New condominium projects in Bangkok fell in the first quarter of 2009 by 36 percent from the same time a year ago according to the latest research from Thailand. The drop in condo developments, reported by property firm Century 21 Thailand, is in large part due to the worldwide financial crisis as well as home grown political instability.   For the first quarter of 2009 there were 1,671 new condominium...

Actress Sandra Bullock said in a recent visit to Germany that she and her sister are trying to obtain German citizenship. The actress was in Munich where her latest film, The Proposal, was opening. The new film also co-stars Ryan Reynolds and, coincidentally, has a plot that address the citizenship of Bullock’s character.   Ms. Bullock was born to an American and a German opera singer and spent much of...

The country of Namibia along the southern Atlantic coast of Africa has become an increasingly popular destination for both travelers and expats looking for a new home. The former colony called German Southwest Africa, then controlled by South Africa, is now a thriving country in its own right. Many holiday hotspots turn into international real estate havens and overseas property investors could well turn...

A Spanish builder was ordered to return the purchase price plus interest to two expat buyers of off-plan property that was not completed on time. This ruling was recently affirmed by the regional Supreme Court and is potentially groundbreaking for buyers who were left in the lurch by companies that never finished their off-plan properties.   The two buyers had purchased two properties off plan at the...

The first LEGOLAND Discovery Centre (LDC) is coming to the UK and should be open in time for Easter, 2010. The new Discovery Centre will take up 3,500 square meters in the Trafford Centre, Manchester and will be operated by Merlin Entertainments.   LEGOLAND Discovery Centres were first launched in Berlin in 2007, and this will be the fourth one in Europe. These centres have indoor attractions based on...

In the heart of France’s beautiful Languedoc-Roussillon region is a new resort village that is set to be one of the premier resorts in the country. For those who want to visit for a few days, have a corporate retreat, buy a home for weekend relaxation or retire to this area, this new resort offers the best of everything.   Les Jardins de Saint Benoit is located on 17 acres in the attractive village of...

The mixed use and retail center Victoria Square was just announced as winner of the 2009 RIAI award for Best Retail Development, awarded at the Irish Architecture Awards in Dublin. The highly-acclaimed £400 million-property opened in the centre of Belfast in March of 2008 and was also awarded Best In-Town Retail Scheme of the Year for 2008 by the British Council of Shopping Centres (BCSC).   Since its...

Office acquisitions have become an increasingly popular business investment in Moscow, particularly as the world wide economic crisis has driven prices for these properties down. A recent report from property advisors Jones Lang LaSalle indicates that the market for offices in Russia’s capital city has grown this year, and will continue to be strong in the future.   Vladimir Pantyushin is the Head of...

The European Union announced that it has cancelled the next round of membership talks with Croatia due to a border dispute with Slovenia. The border dispute has been going on for 18 years since both countries declared their independence from Yugoslavia, and has been a stumbling block in the ongoing EU talks for Croatia. Slovenia insists that it be resolved before negotiations resume.   Slovenia joined...

The Turkish city of Bursa has just launched a new campaign to lure travelers to the city. Entitled “To Bursa on the weekend,” the campaign hopes to attract some of the many travelers who are an increasingly important part of the country’s economy. Bursa is located just inland from the Sea of Marmara and is a little over 100 kilometers south of Istanbul, making it an ideal destination for a weekend...