The 77 year award winning designer Sir Terrence Conran is about to end his career as a restaurant owner as he seeks to sell off his entire restaurant business.   Conrans restaurants feature regularly in gossip magazines and are haunts of the paparazzi as they attract a wealth of celebrity diners. Kate Middleton, the girlfriend of Prince William, was recently seen at Sir Terence's Bluebird restaurant in...

Despite the credit crunch and the weakening pound tourist visitor numbers to Lanzarote have soared during the first quarter of 2008.   According to official statistics recently released by Spanish airports operator AENA and the Cabildo de Lanzarote. Lanzarote’s key market – the UK – has played a leading role in this upswing. With British visitor numbers climbing by an impressive 8.7% during the...

EPEX 2008 is the UK’s only showcase for finest real estate in the whole world as well as those who outfit and cater to the buyers of such property. It is becoming so popular that additional display booths had to be arranged for exhibitors, and there are only a few left of these. This annual show and exhibition takes place at Earls Court & Olympia National Hall, in London, 21 - 22 June 2008.   This...

5th May 2008- The Chinese property market has seen house prices in 70 large and mid-sized Chinese cities rise 11 percent year-on-year in the first quarter according to the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).   Prices of new apartments jumped 11.8 percent, down 0.4 percentage points from the same quarter last year, while prices of second-hand flats rose 11.5 percent, up 1.7 percentage...

Wealthy Russian overseas property investors have been attracted to the Australian Gold Coast and are now the biggest spenders of Australian Gold Coast property. The average investment is a hefty USD$ 550,000 according to research undertaken by property agency DTZ.    The Gold Coast has been voted in the top 10 growth spots in Australia and the median property prices are expected to jump from $425,000 -...

1st May 2008-Foreign Currency specialists Halo Financial report that US interest rates were cut, as expected, by 0.25 percent last night as the Federal Reserve moved to increase the availability of cheap money in order to offset the economic downturn. The detail is explored below but the effect has been to weaken the US Dollar against most currencies.   The Bank of England has also been in the news this...

Billionaire Sam Zell, known for his real estate and media investments, went on record as saying that Brazil is his choice for new investment. At the Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles, Zell said that Brazil will be the next China, according to several news reports including one from Reuters.   "I'd buy Brazil," Zell told his audience at the Conference. "It has the chance 30 years from...

Marseille’s Euro Mediterranean Project is one of the largest urban renewal projects the world has ever seen. When completed in 2012, the plan envisions Marseille as one of the top Southern European cities. This ancient seaport is one of the oldest cities in France and Europe, but it has lagged behind the rest of the country in terms of development and popularity.   The Euro Mediterranean Project is...

Investors thinking about buying property in Italy may well turn their focus to Bologna as it receives a huge amount of investment. A recent article in the International Herald Tribune highlights Bologna’s plans for growth and spurring investment. The local agency in charge of promoting investment in the city, Promo Bologna, lists the investments and developments that are currently ongoing and planned...

Brazilian real estate has again made the headlines as a great place to invest in the property market. This time Brazil receives its seal of approval for investment from the Billionaire real estate and media expert Sam Zell   Brazil has been attracting investors to its sunny shores in increasing numbers as it appears to tick all the boxes as the next big place to invest. Overseas property portal...