As a result, investor interest in Dubai’s residential property sector continues to increase. This has been most apparent in areas where tenants seek out lifestyle developments aligned with their aspirations. This has created high demand and rising occupancy rates for some of Dubai’s most desired residential districts, particularly Emirates Living, Downtown, Dubai Marina and Palm Jumeirah.

Strong performance in Dubai’s property market has been reflected in real estate and related stocks which helped lift Dubai’s index 2.2 percent to its highest close since September of last year.

As explained by one of the Middle East’s largest private developers, the rental return on real estate investments in the UAE are at least three times higher than having cash in the bank. The rate of interest on a six month fixed term deposit at HSBC is 2.1% compared to rental yields in the UAE of between 7 – 12%.

Dubai’s rapidly recovering real estate sector has significantly aided the UAE’s wider economy which continues its impressive economic growth with another year of strong performance. The UAE recorded economic growth of 4% in 2011, following growth of 1.4% in 2010 and 1.6% growth in 2009. In 2012 the UAE is again to reach a 4% growth with Dubai likely to show similar performances, according to a report prepared by the CBRE Dubai Research Team.

This positive mood and improved confidence was reflected in the Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) from the Department of Economic Development (DED) which rose 15 points to 125 during the final quarter last year. Respondents were most optimistic about the economic recovery, personal finances and job creation.

Dubai property prices up 5% on last year Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

Istanbul was able to hold number one spot due to its high amount of youthful population and its booming economy according to the survey of over 600 real estate professionals.

Istanbul’s property market is thriving as they are getting demands of around 70,000 units each year.. Figures indicate that sales of investment property in Istanbul are actually outselling previous best-performing market places like Brazil and Florida.

Property prices in Turkey are steadily moving upwards with the latest Residential Properties Sales Price Trends Index from REIDIN showing constant monthly increases in values with Istanbul leading the growth.

Other cities indentified in the survey included Munich, which came second due to some of the lowest unemployment rates in Germany and high levels of stability. Warsaw which is rapidly becoming Eastern Europe’s financial hub followed.

Even though the London is being affected by the current economic climate, the UK still attracts a lot of attention from oversees. The Guardian’s report includes a study which found that more than half of the buildings in the city are foreign owned. Industry experts think the UK offers potential for high yielding properties where excellent income can be generated in areas such as student accommodation, care homes and hotel room investments and as always, the UK will remain a big player with overseas investors viewing it as a safe haven for their capital.

Source: The Guardian

Istanbul tops property investor list Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

In terms of the breakdown of sales, 74.98% of all property deals were flats or apartments.

Director General of the Dubai Land Department, Sultan Butti bin Mejrin, explained, “The transactions’ quantity, quality and procedures reflect the recovery and growth of the real estate market in Dubai due to the direct support from the local government that spared no effort to achieve market’s stability and growth, enhance the attractiveness of real estate investment along with boosting the confidence of investors.”

A number of industry experts have come forward to explain the reasons behind the uplift. Vineet Kumar, Head of Business Development at Asteco, highlighted a number of factors that positively affected Dubai’s property market in 2011.

“Financing has remained tough since the property downtown began in the third quarter of 2008 but sentiment has improved as banks began to offer more attractive mortgage rates this year. The government’s declaration that property buyers in Dubai will be given a visa for three years instead of just six months will also help boost investor confidence. Transaction levels have also risen as job security and increased market confidence result in people seeking tenancy upgrades and home ownership,” he said.

The Chief Executive Officer of Landmark Properties shared this sentiment, explaining that positivity was created by “Changes in visa regulations allowing owners of properties of over Dh1 million to have a 3-year residency visa, mortgage rates continued to fall and banks were more liquid, oil prices remained buoyant which supported the local economy, announcements by Emirates Airlines and Dubai Civil Aviation expanding the aviation sector and supporting growth of tourism.”

Emaar, one of Dubai largest developers and the creators of the World’s tallest building predict that 2012 will see further positive growth throughout Dubai’s property market. In a statement to Zawya Dow Jones Emaar said,

“Dubai has effectively restructured its economy, following the challenges of the global financial crisis, and is now steadily consolidating its fundamentals. Following the socio-political changes emerging from the Arab Spring, elsewhere in the Middle East, more businesses are looking to establish their regional headquarters or expand their market presence to the UAE and Dubai. The property sector of the city is poised to benefit from this and record positive growth in 2012, across residential, commercial, retail and hospitality,”

Dubai property market improves in 2011 with positive outlook 2012 Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

Just 3 penthouses left in the Torch, the tallest residential tower in the world! The Torch occupies an enviable position at the mouth of Dubai Marina. The 86 storey super tower boasts stunning views of the Marina itself and out towards The Gulf and the Palm Jumeirah. Owners have access to a list of excellent facilities including a pool, sauna, steam room and concierge service. With a growing demand for high-quality rental property on the Marina, The Torch’s prime position creates a number one rental opportunity and properties here will consistently achieve between 9 -12% per annum.

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The Torch Penthouse Open Day – Thursday 17th November Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

The results of the investor sentiment survey are a marked improvement on last year when the outlook for the Spanish property market was poor after sales had fallen. However this year has seen an increase in sales according to figures from the Spanish government which shows improvement not only compared with last year but also from Q1 to Q2 suggesting the recovery is ongoing.

Global Property Guide published a similar sentiment survey in September in which studies from Taylor Wimpey de Espana found that average asking prices on the Costa Calida especially around Alicante and Murcia were on the increase.

Mr. Ignacio Osle, Sales and Marketing Director of the company explained, “Alicante, for instance, has experienced improvements in its infrastructure, seeing a second airport terminal open, which is always good news when it comes to attracting more visitors,”

Source: Global Property Guide

Spanish real estate expected to bounce back next year Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

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Open Day in Botanica, Dubai Marina Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

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Penthouses in the World’s Tallest Residential Tower! Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

Property in Turkey is incredibly popular at the moment due to the country’s thriving economy, flourishing tourism sector and comparatively low real-estate prices. British buyers are the most prominent of overseas property purchasers; however large amounts of property in Turkey are bought by mainland Europeans and Americans as well.

The new rules will open the Turkish property market to traditionally heavy hitting Russian and Arab investors who are expected to quickly take advantage of the law change. As a result, the already booming Turkish property market is expected to receive a considerable lift, directly effecting property prices.
Source: Today’s Zaman

Turkey considering unrestricted property sales Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

The main bulk of licences were for manufacturing, however there has reportedly been a marked shift towards trading licences as well. The main driver for businesses to move to RAK appears to be price. RAK is approximately 15 to 20% cheaper to do business than anywhere else in the UAE.

RAKIA, the investment authority responsible for attracting businesses to RAK’s industrial zones reported that 29% of inward investment came from India, 19% from Europe, 19% from the Middle East, 15% from elsewhere in the UAE, 3% from the USA and the rest from Africa.

Alex Thomas, general manager of marketing at Rakia explained how recent turmoil in North Africa has aided investment.
“Companies going to Egypt or Syria would definitely come here to cater to the GCC and Mena region and set up a manufacturing base. The cost of the workforce is cheaper, there is no labour union and companies can get workers from anywhere,” he noted.

The growth of the industrial zones in RAK is expected to positively affect the emirates property market as a whole. With more business and workers setting operations there will be higher demand for property pushing up both the sales prices and rental values in the medium to long term.

Source: Gulf News

RAK continues to attract significant business investment Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

Golf developments have thrived attracting a lot of investor attention while providing Spain with exceptional golfing facilities. There are a number of reasons why Golf properties have succeeded as investments where ‘stand alone’ properties have fallen short.

Firstly there is a higher demand for Golf property simply because of what it offers. Property near Golf courses appeals to Golfers for obvious reasons but it also attracts a lot of demand from expats and retirees as these properties are often easy to maintain and offer a higher level of security and community living. A gated Golf development acts as a source of constant entertainment, provides great views for all its properties and offers demand for your property when you’re not there as a holiday let; which brings us to the second reason – rental income.

The holiday-let aspect to this kind of property makes it a great investment. Golf properties are a great source of regular income with the Golf season lasting the majority of the year unlike other properties that rely on the prime holiday months for occupancy. May – August are simply bumper months for Golf property owners who can further capitalise on their investment. The strong rental incomes associated with these properties means they are always more likely to retain their value.

The combination of high rental yields and high demand meaning there are more exit options art re-sale have continued to attract investors to Spain’s Golf properties ultimately helping them hold their value.

Spanish Golf property values remain strong Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

The new data revealed that UK investors make up the majority of the market followed by Germans and the most popular areas for property purchase are around Marbella and Alicante.

The developer also highlighted that during the first 6 months of 2011, enquires for property had improved by a staggering 70%.

This information certainly suggests that prices have reached a level where excellent value is on offer; something that the majority of industry experts in Spain are now agreeing with.

Golf property is particularly popular. This property type is attracting a premium on the rental market and also at re-sale provoking interest amongst many investors.

8% growth in Spanish property investment Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

Turkey continues to cultivate and grow its tourism industry in accordance with its ‘Tourism 2020 Vision’. This strategy will see it become one of the world’s most visited countries by the year 2020. The Ministry also released its forecast for 2011 which expects the country to receive over 30 million visitors by the year’s end.

Turkey’s considerable year-on-year tourism growth would appear to be significantly boosting both the country’s property market and economy. Recent data has revealed that property rental rates, prices and actual sales are all increasing. This makes Turkey one of the world’s only nations to witness genuine capital appreciation in real-estate at present. Even more impressively data recorded in the first half of the year identified Turkey as currently being the world’s fastest growing economy; the only country in the world to gain double digit growth, outpacing China by over 2%!

As Turkey continues to accelerate ahead of the rest of the world in terms of its economy, tourism growth and property price increases, the international investor community watches with keen anticipation.

Source: A Place in the Sun

Turkey property market boosted by 11% tourism growth Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

This data supports recent reports about property price growth in Turkey. Turkey’s Residential Property Price Index was released last month showing price growth of 5.38% over the last year – one of the only countries in the world to witness genuine growth in real estate values between 2010 and 2011.

Turkey’s property market is moving from strength to strength and investors as well as prospective Turkey property owners have been quick to get into the market before they miss the boat.

British buyers are the most significant foreign contributors to Turkey’s property market, responsible for 22% of all property purchases by foreign nationals. Other big spenders when it comes to property in Turkey are Germany and Greece coming in 2nd and 3rd place respectively.

With such impressive growth in the face of difficult economic conditions, many are suggesting this is the start of something big for Turkey. Many industry commentators and property experts have suggested Turkey’s property market growth will be even outpace Spain’s property boom of the 80’s and early 90’s due to stricter planning laws preventing overdevelopment and Turkey’s already thriving economy which is currently the fastest growing in the world!

Beginning of a boom? Turkey property sales & prices increase Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

He said buyers are, “taking advantage of reduced prices and in some cases distressed sales from banks who are prepared to offer very attractive financing”.

Some examples can be found in Murcia where heavily discounted golf properties are available with 90% mortgages.

The growth in demand was also reported by The International Business Times who noted the increase of buyers stemmed from mainland Europe and also from China and the Gulf. In the article, Professor Jose Luis Suarez from the IESE Business School commented on a considerable increase in Swedish and Norwegian buyers in particular.

While the UK remains the major source of foreign buyers looking for Spanish property, the balance is slowly shifting towards a wider spectrum of international buyers. Mr Stucklin commented,”with the process of international diversification, sales should slowly start to increase”.

To supplement the growth in demand, the Spanish authorities are planning to bring in a raft of fiscal measures to boost the housing market, so interest in property in Spain is expected to increase further.

One such measure is a tax cut in IVA which is essentially the Spanish version of VAT on property purchase. This tax will temporally be cut in half, from 8% to 4% up until the end of this year prompting investors to enter the market quickly before taxes go and demand pushes prices back up.

Spanish property IVA tax cut in half with demand on the rise Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

“there are a lot of great properties for sale at prices lower than we’ve seen for ten to 15 years”.

Mr Bridge went on to explain that the price adjustment may have been necessary to balance demand and supply and further declines are still possible. However some areas of Spain are showing strength playing on unique appeal to aid demand.

The Costa Calida, also known as the Murcia region is has come under the spotlight as it has been chosen to house the planned Paramount Theme park due to open in a couple of years. Expected to rival Disneyland Paris as Europe’s leading theme park it is set to attract millions of visitors to the area each year.

In other news, low cost air carrier EasyJet has announced they plan to open a number of new routes into Spain. The move is expected to increase the appetite for Spanish property investment as one industry expert commented,

‘For people buying property overseas it is very important that they have affordable and easy access to their property. These new flights operated by EasyJet from Essex are really terrific news for both our prospective buyers’

‘The 800,000 people who will be flying in to Spain from Essex will all need a holiday apartment, villa or hotel to stay in which bodes well for our existing owners who are keen to let out their homes for healthy incomes,’

He concluded with the thoughts of many prospective buyers after viewing the opportunities currently available.

‘It is difficult not to want to buy once you have seen the fabulous opportunities available here,’

Spain represents great opportunity for property buyers Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

The Euro zone sovereign debt crisis has severely affected the confidence of investors and while there is extraordinary value now on offer across Europe in countries like Spain, prospective property buyers have looked further a field for property that offers better value, and potentially better security in the short term.

Turkey has therefore become a number one choice for property investors looking to make strong returns from both capital appreciation and steady rental incomes.

GYODER, Turkey’s association of Real Estate Investment Companies stated in a recent report that property transactions in the country have far surpassed pre-crisis (2008) levels. GYODER’s chairman, Işık Gökkaya said,

“In 2009, property sales to foreign nationals totalled $1.2 billion. Last year, sales more than doubled to $2.5 billion”.

Followed by even more impressive figures this year, Turkey looks right on track to achieve its 2015 target of $10 billion worth of property investment by foreign nationals.

Euro Debt Crisis positive for Turkey Property Investment Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

Prominent developer Sheik Maktoum bin Hasher Al Maktoum said to Arabian Business,

“What we have is a situation where realtors are pushing prices down using the myth of excess supply because they are trying to push through higher volume transactions, because that’s their main interest,”

“So we hear a lot about the massive amounts of new inventory coming online, which is keeping prices low. But this has led to a misleading situation, as not all of the property coming to the market is actually for sale.”

Supply has been considerably reduced with the cancellation of over 217 projects this year by Dubai’s government. The effect of these cancellations have not been fully realised by many agencies providing misleading data while others have failed to note that no new projects have been approved for over two years. This means new real estate stock in developments that haven’t started yet will be years away from entering the market.

Khalid Al Malik, the CEO of Dubai Properties Group, the developer behind Dubailand and Jumeirah Beach Residence shared Al Maktoums sentiment and also told Arabian Business that no agency had the correct figures and therefore it was difficult to know if there was an overhang of property supply.
Source: Construction Week

Dubai real estate – no property oversupply according to experts Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

While the low quality end of the market is still in crisis, with Spanish ministers touring Europe in a bid to encourage sales,when it comes to the luxury end its a much better situation. However, buyers are much more savvy compared with the years prior to the economic downturn. Looking for developments with security and other additional benefits.

Select Property has a range of quality Spanish developments backed by one of Spain’s largest banks. Offering discounted high quality property with Mortgages & payment holidays available.

Source – Manchester Evening News

Luxury end of the Spanish property market is in demand Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

The fastest growing sectors were wholesale trade, tourism, energy, transportation, communication and most notably, construction, which grew by over 14% to keep up with real-estate demand in the country.

Timothy Ash, the chief economist at the Royal Bank of Scotland commented on Turkey’s growth strong growth in 2010 leading up to these most recent figures.

“real GDP grew by 9.2 percent year on year in the fourth quarter, and by 8.9 percent for the full year in 2010,”

Turkey’s impressive progress following 2008 has been well documented. Its economy is widely described as one of the strongest in the Eurozone, however the newest figures suggest Turkey is quickly becoming one of the strongest economies in the world.

Source: Hurriyet Daily News

Turkey: The world’s fastest growing economy Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

Take Dubai as a case in point; a market we are very close to as you would expect. I recently commented in an article that we have witnessed a renewed interest following a significant improvement of market conditions in the emirate.
There is a substantial appetite for property in Dubai at the moment and more and more business is being done on a weekly basis. Our own experience certainly seems to support the recent announcement by the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA) that property transactions in the emirate have jumped by 20% in just 3 months since the last quarter of 2010.

Dubai’s economic prospects have definitely improved recently (due in part, many suggest, to instability in other states as a result of the Arab Spring) and visitor numbers are apparently returning to pre-recession levels. All of which indicates that the direction of travel is positive, even if there’s disagreement over the indicators that point towards a full-blown recovery.

Deutsche Bank casts a dark cloud over the brighter sentiment, reporting that property prices fell 1.2% in May and rents also dropped a further 1% (thankfully not the kind of figures that lend themselves to the usual adjectives when describing Dubai, such as ‘plunge’ and ‘crash’, but a drop nonetheless). And property consultancy giant Jones Lang LaSalle has also estimated that there are over fifty thousand dwellings still to come onto the market in the whole of Dubai between 2011 and 2015 – about 15 to 20% of the existing supply which could lead to fears that prices are not going to firm up any time soon.

So how do we navigate between the positive and the downbeat opinions in deciding where to put our money, or whether to sell or hold?

Apparently it only takes a tangible increase of 2-3% in values for confidence to return to the market, but in a region with so much construction going on in the last five years you’d be forgiven for thinking that this will remain a buyer’s market for some time yet. At the same time, peak demand in 2007-08 pushed prices so high that Dubai has been labelled ‘the worst performing market in the Middle East for the past three years’, presumably on account of the height from which prices have had to fall to ensure some properties are still changing hands. But these headline figures don’t tell the real story when it comes to long-term prospects for recovery and growth – you need to dig a bit deeper.

The Jones Lang LaSalle survey went on to identify more established areas such as the Palm Jumeriah and Dubai Marina as the best performing regions within Dubai, where buyers with appetite for the residential sector now outnumber sellers. This is welcome news for current owners of course, and will also captivate the interest of investors who have been waiting on the sidelines for the right time to get back into the market.

According to a separate independent report Dubai’s property supply has peaked, and in March RERA announced that over 220 construction projects would be cancelled in the emirate, with that number expected to rise in 2011 from projects that haven’t yet started. Consequently industry professionals now predict that there could be a 90% reduction in the amount of property previously expected to be on the market by 2020. That’s a whopping re-assessment and just goes to show how easy it is to be misguided by some of the market data we’ve seen in the last twelve months.

So it’s realistic to foresee a period of price stability in the highest-demand residential communities as the oversupply of residential stock diminishes.
I’ve been banging the drum for a while now about the importance of breaking markets down into much smaller segments to really understand what patterns are forming. Expert analysis can provide a useful barometer reading of the general conditions, but it probably won’t tell you where the real value is, and we all know that statistics can be highly misleading without knowledgeable interpretation.

The fact remains that certain districts, types of property and developers/operators will always have a threshold demand that makes people seek them out and pay a premium compared to the prevailing market rate at the time.
If you imagine the property market to have the same variety of opportunities as an antique fair or car boot sale – then similarly amongst the many people picking things up and having a general look out of interest, there are enthusiastic buyers who know what they’re looking for and what they are prepared to pay, and who don’t waste any time in picking out the quality pieces before someone else gets in there.

All of which reminds me that there’s no substitute for first hand experience. I get frustrated talking to people who unload their subjective worries about a particular market or development when they haven’t been there themselves in years, if ever.

You’ll never really feel confident unless you’ve seen how full the plane is and how busy the restaurants are with your own eyes. Market reports are far less compelling than your own instinct having seen what kind of people are attracted to the same locations as you, and spoken to them across the loungers or the golf tee.

Think of any trip you’ve taken to a new place and I’m sure you’ll remember how quickly you worked out which end of town was the place to be, which spots were hot, and which streets to stay away from. If you only ever read the high-level market data, you likely to be left feeling perturbed will probably miss out on the real opportunities that are often hidden by the analysis.

Market reports disguise opportunities for investors in the ‘Flight to Quality’ Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

GYODER’s most recent monthly index showed that prices have increased by 6.45% in the year ending April 2011. This data follows previous index’s that showed annual growth of 6.30% at the end of January, 6.18% in the year ending February and 6.17% in the 12 months leading up to the end of March.

It’s been widely reported that Turkey’s popularity has grown considerably in international markets; helping it ward off many of the economic problems faced by much of Europe. Holiday homes have seen the most dramatic price increases with a 40% surge in foreign ownership in 2010; a total $2.5 billion worth of real-estate sales in just one year!

The surge in holiday home ownership has tracked Turkey’s significant growth in tourism. Turkey’s ministry of tourism announced that the country welcomed 28.6 million tourists in 2010, an increase from 27 million in 2009, 26.3 million in 2008 and 23.3 million in 2007. Turkey is expecting another good year for tourism growth in 2011 with record numbers of holiday bookings already placed for this summer.

As this trend continues and demand keeps out performing supply, Turkey property owners are looking forward to strong returns over the coming years, benefitting from Turkey’s ascension to become one of the world’s leading holiday destinations.

Turkey property prices increase by over 6% annually Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

Properties vary from individual residential homes to tourism properties. Other buildings on offer on the day will be commercial premises, 5 star hotels, part or whole developments. The event will showcase one-off deals not available anywhere else. Figures are strictly ‘off market’ and not listed publicly with the seminar itself by appointment only. However we can report that many of the properties are already 40% below the current market valuations with even further discount likely to be offered to serious investors.

Investors can take advantage of up to 75% finance and a twelve month payment holiday, creating a fantastic opportunity for individuals to invest in unique property.

Fernando Rodríguez Palmero, International Director of Bancaja Habitat commented: “The seminar is a once in a lifetime opportunity to buy repossessed properties of this magnitude direct from the bank. With the prices below the estimated market valuations it offers a great chance to invest in secure properties with instant equities and lengthy finance options.”

To reserve a place at the seminar or book an appointment, contact the event’s official sales agent Select Property on 04 446 2757 or email Bankdisposal@selectproperty.com. Places are limited and are on a first come first serve basis.

Dubai Chosen to Host One of The Biggest Disposals of Spanish Bank Assets Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

Bancaja Habitat, the real estate arm of one of Spain’s largest banks has announced that due to the rapid uptake of their unique mortgage option, they will stop offering it at the end of June. The popular Bancaja mortgage allows buyers up to 90% finance and requires absolutely no mortgage re-payments for 3 years! The offer has been used by customers to buy heavily discounted bank repossessions in some of Spain’s most popular resort areas, allowing them to use their property immediately with a 3 year payment holiday.

Giles Beswick, a Director of Select Property, exclusive sales agent for Bancaja Habitat said

“We’ve sold an extremely high number of properties with this mortgage – it’s been incredibly popular with our clients. Owners have been able to use their property immediately while not worrying about any re-payments for 3 whole years. The deal is often described as a no-brainier due to the low financial commitments which are as little as 10% for some owners.”

“We urge anyone who is looking to buy in Spain, to do so quickly so they may benefit from the last few weeks of this incredible deal.”

Play today, Pay in 2014 – Last chance to own Golf Property with nothing to pay for 3 years Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

The data showed that between 2006 and 2008, foreign nationals spent a total of £1.8 billion on Turkey property increasing to £1.1billion in 2009 alone. The newest data now shows that this trend has continued into 2010 with a staggering total expenditure of 1.5 billion in just one year. Interestingly, it was noted that British investors are buying the most property in Turkey.

The increasing popularity of property in Turkey has been witnessed across the industry with agents and developers alike reporting increased sales. It is thought that the increasing interest in property has been helped by Turkey’s ever improving economic forecasts that predict growth of 4.6% and 4.5% this year and next year respectively.

Foreign investors continue to buy more property in Turkey Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

The $182 million Torch tower boasts 676 apartments that span over 86 floors and has been described as a ‘defining landmark’. Commenting on the achievement, Mr. Rahail Aslam, CEO of Select Group, the creators of The Torch said:

“This is a milestone for the Group and we are proud to be contributing to the list of global firsts Dubai has achieved over the years. We would like to position The Torch as our tribute to this cosmopolitan city which despite the downturn in the real estate sector and fluctuations in the economy has shown resilience to weather the extreme economic downturn.”

Giles Beswick, a Director of Select Property who exclusively sold out The Torch said:

“We sold out the Torch very quickly and have been successfully concentrating on re-sales ever since. As a very a popular development, The Torch has always attracted high levels interest from investors and lifestyle purchasers alike – we’re very happy it can now be officially recognised as the world’s tallest residential building. After a difficult period for the global property market we’ve seen a real upturn in demand recently for distinctive properties in the best locations in Dubai. This underlines our belief in the long term appeal of the market, in particular the Marina, where unique developments like The Torch are showing that this area will grow from strength to strength.”

Record Breaker – The Torch, Dubai Marina Officially the World’s Tallest Residential Building Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

The owners had come together in London to debate a number of important matters concerning how their development will be run, following the establishment of an owners’ committee and a management plan of the facilities and services contained within the resort.

This was a rare and thoroughly engaging opportunity for all those present to get to meet other people with similar vested interests and achieve that most challenging thing; consensus on doing the right thing and commitment to the cost to achieve it.

Prolonged periods of debate with owners contributing their own perspectives from the floor were punctuated by resounding endorsement of prevailing opinions which allowed the debate to move on and the meeting to gather momentum. Typically this was achieved when one of the more pragmatic owners seized an opportunity to cut through the minutiae of the debate and knock as many proverbial heads together as necessary to make the obvious decision that was being reflected in individual comments. It was fantastic to see it all coming together.

A number of things struck me during the course of the day which gave me great optimism about this particular development and the good sense of its proud owners, and there were also some strong hints towards what really matter to our buyers, the things that we should be anticipating when we are finding and honing new opportunities for them in future.

It’s been said before but when conflict rises to the surface it creates a great opportunity to prove your win trust and respect, a moment of truth. And your most outspoken customers are probably also your biggest supporters if you handle them well enough. After all, if they didn’t care they wouldn’t take time out of their own busy schedules to come and give you their opinions. As one of the owners pointed out on Saturday; “I know I’ve had a lot to say, but I’m just passionate about what I believe in and want to get my views across – and I hope others will do the same”.

It’s a great testimony to the quality of this development that more than 200 people from all over the country were prepared to give up their own time on a weekend to participate in some important decisions that will influence the potential of their investment as well as their own enjoyment of their properties in the medium-long term. I can tell you from my experience that very few developments of this size that have been sold to overseas buyers over would garner such strong support for an owners’ meeting.

The developer, Signature Resorts, has to take a lot of the credit. They had created the impetus for the meeting in the first place by taking the brave decision (for a developer) to foster a community of owners who speak to each other and take an active role in the promotion of the resort, including decisions about facilities and services they want to enjoy. They also helped arrange the event itself, recommended and procured a venue, organised the agenda and circulated copies of the relevant documents to help the owners fully consider the decisions that needed to be made.

This was not just another sales pitch in disguise though, this was a meeting for owners, chaired by owners’ representatives. But Signature have embraced the single greatest cause of resentment between buyers and developers – poor communication – with their heart on their sleeve and made a genuine effort to show qualities that separate them from the field.
As they were eager to point out to their assembled owners; “yes we’ve had delays, we’ve encountered problems, but the good developers will still deliver, and the really good ones will do so without compromising their original vision.”

There’s a strong general message in this account of how the wider community of property developers, marketers and owners should be working together more effectively for mutual benefit, but I’ll save it for another article.. watch this space!

Property Owners Vote For Better Collaboration Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

While low prices have prompted increased sales, new data released by the Bank of Spain this week shows that foreign investors spent 2.9% more on property in 2010 than they did in 2009, reversing a general downward trend in foreign investment since 2003. This new information is significant, showing that while prices have been low, buyers are using the opportunity to invest more capital than they did before.

This data from the Bank of Spain takes the entire country into account, but of course not all regions have fared the same and some have already seen price increases. But overall it highlights a vast improvement in foreign investor attitudes towards the country. More importantly, when broken down over the year, Q4 showed the highest year on year improvements suggesting a progressive change moving into 2011.

It’s too early to gain a full picture of Spain’s 2011 Q1 performance, however businesses involved with the Spanish property market are beginning to release their Q1 results. One of Spain’s largest property portals, Kyero, today announced their best quarterly results on record. Kyero identified 5 key areas in their statement this morning where they saw ‘dramatic increases’ in performance.

Unique enquiries for Spanish property increased by 13%, 27% more Spanish properties were viewed on their site and web referrals for property in Spain were up 44%. Theses considerable increases represent a 12% increase across the entire portal suggesting that Spanish property is gaining significant interest so far this year.

Such compelling data is causing industry experts to predict a growth curve could be imminent and they urge buyers to enter the market sooner rather than later as not to miss out on the deals currently available.

Source: Spanish Ministry of Housing, Kyreo, Elmundo

Spain 2011: The beginning of a new property ‘boom’? Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

The report highlighted the surge in foreign property investors as the major driver behind the growth, which has brought the country back to the levels experienced before the world wide economic crisis.

“As a whole, post-crisis normalization and growth went hand in hand in 2010,” GYODER stated in a announcement accompanying the report. “Growth has created very convenient conditions for the commercial real estate market, too”.

“Between 2006 and 2008, property sales to foreign nationals stood at $3 billion,” commented Işık Gökkaya, GYODER’s Chairman. “In 2009, the figure retreated by $1.8 billion. But in 2010, such sales rose to $2.5 billion.”

These figures represent a 40% increase in property purchases by foreign nationals last year which suggests investor interest in Turkey is certainly not slowing. Not only is this investor appetite manifesting its self in real terms but the number of  publicly traded real estate investment trusts rose from 6 to 21. This considerable increase indicates market growth from $3 billion in 2009 to $7 billion or $9 billion when including net asset values of the 21 companies. This signifies that investors like not only property in Turkey, but also funds that are pegged to Turkey’s property market growth suggesting big things are expected of its performance over the coming years.

Source: Hurriyet

Foreign investment in Turkish property increases 40% Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

“The market is in a stable state. We are seeing around 50 transactions a day in the Land Department and I am talking about fresh transactions” he told Arabian Business. “[It’s] those coming to Dubai to take advantage of the opportunities in real estate.”

This official data has been strongly supported by reports from the ground where industry professionals have recently seen a surge in enquiries and successful sales. Giles Beswick, Director of Select Property one of Europe’s largest sellers of overseas property commented on the current situation.

“Having sold over 3,500 properties in the UAE over the last 7 years, we are very in-tune with the changing market conditions there and we have definitely noticed an upward trend. Dubai enquires have increased by nearly 60% compared with this month last year. We are actually launching a new Dubai Marina product this week to keep up with demand”

Source: Arabian Business

Dubai has 50 property transactions a day! Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

A previous point of concern for Egyptian property investors was the questionable legislation in place, and the seemingly widespread corruption between local officials and disreputable property developers. But coupled with the steps towards democracy are complaints over dodgy property deals which are being swiftly dealt with in court. This has given investors greater confidence as respect for property rights increases.  Public Prosecutor Hisham Gaafar says the market looks to be moving towards a far more regulated model commenting that “Everyone is acting differently now”.

One industry expert said “Short term effects were less than expected, with reports stating money transfers leaving Egypt were only around one quarter of that initially estimated”, With Egypt moving towards democracy it could mean longer term benefits in the future, with investors and businesses from other countries renewing their interest in trade and core locations within Egypt.”

The wider economy also seems to be feeling the benefits of the new political system as the stock market posted much more positive results. Trading actually had to be halted on the 27^th of March due to prices surging so quickly. The emergency ‘circuit breaker’ came into play once the EGX 30 index rose 5.2% and the wider EGX 100 increased and impressive 7.1%. It’s the largest single gain in over a year.

“People are very excited about the market, buoyed by the rebound on Thursday and high media coverage over the weekend saying that equities did better than expected,” explained the head of equities at Pharos Securities in Cairo, Mohamed Radwan.

A significant amount of inward investment has come from the Gulf as investors closer to the situation in the region are first to realise the new growth potential. “There’s still interest on Egypt from investors in the Gulf,” said Alfred Fayek, the managing director of MENA equity sales at EFG-Hermes.

“Even during the closure, we were approached by investors who wanted to set up accounts and [were] asking for new investors numbers and signing off contracts.”

The Abu Dhabi government owned Invest AD have already become heavily involved with the Egyptian market. “After the market opened we have been buying,” commented David Sanders, Invest AD’s chief investment officer. “We have been anticipating that once the market opens there should be names that will still do well as they have strong fundamentals.”

Source: The National, International Business Times

Egypt’s investment potential increases significantly Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

Your specified weeks are shown on your purchase agreement.

You can view a copy of the resort calendar from this page, showing which dates your weeks fall on. In accordance with the Rules, you can occupy your property from 4pm on the first day and up to 10am on the last day of your weeks.

Can I book my flights now?

Yes, provided you are up to date on any payments under your purchase agreement, including this year’s maintenance fees, you can make travel plans. You must complete and return the booking form at least 7 days before your arrival date.. We would recommend that all owners wait for their booking to be confirmed before confirming their travel, no compensation will be offered for any members who book flights and are unable to stay at the resort because they have not complied with their purchase agreement or the Rules.

What if I can’t use my weeks this year?

You can allow any friends or family to use your weeks, or you can rent out your weeks in the property externally. In any of these events, you still need to submit the booking form so that we know who will be using your weeks and when they will be arriving.

As you know the resort is affiliated to the RCI global exchange network allowing you to exchange your weeks for time in any of their other resorts and accommodation at other times of the year as well (subject to the relevant exchange fees). Having completed the procedures to set-up the resort on RCI’s systems towards the end of last year, enrolments will commence in time for the start of year two giving every owner the best chance of trying out this service. More information about how to exchange your weeks will be sent to you directly by RCI in due course.

When do I have to pay the first year’s maintenance fees?

All members have to pay their first year’s maintenance charge in advance, regardless of when their weeks actually fall in the year. This is because many of the costs covered by the service charge are also payable in advance. You must pay the maintenance charge even if you do not use your weeks.
You should receive a payment reminder for each year’s fees before they fall due, however please contact us if you are unsure how to pay or what the amount is.

Is there anything else I have to pay?

You can choose to pay for certain additional optional services such as an airport transfer, which we recommend for your first visit, direct to Signature Resorts. Please see the booking form for more information, or speak to their on-site team when you are at the resort. You will also have to pay for any damage or breakages during your stay before you check out.

When will we receive our fractional ownership certificate?

In accordance with the scheme terms, fractional ownership certificates will be issued to owners once they have paid the purchase price in full and the title to the properties has been registered in the name of the owning company. We will keep all owners updated on registration of title deeds in the name of the owning company. Until that time owners are still able to enjoy all their ownership rights and use their weeks under the terms of their purchase agreement.

Who do I need to tell if my contact details have changed?

Please contact us as soon as possible if any of your contact details have changed from the purchase agreement so that we can be sure you will receive any important information we send to members. We recommend that you contact us by email to info@wearehome.com or by telephone on 0800 111 6789

How can I change the ownership details for my weeks?

You can transfer ownership at any time by sale or gift, or you can add or remove names to the purchase agreement and fractional ownership certificate. There is an administration fee payable (currently £149) to Tatton Trustees for any ownership changes. Please notify us by email to info@wearehome.com or by telephone on 0800 111 6789 if you want to change the ownership details of your weeks.

Not found the answer you where looking for, ask us a question?

Horizon Sky Fractional Ownership FAQs Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

We have put together a gallery of pictures so that you can share them to friends, family and anyone who might be thinking of using your weeks in the scheme. You can access the gallery here.

We will add further pictures of the building and the apartments over time as we receive them, please also send us your own shots from your visit if you are happy for us to share them with other owners.
(Please note that these images are being made available for the personal interest of owners in this scheme and should not be used commercially without reference to the rightful copyright owner.)

What facilities and amenities are there in the apartment and building?

The apartments are fully furnished including a sofa-bed, washing machine, television and DVD player, oven, hob and microwave, and most standard kitchen utensils, hairdryer, ironing board and iron. The rooms are cleaned and linen changed weekly. The building has 24 hour concierge and security. Within the building residents can use the outdoor pool and Jacuzzi, sauna and steam room, and a fully equipped gym. Each apartment also has one car parking space.

How many people can the apartments accommodate?

Each apartment has a sofa bed, therefore a one bedroom apartment can accommodate four people and a two bedroom apartment can sleep six. In the interests of health and safety and out of consideration for other owners, the management company will refuse to check-in parties which include more people than the apartments can comfortably accommodate.

When are my weeks this year?

Your specified weeks are shown on your purchase agreement.

You can view a copy of the resort calendar from this page, showing which dates your weeks fall on. Please make sure you are looking at the right year column as the exact dates vary from year to year. All specified weekly periods begin and end on a Saturday, in accordance with the Rules of Occupation, you can occupy your property from 4pm on the first day and up to 10am on the last day of your weeks.

How do I book to stay in my apartment for my weeks?

You need to submit a booking form to confirm the details of the people who will be using your apartment and their arrival and departure dates. The booking form can be downloaded from this page and, once complete, should be sent to our local service partner Howdra by email – concierge@howdra.ae or by fax to 00971 4 2380084. We strongly advise that you do not confirm your flight booking until you have received confirmation of your booking in the apartment.

What do I need to do before arrival?

You will need to submit a booking form (which you can download from this page) and send passport copies for the people who will be staying in the apartment during your weeks. Your booking will only be confirmed if you are up-to-date with payments, including your maintenance charge for the relevant year.

What if I can’t use my weeks this year?

You can allow any friends or family to use your weeks or offer your weeks for rent, either privately or through our own channels using third-party booking agents. In any of these events, a booking must still be arranged using the standard booking form in the same way.

If you are planning on exchanging your weeks using your membership to Interval International, you should contact them directly. Most of their membership services are accessed through their website at www.intervalworld.com, alternatively you can call them on 0844 701 4444

When do I have to pay the first year’s maintenance fees?

All members have to pay their maintenance fees in advance each year, regardless of when their weeks actually fall in the year. This is because many of the costs covered by the service charge are also payable in advance. You must pay the maintenance charge even if you do not use your weeks.

You should already have received a payment reminder for your maintenance fees in 2012, however please contact us if you are unsure how to pay or what the amount is.

Is there anything else I have to pay?

There may be optional services available to you from the management company during your stay, including airport transfers, laundry and shopping, which are chargeable separately. You will also have to pay for any damage or breakages during your stay before you check out.

When will we receive our fractional ownership certificate?

Under the scheme terms fractional ownership certificates can only be issued once the title deeds to the properties have been issued to the owning company. The title deeds have now been issued – somewhat later than expected after completion of the building. Once the original deeds have been received, checked and safely archived by the scheme trustee, they will issue an ownership certificate to everyone on the members’ register. Until that time owners are still able to enjoy all their ownership rights and use their weeks under the terms of their purchase agreement.

Who do I need to tell if my contact details have changed?

Please contact us as soon as possible if any of your contact details have changed from the purchase agreement so that we can be sure you will receive any important information we send to members. We recommend that you contact us by email to premierproperty@selectproperty.com or by telephone on 0161 488 3560. There is an admin charge payable to the trustee to update their register of members and to reissue ownership certificates, if required.

How can I change the ownership details for my weeks?

You can transfer ownership at any time by sale or gift, or you can add or remove names to the purchase agreement and fractional ownership certificate. There is an administration fee payable to the trustee for any such changes. Please contact us if you want to change the ownership details of your weeks so we can send you the necessary form to complete.

Not found the answer you where looking for, ask us a question?

Torch Fractional Ownership FAQs Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

Director General of the Lands department Sultan bin Butti bin Mejren said 2011 will be “better in Dubai”, due to improved market transparency and greater investor confidence. This was after a “promising” 2010 where Mr bin Mejren said Dubai had impressively recorded $32.67 billion worth of property sales

The Landmark Advisory also released a report stating that “sentiment overall has improved and there are signs of investors reconsidering the UAE, in particular Dubai, as a place to invest again”,

The news comes in conjunction with the Arab Real Estate Urban Development Conference which has just been held in Dubai. Speakers at the conference were keen to talk about the unrest in MENA however their opinions on how the troubles will affect the wider region were very positive; especially for the UAE where the property market is expected to continue to increase as a result of the political unrest.

Jones Lang LaSalle had once been very pessimistic about the future of Dubai favouring other MENA hotspots such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia and was doubtful of the prospects of the UAE. The chairman of Jones Lang LaSalle’s MENA office, Blair Hagkull said,

“What is happening now is the pendulum is moving in the UAE’s favour,” “People are looking for a place where real estate can retain value,” said Mr Hagkull who went on to explain that the UAE market is considered very stable in the region.

The UAE has benefitted in some way from every major political crisis in the past 20 years and it looks as though it will be the main benefactor of this one as well.

Source: The National

Property Investment: ‘the pendulum is moving in the UAE’s favour’ Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

But the questions I am asking myself over and over again at the moment are these; what are developers and sales agents offering that’s different? How have they changed in response to the changing needs of the market? What are the attributes that differentiate the credible specialists from the cowboys trying to make a quick buck in a beauty pageant like a holiday home expo?
And I’m often left struggling for answers..

It’s staggers me to still see advertising almost every day offering ‘guaranteed returns’ that outstrip anything else the market has to offer, and marketers aggressively pushing short-term opportunities that look like nothing more than property paradise ponzi schemes.

I thought members of the buying public would have learned by now that ownership of any old property in any old country is not the closest thing to free money they can get, as many clearly had thought over the middle part of the last decade. As one investor told me once, “the property market in a global capitalist economy is just an organised system for transferring wealth from stupid people to smart people”! If the last two years have done nothing else they should at least have inoculated holiday home owners and landlords against the thinking that market diligence and financial planning was for wimps.

From a quick straw poll of some of my friends and associates in the industry, most shared the opinion that interest levels at the ‘APITS’ show were strongest for the territories that have seen the greatest severity of political or economic turmoil in the recent period: Egypt and Thailand have both been the subject of social and political revolution at the hands of their citizens. There’s Spain and Portugal, with their recently down-graded credit ratings having staved off EU bail-outs with bond issues. And the US, where the markets have shown their continuing vulnerability to global events following the crisis in Japan.

Maybe I’m underestimating buyers though, because what this tells me is that people are learning that opportunity is created not simply by the existence of a global property market, but by movements in that market. What attracts people more than anything to a particular destination or type of property investment is any compelling event that causes market movement. That could be a sudden influx of new people or capital, the promise of security or prosperity that previously wasn’t possible, the (re)introduction of credit, a shift in currency value even, or any number of other factors that we read about in the news every day at the moment.

Last week I wrote about Dubai, and it has come as no surprise to me to since then to see a steady flow of positive news from the emirates; a safe harbour in the Middle East with a moderate political outlook, an international business and resident population, and a strong grip on the oil markets with prices predicted to reach $200 a barrel! All good stimulus for property enquiries…

However, I still believe there’s a growing immunity to slick campaigns using seductive advertising. Buyers need more than that. They want to know the credentials of the people they are dealing with. They want to share information and experiences with other like-minded individuals. They want people like us to personalise opportunities to be more relevant to them, and to collaborate better with partners in our space. All these things we can and are doing to change our market going forwards, and I believe this is where the realisation of the benefits that great companies can offer will be most apparent.

I’m always happy to meet with our customers or other interested parties wherever I can get to – please feel free to contact me if you want to pick my brains, or even pick an argument about something that’s happening in our industry.. It’s not a question of simply telling people what might happen, but being part of the discussion that is already happening, about the markets in which we are all participants with a vested interest.

I look forward to hearing more from you.

Some things never change, but this market isn’t one of them Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

The type of visitors  attending events such as the horse racing, shopping festivals and business conferences usually bring an entourage who will appreciate the expansive and luxurious villas in Dubai, which can easily accommodate their entire party for the duration of their stay in the city.

The Dubai villas for sale on the market today offer excellent value for money.  For instance a 4 Bedroom Dubai villa located at the very centre of Dubai Marina, complete with its own waterfront balcony and Jacuzzi can be purchased for just over £1 million. Given the considerable savings available, vast size and quality of villas for sale in Dubai combined with one of the best locations in the world it’s a great purchase. Furthermore, luxury villas Dubai attract the highest rental yields and therefore returns for these properties are significantly higher.

Dubai Villas for Sale and Villas in Dubai Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

After opening up houses for sale Dubai to foreign nationals, the emirate has seen considerable investment. A Dubai house for sale began to be viewed as a holiday-home which could be used to create large financial gains.

Those who buy a house in Dubai will not be subject to capital gains tax or income taxied levied against them. This gives owners incredible value for money and, once the house in Dubai is registered they can earn fantastic rental returns as well.

Houses for Sale in Dubai Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

Given Dubai apartments are popular in Dubai, there a variety to choose from.. This makes it all the more essential to be selective when it comes to making a decision on where to buy apartments in Dubai. The best apartments in Dubai can be found on Dubai Marina, one of the most exclusive residential areas in Dubai. Dubai luxury apartments attract the highest occupancy levels and the greatest financial returns.

Dubai Marina serviced apartments are especially good investments as they offer everything you could want from a luxury property with the added benefit of first-class facilities coupled with a list of services facilitated by the hotel. This makes serviced apartments on Dubai Marina very popular on the rental market or as holiday lets.

The additional services that serviced apartments in Dubai gain give them naturally higher rental yields.  They also benefit from stronger capital appreciation in the long term.

Dubai Apartments & Hotel Apartments in Dubai Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

Flats on Dubai Marina attract particular attention from prospective investors due to the exclusivity of their location. Dubai Marina flats benefit from the Marina’s excellent infrastructure and locality offering owners superior waterfront living.

Flats in Dubai for sale are heavily discounted from their 2008 prices. They now present an excellent opportunity for investors to capitalise on high rental values at discounted prices. Dubai flats on the marina and in premium developments attract the best rental yields achieving up to 12% in some cases.

Flats for Sale in Dubai Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

Dubai estate agents have had to adapt to the changing property market conditions since the economic difficulties of 2008. Select Property is the largest seller of UAE property in Europe and has continued to excel throughout the difficulty times due to their quality property portfolio.

Select Property is much larger than a standard estate agent in Dubai, and therefore clients feel more secure and can buy with confidence. Select Property also work with the largest private developer on Dubai Marina and are able to source the very best projects in the area. More recently Select property were approached by the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) to become the exclusive overseas property partners to the PFA.

Most property sales agents in Dubai deal with a large number of different properties that they are asked to sell for individual owners. Select Property on the other hand deal with entire developments direct from the developer and exclusively sell on behalf of the developer.

Dubai Estate Agents and Property Sales Agents Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

The €2.5 billion fund met the requirements to allow it to re-open on the 1^st of March by raising 10% of the fund’s total assets through the successful sale of many of its properties. This is a very positive step for Spain’s property market which is now showing strong signs of recovery.

Santander re-opens Spanish property fund following market improvements Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

Bancaja Habitat has formulated an exceptional mortgage commitment, requiring purchasers to pay only 10% of the property price upfront, and nothing more for 3 years. This means that for a complete 2 bedroom golf Murcia property in Las Terrazas de La Torre, purchasers pay only £17,500, all in (Including Tax, fees & deposit) and then immediately benefit from a 3 year payment holiday, with zero to pay until 2014.

Already discounted by 25%, even if the properties only appreciate at 5% per year, owners will gain a 66% return on investment over the 3 year payment holiday and that’s without any rental income. Given that most of the best deals on the market are predominantly only accessible to buyers with liquidity who can stump up 40-50% deposits, for any investor this really is a no-brainer!

Bancaja Habitat approach Select Property as Sales & Marketing provider for Las Terrazas de La Torre Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

Interestingly, Visa’s analysis of the spending habits of the Festival’s shoppers found that visitors from the UK spent the most. US shoppers ranked second with $6.2 million and – get this – Chinese visitors recorded the highest increase in spending with $5.4 million, one and a half times more than last year. Consumers from France, Kuwait, India and Saudi Arabia also made Visa’s top ten list of card spenders at the event.

The success and performance of Dubai Shopping Festival seems to reflect a general trend in the emirate’s tourism and hospitality sector. According to arabianbusiness.com the Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment has said the city’s malls had experienced up to 25% increases in visitors in February. Another report recently proudly announced that the Dubai mall had more visitors last year than Italy – that’s the whole country!

Figures released this week also show that Dubai’s population has grown by 73,000 in the last 7 months, the city’s ‘population clock’ ticking over to 1,923,403. This represents an increase of 20.7% from the end of 2009 and Dubai’s active population has also increased with a populous exceeding 2.87 million at peak business times. The growth has been attributed to a growing number of businesses and tenants moving in to Dubai, testament to the emirates recovery.

Almost every customer and business associate I have spoken to in the last six months has told the same story – hotels are full, professional people are busy again, and there is a real buzz of energy around the well established residential communities, like Dubai Marina. Our own creative director was out there a week ago to take some new photographs (having had a sneak preview we can’t wait to share them with you) and he couldn’t get a room at the Grosvenor House – they told us they were at 130% occupancy!

On top of this, it’s only just emerging just how much wealth is being transfered to Dubai from other middle eastern states whose political futures seems certain not to include the incumbent rulers and their parties.  “The premium segment of Dubai’s property sector is likely to get a boost from capital inflows from some of the countries that are facing political turmoil in the region”, said the chief investment officer of private banking at the National Bank of Dubai last week. We certainly wouldn’t be surprised to see Dubai, recognised as a safe city and a secure market, become a ‘refugee camp’ for middle eastern capital in the next few months.

Every time the British press in particular takes aim at Dubai as a totem of previous success (and perhaps excess) I get really frustrated by the lack of perspective and lazy finger-pointing. The fact remains that this is a city unlike any other place on earth, with characteristics that will always appeal to hundreds of millions of people who will continue to travel to or live and work there. Maybe not every ambitious project once mooted will come off, but the kind of statistics above will keep quietly coming and maybe, one day, some of those who criticise from afar will be humble enough to say they were wrong.

Dubai, as ever, is providing evidence to cause doubters to rethink.. Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

Now Murcia stands in a strong position. The coastal area in south-east Spain boasts one of the finest climates in the country with uniquely warm winters and a naturally flat terrain. The importance of these very particular geographical traits is that Murcia is perfect for golf.

Developers have been keen to capitalise on the improved golfing conditions, creating one of the leading golf destinations in Europe. Murcia hosts one of the highest concentrations, most diverse range of golf courses in all of Spain with the legendary Nicklaus Golf Trail as its centre piece.

Another impressive feature soon to reside in Murcia is Europe’s largest theme park. Paramount Pictures have selected Murcia as the location for a huge theme park that will rival, and is expected to overtake, Disneyland Paris.

These investment credentials are now converting into actual property transactions. One property professional that specialises in Murcia said “Encouragingly we are attracting more Spanish buyers than ever before.” He also commented on the effect of the new theme park.

“The advantage that Paramount Pictures will give [Murcia] over say other Spanish regions is a great rental potential, so not only will you have the Spanish sunshine, there is also golf, beaches and Europe’s largest theme park to attract the rental market.

“Depending on how a property is rented a long term rental will yield around 8 per cent annually. If you are prepared to put in the extra work and go for short term rentals then this could go up to around 12 percent.”

Murcia Property gaining popularity Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

The 2nd approach when investing in a villa in Spain is to opt for quality properties. Those purchasers who bought quality property gained much better returns and the properties retained their value far better than those of less quality. Despite a reduction in value, those who invested in high profile Spanish houses retained stronger rental incomes. Spain has always been popular as an established tourist destination and those prepared to invest in quality villas in Spain will benefit from the financial rewards.

For those who do their research, there are some excellent purchasing opportunities on quality properties with discounts, relaxed payment options and in great locations.

Spanish villas for Sale Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

The second strategy when buying a house in Spain is to aim for quality property. The quality property market endured much better than the rest of Spain’s property market over the last couple of years. Despite a fall in prices, those who invested in high profile Spanish houses retained stronger rental incomes. Spain is a very popular and established tourist destination and those prepared to buy homes in Spain will benefit as they will maintain their worth and profit from continual marketability.

Spanish Houses Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

Firstly, Egypt apartments are usually a part of a wider resort with intrinsic benefits such as a prime location, community living, numerous facilities and easy maintenance. Location is key to a good property investment and if carefully selected can maximise a resort’s value and appeal to investors. Egyptian apartments in premier developments are usually beach or water front creating stunning views, an array of activities and within close proximity to several shops and restaurants, ideal for the holiday-let market. Further, those developments that consider the local infrastructure and accessibility when choosing a location gain the appeal of business professionals looking for a longer term investment option.

Egyptian apartments for sale in fully managed resorts also appeal to landlords who want a hassle free asset. Security and maintenance are supplied by the developments management company and when an Egyptian apartment is part of a well established development they become much more marketable, enabling wider market appeal to both first-time buyers and the resell market.
Apartments for sale in Egypt also offer excellent value for money. Egyptian pounds are weaker than Euros, Pounds or Dollars enabling buyers to gain more for their money.
Finally the country’s growing tourism comes into play. Egypt apartments are ideally sized to attract high demand on the holiday let market. They appeal to main stream tourism as they are generally affordable and enjoy ample space for family holidays.

Apartments for sale in Hurghada are particularly popular as the area is a growing tourism hot-spot. Hurghada offers a fully established infrastructure with its own airport, comprehensive transport links and various activities. Hurghada is actually one of the world’s leading scuba diving destinations attracting tens of thousands each year.  As a result Hurghada apartments have a high occupancy rate which essentially increases their annual rental yields.

Egypt Apartments & Apartments for Sale in Hurghada Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

Egypt villas first and foremost offer excellent value for money. The weakness of the Egyptian pound and the low cost of living have enabled investors to gain more for their money making high-end, luxury Egyptian villas far more accessible.

Further, tourism in Egypt is growing rapidly creating a strong demand for Egypt villas as holiday homes and as income stream. Egyptian Villas are ideally sized to attract family holidays and provide complete privacy to those who want a relaxing getaway. As a result, villas in Egypt generate fantastic rental returns on the holiday let market which not only increases their value, but also provides investors with a strong second income.

The locality of a villa in Egypt dramatically aids its investment potential; therefore those on the market in areas such as Hurghada or Sahl Hasheesh are likely to generate a higher return on investment. Hurghada villas and Shal Hasheesh villas will both enjoy higher than average occupancy rates as both regions attract high tourism levels. Furthermore capital appreciation is strongest in these areas meaning an Egyptian villa in either of these locations could prove to be incredibly profitable.

Villas in Egypt and Villas for sale in Hurghada Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

As a result, Red Sea properties have witnessed increasing demand as investors look for Red Sea real estate to deliver the financial rewards Hurghada property has to offer.

Red Sea villas are a particular attractive property investment given the sustained demand for such properties amongst tourists. Villa properties appeal to a wider audience, attracting families and young couples looking for a spacious property. These properties therefore deliver strong rental yields given their market appeal. This coupled with a year-round climate and high annual occupancy make Red Sea Villas a great investment opportunity.

Red Sea apartments tend to be part of a larger, fully managed resort. Apartments on the Red Sea Rivera make the perfect holiday accommodation, generating excellent yields. They are also much easier to manage, and can be obtained at much lower entry levels, creating a high resale demand to deliver an ideal exit strategy.

Red Sea properties and Real Estate in the Red Sea Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555

The figures show that more than one million tourists visit Spain each year, specifically to take advantage of the country’s world renowned golf courses.

One region that enjoys a significant proportion of the golf tourism industry is Murcia. Rapidly establishing itself as the golf capital of Europe, Murcia enjoys one of the most diverse and comprehensive mix of courses in Spain. Murcia boasts a world renowned Nicklaus Golf trail, a series of 9 golf courses designed by the legendary Jack Nicklaus himself.

Golf properties within this region experience higher than average occupancy rates and therefore provide owners with an excellent return on investment. Furthermore, fully managed golf resorts make for great retirement accommodation due to their low maintenance and community living – not to mention the fantastic golf facilities. For this reason, Murcia golf properties such as those located at Las Terrazas de La Torre offer flexible exit strategies, given their resale potential.

Spain – Europe’s most popular Golf destination. Selectproperty.com Office 803 - Concord Tower, Tecom, Dubai Media City United Arab Emirates Dubai Office: +971 4 446 2756 UAE fax: 971 4 440 4849 UK Office: +44(0) 161 488 3555