New construction in Canada has fallen for the sixth consecutive month, and some analysts are expecting the slowdown to continue to the end of the year. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) released its figures for February, with 134,600 starts on a seasonally adjusted basis, down from the 153,500 units in January. That is well below the expected rate of 145,000 starts for the month.   New...

After last week’s mini-collapse in the value of sterling, this week sees some major data releases which could make it a week of volatility in the foreign exchange markets. First up, Tuesday morning’s UK house price index and German economic sentiment numbers may both have an effect on the best Euro exchange rates. A larger than expected drop in UK house prices would not be good news for the struggling...

The UK’s Golf Monthly magazine has listed its top 20 golf courses for Europe, 2009 in its latest edition. You’ll have to buy the April, 2009 edition to see the exact rankings and why the editors chose the courses, but here is a sampling of what they consider to be the best on the continent.   The Iberian Peninsula is the top destination for European golfers, and it has a number of courses in this...

Recently, architectural and construction firm Gensler broke ground on what is set to be the tallest building in China, the Shanghai Tower. Located in the Luijiazui Finance and Trade Zone, the building broker ground in December and will be ready for its new occupants in 2014. This region will become China’s first super tall building district and is located next to the Jin Mao Tower and the Shanghai World...

In the heart of Paris, plans are being made for a new mixed-use community called Hermitage Plaza. This new development will have two of the tallest towers in Europe – and the tallest in Western Europe – that are being designed by Sir Norman Foster and his firm, Foster + Partners.   The project is set for the area east of La Defense and is meant to create a sustainable, high-density community along the...

Overseas property investors considering Vietnam will be interested in knowing that Phu Quoc Island has been named by Vietnamese citizens as the top domestic travel destination in the country. The Best Brands of Vietnam 2008-2009 campaign was organized by the Sai Gon Giai Phong newspaper and the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and surveyed readers of the paper and other residents...

One of the last homes designed by the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright is now on sale in California’s Central Valley. The Fawcett House is a 3,700 square foot home that was designed by Wright in 1955 and completed in 1961, two years after his death.   The six bedroom home is located on 80 acres in the famed farming country of California. It has four and half bathrooms and a low-pitched roof with...

An organization entitled the New7Wonders Foundation has undertaken a campaign to name the new seven natural wonders of the world. The first step of the process narrowed the nominees down to 261 nominees from 222 countries and territories around the world. Now, at the group’s website, voting is ongoing to name the top natural wonders in each of seven categories.   Currently, the top vote getters are the...

The Hotel Molindo del Santo in Benajoan, Spain has been voted one the Best Hidden Gems in Europe by the users of Trip Advisor website. The TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice awards are voted on each year by the site’s users and honors the world’s best hotels around the world in various categories. The hotel is in the small town of Benajoan not far from Ronda, which is about 90 kilometers east of Malaga...

The largest airport in Oman, Muscat International Airport, is undergoing a major renovation and expansion. The development of the airport includes a brand new terminal building, 32 air bridges, two runways, 6,000 parking spaces and more.   Muscat International Airport is located near Oman’s capital of Muscat and, as the country’s busiest, had some 3.2 million destination passengers in 2008 and is...