a piece of Turkey. Certainly, for investors, the Turkish government’s plan to make the tourist industry reach 15% of its GDP by the year 2020 will be a big attraction.

“Currently, the Turkish property market is underpinned by a strong economy with a growing tourism sector, and savvy Buy-to-Let investors understand that this can be converted into solid rental yields. As a result, we at Property Frontiers have recognised the growing potential of Istanbul as a lucrative property investment hub with the western suburb of Beylikduzu, one of the fastest growing areas presenting not only one of the best opportunities for property investment but cheaper property price tags than the rest of Europe.”

Available £17,250 below comparable projects in the area, the spacious 1 and 2 bedroom luxurious modern apartments of Kensington Residence located in the heart of Beylikduzu will present tremendously good value for money with an investment of only £17,325 required for a 1 bedroom and £30,450 for a 2 bedroom apartment based on the investor utilising 70% LTV finance.

The finance is available for EU and North American citizens while investors can enjoy an immediate and guaranteed rental income at 7% for 2 years, the perfect opportunity to capitalise on the positive growth and ever growing popularity of the nation.

For more information on investing in Kensington Residence please contact the experts Property Frontiers today on +44 (0) 1865 202 700 or visit www.propertyfrontiers.com.
 

Top of the Props: Germany gains buyers’ trust

Germany

Germany is earning property buyers’ trust, this month’s Top of the Props report from TheMoveChannel.com suggests. Germany has entered the top ten most popular property destinations for the first time ever, as the country offers a reassuringly stable market for investors.

Germany jumped four places in the overseas property portal’s rankings to take the tenth spot, joining the familiar faces of Spain, France, Portugal and the USA. Germany accounted for 2.19 per cent of all enquiries received by TheMoveChannel.com in September, replacing the small island of Cape Verde, which dropped 12 places after its surprise entry into the top ten last month.

Unlike the short-term surge of interest in Cape Verde’s smaller economy, the popularity of German property has been growing for some time. An established member of the Eurozone, Germany has been consistently drawing more enquiries from investors for three months in a row, rising seven places in TheMoveChannel.com’s chart since July.

Director Dan Johnson comments: “The high yields and low prices have long made German real estate a recognised investment for property buyers, but it seems that the wider climate of uncertainty across Europe is pushing buyers to consider more stable markets, such as Germany.

"Consumer debt is relatively low and the inherently more cautious banks are somewhat less likely to get drawn into the debt crisis than their European counterparts and it´s maybe this longer term security that is inspiring confidence in buyers.”

Berlin Capital Investments explained Germany’s growing appeal: “The property market has shown investors that there is a safe and secure option in Europe. Berlin property prices have grown 7 per cent in the last 12 months and this coupled with a strong demand for high class rental apartments make Berlin a very attractive investment opportunity.”

With interest in Europe’s traditional markets on the up, the newest member of TheMoveChannel.com´s top ten is a sign that trust is returning to some areas of the Eurozone.

The full breakdown of the top 40 is as follows: 
 

 

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.
 

SE Europe takes the high road thanks to the new Morine to Merdare motorway

Albania

A little-known motorway project in the Western Balkans interior is about to have a significant impact on the development of Albania’s coastline.

Representing the region’s largest infrastructure project in recent years, South Eastern Europe is set to see huge economic benefits now the first section of the 120km Morine to Merdare motorway connecting central Kosovo with Albania and the Adriatic coast is almost ready to open.

The estimated €1 billion infrastructural development in Kosovo will be of strategic importance, running from Morine on the Albania border to Pristina, the capital of Kosovo. The four lane motorway extension will now connect Durres-Kukes motorway with Prizren and Pristhtina.

Indeed, while the new motorway will undoubtedly help boost the Kosovan economy by creating an estimated 3,000 jobs, neighbouring Balkan nation Albania, reached by many tourists through Kosovo or Macedonia will also reap the positive effects with travel to tourist destinations such as Lalzit Bay and the Adriatic Sea made much easier.

Ravin Maharajah, Partner of award winning Lalzit Bay Resort & Spa, the new 5* luxury residential development located on Albania’s Adriatic coastline comments,

“The economic benefits of this new motorway extension will be felt relatively quickly across the Balkans and especially Kosovo and Albania.” 

“The reduction in travel times with the existing motorway to Kukes in Albania already makes a significant difference to visitor numbers into Albania from Kosovo. There’s been a 16% increase in tourist numbers into the country in the first eight months of this year as a result of improved infrastructure generated from the $400m Tirana-Elbasan highway project and increased frequency of flights most recently between London and Tirana.”

“Certainly, we feel that infrastructural developments such as these have played a crucial part in creating the incredible level of interest we have seen at Lalzit Bay Resort & Spa.  The first two blocks which we are about to start building are already almost sold out which is an incredible achievement. With this in mind, we are extremely excited to see the valuable outcomes for both Albania and Lalzit Bay once the Morine to Merdare highway is completed.”

With interest rapidly growing and the expectation of high visitor numbers in coming years thanks to a wider range of infrastructure projects, 5* Lalzit Bay Resort & Spa can provide the perfect property investment opportunity for as little as €38,000 for a luxury apartment in a beach-front resort.

The stunning property development, recently voted ‘Project of the Year’ at the 2011 RealEx conference in Tirana recently for its high quality infrastructure and strong commitment to the environment will provide outstanding on-site facilities including a beach club, BBQ area, tennis courts and restaurants.

For more information please contact Lalzit Bay on 0845 125 8600 or visit www.lalzitbay.com.

 

Celebrating National Ethical Investment Week, alternative investment specialist launches exclusive bamboo webinars

Turkey

UKSIF, the sustainable investment and finance association will launch its National Ethical Investment Week (NEIW) from the 16th – 22nd October 2011, in an attempt to inform investors of their green and ethical options when it comes to their finance and investment decisions.

The UK campaign launched in 2008 aims to highlight the positive impacts of green and ethical investments on the environment and society, pointing out that it is possible to pick a socially and environmentally responsible investment and still make excellent returns.

The NEIW campaign will bring together financial advisers, monetary organisations, NGOs, charities and faith groups, all working in partnership to encourage the shift towards a more environmentally sustainable and socially responsible society.

With this in mind, potential investors looking to make a difference not only to their portfolios and bank accounts but to the greater good of the planet can look no further than the best alternative in the sustainable investments sector to date, bamboo.

With the bamboo market currently valued at $5bn a year growing to a predicted $20bn by 2015, bamboo presents the perfect timber alternative that is playing a vital role in helping alleviate not just environmental degradation but the plight of poverty in developing countries such as Nicaragua.

Currently, the world’s forests are under huge pressure as demand for timber grows. Traditional hardwoods take around 25 to 50 years to grow compared to just 50 days for bamboo and as a result, bamboo produces more than 20 times the timber from the same area; thus creating a sustainable and environmentally friendly source of supply.

On a social level, harvesting the fastest growing plant in the world, bamboo, is a labour intensive process and therefore creates many jobs in areas where employment is scarce. In addition, building with bamboo is not only inexpensive but also has the added benefit of providing earthquake proof housing with many architects arguing that bamboo cultivation and construction is the answer to protecting the world’s poor in disaster prone areas.

Meanwhile, for investors bamboo is a high value product with booming demand. The returns from investment far outstrip those of traditional assets in recent years, helping investors pull in attractive annual returns.

Ray Withers, Director of alternative investment experts Property Frontiers explains,

“Bamboo is such a valuable commodity and our asset backed bamboo bond, the world’s first, is one that not only guarantees strong annual returns (highest returning bond priced at $50,000 returns over 500% over a 15 year period) but makes an astounding contribution to our planet and its people. Indeed, while bamboo has vast environmental benefits and qualities that put it ahead of traditional wood materials such as excellent durability and twice the compression strength of concrete it also has over 3,500 commercial uses including food, flooring, furniture, paper, medicines clothes and bikes, you can even get bamboo ipad covers!

Withers continues,

“On a more personal level, what really astounds me is the social impact that bamboo can have on a developing country. On my recent visit to the plantations in Nicaragua I was deeply moved by what I saw. There has been a huge influx of workers and the plantations have become a real lifeline to the people who were once living below the poverty line. Thanks to the work of EcoPlanet, the plantation owners, their average daily wage has increased by 300% and a new shelter is being built to teach many of the workers how to read and write.”

For ethically minded investors, Property Frontiers is providing the perfect opportunity to gain an insight into the world of bamboo investments at their exclusive bamboo investment webinars on Tuesday 11th October 2011 at 1pm BST and Thursday 13th October at 7pm BST.

For attendance on Tuesday please register your details at https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/293761886 and for attendance at Thursday’s webinar please register here https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/125450774. For more information on ethical investing please contact Property Frontiers on +44 (0) 1865 202 700 or visit www.propertyfrontiers.com.
 

New Istanbul Podcast – Everything you need to know about investing in the “city of desire” in 60 seconds

Turkey

One of the hottest global real estate markets with over 12,000 properties already sold to foreign buyers, Istanbul, the economic powerhouse of Turkey has certainly become a “city of desire” for savvy investors.

 

And now, for those considering buying in this lucrative market, the Turkish property investment experts, Property Frontiers, has produced a new exclusive podcast – Everything you need to know about investing in Istanbul in 60 seconds.

 

Available to listen to here http://istanbul-investment.propertyfrontiers.com/podcast completely free of charge, Head of Business Development for Property Frontiers, Stuart Johnson, who has just returned from his recent visit to Istanbul, explains what makes the city such an attractive destination for property investment, what types of properties are in greatest demand, which areas to buy in, how much a typical property costs and what returns investors can expect.

 

Always keen to share their expert knowledge and first-hand experience with clients, Ray Withers, Director of Property Frontiers, comments,

 

“We believe here at Property Frontiers that knowledge is key to making a successful property investment and that is why we are dedicated to thorough research, due diligence and giving our clients the very latest market insight via a variety of channels.

 

“Podcasts have become part of everyday life and for busy investors this snapshot of Istanbul, Europe’s premier buy-to-let city, will provide everything they need to know about the market’s fundamentals in 60 seconds.”

 

For more information about investing in Istanbul and the range of investment properties available from £55,000, contact Property Frontiers today on +44 (0) 1865 202 700 or visit www.propertyfrontiers.com.

We’re just fanatical about France – ranked best place to live in Europe

France

It seems that us Brits are just fanatical about France with our closest European neighbour topping, for the third time in a row, the 2011 Quality of Life Index compiled by comparison website uSwitch.

Whilst the UK ranked in lowly ninth position, just ahead of Ireland, France was clearly the favourite destination in Europe followed by Spain, Denmark, Germany and Poland in fifth position. With the earliest retirement age, the highest proportion of GDP spent on healthcare and the longest life expectancy in Europe, it is no wonder that more and more Britons are looking for properties across the channel. 

Indeed earlier this week Savills International and HomeAway.co.uk published research further glorifying France’s prime position showing that the nation has replaced Spain as the top destination for UK buyers looking to buy overseas.

According to the UK Second Homes Abroad Spotlight, contributing key factors for the French dominance comes from the stability of the French market, a less dramatic decline in house values compared with other overseas locations and the close proximity to the UK.

The research also revealed that around 55% of surveyed respondents explained that letting their property to generate income was one of the main reasons for buying property in France with 13% indicating that rental income helped generate a comfortable profit and fight against current global economic situations.

Indeed, with this in mind, it is no surprise that buyers want to soak up the benefits of buying French property considering the World Travel Organisation in 2010 identified France as the most popular country for tourism, with 78.95 million visitors.

Furthermore, a new survey commissioned for Knight Frank´s annual Private View magazine has discovered some interesting trends in the market for luxury second homes with France accounting for nearly a quarter of the properties in the respondents´ portfolios.

Business Development Manager, Charlie Williams of Terresens, France’s leading eco-friendly property developer responsible for Les Balcons de la Chapelle in Meribel, comments,

“In France there are plenty of options for second-homes in a variety of living environments whether in rural surroundings or ski locations. Property in a ski resort is highly sought after with 13% of respondents desiring a ski property as part of their portfolios according to the Knight Frank findings.

“Of course, new ski property developments such as Les Balcons de la Chapelle have brought a fresh level of quality and luxury to French ski resorts with Meribel remaining one of the most popular destinations with British ski fans.  Meribel affords balmy summers and crisp winters, much needed peace and quiet teamed perfectly with an active social scene and abundance of activities. It is faultless as an all year round location so it makes sense to experience all this in the comfort and style of a gorgeous second home like Les Balcons de la Chapelle.”

The limited number of 2, 3 and 4 bedroom apartments and chalets of Les Balcons de la Chapelle occupy a prime location, just a short walk from the ski lifts, shops and restaurants and command incredible unobstructed views out over the mountains. Available fully furnished to your specification, these luxurious residences afford stunning views over the valley and la Chapelle Notre Dame costing from €560,000.

To find out more about Les Balcons de la Chapelle in Meribel, contact the developer Terresens on + 44 (0) 203 101 110 or visit www.terresensproperties.com.