Cheap accommodation in Barcelona- More adaptable than hotel rooms

Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia, it is a beautiful and vibrant medieval city set in maze of narrow streets. It is no doubt one of the best tourist places because it is an amazing city and when you decide to visit somewhere for an unforgettable holiday trip there is no comparison with Barcelona as it the city of wonder with several historical monuments along with the museums. In order to, it's a city which is high on everyone's lists because of the works Antoni Gaudí to the labyrinthine old quarter, amazing food, beautiful people and great nightlife. There you doesn’t have to worry about your accommodation as you can easily find the place to stay there not only stay but luxurious stay as Cheap accommodation in Barcelona is the most popular, affordable and convenient option too for all the visitors whether they have a big amount or not in their pocket.

There is a wide range of Barcelona accommodations available for backpackers and posh travelers alike. Even these apartments are suitable for long term rental too because of the homely atmosphere and spirit of the apartments. The best part of it is that the entire individual who wants to visit Barcelona can conveniently approach to these apartments for their accommodation from anywhere. In addition they can hire with cheap accommodation in Barcelona online before their arrival at the Barcelona.

Those who couldn’t afford expensive hotels for their stay because of their limited budget cheap accommodation Barcelona can be a great option for them as it offers the services of apartments, these apartments are promisingly serve to all the individuals as they features up to two bedrooms, a living room, a private bathroom and a small kitchen with all the tools, cooking equipment and crockery required to cook a meal that give you wonderful experience of you own home.

If you have children then apartments are surely a great option as it facilitates your child the place for playing and this service you’ll never get in a hotel. This point made apartments more suitable place for your children as well. Such apartments will surely meet your expectation even if you are seeking a delightful holiday, a business trip or a family vacation too.

Fabulous architecture, brilliant Spanish cuisine, colorful and wonderful weather combine to make Barcelona a truly magnificent city. One more thing which is the most promising part of Cheap accommodation in Barcelona is that the apartment are within the walking distance of the all the restaurants, market along with the several historical places and amusement parks.

Now finding cheap accommodation in Barcelona is now very easy over the net. There in Barcelona a large variety of short term as well as long term rental Barcelona apartments available for both whether tourist or businessperson. So don’t you worry when you decide for a holiday trip and have required accommodation even if you have large amount in your pocket or not.

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Ready to Live in Luxury?

By Jim Scherrer

After a lifetime of hard work, isn’t it about time that you enjoy the fruit of your labor? By now, you should be ready to start living large, living like a king, living the life of Riley, or just plain living in luxury!

James Whitcomb Riley’s poems depicted the comforts of a prosperous home life, while those using the term “living large” are referring to living with an extravagant or self indulgent lifestyle; able to pay for and enjoy a very wealthy lifestyle or as they say south of the border, able to enjoy the sweet life, “la dolce vida”. If you are now ready to live in luxury, you’ve got only one small hurdle to jump; that is affordability! Herein lies the solution to your problem.

First, you pack your personal items and your dog into the SUV and you drive to Mexico. As long as your car remains in Mexico, you’ll never need to renew your license plates nor will you ever again pay any taxes on it. As soon as you’ve crossed the border and get on one of the super modern toll roads, you aim directly for the Mexican Riviera on the Pacific Ocean with Puerto Vallarta being your destination.

When you arrive in Vallarta, where the average daily temperature is 73*F with virtually no chance of rain from November through May, you’ll find your dream at an affordable price. As an example, a beautiful condominium with a “million dollar view”, which would cost $1,000,000 in the States, will cost $350,000 in Vallarta. With the mortgage financing that is now available in Mexico, you can purchase this condo for as little as 30% down or slightly over $100,000. Next, let’s consider property taxes on the million dollar condo that you paid $350,000 for. Annual property taxes in Vallarta are .12% of purchase price or about $400 per year for your condo.
Now that you’ve moved into your luxurious condo, you’ll need a maid to keep it tidy and perhaps prepare your meals. Remember, kings don’t clean their own castles and seldom cook their own meals! A neat, honest, and loyal maid will cost you about $20 per day. If you’d rather prepare some of your own meals, you can share your maid with the neighbor, so that each of you pay $10 per half day for cleaning and tidying up. For about $250 per month and without lifting a hand, your condo will always look like a million dollars.

After you’ve settled into your beautiful and tidy condo with its panoramic view of the Banderas Bay, the Pacific Ocean, and the Sierra Madres, it’s time to venture into El Centro or downtown, where there are virtually hundreds of fine restaurants offering every type of cuisine imaginable. The cost of dining in Vallarta is about the same as in the States. You can pay as little as $10 for a fine dinner or you can pay as much as $50 for the same dinner in a tourist oriented restaurant with the high society ambiance. Alternatively, you might just decide to tough it out like a commoner by going to one of the many modern supermarkets where the food selection, quality, and price are comparable to the States, and buy your own groceries. All food products, including water, and of course all restaurants, are closely regulated and quality controlled.

Daytime activities such as golfing on any of the seven beautiful courses, playing tennis on any of the hundreds of courts, or enjoying world class deep sea fishing, will cost about the same as back home. To conserve cash, you might consider joining any of the hundreds of clubs, societies, organizations, or even take a class in some subject you’ve always wanted to learn. There are so many things to do that you’ll never get bored living in Paradise and you can spend as much or as little as you feel comfortable spending while still living a life of luxury.

Next, as much as we hate to think about it, let’s assume you develop a medical problem or toothache. There are two new modern hospitals in Vallarta with all of the latest in sophisticated equipment. There are a number of modern dentist offices, clinics, etc., all staffed with English speaking professionals. The main difference between these facilities, doctors, and dentists, and those in the States is price. You can assume that medical care will be about one half to one third of that back home.

If you need mechanical work done on your car, painting or maintenance work in your condo, repair of your TV or CD player, or any other kind of service work, the cost should be slightly less than you’re accustomed to paying.

In summarizing, excluding mortgage payments, a couple can live in luxury on their social security income in Vallarta. Keeping in mind that condo prices are expected to continue to appreciate at a rate of at least 10% per year, your “million dollar” condo should increase in value by $35,000 per year, which when added to your social security income, should more than cover all of your living expenses and mortgage payments while living like a king in Paradise.

About the Author: Jim Scherrer has owned property in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for 26 years and resided there for the past twelve years. The mission of his series of articles pertaining to Puerto Vallarta is to reveal the recent changes that have occurred there while dispelling the misconceptions about living conditions in Mexico. For the full series of articles regarding travel to and retirement in Vallarta as well as pertinent Puerto Vallarta links, please visit PVREBA.

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Costa Rica - A Dream of a Business for $1 Million

One of the things we do best at Caribpro and especially in the CaribProperty Club is to match people with their dreams.

Somewhere in the world somebody has just sold their successful small business for about $1 million+ dollars and is dreaming of something new but specific. It goes like this.

He or she wants to take their well earned money and put it into a going concern which features largely the following: sun (lots of it), sea (beaches and beaches of white sand), the outdoor life (enjoying the sun and the sea), creativity (designing and building new luxury villas), a new country, wonderful landscapes, surfing, fishing, new friends, a new home, lots of space, an income, and not least a great investment.

Well here it is! Just keep reading.

There is this wonderful little development next to the famous Nosara Beach on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. IT'S WORTH $2.4 MILLION AND CONTAINS OVER 11 ACRES OF A GATED DEVELOPMENT AND UP TO 30 PRIVATELY OWNED LUXURY VILLAS. Some still to be built. Some Villas completed, some with options during completion phase and still others in graywork!

THIS IS SOMEBODY'S PERFECT DREAM, A TURNKEY WALK-IN DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS FOR JUST $1 MILLION (US). It has great Potential Income with infrastructure and drainage installed allowing the new owner to be as creative as you would like with your own Trump project!

There is even a design plan for a 50 unit condo facility on the property, if you want to stick with the original plan! Or maybe you want to scrub that and put in a clubhouse and some Tennis courts, and maybe even a Yoga Center allowing everyone to enjoy the beautiful atmosphere of the Natural Jungle and Preserved areas of your new project!
That's the joy of acquiring your own dream...you can do whatever you like with it.

It's your dream...live it!!

Contact us for more information.

Emily Elizee
Property and Real Estate Liaison

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Hot Topic: Stimulus Package for Recovery or Was the Treasury Looted?

[Editor´s note: This commentary was submitted by an American expat who is clearly outraged by the apparent misuse of taxpayer money to bail out large inefficient companies. It represents the views of the author and not necessarily those of Expat Daily News.]

Up until about a year ago everything seemed to be chugging along just fine. Then, as if overnight, one bank and brokerage firm after the other announced they were in deep trouble. All of a sudden countries around the world started to say the same thing. The biggest banks, car and insurance companies released catastrophic balance sheets. The stock market plummeted to milestone lows and talk of world recession turns into inevitable depression. To add insult to injury a well respected New York hedge fund manager, Bernard Madoff, confesses he stole $70 Billion dollars from some of the most intelligent, wealthy and savvy people in the country. Now the taxpayer must pay for his stay at Club Fed.

Barack Obama rides in on a white horse, clad in shining armor to save the day. A $787 Billion stimulus package was whisked through congress. Apparently it was not widely read (about 1000 pages) and there was very little public debate. The President´s press secretary trumpeted this bill as having no hidden earmarks. It turns out there were over 8700 of them.

I think to myself, I hope these people know what they are doing. Apparently AIG received 180 of these billions and it vanished into their black hole of paper work. When asked what they did with it AIG executives pointed to the legislation and said it appears to me as the legislation reads that we aren’t required to report to you about this subject.

This happened after they rewarded their top brass with lavish multi million dollar bonuses. These are the same people that were in the cockpit when the company spiraled into the ground creating a large smoking hole in the financial landscape. In the mean time after most of the ‘stimulus money’ has been put into the black hole, uh, I mean, system, the market place continues to hemorrhage over 500,000 jobs a month and credit is even harder to obtain. To make the situation even more unpalatable the congress is murmuring about a second ´stimulus´ package. Hmmm, we`ve just wasted billions in an ill conceived boondoggle. What to do now? Let´s do it again!!

I may not have a Wharton Doctorate in macro economics but is seems to me that if they had taken this $787 billion and given it proportionally to the taxpayers that the taxpayers would have put it back into the market immediately by purchasing cars and avoiding foreclosure to name a few stimulating market forces. Is this concept too simple and unrealistic?

It is little wonder that US citizens now, more than ever want to flee the nation they were once proud of being a part of. Are you one of them? Are you tired of having the government confiscate your money and waste it on absurdities like rewarding failure and penalizing success? Have you had enough? Be sure to leave your comments on this post.

Got a hot topic of your own. Click here – tell us what you want to say. Contributions from all around the world welcome.

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World’s Most Exclusive Address

It’s no secret that Russia is home to some of the world’s richest people – so it makes sense that it is soon to be home to the world’s most exclusive and expensive housing development – the average villa on the Agalarov Estates in Moscow will set residents back a whopping £10 million...

Glittering on the outskirts of Moscow lies the brainchild of Aras Agalarov, one of Russia’s richest men. The brand new development comprises 250 villas, plus sporting facilities and entertainment complexes, all designed with luxury in mind.

The Agalarov Golf and Country Club Estates are described as being ‘Moscow's first fully integrated International private Golf estate; offering a full range of social, recreational and sport facilities.’

There will be an 18-hole Championship Golf course, clubhouse, enormous swimming pool, boating lake, indoor sports centre, shooting range, tennis courts and sandy beach.

Set against a back-drop of natural beauty off the Novorizhskoe highway, each individual villa has its own private pool and winter garden. The Moscow properties will also boast steam rooms, saunas and six or seven bedrooms.

The Estate enlisted the collaboration of landscape architects and biologists and now all of the lakes and ponds are water are full of marine life, and other wildlife including deer are free to roam the estate.

Flying in the face of the credit crunch, those with deep pockets have already snapped up the majority of the villas – just three out of fifteen remain unsold, despite the huge purchase prices.

Despite the cost, residents will have to comply with strict rules; no fireworks, no dogs and no hanging of laundry outside. Bodyguards won’t be allowed to enter but must instead await their employers outside in a specially-built complex.

In a brief break from the luxury and a reminder of what is going on in the global economy right now, trees have been planted close to the new estate to mask the rundown village nearby.

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The Foibles of the French – Developing in L’Hexagone

It’s a brave man who takes on a building project in rural France. Tradesmen pick their own working hours, neighbouring curtains constantly twitch, builders’ merchants close for long lazy lunches and materials delivered can bear little resemblance to those ordered as the details get lost in translation. Best leave it to the experts.

With six years developing in Burgundy under their belt, husband and wife team Su and David Bishop of Arena Park France have enough ingredients for a feature length movie on the subject – a black comedy of course. Specialising in high quality conversions in the famous name wine villages of the Côte d’Or, Arena Park France is putting itself in the firing line as it brings temporary disruption and modern living to centuries-long peace and tradition. However, thanks to some silky diplomacy and a close eye on the rule book, Su and David have had nothing but positive Anglo-French relations to date plus a growing band of happy customers.

Su Bishop, an interior designer from London, explains, “When my husband, a carpenter by trade, and I moved to France back in 2003 we made the assumption that we could transport our skills to Burgundy and apply the basic principles as we would ‘at home’. Of course we soon discovered that there were actually a hundred ways of doing the same thing and the option which we knew and worked the best ‘back home’ was actually the worst possible one to apply here. Our most useful skills by far are now an even temper and a good sense of humour. In fact they’re the only skills that comfortably translate into any language.”

Despite having a good grasp of French, language has been the source of plenty of amusement for the Bishops. Even the trusty building trade dictionaries haven’t prevented builders’ merchants eyeing them suspiciously pondering which planet they’ve just landed from. Su recalls a time when, “We thought we’d ordered one sheet of copper measuring 1 metre by 30 centimetres but ended up with two 30 metre long rolls of the stuff.” The sense of humour comes in handy here. Paint, a most innocuous item, has also been an enigma for Su and David. For some unexplained reason it costs five times as much in France as it does in the UK and is about as many times as thin. Coat after coat is required for good coverage. Bizarre.

The French adopt a tricky daily timetable which Arena Park France has learned to work around. Pretty much everything in Burgundy closes between 12 and 2pm for lunch and by 11.45am they’re gearing up to pulling down those shutters, so it pays to be organized and stock up early. This two hour window allows for all workers to go home, eat a large meal, snooze it off and then return to work fuelled for the afternoon. Bonne idée.

Arena Park France has also discovered that certain innocent-looking little old ladies can be deceptively shrewd. Su recalls, “One lady arrived at one of our sites accompanied by the Mayor as she thought that a new window was larger than shown on the plans and therefore contravening planning permission. She was wrong but it’s strange to know you’re being ‘watched’. These wily pensioners are also good at extracting a few favours on the pretence that our building work is inconveniencing them. So far we’ve cleaned a loft that had gathered dirt for 40 years and contributed to a neighbour’s winter heating bill whilst our roof was off next door. Whilst arguably we were liable for neither, it pays dividends for us to be seen as fair and reasonable and really we receive very little hassle considering the disturbance we cause.”

“It’s also fun to reverse the tables and play the French at their own game. Working on a large restoration project in the middle of Pommard, a very famous architecturally sensitive wine village, we discovered that Arena Park France was the talk of the town in the bar on a Friday night. Curiosity was rife but the villagers were too scared to ask for a nose. We arranged a grand tour for two neighbours, old ladies of course, who turned up in Sunday best and were honoured to receive the invite. Inevitably they proceeded to hold court in the village with the insider gossip – it probably kept them going for months…”

Arena Park France is currently involved in renovation projects across five villages in the Burgundy region. Prices start from 220,000 euros for a two bedroom cottage within a stone barn in Demigny and rise to 520,000 euros for a three en-suite bedroom home in Meursault.

Contact Arena Park France on tel 00 33 (0) 3 80 21 48 04, email mail@arena-park.com or visit www.arena-park.com


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What's next for Malaysia?

No fewer than 130 out of 151 abandoned Malaysia housing projects identified by the Selangor Task Force for Abandoned Projects have yet to be revived, according to a report on Malaysian online publication The Star.

Selangor housing, building management and squatters committee chairman Iskandar Abdul Samad said only eight housing schemes featuring 2,710 residential properties in Malaysia were revived and completed.

"But it does not mean the remaining projects cannot be revived. We are studying the matter and looking at the best way to solve the problem," he said.

The recovered projects include the mixed-development project in Taman Prima Selayang in Gombak involving 600 apartments in Bandar Pinggiran Subang and 700 houses in Taman Puncak Jalil.

One of the main reasons many of the projects have not been revived so far, is because no developer was prepared to take the building work on. This is despite a pick-up in the construction industry.

Research from the Malaysian Resources Corp Bhd shows that new-build construction levels in Malaysia are currently on the rise, helped on by cheaper material costs.

Last year was a difficult one for the construction industry with the change in Government in certain states which subsequently thwarted certain infrastructure plans.

Source: www.homesoverseas.co.uk/news

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New Job, New Life, New Zealand: So Far So Near as ExpoNZ Opens its Doors

New Zealand has just been named the most peaceful nation in the world according to the Institute for Economics and Peace in conjunction with the Economist Intelligence Unit. It is also one of the most appealing places for international expatriates. For a long time it has been accepted that the quality of life combined with the pace of life available in New Zealand is excellent, and that there are decent and plentiful investment and job prospects available for well-qualified international citizens. In fact, because the quality of life available in the nation is second to none, only New Zealand’s distance has restricted the numbers of international citizens it has received!

To go on a fact finding trip ahead of a planned relocation to New Zealand requires a lot of time and a great deal of commitment. As Frances Manwaring, a British expatriate citizen of New Zealand and Virtual Expos New Zealand Limited’s Chief Executive puts it: “New Zealand sits on the edge of the world, about as far away from everywhere else as it’s possible to go. We’ve been referred to as the last bus stop on the way to the Antarctic and we talk a lot about the ‘tyranny of distance.’” Which is precisely why she and three fellow expatriates came up with an incredibly innovative solution for those determined to learn more about the nation ahead of potential migration, and for those interested in doing business with New Zealand companies, but who would like to learn more about which employment sectors offer international opportunities.

“We saw the potential for virtual events technology to transform how our international relationships are developed and maintained, particularly in the current economic climate when travel budgets are being slashed and attending physical international expos is off most people’s agendas,” explains Manwaring ahead of this month’s exciting launch of Expo New Zealand.

Expo New Zealand is the world’s first national virtual expo where those interested in learning more about New Zealand, who want to network with businesses based in the nation and perhaps even target would-be employers for a job ahead of relocation can interact in real time within a virtual expo environment online.

Whilst Expo New Zealand will be a 24/7 resource 365 days of the year allowing interested parties to explore the nation and its prospects, it will also feature regular showcase events such as its launch conference-style event, the NZ ICT All-stars to the World. These events will focus on a specific area of required employment in the nation for example, or a business sector with international focus. They will allow interested parties to ‘meet’ with spokespersons, experts, company directors and employers from the given industry, and even relocation experts who can advise how a job offer can be transformed into a residency visa, or how an investment made can benefit both parties.

The next event is the Study in New Zealand Expo - September 09 and will feature expatriate residents of the nation who are prepared to discuss and share their stories with an international audience specifically interested in and attracted by New Zealand’s appeal.

Virtual Expos New Zealand Limited’s Chairman John Lumsden sums up the concept behind this cutting edge idea: “Our vision is to harness our ground-breaking virtual events technology to support New Zealand businesses and organisations, particularly our exporters, to become more competitive, more productive, more sustainable and more connected.” So if you want to connect with New Zealand, now you need look no further than http://www.exponz.co.nz/




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Retired and Single? – You are not alone

Mention adventure travel and thoughts usually turn to the under 25´s embarking on some crazy potentially life shortening activity in extreme conditions. But hey, the over 40´s can get adventurous too and what`s more, they have the time and the money to pursue their heart’s desires. What they very often don’t have is someone to share the experience with.

Ok, so you are not seeking a wild adventure but you have worked hard all your life and now have some funds to invest but not enough to indulge in that log cabin on a paradise island. Maybe, just maybe someone else shares your fantasy and can match your investment. What if you got together as business partners, you each use the log cabin for your vacation hideout for part of the year and then rented it out for the remainder? What if your business partner turned out to be “the one” you know, that special person you think you could share your life with in the romantic sense? It could happen!

Whether you want a relationship that will culminate in romantic nights under the stars, or you are seeking a financial partnership that will allow both parties to explore further or invest deeper there is a place you can go to find your likeminded partner.

Thanks to the determined efforts of Celia Lockwood to overcome obstacles, set-backs and frustrations - RetiringSinglesOverseas.com is the result of three years passionate nurturing of this fantastic concept designed with you in mind.

Uniting likeminded single retirees, RetiringSinglesOverseas.com is a perfect combination between a dating website and a travel site where retired single people can join up for free, post their profile and their pictures, discuss where in the world they want to visit, live, retire, explore or invest, and meet up with others who share their dreams and ideas.

If you are retired and want to see the world, get more out of life and share your experiences with a friend, a partner or a lover, RetiringSinglesOverseas.com is the first destination for you as you begin your adventure!

Join now, for free, take the first step and start the journey.




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Real Estate Investment in Brazil Bouncing Back

The global economic slump presents an excellent opportunity for the Brazil property market and economy at large to strengthen over the next few months, according to an economist at Neptune Investment Management...

"Brazil's investment potential is second to none, but it needs more capital", James Dowey wrote in the Daily Telegraph. "It is an opportunity to reorient their economies towards more sustainable sources of demand."

Dowey's comment illustrates the potential for capital growth in the Brazilian property market, at a time when Bloomberg reports that the country's recession looks to be coming to an end.

Source: www.homesoverseas.co.uk/news


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Real Estate Investment - India on the way up

Developers in India have stopped offering discounts on properties and in some cases are even increasing prices as demand rises...

Rising sales are also prompting some developers to return to the luxury end of the real estate market which had stalled in the economic downturn.

'Prices are likely to inch upwards in the coming months in some markets,' said Kumar Gera, chairman of the Confederation of Real Estate Developer's Association of India.

But he added that even an increase in prices will still leave many developments cheaper than they were at the peak of the market a year ago. He estimated that the property crash saw prices fall 25 to 30 per cent but proposed increases in coming months would be around 10 to 15 per cent.

The prices increases vary. Unitech has increased prices marginally, by some 2per cent in its Gurgaon projects but Mumbai based developer Lodha Group has upped prices by 10 to 15 per cent. A Lodha spokesman confirmed that prices had gone up in luxury projects launched in March. 'We have marginally increased prices every month for these projects since their launch. But the market is in a good spot and the response is still good,' said director Abhisheck Lodha.

Bangalore-based firm Brigade Enterprises cut its prices by 15 per cent in April but has now increased them by three to five per cent and said that it plans to continue doing so at regular intervals. 'We are hoping that in one year's time, prices will be back to the peak levels of 2007 to 2008,' said Chairman and Managing Director M.R. Jaishanker.

However, discounts through brokers have not yet disappeared from the market. Developers have increased the commission offered to brokers from three per cent maximum to five to six per cent. Brokers in turn are offering a discount of 1.5 to two per cent on the price of property to buyers.

'These are the same measures developers and brokers adopted to create a price bubble during the boom years. Demand has not risen to an extent that it can fuel a price increase,' said S.G. Maheshwari, a Mumbai-based property consultant.

Aditi Vijayakar, residential executive director at property consultants Cushman and Wakefield is not convinced the market will carry the price increases. 'Right now it is a fairly confused market. Rates have more or less bottomed out but there needs to be substantial amount of sales before buyers are convinced price increases are justified. I think the real estate market will be flat for some time,' she said.

Source: www.propertywire.com

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Live in Australia - 3 Sydney ‘villages’ locals and expats love to love

Here are three harbourside villages that attract locals and expats alike that are close to the Central Business District (CBD), and offer that most desired of Sydney property ambitions – views, views, views.

Potts Point

Australia’s most densely populated suburb, and surely one of its smallest, with really only a dozen streets. Potts Point is positioned on top of a hill that runs down to Sydney harbour, within walking distance of the CBD and Royal Botanic Gardens, and next to the night club and red light district of Kings Cross.

It’s defined by Macleay Street, with small upmarket stores and restaurants intermixed with apartment buildings that range from grand and gracious art deco, through funky and bohemian, to sleek and modern. Around here you’re ‘local’ when you refer to the apartment buildings by name instead of street address.

Potts Point is popular with double-income-no-kids couples and well-heeled empty nesters; with designers, arts administrators, entrepreneurs, and young corporates.

When you’ve had enough of admiring the buildings, wander down through adjoining Elizabeth Bay to sit in Beare Park (next to one of Australia’s most famous houses, Boomerang) and gaze across Sydney Harbour.

Balmain

The Balmain peninsula is a world unto itself; it’s not on the way to anywhere else, which keeps it really local. It’s one postcode, but three suburbs – Balmain, Birchgrove and Balmain East – and making the distinction is important when you live here.

Victorian terrace houses and workers’ cottages are the dominant property style. And the favoured transport to the CBD is the harbour ferry – surely one of the world’s great commutes.

Popular with young families and empty nesters; well-known as home to many of Australia’s theatre, film and arts names.

It’ll take you a whole day (or even a whole weekend) to wander the length of Darling Street shopping and deciding where to eat. If those choices get too overwhelming, contemplate your options over a cold beer or Semillon in one of countless pubs along the strip (hmmm… too many choices again).

Mosman

This is a big suburb, on the shores of Sydney Harbour, Middle Harbour and bays with charming names like Shell Cove, Pearl Bay and Quakers Hat Bay. It includes Balmoral (with one of the most famous of harbour beaches) at its east, Clifton Gardens at the south, and Beauty Point at the north.

Military Road is the main street, much of it the major arterial road between the city and northern beaches. But in Mosman village itself, it’s much calmer and appealing.

Mosman is characterised by its Federation houses, families of all ages, and the banking fraternity.

Taronga Zoo is here and, whether you’re a visitor or a long-term resident, it’s always fun to drop in on the giraffes and marvel at the view of the harbour, Opera House and city skyline that they enjoy. (And you can take the ferry into the city from there.)

Finders Keepers Buyers Agents, Sydney: www.finderskeepers.com.au

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Property Investment - Austria scores 7th in Global Real Estate Study

Despite present turmoil in global Real Estate markets Austria still is a promising place to invest into real estate. Property prices in Austria have in increased by 4.1% from 2008 as stated in a recent Knight Frank Global House Price Index report.

Recently published Knight Frank Global House Price Index Q1 2009 lists Austria as 7th most attractive location to invest into Real Estate.

Austrian properties have increased by 4.1% in value over the last year despite the present turmoil in the global financial and Real Estate markets. Israel scored number one with an increase of 10.9% year on year Q1 2009. Only Switzerland(5.6%) and the Czech Republic(9.9%) are are ahead of Austria in Europe. The highest falls in prices could be seen in Dubai (-40%) and Singapore (-16%). Knight Frank´s experts believe that the crisis will go on in 2010.

Therefore investors find a safe heaven for their in investments in countries like Austria with a politically stable environment and a continuous influx of first time buyers due to its role as global number one tourist destination. Portals like http://www.elitealps.com/, which is available in five languages, are a good starting point for foreign investors interested in Austrian Real Estate.

Source: http://www.knightfrank.com/press/Knight-Frank-Global-House-Price-Index-Q1-2009-030.aspx

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San Rafael - Argentina: Featured Property

Fabulous property in San Rafael, Argentina. The total property comprises of three dwellings and 45 acres of land but the owner is willing to sell the dwellings and land separately.


Location: 28kms/17.5miles South West of San Rafael in the Mendoza Province of Argentina – Co ordinates 34 45 29S 68 11 06W (the central point between two of the dwellings). The owner is willing to portion the property as follows -


3 Houses on 3 Acres Main House, Second House and Cabin on 3 acres of land - $250,000 - for all 3 Properties


Main House – Single storey farmhouse style
3 Bedrooms - All bedrooms have enough space for either one double or two single beds. One of the bedrooms has an open fireplace another has a glass fronted sealed wood burning heater. 1 ½ bathrooms - 1 with full bath, shower over, toilet, bidet and wash basin ½ toilet and washbasin  Large kitchen – with central island for informal dining Utility room – plumbing for washing machine and electric points for freezer/refrigerator  Large living room – with open fire, currently used as dining area, office and sitting area Ample Parking – enough for 10 or more cars Built in 1890 – hence lots of character.


Cabin – Close proximity to the main house great for overnight guests or having friends and family visit Two storey lodge style  - Ground floor – Sitting, dining, cooking and bathroom Upper floor – One very large bedroom that could comfortably sleep 4 This is ideal for having friends and family to stay over.  The current owner has rented it out short term to mainly foreigners who are in San Rafael looking to purchase property.


Second House This is a new build, completed in July 2005 and is of modern design. 2 bedrooms2 bathrooms – each with shower, toilet and washbasin Large modern kitchenUtility roomSitting / dining area Carport and work shed Rental potential: long term $500 US per month, short term vacation let in high season (summer and winter) $400 per week.


Land - available to purchase separately 24.5 acres Farmland - $50,000 USD There are 24.5 acres of farmland, some of which is prepared for planting but the majority does need some work.  The land would be suitable for planting olives, grapes, plums, apricots, peaches, nut trees or other cash crops such as alphalpa, garlic or onions.  The neighbouring land is all planted indicating that the soil is fertile.  There is a system of irrigation channels in place but these would benefit from some attention to make them more effective.  Majority of the allocated irrigation water at this present time is directed to the eucalyptus forest to promote growth of the trees.


12.5 acres Eucalyptus Forrest plus 5 acres grazing land - $50,000 There is a eucalyptus forest which spans over 12.5 acres and is a mix of fully mature and maturing trees.  Eucalyptus wood is in demand for firewood to fire brick kilns and for furniture and ceiling beams.  Timber crops have great advantages over fruit crops as they can be harvested at a time of your choosing rather than when the fruit is ripe.  Between the eucalyptus forest and the river there are 5 acres of land which is not suitable for planting but could be fenced off and used to graze cattle/goats/sheep. 


This is a wonderful property and a very peaceful retreat from the rigors of modern life but with an easy drive to the nearest town of San Rafael.Priced individually the components of this property amount to $350,000 but the owner would sell the property in its entirety for $300,000


Click here for more information, photos and to contact the owner