The most recent Canadian federal budget has several proposals to help home buyers. The most notable of these changes is an adjustment to the national Home Buyer’s Plan, and it is hoped that these changes will help to stimulate the national housing market.   The Canada Home Buyer’s plan was introduced in 1992 as a way to help first time homebuyers get into the home of their choice. The plan allows...

The growth in passengers and cargo for airlines worldwide nearly came to a halt in 2008, according to the latest figures from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). December saw a 22.6 percent drop in international air cargo from the same time a year earlier, a stunning drop. International passenger traffic for December had a 4.6 percent drop from a year earlier.   For all of 2008, passenger...

The French resort town of Val d’Isere is hosting the FIS Alpine World Championships, which run from February 3rd through February 15th. The the opening ceremonies take place on Monday, February 02, 2009 with the Women’s Super-G opening the skiing events on Tuesday. The men follow with their Super-G on Wednesday. Always the highlight of the Championships, the Men’s and Women’s Downhill take place on...

The latest property news out of South Africa is a mixed bag, with some positives but still many uncertainties for the year to come. South Africa’s First National Bank (FNB) Residential Property Barometer indicates that there was a positive shift in the fourth quarter of 2008, but the long term prospects are still unclear.   The Property Barometer is a survey of real estate agents in the major cities of...

Sales of existing homes in the United States saw an unexpected rise in December. The increase is mostly a result of bargain-basement home prices being sold in foreclosures and year-end deals. The report from the National Association of Realtors indicated that sales of existing homes rose 6.5 percent in December to an annual rate of 4.74 million. That’s an increase from the revised figure of 4.45 million...

Northern Ireland teenager Rory McIlroy held off Englishman Justin Rose for his first tour win at the 2009 Dubai Desert Classic. This year’s Classic was the third and final leg of the tour’s Middle East swing, following the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, won by Englishman Paul Casey and the Commercialbank Qatar Masters, won by Spaniard Alvaro Quiros. With its tough home stretch, the Emirates Golf Club...

Despite the global economic downturn, Turkey’s tourism officials are betting on a good year in 2009. Tourism Minister Ertuğrul Günay said recently that Turkey can use the current situation to its advantage with low prices, great destinations and good promotions. The ministry expects an increase of 10 percent in 2009 over an estimated 26 million visitors for all of 2008.   “Despite the crisis, people...

Superstar Celebrity actor and judge for”America’s Got Talent” David Hasselhoff has put his Los Angeles mansion up for sale at a cool $5,950,000. The sale according to Big Time Listings is a result of a divorce agreement between Mr. Hasselhoff and wife Pamela Bach.    So what do you get for a near 6 million dollar price tag these days? The Los Angeles home has five-bedrooms, five and half baths, a...

The Brazilian beachfront town of Buzios is a gorgeous part of the country that offers wonderful beaches and a bit of seclusion, but it is just a few hours by car from Rio de Janiero. Buzios is on a peninsula that has 23 beaches and plenty of watersports. Some of Brazil’s most famous and wealthiest residents have homes and weekend retreats here, and the town was made famous by Brigitte Bardot in the...

The municipal government of Beijing recently relaxed investment restrictions of foreign buyers of property in the Chinese capital city. The government suspended measures that were introduced in 2007 to limit foreign ownership of residential property.   Under the old rules, only those foreigners who had lived in the city for at least a year could buy a house. The buyers also had to show proof that they...