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

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.

Lets face it, we live in one of the least sunny countries out there but i don’t know many people that don’t run for the beach at the slightest sight of sun!

Ask any of the holidaymakers what the worst part of their trip was and i guarantee most will say the flight. Unless you are an Oligarch, paying £10,000 for a first class seat to Barbados is well out of their budget. So there you are, packed in like a sardine for your 10 hour flight….God its bringing back memories as i write this!

But we have no choice i hear you say!

Well actually you do, what if i told you that guaranteed sun is only the length of Les Miserables away and you probably haven’t even considered it!

Today as i write this Cape Verde is a balmy 29 degrees and sunny….the same temperature as Barbados, but in Barbados it’s raining!

Don’t get me wrong, i love the Caribbean, i have an apartment there. The difference is, i couldn’t go to Barbados for a long weekend!

I love the idea of hopping on a flight out of Gatwick and within 5 and a half hours i’m sitting on a beach in 29 degree heat! For someone who likes to take his holidays in short sharp bursts instead of long marathons it just makes sense.

It seems i’m not the only one, Tourism numbers are expected to hit over 500,000 this year from just 150,000 3 years ago!

With increased tourism inevitably comes increased flights and hotels, with 2 new Sol Melia hotels named Dunas Beach Resort and Tortuga Beach Resort under construction and a further named Llana Beach Hotel and Spa due to start construction in March next year, Sol Melia certainly believes in the longevity of the Islands.

You can now fly out of most major European cities including London, Manchester and Birmingham.

For those of you thinking of investing in a holiday home, properties on Dunas Beach Resort, Tortuga Beach Resort and Llana Beach Hotel and Spa are available to buy.

With investors able to purchase at one of these 5* resorts with just £33,000 it’s no wonder they have already sold 80% of their first 2 resorts.

Being part of Sol Melia’s 5* brand means all resorts will have an impressive list of amenities including numerous swimming pools, tennis courts, bars, restaurants, spa facilities etc…

We have are proud to say we are one of The Resort Group’s oldest agents so if you are thinking of investing, pick up the phone and we’ll talk you through the opportunity.

Year round sun, economic grants, low prices and the promise of increased tourism mean’t the future looked bright!

The last 2 years have seen highs and lows for this particular country.

The slow down and in some cases obliteration of many countries economies has indeed affected some of the developments in Cape Verde.

Personally i think it weeded out the developers who were indeed sailing a bit too close to the wind! With any overseas property investment, the scariest part for any purchaser is the chance the developer dissapears with your hard earned deposit.

Well i would argue that any developer still building on Cape Verde has definitely seen the worst of it and if they are still building now you can feel fairly sure you’ll have a property come completion!

A point worth considering …… Cape Verde still has year round sun, they are still taking advantage of economic grants, their prices haven’t really changed and you can now fly direct from most european capitals!

I’d argue the title “the caribbean for europe” is still warranted, after all i haven’t seen any other countries rising from the waves recently!

In fact, in one way its definitely better than the Caribbean, no hurricanes!

So if you do invest there, what are your options.

Well for me there are 2 and they depend on what you want to get out of your ownership.

1. You just want a holiday home and won’t want to rent it.

Maybe your best option is to buy either an apartment in a smaller resort or alternatively a residential property.

Pro’s
Cheaper
Can decorate it as you wish
Can buy now

Con’s
No swimming pool
Tennis Court
Restaurants and Bars on site etc…
Doubt over the quality of the build
No security
No management

2. You want something you can use but also want to derive an income from.

It’s worth considering a property on a managed 5* hotel resort.

Pro’s
Large list of communal activities inc…
Swimming Pools
Tennis Courts
Spa’s
Restaurants and Bars etc…
Fully Managed
Security
Needs to comply with 5* european standards so spec will be high
Higher rental can be charged
Marketed for you
Ready for you when you arrive

Con’s
Probably more expensive but can be easily mortgaged
Need to specify your dates to visit in advance
Management costs

If like me you want the benefits of owning a property abroad without the drawbacks of actually having to manage it then option 2 is for you.

The Resort Group is one such developer, they have 2 existing developments, Dunas Beach and Tortuga Beach Resort. These are both 5* hotel resorts which can be invested in for under £34,000!

These 2 developments offer 1 beds apartments right up to 4 bedroom sea front villas.

Another option is to wait for The Resort Groups latest development, Llana Beach Hotel and Spa. Details are limited at the moment but the site is again beach front and will be nestled neatly between Dunas and Tortuga beach Resort.

If the past is anything to go by, Llana Beach Hotel and Spa will definitely stir the emotions, The Resort Group has made a name for itself in Cape Verde by offering affordable holiday property on a 5* resort that is not out of reach of the standard investor!

We are taking expressions of interest for Llana Beach Hotel and Spa now, so to be first in the queue please contact us.

The Resort Group seem to be transforming the face of the island of Sal in Cape Verde single handed!

As you will remember, Tortuga and Dunas Beach Resort offered guaranteed returns on deposits, fully managed properties in a 5* Hotel Resort.

With Dunas and Tortuga Beach Resorts, investors could choose from purchasing fully in cash, whereby they would benefit from an additional 15% discount, or deposit options of both 35% and 45% with a mortgage on completion to cover the remainder. Investors could even invest with an existing pension through a SIPP.

Many of our clients decided to utilise redundant pensions that were not giving them the returns they had expected, they spoke to our SIPP provider who moved various pension pots into one Self Invested Personal Pension scheme.

Payment plans on the new resort are likely to be just as innovative as before, so we are waiting with baited breath!

As with all Overseas Property Investments it pays to invest early and benefit from the capital growth that this will bring with it, as more and more investors jump on board through the build period, prices will often rise quickly.

For further details on overseas property investment opportunities please contact us!

We at Fresh Invest are happy to be a main agent for The Resort Group and as such, will be offering Llana Beach Hotel and Spa, the moment it becomes available… so register your interest with us ASAP!

The news that Lonely Planet put Cape Verde at number 4 in their list did not completely surprise me, the reason for this is: The islands have long been a relatively undiscovered location, an Archipelago of 15 islands and the largest and fastest emerging of all of these islands does not have one full, European standard, 5 star resort. The islands boast truly stunning beaches, seas and a global position that gives some 360 days of sunshine every year and for these reasons it was only a matter of time before they started to appeal to the flocks of Europeans looking for guaranteed sun in the winter.

These islands are really stirring up a storm in the tourism industry recently. They are located just off of the West Coast of Africa and because of this location; they are only 2 hours behind GMT and are only a 5 hour flight away from the UK. This accessibility to Europe has lead to a real surge of tourism interest and further, development and inward investment.

The secret to capitalizing on this exponential growth is to be positioned in the correct market and our investment in Cape Verde is ideal for just that.

Our investment offers purchasers the chance to own an apartment in a 5* Resort on the Island of Sal in Cape Verde. The Resort will be managed by Sol Melia who are the largest resort operators in the world. Sal is the fastest growing of all islands with an average occupancy in hotels of 80% and in 4* resorts 95%. We have worked out that using the same rates and occupancy figures as a 4* resort our resort will return a massive 18%+ to our investors.

Flights to Cape Verde are priced fairly low at the moment but with the growth in demand from tourists, more and more flights are being put on every week and as a result prices are coming down.

So we have a country in an unbeatable location, with high praise from a global travel company, politically stable, with rising tourism figures and an investment perfectly positioned to capitalise on this growing market.

For more information on our Cape Verde Property Investments click here.

The first 3 were Cape Verde, Barbados and Barcelona.

Below are the last 2, and perhaps the most interesting.

4. Mallorca:

Known to many, invested in by few….

Mallorca is one of the most visited islands in Europe, most of us have been there be it on a lads holiday or a family one!

What many people don’t know is that because of building restrictions prices have not been effected by the global downturn anywehere near as much as their close neighbour Spain.
We have a villa in Puerto Pollensa and in 15 years have not seen it lose money, also long term lets are easy to obtain in the winter, it yields around 11% per year AFTER mortgage payments!

Combine this with an average 3 weeks use per year and it looks like a great investment.
As the cost of far away holidays spiral and many long haul operators upping prices or going under altogether, holidays closer to home tick boxes for many people.

The fact that more and more people are buying second homes in Mallorca combined with laws on future building means that prices are sure to steadily increase in the near future and with a vibrant holiday market rentals will follow suit.

Conclusion:

Risk = Low

Returns = Medium

Yields = Medium

Minimum cost to invest = £30,000

5. The UK

Well you knew it was coming didn’t you!

Ok the returns may not be as much as the countries mentioned earlier BUT many of you will have the market knowledge to know a “good deal” when you see it.

In this market many property investors that do look to invest are loking at minimising their risk as much as possible, for the masses that means not moving out of their comfort zones.

I’ll always tell you that using a property investment company is the way to go, they charge very little, normally get paid by the developer and have market knowledge and contacts that can only be gained by years in the business.

We have seen some really great stock recently, from tenanted apartments in Chorley yielding over 8% to townhouses in Chichester (where we are based) yielding close to 9% when let to students under an HMO license.

Check out our UK property investments for more information.

Conclusion:

Risk = Low

Returns = Medium

Yields = Medium

Minimum cost to invest = £20,000

To Finish……These are my 5 places to invest in 2010, i would hope that by 2011 i will have invested in at least 3 of them. If you have a location you are looking at and a reason why, post it below!

The IMF have stated that they believe Cape Verde’s growth will continue through 2010 with inflation remaining low. This is good news for the islands that are already showing very strong growth indicators and are becoming a real investment hotspot.

The IMF have shown that they believe that “Real GDP” will be increasing at a rate of around 6-7% pa over the next 5 years (“Real GDP” is the size of an economy with allowances for inflation) meaning that the value of all goods and services produced or passing through the country will be increasing by 6-7% and therefore the size of the economy will be growing and people, on average, will be able to benefit from a better standard of living and companies can begin to grow, allowing more money to go back into the development of infrastructure.

Lots of the growth for these islands comes from increased Tourism and an increased level of investment in property and then infrastructure. Property prices on the island have been rising on average by around 15% per year.  The islands have remained a relatively undiscovered gem in comparison to the Caribbean and its northern counterpart, the Canary Islands, where property prices can be as much as 40% higher. They are only a 5 hour flight from the UK, have a time difference of only GMT – 2hours and benefit from 360 days of sunshine per year. Tourism figures have been increasing year on year and the island of Sal has seen increases of around 27.5% per year, as the only island with a truly international airport.

All of this information leads to a great location for investment in property serving the tourist industry. The investment we are presenting at Fresh Invest takes full advantage of the increasing tourism figures and can realistically provide investors with a net rental income of £12,133 per year for an investment as low as £32,294. All of this in a beachfront, 5* resort that gives purchasers 5 weeks free use per year.

To find out more about our investment in Cape Verde click here.

For the report by the IMF click here.

If your looking at property investment as an alternative to stocks and shares then the time may be ripe to invest.

Below are my top 5 places to invest.

1. Cape Verde:

When looking for an overseas investment opportunity the first thing you should always ask yourself is “would i go there”. If the answer is no, the chances are your not in the minority.

The next question is, if you would go there, why?

For me Cape Verde offers a unique proposition, 360 days worth of sun that you can access via a 5 hour flight.
Combine these 2 points and it narrows the field down considerably; quite honestly the competitors i’ve either been to or i’d never want to.

The reason for this is as follows, not only does Cape Verde have a Caribbean climate but also a laid back lifestyle unlike many of its competitors.

The Prices are still relatively low compared to the likes of Tenerife and some Caribbean islands, this is mainly due to the infancy of the islands that make up Cape Verde.

This will not be the case for long, already some major 5 star hotel operators are building on the islands of Sal and Boavista, this will increase tourism and put more pressure on Airline operators to increase their flights.

One such 5* hotel operator is Sol Melia – the worlds largest hotel resort operator, they are taking over the running of our Dunas Beach Resort investment opportunity.

Conclusion:

Risk = Medium

Returns = High

Yields = High

Minimum cost to invest = £33,640.

2. Barbados:

If you have deeper pockets abd want slightly less risk then Barbados may be for you, offering the true 5* lifestyle with prices to boot.

The reason i think this is a good investment is that even though prices are high, you can still achieve yields in excess of 10%, as witnessed in our opportunity on the West Coast Barbados.

Yields this good along with the knowledge that you are investing in the holiday makers favourite Caribbean island means that occupancy rates should remain strong. Most other Caribbean islands are so far behind that no threat to this crown seems anywhere near appearing.

Demand is Barbados is so high it has become the place for celebrities to have second homes, as proved by a host of premier league footballers, golfers and tv personalities.

Conclusion:

Risk = Low

Returns = Medium

Yields = High

Minimum cost to invest = £64,990.

3. Spain – Barcelona:

I love Barcelona, its my favourite city by a long ways.

Sea, Sun, Football, Great Beaches, Great Nightlife andf now a grand prix! I don’t know another city that offers so much.

I also think its a bit of a hidden gem, 1 bed apartments on the outskirts of Barcelona can be picked up for around €160,000 and if you can rent them for 40 weeks of the year you should be on for close to a 8% yield. Not bad for one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world.

Demand will always be strong because of the sheer size and climate of Barca.

Combine this with the fact that house prices in Barcelona have hardly been effected by the global financial crisis and you know that values will remain robust in all but the most dire of circumstances.

Conclusion:

Risk = Low

Returns = Medium

Yields = Medium

Minimum cost to invest = £27,111

Too see what numbers 4 and 5 are, click here!

We thought prospective investors may like to hear what previous buyers had to say about this investment.

Mrs Carole Winters – Shrewsbury.

“In 2009 we approached Fresh Invest initially looking for a holiday home, we had a budget in mind but were aware that we were stretching ourselves, however we knew that if we did not buy now then we may never have!

Over the next month or so i had various conversations with Dan regarding various properties in various locations. In the end we settled on Cape Verde and Dunas Beach Resort. We loved the idea that we could invest in a good size 1 bed apartment with just £32,000. We were also very interested in the equity release scheme which mean’t that we used £30,000 worth of equity in our home and topped up the £2,000 ourselves!

Seeing as we had set aside money to buy the flat, to know that we could use equity in our house was a massive relief to us.

Dan gave us a financial breakdown on the apartment based on comparables in other developments showing that we should look to make at least £6,000 per year after all costs including mortgage payments. He also showed us what we could mortgage the property for on completion, at the moment it looks as if we should actually be able to pull out all of our deposit on completion!

We have decided to enter into the hotel agreement meaning that Sol Melia will take care of all rentals ensuring we get the best rates for our apartment. We also get 5 weeks use of the apartment for free.

Since then we have found out that Dunas Beach has been upgraded to a 5* resort which was great news.

I have to admit the investment was a little daunting in the first instance but once we got our heads around it the process started to make sense.

Now we are looking forward to a lovely apartment that has cost us £32,000 that  we didn’t even know we had and receiving 5 weeks use and £6,000 per year! thanks Fresh Invest!”

….Just one investor that took advantage of the various money saving options on Dunas Beach Resort!