Investment Property Abroad

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Spain has always been one of the most popular holiday destinations for the Brits. Since 1994, the Iberian Peninsula has been the number one choice with UK holidaymakers.

According to Kyero.com, a Spanish based property portal, 13,864,000 UK tourists visited the country during 2005 alone.

But England’s love affair with Spain goes way beyond the need for two weeks of “fun in the sun”. According to the Office of National Statistics, “Over £6 billion has been invested in Spanish property, accounting for 27% of British foreign investments”. Spain is unquestionably the UK’s favourite investment location.

Investing in Spain
Despite the recent property slump, experts agree that Spain still has excellent potential as a long-term investment location, with good property appreciation and excellent buy-to-let potential – particularly on the Canary Islands.

People are talking about the mounting competition from various emerging market in Easter Europe – Bulgaria, Croatia and Montenegro especially. It’s questionable though, what kind of a threat these places will be…

Spain is so vastly different from Eastern Europe that they seem hardly comparable.

Apart from the obvious climatic differences, there’s the huge cultural differences. It’s debatable whether these new emerging markets will develop the same kind of UK expat communities that the likes of Spain has. One of the major attractions for UK buyers moving to Spain is that there are large numbers of people from the UK living there. It’s simply a lot easier to find work, meet people and make new friends.

Everyone dreams of the Spanish lifestyle – lazy afternoon siestas, delicious cuisine, the beaches, the nightlife, the sunshine, the stunning natural landscapes etc. The Spanish unquestionably have the most laid back and easy lifestyle in Europe.

Spain also offers low interest rates and sustained long-term growth. These newer markets are a lot less predictable and much more of a risk.

Where to Invest in Spain
According to Kyero.com, the majority of people look for Malaga, Granada and Alicante on the Internet, when looking for property.

One of the cheapest areas however, is Valencia, in the east of the country. Property prices here are still well below the national average. It’s also said to have “strong capital appreciation” and good rental yields.

Other locations worth considering include, Jerez de la Frontera, the Costa de la Luz, Almeria, Costa Azahar, Arcos de la Frontera, Fuerteventura and Tenerife.

Featured Location – Valencia
Compared to the more popular “tourist traps” like Malaga province, Valencia offers excellent value.

Property values rose steadily between 2005 and 2006. In Castellon, for example, residents saw their homes go up in value by an impressive 35% – from €167,000 in May 2005 to €225,000“.

The 1992 Olympics had a very healthy effect on Barcelona’s property market. The 2007 America’s Cup held in Valencia, will no doubt do the same.

The authorities have already pumped millions of Euros into Valencia’s infrastructure. A new high-speed rail link has been built that takes you directly to the Spanish capital of Madrid. The main airport in Valencia has been extended. You can now fly direct to Valencia on numerous low cost airlines from the UK.

Living in Spain
A recent article on homesworldwide.co.uk, points out that foreign residents in Spain now comprise almost ten per cent of the total population. Britons, no doubt, make up significant numbers of Spain’s foreign resident population.

Spain is like a home away from home for the Brits. Just a short plane journey away and it’s “sun, sea and sangria”. One of the biggest attractions of the Iberian Peninsula has to be the easy lifestyle and affordable properties (in some areas).

Every year, more and more families are choosing to escape the endless grey skies, crime, pollution, insane prices and unhealthy lifestyle and head off to the sun for a much easier, healthier and ultimately happier way of life. Spain’s UK expat community gets bigger every year.

Moving to Spain is easy. There are hundreds of reputable English speaking estate agents through both Spain and the Canary and Balearic Islands. Communicating with friends back home has become much more advanced. Nowadays, anyone in the UK can call a local number at local rates and get through to you in Spain. Click here for more information about low cost calls in Spain.

Getting here has never been easier of cheaper with the influx of budget airlines like Easyjet, Ryanair, Monarch and Flybe.

According to Kyero (www.kyero.com), one of Spain’s leading property portals, “Britons invested £12 billion in Spanish property in 2004/05”…”this is predicted to reach £21 billion by 2009”. The average price was a reported £160,000.

So why Spain?
Spain has always been a home away from home for the Brits. It’s got everything from sunshine and beaches to a high standard of life and a large UK expat community. Apparently ”one in three want to retire to Spain”.

Of the 400 people surveyed, Kyero found “26% viewing Spain as the ideal retirement destination due to the warmer climate, sociable atmosphere and reduced taxes”.

The type of Brit looking for a property in Spain is typically a male between 40 and 60 years old. It’s not just the British though. It appears Spain’s popularity stretches well being the British Isles – enquiries came in from Portuguese, American, Canadian, Dutch, Japanese, Australian, Swedish people.

Location
Location, as you would imagine, was very important to those surveyed – 97% said it was a major factor. The most highly sought after parts of Spain are Alicante, Granada and Malaga.

Within the chosen location, accessibility to amenities is an important factor when choosing where to buy. The most important ones are the shops, the hospital, the bar, restaurants, pharmacies, banks, post office, public transport, the police station and the airport.

Less important ones appear to be the golf course, schools, clubs, discos, marinas and churches.

Types of Properties
The most popular property types are studio apartments followed closely by 2 and 3 bedroom villas. The majority (73%) of respondents are looking for resale properties.

In Alicante, 3 bedroom apartments appear to be in big demand, whereas in Girona, Brits are after 3 bedroom villas. And in perpetually sunny Gran Canaria, there’s a big demand for 1-bedroom apartments with swimming pools.

According to the survey, most Brits are willing to pay from €150,000 to €200,000 for their new home in the sun.

Along with actually visiting the location, the Internet is one of the fastest and most efficient ways to find property abroad – 71% said they were using it as an information resource. Click here for more information about overseas investment property.

Leaving the Grey Skies Behind
According to the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), “in total, around 41 nations each have at least 10,000 permanent British residents.”

Recent figures from a number of official and industry sources have highlighted what appears to be an exodus of Brits abroad. France and Spain are still the most popular choices but more and more UK homebuyers are now choosing destinations much further a field.

There has been a rise in the UK expat populations of the UAE, including Dubai (55,000), Pakistan (47,000), Singapore (45,000), Thailand (41,000) and China (36,000).

As the world gets smaller and smaller, more and more destinations are becoming accessible, particularly with the influx of budget airlines. Overseas property buyers want more choice of destination – whether they’re emigrating or just buying for investment purposes.

Estate agents and developers are having to adapt, in order to meet the needs of the more “globally demanding” customer. They need to be able to provide access to a much wider portfolio of properties worldwide and provide up to date, accurate information about these locations.

In order to satisfy the needs of this changing market, industry leaders will have to continually adapt their strategies in order to maximise sales opportunities.

The Canary Islands (Atlantic) and the Balearic Islands (Mediterranean) are famous throughout the world for their amazing beaches and climate, excellent club scenes and spectacularly diverse natural landscapes.

The two archipelagos are vastly different from each other. While the Canaries offer year round sunshine and warmth, the Balearic Islands get the same kind of climate as the mainland. The Canary Islands are known for their surreal volcanic landscapes, endless sandy beaches, lush green forests and warm Atlantic waters.

Think of the Balearics and you’ll probably immediately think of Ibiza’s legendary club scene, the island’s rugged Mediterranean beauty, Formentera’s paradise beaches along with endless yachts, glamour and wealth. As you can imagine, property Prices are significantly lower in the Canaries.

The Balearic Islands
The Balearic Islands are located off the East coast of Spain, across from Valencia and are characterised by many pretty bays, caves and capes. There’s four islands in total – Mallorca, Ibiza, Menorca and Formentera.

Formentera, one of the smaller islands has some of the best beaches in Spain; idyllic stretches of fine white sand with crystal clear blue waters.

Northern Mallorca has a rugged beauty unmatched anywhere else in the archipelago, while Ibiza has matured from the clubbing capital of Europe to one of the world’s hottest festival venues and chilled-out Menorca provides families with a small and gentle island enclave.

Ibiza is probably the best known of the Balearic Islands – famous for its frenzied and decadent club scene, which exploded during the nineties, attracting some of the world’s top DJ’s to the island’s mega clubs like Pacha, Maumission, Space and Es Paradis. The most vibrant nightlife can be found in San Antonia and Ibiza town.

It’s not all just clubbing though. Apart from having a thriving gay scene, Ibiza is a great place to go during the deserted winter months. It’s the perfect getaway – Isolated and peaceful with plenty of space and light; a vast contrast to the hectic summer months.

Menorca, located close by, produces an excellent gin, which locals drink with bitter lemon. The capital, called “Maó” is where they originally created Mayonnaise.

Ibiza and the rest of the Balearics have had a well-established property market for many years, attracting countless affluent Northern European and Spanish investors. This is where you’ll find some of the most extravagant villas in Spain – some of which run into the millions.

The Canary Islands
The Canary Islands, most notably Tenerife, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria, are equally as known and popular as the Balearics – although for different reasons.

Apart from their vastly diverse natural landscapes, the Canaries are Europe’s only real tropical paradise, offering guaranteed sunshine and a warm balmy climate all year long.

Volcanic in nature, they boast some truly Spectacular scenery with massive craters, huge volcanic rocks, formidable cliffs (Los Gigantes) and Spain’s tallest mountain peak (Mount Teide).

The average air temperature on the Canary Islands ranges from a comfortable 18ºC to a cosy 24º C all throughout the year. Even the water stays warm, – hovering between 22º C in summer and 19º C in winter. It’s a true sun and sea-worshiper’s paradise.

Canary V Balearic Property Prices
If you’re looking for an apartment on say Menorca, expect to pay at least €200,000. In Ibiza and Mallorca, prices start at least €300,000. Villas start at €400,000 and go very much upwards. (www.timesonline.co.uk)

The Canaries are a different story. Apartments start at around €90,000. A small detached property can be had for just €240,000-ish.

For buy-to-let investors, the Canaries offer year round rental yields because of the consistently hot and sunny climate.

Tenerife New Developments
Here’s a few examples of what you’re likely to find online…

Caleta Palms, La Caleta
Sales Price From : €445.000
Sales Price To : €890.000
Sales Price From : £313.377
Sales Price To : £626.755
Location : La Caleta, Tenerife

Island Golf Villas, Amarilla
Sales Price From : €472.000
Sales Price To : €657.000
Sales Price From : £332.391
Sales Price To : £462.672
Location : Amarilla Golf, Tenerife

According to Holidayrentals.co.uk, one of the leading web portals for property rentals throughout the globe, Europe remains a firm favourite with UK property investors. Up to 90% of all property purchased abroad by UK buyers is in Europe.

Despite the allure of far-off destinations like the Caribbean, Asia and the USA, British investors still prefer to invest closer to home.

Investing in Europe
UK investors and homebuyers are mostly choosing traditional locations like France, Spain, Portugal and Italy. They’re safe options for investors with well-established markets and proven potential. Homebuyers are attracted by the large expat communities, schooling facilities, climate and close proximity to the UK, amongst other things.

With the opening up of the EU, Eastern Europe has been put firmly on the map in terms of property investment potential. You can find properties here at a fraction of what you’d pay in the more established markets.

The proliferation of budget airlines offering very cheap fares to more and more European destinations has greatly helped these emerging markets.

Although these new markets offer very good value for money in terms of price, it’s not yet fully known if they have the same rental potential as the more traditional markets or if they’ll build the same number of expat communities.

Once War-torn, Croatia has emerged from its troubled past and gone on to become one of the most sought after investment areas of this year. This beautiful country with its stunning beaches, is very popular amongst British buyers, Istria, in particular.

Located on the very west part of Croatia, Istria is the largest peninsula on the country. It’s the most expensive part of the Croatia with a high proportion of new developments and new-build properties. That said, you can still easily find many Croatian houses in the coastal towns and villages traditional available for renovation.

Montenegro, one of the lesser-known investment areas has seen unprecedented growth. This lush green mountainous region, bordering on the Adriatic, is one of this year’s star performers. According to the Property Rentals website, there’s been an increase of 113% in rented property between since 2006.

Also known as the “Pearl of the Mediterranean” Montenegro covers 5,333 square miles (13,812 square kilometers) and is largely covered in thick forests with a narrow strip of land lying along the Adriatic Sea. In winter it gets a lot of snow and in summer it’s warm in the valleys.

Montenegro is renowned for its idyllic lakes, mountainous terrain and endless lush green valleys that lead down to the clear blue waters of the Adriatic Sea.

Property prices here vary dramatically from one region to the next – the coast is the most expensive region. But for those willing to go further inland, to say Lake Skadar, the old Royal Capital of Cetinje, they’ll find property up to 200%! Cheaper.

Top winter Sun Destinations – The Canary & Cape Verde Islands
If you’re looking for guaranteed sunshine and genuine warmth but don’t want to spend over ten hours in an airplane, the place to go this winter is the Canary Islands or Cape Verde, just one hour south.

Although mainland Spain is often promoted as a top winter sun destination, unless you want to go skiing, it’s not really. It’s certainly sunnier than the UK but can get very cold.

Any expat will tell you that Spain ranges from chilly in the winter to what feels like freezing. Along the coast you get strong wind chill and inland and on higher ground, the temperatures drop significantly.

The Canaries and Cape Verde are a different story altogether. Located off the north west coast of Africa, both have a very mild climate that remains constant throughout the year.

Known as the “Islands of Eternal Springtime”, the Canaries have an ideal climate where it’s never too hot and never too cold. The Cape Verde Islands are just few degrees warmer.

Tenerife, one of the most popular of the Canary Islands, is an ideal winter sun destination – an island of fascinating contrasts with something for both young and old. It also has excellent year-round rental potential for anyone considering investing on the island. Click the following for more information about – Tenerife property.

According to the World Wide Fund For Nature “each average golf course uses up as much water as a medium sized town with about 12,000 inhabitants”.

In Spain, developers and planning authorities have come under massive pressure to prevent further environmental damage caused by the creation of new courses both on the mainland and on the archipelago. There is likely to become huge demand for golf properties as become increasingly harder to find.

The advice for anyone, according to Kyero.com, is if you have your heart set on that dream villa or luxury apartment set amidst those pristine green fairways, now is the time to move. You should invest as soon as possible before there’s none left.

Water Issues
Building newer, better, bigger and more lush golf courses uses a fantastic amount of water – water that Spain simply can’t afford to use.

Andalucia, one of the most popular golfing destinations, in Spain, has had a drought every year for the last four years. This is where the water crisis is at its worst.

The government can’t overlook the facts for much longer. And with increasing pressure from various groups against the further development of golfing resorts, they’ll have to eventually do something.

Development issues
Overdevelopment has been a major factor in Spain’s recent property crash. Many people believe that developers are building more courses as an excuse to build more and more golf properties.

People are even choosing to buy golf based properties because they know they have guaranteed views of lush green landscapes instead of more homes, a motorway or perhaps even a high-rise building.

The Environment
“Developing a golf course entails the clearing of vegetation, cutting forests and creating artificial landscapes, which lead to land erosion and block the soil’s ability to retain water” – See full article here.

Although one can certainly see the appeal of owning a luxurious golf property in sunny Spain, it would be short-sighted, however, to downplay the very real environmental issues that the creation of theses courses and surrounding properties cause.

The only environmentally sound advice for any potential golf property investors is to invest quickly…in an already built golf development.

Long Term Investing
If the environmental lobbyists get their way and prevent the future construction of golf courses, investors should be looking to buy now, rent out the property and hold onto it for the long term.

In the coming years, with demand greatly increasing supply, the property should accumulate generous capital appreciation after providing consistently high rental yields.

Golf in The Canaries
The Canary Islands are a golfer’s paradise – with endless blue skies and a spectacularly diverse range of landscapes.

Tenerife is home to some of the best courses in the archipelago, including: Abama, Amarilla Golf, Centro de Golf Los Palos, Golf Costa Adeje and Golf del Sur.

Investing in Tenerife
Tenerife Property has always been in big demand, especially golf properties. Click here to find the latest Tenerife new developments.

Tenerife has a perfect year round climate with temperatures rarely dropping below 63°F (17°C) and more often above 82°F (28°C) during the day. Buy-to-let investors can rent out their properties all year round at peak season prices. Investors who have bought property on a golf course can generally command much higher rental incomes than from normal properties.

Click here to find all latest properties available on this – the “Island of Eternal Springtime”.

The Canary Islands are unquestionably one of the most delightful places in the whole of Spain for a round of golf. Although tour operators like to sell mainland Spain as a year round hot and sunny location, quite frankly it’s not. Even on the Costa del Sol or “Costa Del Golf” as it’s known, it can get incredibly cold in winter.

The Canary Islands, on the other hand boast year round sunshine and genuine warmth right throughout the year – winter, spring, summer and autumn. And with some of the finest courses in the country, it’s no wonder these “Fortunate Isles” are described as a golfer’s paradise.

Some of Spain’s most prestigious golf schools are located here on the Canaries. They provide expert tuition for both beginners and advanced.

What easier way to improve your swing – with professional instructors, on breathtaking courses, under endless blue skies, in just shorts and a t-shirt.

Golf accommodation in the Canaries is always easy to find. The standards are exceptional – the highest of quality with everything you could possible need for the perfect golfing holiday. There are numerous accommodation options to choose from, whether you’re looking for hotel accommodation close the course or a luxury villa right on the course.

Background
The Canaries are a group of Spanish Islands located off the northwest coast of Africa. These island paradises are known the world over for their amazing beaches, perfect climate, volcanic landscapes, vibrant nightlife, easy lifestyle and (of course) excellent golf courses and playing conditions.

All the islands are vastly different from each other; from the lush green forests of La Gomera to the endless deserts of Fuerteventura. This is what makes playing here so unique.

On Tenerife, you can play golf beneath the staggering peak of Mount Teide – Spain’s highest mountain peak. On Lanzarote, the courses are set amongst the red Martian-like landscape that the island is famous for. Playing golf in the Canaries is like nowhere else on earth – literally.

Golf in Fuerteventura
Golf is still quite new to Fuerteventura. The first course (Caleta De Fuste) only opened as recently as 2002. Since then, this PGA Championship course has gone on to hold the Spanish Open.

The golf market is an important sector in the islands economy, bringing in revenue through golf property acquisitions and tourism. Golf is growing steadily on Fuerteventura. There are now five world-class courses on the island.

Golf Courses
Caleta De Fuste
Caleta De Fuste (the island’s first course) was opened in 2002. It’s located in the east of the island, just eight kms from the airport. The Spanish Open was held here in 2004 and it put Fuerteventura firmly on the map as one of Spain’s most important golfing destinations.

La Oliva Golf
This course is located in the north of the island, just four kms outside of Corralejo. When opened it will be the fourth and newest course in Fuerteventura. They expect to open in late 2008 or early 2009.

Golf Resort Salinas de Antigua
Salinas was designed by twice world champion Manuel Piñero. It comprises 18 holes and has a maximum distance of 5,395 metres for men and 4,690 for ladies.

Jandia Golf course
Located in the south of the island, Jandia was the third course to be opened – just at the start of this year (2007).
 The course covers 335,086 square meters and designed by Ron Kirby. It’s a par 72 nestled amidst Fuerteventura’s surreal desert-like landscape.

Playitas Golf
This 18-hole course is still under construction. It’s set on a slope that travels all the way down to the Atlantic Ocean, offering superb views. It’s a tough par 70 course that will present many exiting challenges from start to finish.

Buy-to-let Investing (Fuerteventura)
Compared to properties in standard developments, golf properties can offer significantly higher rental yields.

If you own a high standard property, be it a villa or an apartment, on a golf course, you can command rental fees way above your average property. And in Fuerteventura, with its perfect year round climate you can charge this premium at any stage of the year.

Many golf developments throughout the Canary Islands offer rental schemes where the company looks after the whole renting process for you, from start to finish.

Alternatively, you can choose to advertise the property yourself over the Internet. There are plenty of sites available, all offering varying levels of service, from simple on-line bookings to actual key-handovers and cleaning.

The spread of the European Union has opened many new property investment opportunities for western Europeans. Britons are choosing to invest in bricks and mortar everywhere from Hungary to the Costa del Sol! Now is an excellent time to buy.

The European Property Market
Property prices are dropping all over Europe. In Ireland and Spain and the UK for example, we’ve seen a significant shift in the value of properties. Experts predict that we’ll see deeper adjustments in the near future.

In Spain, the drop in values was partly due to overbuilding, amongst other things. With supply well exceeding demand, developers have become desperate to offload their properties, often at bargain prices. Spain has once again become a buyer’s market with some great bargains.

Although prices have dropped in Ireland, they were so high to begin with that finding a genuine bargain is still quite a challenge.

Overall, the EU is confident that growth will continue but at a much slower pace. For long-term investors, the advice is to hold tight because the market will eventually stabilize itself. In the meantime, homebuyers and investors can enjoy a more much realistic price range than in the previous years.

Finding Information
Up until recently, finding information about new emerging markets could be quite a challenge. But nowadays, with the internet, you can find every possible bit of information you need – everything from property listings and descriptions to local area information, market analysis and legal advice. It’s unquestionably one of the best ways to find out about new and existing property markets.

Popular Investment Areas
For many UK and Irish investors, Europe is still the most popular investment area, mainly because of its proximity.

The number of property “hot-spots” is growing all the time. Unlikely places like Hungary and Bulgaria are now offering some excellent investment opportunities for the record numbers of Brits that are buying foreign properties.

Developers and investors have already made significant profits in Bulgaria and now the idyllic Hungarian countryside has been put firmly on the map. It’s seeing rapid development, in an attempt to cope with the demand for properties.

Top Investment areas
Established markets like France, Spain, Portugal, The Canaries, Greece and Florida etc. still remain popular.

One of this year’s hottest new emerging markets is Cape Verde (just one hour south of the Canary Islands). With year round sunshine, affordable properties and a rapidly improving infrastructure, it has already produced significant returns on investment.

Other places to watch out for this year include: Budapest, Dubai, Morocco, Estonia, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Barbados, Thailand, Brazil, Australia, Turkey, Slovakia and Bulgaria.

Investment Tips
Anyone looking to invest in Spanish property will have to be realistic. The market has unquestionably slowed but still has very promising long-term potential. If you’re looking for a get rich quick investment, you’d be better off trying Cape Verde.

With property prices in Spain at a more reasonable level, there’s the possibility of buying and either renting the property or simply holding on to them in order to make a profit through long-term appreciation.

Extensive research is essential when dealing with both established and emerging markets. Buy-to-let investors need to thoroughly investigate the rental potential of the location and property. There’s an endless amount of factors to consider before determining the rental potential of the property, in both the long and short-term.

In places like Cape Verde, Canary Islands Barbados, Dubai, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, you can achieve high rental yields all year long as they have a perfect year round climate.

Financing potential. At the moment banks are saying “no” to clients more often than not. Although a short while ago, it was fairly simple to get mortgages, under the current economic conditions banks are being a lot more frugal. So, remember you’ll need to make sure your credit is intact and that reasonable deposits can be put in place in order to get financing.

Overseas Investment Outlook
The opportunities are out there. It’s just a matter of finding them. In Spain, anyone looking at the long-term potential is likely to find many bargains.

Once you’re cautious, calculated and do all the proper research, buying a property abroad can be an exciting and very financially rewarding experience.

Every year, more and more ordinary people are investing their hard earned cash into bricks and mortar as opposed to traditional stocks and shares.

Overseas investment property is a popular and profitable option for UK buyers. You can find properties abroad, in often-exquisite locations with tropical climates, for significantly less than back in gloomy England. If carefully researched, these properties should have excellent buy-to-let potential and provide healthy property appreciation.

The Golden Years
Retiring to a dream home on some paradise island beneath endless blue skies is no longer something for the rich and famous. In fact, hundreds of thousands of Brits do it every year. And it’s not just retired people too. There are an increasing number of middle-aged people investing in overseas property with the intention of using it as a permanent or semi-permanent home in their forthcoming retirement.

It’s more than just a warmer climate that attracts UK buyers. Places like Spain, Portugal, Cape Verde, Turkey, Brazil and Barbados etc. offer a lower cost of living and a better quality of life – much better than living on their pension back in the UK.

Recently Turkey and Bulgaria have become very popular with UK buyers. Spain and Cyprus have always been favorites for UK retirees because of their established communities, warm climate, and high standard of living.

Buying a Holiday Home
With a holiday home you can use it yourself as well as rent it out and make significant earnings, especially in places with year round sunshine like Cape Verde and the Canary Islands. More and more couples are choosing this option. With the costs of air travel decreasing dramatically, it’s becoming easier and a lot cheaper to travel abroad.

Investing in Bricks and Mortar
Investing in property is a much more stable option than stocks and shares. The obvious difference is that the property value can’t be wiped out as easily as the value of the stocks and shares. Generally speaking, property investment is one of the safest forms of investment.

While it may not produce instant riches, in the long run it should produce significant returns on investment provided the market is strong and the choice of location and property are good.

Getting on the property ladder is a crucial step towards financial well being. If you borrow against your existing property it is significantly cheaper, meaning you might even be able to create a portfolio of properties.

Nowadays it’s quite common to find UK and Irish investors from a middle-income background with a portfolio of properties across various markets – Spain in particular.

The more adventurous or those with more disposable income, choose to diversify their risk and maximize their returns by investing in new emerging property markets like Turkey, Bulgaria, Cape Verde and Barbados etc.

Where to Invest
Along with traditional favorites like Greece, Spain, France and Portugal, Cape Verde, Brazil, Thailand, Australia, Turkey, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Budapest, Dubai, Morocco, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines and Barbados represent significant opportunities.

The Internet displays hundreds of thousands of overseas property for sale and
provides a wealth of information about new emerging markets, established markets and specific geographic locations – and their potential both as a place to live and invest.

From the snow capped peaks of Mount Teide to the
volcanic desolation of Timanfaya and the lush green jungles of La Gomera’s Garajonay, the Canary Islands are immensely diverse with brilliant contrasts in both land and climate.

The Canary Islands are located in the Atlantic Ocean off the north coast of Africa. They make up seven large islands: Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, la Gomera and el Hierro, and other smaller ones, like as Graciosa, Alegranza and Lobos.

Ever since the 18th century, scholars from all over the world have been attracted to the Canary Islands. With such a large number of ecological gems on the Islands, one can understand why.

The Canaries have become a nature lover’s paradise, bringing in hundreds of thousands of eco-friendly visitors every year. They come to witness the unique species of flora and fauna living side by side amongst the fascinating landscape.

The islands are incredibly different from each other and within each individual island the scenery can change tremendously from one minuete to the next. It really is impossible to talk about a “typical” Canary Island landscape.

Canarian Topography
The Canaries are famous for their surreal and spectacular volcanic scenery, Lanzarote most notably. The islands have been dramatically shaped by their volcanic past. What’s left today is some very peculiar landscapes with craters, volcanic cones, volcanic rocks and tubes etc.

Along the coastlines you’ll find vast sandy beaches, with some impressive reefs, capes, bays along with some steep rock faces and formidable cliffs, like Los Gigantes (http://www.simplygroups.co.uk/images/Los%20Gigantes1.jpg)in Tenerife.

The Canary Islands are home to Spain’s highest mountain – Mount Teide (http://schools.telescope.org/gallery/fullsize/58.jpg). Located on Tenerife, it reaches up to a staggering 3,718 metres in height and is frequently covered in snow. Other dramatic peaks include Blanca Mountain (2743 metres) and Viejo peak (3100 metres).

All throughout the archipelago, in the more populated islands like Tenerife and Gran Canaria as well as the lesser known ones like El Hierro and La Gomera, you’ll find a wealth of ecologically valuable areas and natural spaces.

Natural Spaces
In 1994, the Canary Islands Natural Spaces Act began providing special protection for a large percentage of the Canary Islands. Its aim was to conserve the island’s many natural assets and areas of ecological importance.

Despite the regions small size, the Canary Islands contain four of Spain’s ten national parks – Las Cañadas del Teide, Garajonay, Caldera de Taburiente and Timanfaya – and perhaps in the future, Roque Nublo Park in Gran Canaria.

As well as these, there are plenty of other areas throughout the Islands that enjoy special protection status – numerous other parks, reserves, and sites of scientific interest.

Macronesia
Along with the Azores, Cape Verde and Madeira, the Canary Islands are located in what’s known as a Macronesia – the name for several groups of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean near Europe and North Africa. All of these are characterised by having a large number of indigenous species and a wide diversity of landscapes, formed by decades of intense volcanic activity.

Some of the Canary Islands are quite flat, like Lanzarote and Fuerteventura whereas others like Tenerife and La Palma reach great heights. Known as the happy or fortunate isles, the Canaries are blessed with an especially gentle climate. This is mainly due to the influence of ocean currents and the trade winds.

Investing in the Canary Islands
With a perfect climate all year round, the Canary Islands are one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe.

“In 2006, the number of incoming foreign tourists was 9,530,039”.

The recent property scare in Spain doesn’t seem to have affected the islands at all. Most people regard the Canaries as a much safer long-term option. The climate is a major factor, especially for buy-to-let investors.

While in Spain, prices dropped by up to 20% from last year (2006), the Canary Islands have seen continual growth. Some investors have even been trying to sell on the mainland and reinvest in the Canary Islands.