Speaking at the Chartered Institute of Housing's (CIH) annual conference yesterday, economist Andrew Dilnot stressed the importance of UK property to the economy. He acknowledged the fact that Chancellor Gordon Brown did not have a huge amount of funding to allocate in the next spending review, but insisted that some of it must go to housing. One of the main reasons given for the expected shortage of...

The popularity of luxury properties in Canada is currently on the increase, according to a new report. A study by Canadian real estate company Re/Max has reported that the demand for this type of property has reached an unprecedented level. According to financial group Canoe Money, the real estate agent reports that the rate at which expensive home sales are increasing has never been seen before in any...

Urban development and real estate investment trusts (REITs) will be the driving factors behind the growth of the Asian property market, according to a new report. The 2006 Asia property review by credit ratings organisation Standard and Poor's (S&P) has suggested that the urban populations of Asian countries are set to expand over the coming years, as migration to these newly established areas takes...

Sir Digby Jones, the director general of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), will underline the importance of the UK property sector later this week, at the annual conference of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH). In a keynote speech, Sir Digby will address hundreds of professionals who are responsible for the creation and maintenance of a large portion of the country's housing. One of the...

The state of the UK property market appears promising for individuals looking to buy or sell a property, as people appear to be more willing to take out a mortgage at the present time. Research from the British Bankers' Association shows that net mortgage lending rose by an underlying £5.7 billion in May 2006. This is an increase from the £5.1 billion rise measured in April and also from the...

The popularity of the Bulgarian property industry has been improved by the state of the country's economy and finances, according to reports. According to Assetz UK, an announcement from the Nation Statistics Institute that the country's gross domestic product increased by 5.6 per cent in the first quarter of 2006, to reach a level of £3.4 billion, has offered a "helping hand" to the Bulgarian...

A European fund manager has agreed to a €165 million (£112 million) deal to develop residential property in Thailand. The developments will be pursued through a partnership between the TMW Asia Property Fund and local company Ananda Development. According to Reuters, the project is to be based in the Suvarnabhumi district, a developing area near the capital of Bangkok. Georg von Werz, manager of...

The German property market has become a target for property investors, owing to the fact that it is believed to have "bottomed out" according to Overseas Property Professional (OPP) magazine. Property in Germany has been experiencing difficult times recently, with prices becoming stagnant and inactive. This is owing to a number of factors, the main ones including minimal mortgage approvals and generally...

Investors and homebuyers interested in French property are increasingly turning away from rural, country homes and farmhouses and opting for city properties, it has been reported. According to the Daily Telegraph, the south of France where many of the country's rural properties are to be found is still as popular as ever, but the quaint cottages and rustic stone houses that characterise it are not. British...

Mediterranean property developer Medsea has said that it expects the Italian property market to be popular this year and see a lot of inward investment. Medsea's Italian unit offers low-cost beachfront properties and expects them to make a significant contribution to its earnings and performance this year. The company also states that its interest in a number of other property markets is expected to...