Higher than expected inflation has resulted in India’s central bank raising interest rates in the country by double most forecasts.  Benchmark interest rates in the country have been raised by 0.5 per cent in May as the central bank struggles to control ever rising prices in the country. Inflation at almost 9 per cent results in 0.5 per cent rise in rates The Financial Times reports that...

The extensive flooding that hit Queensland over the last few months has made Brisbane one of the cheapest cities in Australia to buy property.  Figures from Australian Property Monitors show that Brisbane property prices fell by 2 per cent in the first quarter of 2011, the highest of all the mainland capital cities. Property prices in Brisbane falling The first quarter of 2011 saw the average sale price...

If you’re looking for a luxury overseas property, there are few better places to buy than the French capital, Paris.  With some of the continent’s finest flats and apartments, house prices in Paris are rising sharply offering both luxury living and an excellent investment. Whilst Paris offers some beautiful properties, people looking to buy property in France have been warned...

Sales of property to foreign buyers in Cyprus rose by 19 per cent in April thanks to new property laws and improving consumer confidence in the country.  Sales to overseas buyers have risen across the first quarter of 2011 and the country’s property market finally looks set to emerge from a difficult period. Sales to overseas buyers up 19 per cent in April 2011 Figures from the Cypriot...

The property market in Thailand is set for a boost after the Government approved a Bt25 billion (£500 million) loan programme to help first time buyers get on the property ladder.  The scheme will offer low or nil rates of interest for first time buyers with special repayment terms and conditions and experts believe it will help boost the property and mortgage markets in Thailand. Scheme offers nil...

Overseas property investors at the international real estate portal Homesgofast.com are turning Albania into a potential emerging market hotspot as enquiries increase in 2011 by over 45 per cent. The reason behind this could be down positive figures releasaed by the Bank of Albania. The Balkan bank report that real estate prices in Albania increased by 1.5% during Q1 2011 compared to a 0.9% increase...

An attempt by the Spanish government to encourage Brits to buy property in Spain has been criticised by action groups representing Brits caught in legal battles over the funding of their Spanish property. The Guardian reports that a leading MEP has written to the Spanish authorities over the issue and is advising Brits to avoid buying property in Spain until the issue is tackled. Six nation tour to...

Property prices in Malaysia are set to rise by an average of between 10 and 20 per cent in 2011, partly due to an increase in demand for foreign buyers.  That’s the view of Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Donald Lim Siang Chai who was speaking after the launch of the 2010 National Property Information Centre's (NAPIC) property market report. Foreign investments in Malaysia property set to...

 A much talked about algorithm change which has changed Google search results has resulted in increased traffic and search engine rankings for international real estate portal Homesgofast.com.   The round of changes by Google named the Panda update  started on February 24th and targeted low-quality pages and sites and sites deemed as “content farms” Panda 2.0: Launched on...

The dominance of Western cities is being challenged by up and coming centres in Brazil, Russia, China and India.  That’s the conclusion of the latest Global Cities Survey from leading international property firm Knight Frank. The annual survey ranks world cities according to a number of different factors including quality of life, political power and economic activity and has once again...