Property now occupies a well-deserved place alongside equities and bonds in a well-diversified portfolio. Returns from property are not closely related to other asset classes. Equally, investments in international property bring additional scope for balance and diversification.
Convenient and low budget air travel has brought the ownership of second homes well within reach of increasing numbers of people. An estimated 350,000 British residents now have a second holiday home. It’s now easy to book on line at short notice, spend five days thousands of miles away, and return for a low cost.
Accessibility is a major factor. Vast numbers of new locations are being opened up around the world. While Spain is still the most popular location for the British to buy a holiday home other developing markets are now offering a wider choice. These emerging markets are cheaper, with the cost of land much lower than in more popular and developed locations. They’re also providing a different cultural experience.
These factors have led to a number of specialist developers concentrating on locations with a very low cost base, but with developing infrastructure and accessibility via low cost airlines. The profit potential here is significant as land costs are low, and government incentives are often available for construction and infrastructure.
Location
Latvia (Riga)
Bulgaria
Singapore
Estonia (Tallinn)
South Africa
Norway
New Zealand
UK
Canada
Australia
Hong Kong
Lithuania (Vilnus)
China
Belgium
Finland
Spain
Indonesia
Austria
Netherlands
US
2006 Q2
45.3%
12.2%
5.7%
13.2%
14.7%
12.2%
10.6%
5.6%
11.8%
8.0%
-2.4%
19.5%
5.8%
10.1%
6.7%
10.8%
7.7%
3.4%
5.0%
9.9%
2007 Q2
37.7%
27.1%
21.0%
20.2%
15.3%
13.9%
10.8%
10.6%
9.9%
9.2%
8.8%
8.1%
7.1%
6.6%
6.1%
5.7%
5.2%
4.2%
3.6%
3.2%
2006 Q2 Rank
1
10
21
6
4
9
13
22
11
17
30
3
20
14
19
12
18
26
24
15
2007 Q2 Rank
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
As you can see from the latest Knight Frank Global House Price Index Bulgaria has moved into second spot.