A growing war between Brazil’s biggest mortgage lenders is increasing the amount of finance available to people looking to buy property in the country.  Lower rates and improved repayment terms are being offered by banks, which is great news for anyone looking to borrow to buy a home in Brazil.  Keep reading to learn more. Brazil interest rates cut as mortgage war deepens Bloomberg...

Bills, bills, bills and even more bills! In this technology fuelled aged it seems the only way is up when it comes to energy bills. It therefore may come as no surprise that the levels of carbon emissions continue to rise despite many governments efforts. Whilst some of us are environmentally conscious, most of us consume high volumes of energy daily – all at once, at times. This inevitably...

If you’re looking to buy a property in Australia then Perth should be a location you consider.  That’s the view of a leading property analyst who believes that house prices in the Western Australian city will rise by 22 per cent in the next three years. Despite a small fall in Perth house prices this year, BIS Shrapnel believe that the market is set to turn.  So, if...

Over recent years, investors have become increasingly interested in a diverse range of property.  To maximise rental yields, investors are now considering everything from hotel rooms to overseas homes. If you’re looking for a property investment which offers a superb rental yield and the potential for capital growth, then student accommodation could be the answer.  We explore this growth...

Student property is the fastest growing asset class in the UK property market.  The continued high demand from students for good quality accommodation offers investors a great opportunity to maximise rental yields and there is also a buoyant second-hand market. However, with an increasing amount of student property coming to the market, it’s important that you undertake your research before...

A new property tax and an ongoing recession have been blamed for a fall in the number of property sales in Italy at the start of 2012.  House sales in the country fell to an eight year low in the first quarter of this year, with transactions down a fifth on 2011 levels. Keep reading to learn more about how these economic factors are affecting the property market in Italy. 20 per cent fall in Italian...

The continuing political uncertainty in Greece and the future of the Euro has had an unsettling effect on property prices in the stricken country.  And, the problems could get worse if the country were to exit the Euro over the next few months. The economic turmoil in Greece has also resulted in an increasing number of Brits looking to sell their holiday homes in the country.  So, for brave investors,...

Over the last couple of weeks, the problems facing Spain’s banks have become clear.  The country’s government has applied for a €100 billion bailout from the EU to shore up the country’s struggling financial services industry with banks in more trouble than previously thought. International property sites have seen a rise in Spanish property...

  A leading overseas mortgage specialist has seen an increase in enquiries for property in Portugal over recent months, with buyers looking to snap up a bargain in the country.  Conti, an overseas mortgage expert, now says that Portugal is the third most popular destination with overseas property buyers looking for a foreign home loan. Tourism in the Algarve also remains strong, and so there are plenty...

Any cinemagoer who follows the Oscars will be familiar with The Descendants. In the film, George Clooney plays a man faced with the decision to sell a patch of historic land on the island of Kauai in Hawaii. The plot went back in his family for centuries, but was never developed.As well as a moving story about bereavement and marital problems, it gave real estate investment a glamorous Hollywood air....