If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

One of Morocco’s most anticipated and luxurious resorts Tafedna Bay Resort is now launched.  The development is supported by some of sport’s most influential stars such as Pat Cash from the tennis world and former England rugby captain Martin Corry.  Tafedna Bay Resort is situated in a beautiful bay only a short distance from the cultural Mecca of Essaouira and boasts a marina, tennis and football stadiums/academies, rental guarantee, 6 hotels and an 18 hole golf course. To have passed a project of this scale with Morocco’s incredibly stringent planning process is a real credit to the development team, who, in very close consultation with the Moroccan authorities have delivered one of the country’s largest and most prestigious sites.

There is still an incredible offer of only 15% deposit and 15% discount available with prices from €95,000.  To find out more please contact us on 01564 742833 or contact us here.

Creating a property portfolio is designed to help create a quicker way of growing your wealth than that of just owning a couple of properties. To achieve this you do need to spend time and research and most importantly to have a financial goal.

There are many schemes and solutions which have been created to assist investors obtain a portfolio of properties. Many of these schemes can seem very practical and make sense but many do not offer any form of an exit strategy which will allow you benefit from all your effort and time.

We all hear of software systems and seminars which are designed to offer methods and ways to acquire property to your portfolio of a certain value quickly. How will these methods help you to exceed your income and allow you financially secure and not need to work?

If you just have a large portfolio with hundreds of properties with high values they could simply just mean you have very high debts leaving you unable to achieve your financial goal.

When putting together a property portfolio it should not be a case of becoming wealthy overnight. A property portfolio should be about creating an asset which will provide you with a lifestyle you can enjoy. An investor must have a reasonable expectation about what a portfolio can offer them with realistic strategies.

An end goal which is definite is one of the most important things an investor can have. Setting goals like owning twenty five properties or setting certain spend on properties over the next five years can mean nothing.

There are many investors who can say they own twenty five properties but they all tend to have high debts and this takes away all the income made. This proves that having a large portfolio is useless unless it returns enough profit to help the investor retire.

Any investor must set a financial goal which will help to identify a point at which he/she can either- leave work, change jobs or by benefit their lifestyle.

To achieve this they must firstly know how many properties including the values they will need to own to reach their final financial goal, working backwards from this will help the investor to work out the time line which is required to achieve their goal.

For anyone who is retired the investment must be stable and have the potential to return on the capital this will work out to be around 5%.

Currently the cash rate is near this figure. Many deposits do provide a return which is in the 5% area. Any investments made in this area would not show any capital growth though and the 5% would be an income only. This shows that the average property will return on average 5% of its value in rent each year. When looking at properties in larger cities they will provide less and properties in regional areas will provide more. With these two things taken into account it would be reasonable to assume that a 5% return can be made of your investments when you determine your retirement income.

It may be a decision you make that at some point that you will be able to retire using debt to buy property, this is as long as your borrowing capacity will allow. When you have retired you will sell the properties you own and repay off the debts and then invest the profit made or you will just keep the property with the debt.

Because your portfolio’s value should have increased, the differences in the values at the time and your debts will represent what you own.

The 5% return of rent on the portion which you own will become your income. When you formulate your own financial goal you must first take into consideration how much income you will need to retire with comfortably.
www.telegraph.co.uk/property/main.jhtml?xml=/property/2007/10/13/opinvest113.xml

Abu Dhabi is closely following the example set by Dubai in recent times, but with a few strong exceptions that are making Abu Dhabi by far the better investment prospect:

Timing - Dubai has already been through a major property value upswing and Abu Dhabi’s is only just beginning. Potentially with even greater rewards.

Taxes - While both Abu Dhabi and Dubai are tax free, Dubai’s oil supply is predicted to run out in the near future and there is already talk of introducing income and property taxes.

Proper development planning - The Abu Dhabi authorities are determined not to make the mistakes made in Dubai.

Build quality - Learning from mistakes made in Dubai, overall build quality of new developments in Abu Dhabi is now extremely high.

Culture - Abu Dhabi already has satellites of the Louvre and the Guggenheim museum with more cultural attractions planned, including a Formula 1 race track complex that dwarfs the Dubai track.

Slower growth - Rather than rushing headlong into massive growth explosions, Abu Dhabi is taking a slower, more sustainable approach to growth, thus avoiding instances, particularly when several developments come on-line at the same time, where supply outstrips demand. Dubai is already showing signs of a glut of office space, yet development continues unchecked.

Oil supply - Abu Dhabi’s oil supply is considered to be the world’s fourth largest supply and constitutes 94% of the UAE’s oil reserves with 98 gigabarrels, predicted to last at least 100 years.

Rental incomes - Due to the slow growth rate, and a large imported labour force, demand for rental properties exceeds the supply and incomes are high compared to Dubai.

Lifestyle - Abu Dhabi has far more coastline than Dubai and much of the recent development is along the waterfront, creating a Mediterranean-like feel.

Internal investments. Much of the income into Dubai has fled the country, but Abu Dhabi is determined to invest in herself, with a new trade center valued at $95 million and a bridge to Saadiyat Island costing more than $150 million.

Low crime rate. Compared with Dubai and other major cities, Abu Dhabi has one of the lowest crime rates in the world.

There is little doubt that Abu Dhabi has a bright economic future. With a century of oil reserves, a modern infrastructure and a stable political system, no significant overseas debt and secure, sustainable growth planned. Abu Dhabi is the economic center of the United Arab Emirates and fully expects to become a world showcase for planned growth in the near future. Most importantly, they have learned from mistakes made in the past.

Living in a foreign country can be a rewarding, life-enriching experience. The people, language, sights, traditions and culture can be vastly different from living in the U.K. It is important to keep an open mind and be aware that some things are just plain different.
 
Even if you have visited the country many times, the reality of living there permanently is not the same as a two week holiday and, whilst some things are very similar, (the electricity bill still has to be paid or they will cut you off) some things can be very different. A little forward planning goes a long way to lessening the culture shock and making your new life overseas a more enjoyable experience.

Simple things like making sure you have an affordable telephone calling plan so a ten minute telephone call to check on the family back home doesn’t break the bank. Many companies now sell cheap pre-paid telephone calling cards that are far cheaper than dialing direct which can be purchased over the internet or from local retailers and post offices.

Using a reputable estate agent with in-country representatives to smooth over the local paperwork requirements. Many countries have different legislature to our own, and it is important to engage a professional, well-versed in the local bureaucracy.

Planning ahead for the differences in shop opening hours. There are some areas of France and Spain, for instance, where you are just not going to be able to go grocery shopping after a certain time on a Friday afternoon.

Respecting the local conventions and taboos, particularly in non-Christian countries where the local customs can be very different to our own. It may not be  appropriate for a woman to walk down the street wearing a bikini top and might be frowned upon.

Being prepared for local property and income taxes. In the U.K. everyone knows when and how much the council tax is going to be, how long before the bill is due and the consequences of non-payment. Most other countries have different taxes, due dates and penalties for non-compliance and there may even be several, smaller taxes rather than one large bill. Once again, seek professional advice during the purchase phase, so that there are no unwelcome surprises.

Television. Whether we like to admit it or not, television is an integral part of most people’s daily entertainment. Fortunately, the BBC, ITV and several other companies now offer free satellite transmissions capable of being picked up almost world-wide. The local purchase of a small receiver and dish is all that’s needed. A new life in Morocco doesn’t mean you have to give up Eastenders.