What really attracts people to purchase an overseas property, apart from location, price, and dimensional suitability? I would argue that it is normally the LOVE factor. Most people fall in love with the property they want to purchase and will normally go with the one that just feels right when they go to view it, sometimes even in spite of it not being “the best deal.”

The reason for the question is, believe it or not, to do with overseas properties and what developer’s currently use to entice buyers to part with their hard earned cash. We have just experienced something which we feel is a fantastic idea from the developer of our Barbados Property Investment.

As I said, I believe it’s the little things that matter when it comes to a purchase, so what if a developer gives you the chance to fully customise your apartment when you purchase it? On our apartment in Barbados, because we purchased early, we were given the option to change the layout of the apartment by moving non load bearing walls as well as specifying if we wanted air conditioning in extra rooms, fans in extra places, different styled lights, the list is endless!

The reason I write about all of this now is that all purchasers on Weston Resort and Ixora Resort are given their own personal secure area on the developer’s website, which details all correspondence, construction progress, legal documents and now… “Interior styling” the interior styling tab is a new feature and we think it’s just great! We are now given the chance to customise the whole colour scheme of our apartment as well as choose between different finishes in our kitchen from the worktops to the tiles even down to the washing machine.

We think it is vitally important for clients to feel happy right the way through their purchase of an overseas property, this is why we stay in contact with all of our clients, offering advice and updates right up to completion.

Please use the link for more details on our Barbados Property.

British Airways announced earlier this year that they would be increasing their services between London Gatwick and Barbados as a result of the increased demand currently being shown for the Caribbean island this is great news for anyone that has a vested interest in property in Barbados.

Although Barbados has a strong economy away from tourism it also relies heavily on the industry and all of the money bought into the country and spent in the country by tourists from around the world. This money can be invested into the local economy to promote future growth, which is good for the country as a whole.

All this is good for those investors that have purchased in Barbados or are thinking of purchasing in Barbados in the near future.

We are working (and investing) with a pioneering developer in Barbados that is offering excellent investment opportunities as well as properties ideal for a lifestyle purchase. All of the properties are priced far below any other comparable properties in similar locations. There is a unique system in place to ensure that maintenance costs are kept affordable and the developer has multiple offers from top hotel operators to run the development on completion. This gives purchasers – a low purchasing cost, low ongoing costs and high rental returns! Win, win, win!

Please click the link for more details of our Barbados Property Investment.

Having just seen a news article stating that Britain is to become a nation of renters, I felt that it contradicted slightly the other news I heard today which was that a leading mortgage provider are now offering a 100% LTV mortgage! Yes, that’s right, it’s back! Arguably the thing which started the whole credit crunch and recession we are currently experiencing in most westernised countries. I understand that, at the moment the terms to these types of mortgages are very onerous, but I feel it’s only a matter of time before these are widely available on better terms.

Obviously there is A LOT more to the credit crunch and the recession than the 100% mortgage, but I must say, when people are given the chance to purchase a house that they can ill afford, I start to get worried. Then again, maybe it is exactly what the market needs at this point to stop the UK turning into a “nation of renters” From my calculations; in most places it would definitely be cheaper to service a 100% LTV mortgage than rent a property. Crucially though, what would this do to house prices, if there is a massive drop off in the private rented sector? With less competition from renters, the currently healthy rental market may start to take a turn for the worse, landlords having to lower their market rent in order to attract tenants. Would this cause a sell off of some investor properties? Doubtful, as prices are not exactly at all time high levels at the moment. So as people may start to decide to Purchase rather than line the pockets of their landlords will we see a correction in rental yields which are very high at the moment, with property prices rising in accordance?

With the return of a 100% LTV mortgage there will now be the opportunity for people that had very little equity in their current house to upsize, this could free up FTB properties which can now be funded with new mortgages on the market. First time Buyer’s are often called the lifeblood of the market. Without new buyers in the market who will purchase all of the new supply from housebuilders?

What does all of this mean for those wishing to invest in UK property? I am a firm believer in a recent article I read in the Estates Gazette which gave a compelling argument for the fact that we need different methods to measure the UK property market these days, and the old method of an average wage multiplier to the average house price ratio should be overlooked. The reason stated in the estates gazette was the fact that property prices have continued increasing albeit very slowly over the past couple of years, but real income has been dropping, much due to the very high inflation we are currently experiencing. This is why other signals must be taken into account, one of which is always going to be mortgage availability and the cost of credit. Now availability is very high and the cost of credit is at an all time low are we just about to see a large increase in UK house prices?

Time will tell…

With summer coming to a close, where are you going to be jetsetting off to this winter to get away from what is already being named a “brutal” winter??? With snow forecast as early as next month (October) I can see why many of the destinations causing a buzz at the moment are those with high levels of sun every year and minimal rainfall.

One such location which has been causing a stir in the property industry recently is Cape Verde, the most searched for investment location last month. We have been a preacher for investment in Cape Verde for some time now. With its excellent location in relation to Europe and the fact sun is almost guaranteed with 360 days per year! This is just the type of location you need if you are looking to go away for a short break in the depths of winter. The flight is almost directly south from the UK which means there is very little time difference and a day is not lost due to jet lag.

Cape Verde is an archipelago of 11 islands of which we believe the prime island for investment is “Sal” due to its present infrastructure and a successful international airport. In Cape Verde we wouldn’t invest with any other developer than The Resort Group, their performance over the last couple of years in this location has been phenomenal!

The Resort Group are the pioneering developer behind projects like Tortuga Beach Resort and Dunas Beach Resort, both sitting on the beautiful west coast of Sal on Ponta Preta beach. Tortuga Beach Resort which was their first development is now a fully operational holiday destination in its own right.

The importance behind The Resort Group’s sterling success on the island of Sal in Cape Verde lies with their new investment proposition in Llana Beach Hotel & Spa.

Llana Beach Hotel & Spa is TRG’s newest project on the island of Sal. Llana is a development of 601 hotel suites that are available for purchase by any investor be it through Cash, mortgage or a Self Invested personal pension.

Here’s how it works:

The Resort Group offer investors the chance to purchase a unit in their development off-plan, (prior to build completion) there are 3 purchasing options with 3 different deposit levels from 45% right up to 85%. By purchasing a unit with only cash they will actually give a 15% deposit, hence the no 100% option!

The Resort Group pay interest at a level of 3% on the first 45% of the property price for a period of 3 years, or until completion.

Upon completion of the suite the purchaser will benefit from being a member of the rental pool operated by a top hotel operator* meaning very high rental returns for years to come. The purchaser is also given 5 weeks free usage per year of their unit in a top 5 star resort in a beautiful location.

Here’s why it works:

The Resort Group have a long and established reputation in Cape Verde and can not only promise to deliver a high end development on time, they can prove that they’ve already done it once this year.

The Resort Group have partnered with the largest resort operator in the industry (Sol Melia) to ensure that rental returns are high and consistent. This has already been proven to be the case, with their first development Tortuga operating successfully and consistently at a level of around 80% occupancy.

The Resort Group have now sold out on both Tortuga and Dunas, which puts them in a very strong position for this, their third development on the island.

When a developer is partnering with companies as large and respectable as Sol Melia, your investment is in safe hands!

For more details of any of our current investment opportunities, please contact us on +44 (0) 1243 527 327 or at info@freshinvest.co.uk

News released by the Barbados minister of tourism earlier this week, is sure to put a smile on many of our clients faces! Even in tough times economically, Barbados is thriving as a tourism hotspot and still growing in terms of its tourist arrivals.

Any investor that is looking for maximum occupancy rates in their purchased property in Barbados will be happy to hear that Tourism numbers are increasing as it ultimately means there are more people visiting the island and there is more chance of their property being filled and thus a higher rental return.

Figures released this week stated that there was “250 385 stay-over visitors recorded during the period of January 1 to May 30, an increase of 13 724 from last year’s numbers, representing a 5.8 per cent increase in arrivals. Cruise ship passenger arrivals also grew 3.4 per cent for the same period in comparison to 2010.”

The above is great news for property investors however; apart from the increase in the stay-over visitors through this period, could there be an underlying message? To be able to determine this, I would like to see the figures for the traditional busy period of December to January when room rates tend to be higher. If these figures have stayed stagnant, or decreased, it may prove that holidaymakers are still going to Barbados, just at the times when it becomes more affordable, in a bid to save money.

As saving money is on most peoples mind at the moment , the case has to be bought forward for purchasing on one of our developments in Barbados.

Both Weston and Ixora Resort are both located in St James on the West Coast of Barbados. Anyone that has visited the island will know that St James is truly the most luxurious and arguably beautiful part of the island. Property prices in this area of Barbados are traditionally sky high! However “A keenly negotiated land purchase price, innovative construction methods and very well managed build costs are the key elements to this development. The developer is renowned for delivering high quality apartments in premium locations at exceptional value. Their choice not to embark on expensive marketing campaigns and to avoid costly gimmicks often associated with overseas property sale has kept the project lean and helped to deliver high value.”

It seems there are two ways this latest news can be interpreted:

1. People are looking for cheaper alternatives to their yearly holiday in Barbados, which is exactly what Weston and Ixora can provide. We have worked out that even with low room rates and occupancy rates compared to other developments, our purchasers will still have yields in excess of 10%pa

2. Tourism in Barbados is increasing, which is great news for the whole of Barbados, including both of our developments where, even on pessimistic figures by today’s standards you will receive rental yields of 10%

If you would like some further information on any of our property investment opportunities, please contact us.

Llana Beach Hotel and Spa will be The Resort Group’s third development in Sal, Cape Verde and will provide purchasers with all the security of investment, Capital Growth, Rental Yields and amenities which have come to be expected from a developer of this stature.

With 3 sites fronting the pearly white sands of ponta preta beach on the west coast of Sal. There is no better location or place to purchase for sun seekers of Europe at present. With 360 days of sunshine per year, Cape Verde is ideally located for those sun worshippers that look for a hassle free property with GUARANTEED sun.

Llana Beach Hotel and Spa will again be managed by the largest resort operator in the world, Sol Melia. Sol Melia, have proven themselves time and time again as a world leader in the holiday industry and wherever they base themselves, tourists follow, which is exactly what has happened at Tortuga Beach Resort, which had to be opened early due to the heavy demand from Holidaymakers!

Llana Beach Hotel and Spa will offer the same fantastic rental prospects as Both Tortuga and Dunas Beach Resort. Clients are offered very high rental yields after management costs on these fully managed 5 star Resorts, along with free use every year. The rental yields for investors will be determined by the tourism figures that are achieved by the hotel and the island of Sal in general.

Sal is in an unrivalled position for future growth in the tourism industry, just a short distance from Europe and with regular and increasing flights from most major European cities, tourism is expected to top 1,000,000 visitors pa by 2015. The real pull of this island is the guaranteed sun and beautiful beaches. The fact there is only a 1 hour time difference means that short breaks are entirely possible, without the need for a lost day to jet lag.

We will be releasing full details of Llana Beach Hotel and Spa in the very near future.

Interested? Stay informed.

There are many factors which affect property prices in the Caribbean and Barbados in particular. Barbados has a more established economy than many of its Caribbean counterparts, this can be attributed to its history of food production and the fact that many people don’t just come to Barbados for a holiday, they buy property there and many decide to settle upon retirement. The country can therefore be less reliant on tourism; however it is still heavily reliant on tourism which is as always, strong.

The World Heritage news is a good sign for the island and should affect property prices positively. Not only this, but the increased tourism to the island should lead to better occupancy rates for anyone renting their property, which we are particularly happy about. Our property on the West Coast of Barbados, was purchased at a fraction of the price of others in a similar location and for precisely that reason we are confident that rentals achieved by the professional hotel operator will not only pay our mortgage, but provide us with a healthy net income every year.

We have already received projections from various hotel operators on what room rates they believe they could achieve. We took the room rates per night and multiplied it by various occupancy rates and the results were quite frankly, astonishing. At just a 38% occupancy Annual Rental Revenues after management costs were £12-£30k! After mortgage repayments on a 55% LTV mortgage, income would be £8k-£25k, dependent on apartment size. Another point to take into account is the maintenance fees applicable to various properties in Barbados, where fees can easily be US$12,000 per year for just a 1 bed apartment! Both Weston Resort and Ixora Resort will utilise an owner’s cooperative upon completion which will take charge of the maintenance, thus eliminating costly providers taking a large profit. For more information on maintenance figures please contact us.

Barbados is an established market with a stable political system, huge regular tourism fan base and is a great investment or lifestyle property purchase, even better when you purchase through us!

Availability across our 2 fantastic sites on the West Coast of Barbados is as follows:

Weston:

Block 3 apartment 2 – A raised ground floor 4 bed apartment right by the pool and one of the closest apartments to the beach. $432,000

Block 6 apartment 2 – A raised ground floor 1 bed apartment with sea views! This apartment is a large 1 bed with a partial sea view. $270,000

Block 7 apartment 6 – A first floor 2 bed apartment with full sea views. This apartment is an excellent opportunity for a couple or smaller family looking for excellent views of the Caribbean Sea. $340,000

Ixora:

Apt 3 & Apt 4 – Both of these apartments represent a great opportunity for someone looking for a “bolt hole” property in Holetown, Barbados – $215,000

*All prices in US$

A = Weston Resort, B = Royal Westmoreland, C = Apes Hill, D = Sandy Lane

Property near to a golf course on the West coast of Barbados can be:

a) Far cheaper than you’d imagine,

b) A stones throw from the beach,

c) A great investment for years to come.

Weston Resort in St James Barbados is not only a great property investment but can provide an excellent getaway for the golfing enthusiast.

With 3 top class golf courses all within 6 kms of the properties, these will be a welcome sight for any holidaymaker looking for reasonably priced accommodation on the West Coast of Barbados, with easy links to the local golf course.

The three courses within close proximity to the properties are Royal Westmoreland (2 km), Apes Hill (6 km) and the Sandy Lane golf course (5 km). There are many more on the island though, for those willing to travel slightly further.

This is great news for us, for the simple reason that we have purchased on Weston Resort ourselves and are looking forward to playing once we get out there! Below I have highlighted a few of the reasons that led to us purchasing on the Weston Resort in St James, Barbados:

• A fantastic location just 100m from the beachfront at Alleynes Bay,
• The developers have achieved a very successful pre sale, leaving the development financially secure,
• Prices that are far below anything comparable on this coast,
• Attractive maintenance fees, far lower than any other developments on island,
• An offer from a top hotel operator in Barbados to manage rentals,
• Attractive payment plans that can be designed to suit the individual.

At present there are just 3 apartments remaining on the development all of which represent a great buy for investment and lifestyle purposes.

• Block 3 apartment 2 – A *raised ground floor 4 bed apartment right by the pool and one of the closest apartments to the beach. $432,000
• Block 6 apartment 2 – A *raised ground floor 1 bed apartment with sea views! This apartment is a large 1 bed with a partial sea view. $270,000
• Block 7 apartment 6 – A first floor 2 bed apartment with full sea views. This apartment is an excellent opportunity for a couple or smaller family looking for excellent views of the Caribbean. $340,000

There is another reason I believe these apartments are a great purchase at the moment and it lies on the investment side.

As I see it, I believe the demographic for holidaymakers in Barbados may begin to see a change soon, with prime beachfront land on the west coast all but developed, I believe large price rises could be on the horizon in areas just in land. I also believe that the rental market may begin to look towards the self contained apartments in search for a lower cost holiday that gives more freedom to travel when on the island.

Completion is set for February 2012 and construction is progressing well see here. With 10%+ yields available at just a 38% occupancy rate and purchasing prices as far as 40% below nearby comparables I am personally excited for the future of this development.

Please click the link for more information on our excellent West Coast Barbados Properties

High Rise Student blocks have started popping up in most university student towns and cities as savvy developers see the potential for a 51 week tenancy agreement and maximising their rack rent by utilising as much of the available space in a building as possible by filling it with bedsits and communal spaces as opposed to self contained apartments.

High rise student blocks are often most popular with the overseas student market that will be coming over to the country and staying for a longer period of time often lets of 43 or 51 weeks, they tend to stay in the UK for the summer, they also normally pay higher fees, sometimes up to £20,000 per year making them a vital fee earner for UK universities.

London in particular is an area where student development is taking off and with figures recently released showing demand over the next few years and the supply that is currently in the pipeline, it could be only the overseas students that will be in a position to front the rising costs. The predicted shortfall of beds is 47,000 by 2016! In the new Nido scheme at Spitalfields students will be expected to pay up to £350 per week per person!

Even with the caps on overseas students that the government has proposed we feel the student property investment market is going to remain strong for a few years yet. As top universities start to charge higher fees in London maybe more students will start to look at smaller university towns and other large respectable locations may continue to grow.

To see our latest UK student property investment opportunities please click the link.

After a small set back due to an unforeseeable amount of rain in the past few months, Weston is still taking shape quickly. We have been constantly updating our construction progress page with more and more pictures of the site as it begins to take shape and form one of the best investment opportunities in Barbados we have ever seen.

Weston offers investors the chance to purchase on the West Coast of Barbados at prices which are completely unheard of in this location. The development was first marketed at the beginning of 2010 and since then 95% of apartments have been sold, couple this with the fact that clients have exchanged contracts on their apartments and the build security is phenomenal. Apartments have sold so quickly on this development for a variety of reasons, mainly:

-          An excellent location,

-          Prices far below any local comparables,

-          Desirable payment plans,

-          A UK based developer with a long track record,

-          No restrictions on usage for owners,

-          Low maintenance fees, through the use of an owners’ cooperative,

-          Strong rental returns, with an offer from an excellent hotel operator

It has been a struggle for a long time to find something on the West coast of Barbados, which will not only provide the Capital Growth that has come to be expected in such a desired location, but with this, a return that could pay the mortgage on a leveraged property  and hopefully provide a return on top as well. When you can leverage your property safe in the knowledge repayments will be met with no money directly from your own pocket each month, you’re on to a winner. This also opens the investment opportunity up to a wider audience, leading on to a better price and further capital growth realised on resale as the deposit needed to buy the property and have a long secure income is reduced. We are sure that even when leveraged to the maximum LTV mortgage for Foreign nationals (70%LTV) these properties will show a strong net yield!

For more details on Weston Resort, please either use the “request information” tab on the web page or give us a call (freephone) on 0800 043 69 56