International Property Investment

Agricultural Land Investments: Stock Market-Proof and Reliable

2010-07-29T09:32:00.000+01:00

Beat the Budget … Invest in Argentine Farmland!

160% returns in 10 years

The post-budget climate affords ideal opportunities to consider alternative and eco-friendly investments that yield a good return, have a safe exit strategy and provide a reliable source of income. Investors are learning to think laterally and consider new ways to expand their portfolio, including natural commodities or ‘eco-investments’. Agricultural land is the oldest commodity of all and its star is rising again as the stock market fluctuates.

In the UK specifically the renewed popularity of agricultural land investments owes much to the fact that they are a commonly accepted addition to Self-Invested Personal Pensions, or SIPPs, which provide the investor with flexibility and variety.

Argentine Farmland, the new product from Eco Investments Ltd allows investors to purchase productive farmland in northern Argentina – the world’s granary and South America’s bread basket – with a 5 or 10 year repurchase contract.

This deal is structured to enable investors to purchase the land at a one third discount on its current market value. Each investor will buy a defined area of land within a large freehold estate, signing a contract to sell it at a higher price. Investors can repurchase within 5 years or 10 years by an Annual Payment, followed by a large Final Payment.

Invest the minimum of £12,000 over 5 years and receive a 66% ROI (Return on Investment), or the same amount for 10 years to receive a 160% ROI.

Some key facts about Argentine Farmland:
• Payments made annually
• Investment with cash or via a Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP)
• Staple crops wheat, soy, maize and sorghum
• Crops traded in US dollars
• All crops insured
• No debt on the land

For more information, please contact EcoInvestments on +44 (0)20 3012 0306, email info@ecoinvestments.co.uk or write to:

EcoInvestments Ltd
102 - 104 St. Aldates
Oxford OX1 1BT
United Kingdom

EcoInvestments is a division of Property Frontiers.

Property Frontiers is the only company dedicated to supporting investors in the world’s most investable property markets and concepts. Our mission is to research new investment opportunities, to educate and inform about all aspects of the international property markets and to support our clients at all stages of the investment process.

Interesting Times: New Seminar Series on Property Investment Launched By Property Frontiers

2010-07-28T05:11:00.000+01:00

‘May you live in interesting times’ is reputedly an ancient Chinese curse, although the phrase was probably coined by the Americans or the British! In terms of property investment, no times could be more ‘interesting’ than the present period of financial meltdown followed by economic austerity.

This is why Property Frontiers, the international property investment consultancy, has launched an innovative new series of seminars to help investors navigate their way through present market conditions and turn crisis into opportunity.

Our first complimentary seminar took place on Thursday 22nd July 2010, 630 - 930pm at the Hilton London Metropole, 225 Edgware Road, London W12 1JU. The themes were as follows:

‘Property Investment in the Age of Austerity’, presented by David Cox, Director of Property Frontiers and Aidan Rankin, PhD, PF’s Economic Analyst.

‘The Other Side of the Coin: The Upside of the Downturn’, presented by Edward Stevenson and Robert Du Toit. Edward is a member of the UK Society of Investment Professionals and Robert is the founder of QI Properties, an investment company enabling access to discounted residential properties across the UK.

Property Frontiers aims to look beyond both the doom mongering headlines and the feverish predictions of ‘recovery’. The changes in the property market are profound and part of a wider economic trend that is likely to be long-term or even permanent. Instead of pessimism, however, we must embrace these changes creatively and learn to think about property in new ways. Today’s story is the increasing numbers of below market value properties this will create for investors who wish to climb onto the property ladder or diversify their portfolios.

More information: Contact Property Frontiers about property in Brazil, by emailing info@propertyfrontiers.com or calling +44 (0) 1865 202700.

Property Frontiers is the only company dedicated to supporting investors in the world’s most investable property markets and concepts. Our mission is to research new investment opportunities, to educate and inform about all aspects of the international property markets and to support our clients at all stages of the investment process.

Below Market Properties to be Plentiful during Austerity

Now the term has become synonymous with investment opportunities, and whatever our thoughts on the impending doom of government cut-backs, it is almost certain to increase the number of "investment opportunities" and the value that those opportunities need be below will also almost certainly fall.

For those that don't know, this is because the recently elected Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition government has been left a roaring budget deficit to bring down. This means austerity and cutbacks and the government has made no secret of its plans to make a large portion of those cutbacks in public sector employment. Reports have suggested that this will be to the tune of millions of jobs.

These job losses will lead to a massive increase in supply, both because of people selling up to move and find work elsewhere, and because of the people forced to sell because they can no longer make their mortgage repayments. Heaven forbid the next round of defaults and subsequent repossessions that present opportunities for investors while further constricting the mortgage market much to the detriment of the wider housing market and the economy as a whole, but that's another story.

It is also likely that demand for property to let, as those selling up will still need somewhere to live.

Supply has already seen a marked increase due to the actions of the new government. In what could easily be looked upon as a government-warming present for prospective home sellers; the government acted quickly in making good on their mutual pledge to abolish the Home Information Pack.

According to leading property portal Rightmove supply increased immediately following the announcement. New listings went up by 35 per cent in the following seven days the portal said.

Looking forward one must assume that those selling below market properties in the UK will have plenty of new stock in the coming months. At the same time yields may increase due to falling prices and increasing rental demand. It can therefore be hoped that demand for such property investments will also increase, to the benefit of the wider market.

No 1 Knightsbridge, Istanbul: Where Europe Meets Asia and East Meets West

2010-07-27T08:55:00.000+01:00

7.5% Guaranteed Net Yields – Invest From Only £12,000

This is a special opportunity to invest in one of the most exciting and rewarding residential markets in Europe. The apartments in this exclusive complex are available at 50% below completed prices with a 2 year 7.5% protected rental guarantee.

Outstanding Features Include:

• Available pre-launch at 50% below prices on completion
• Invest with as little as £12,300
• Total investment from £41,000 (fixed in sterling)
• 2 year 7.5% Net protected rental guarantee
• 30% deposit, 70% LTV
• 15 year mortgage: 6.15% interest

Designed in contemporary style by the award winning Turkish architect Metin Hepguler, these apartments are upmarket and tastefully furnished. They are designed to attract young professionals from the area as well as overseas investors. On-site facilities are extensive and include an indoor swimming pool, saunas, Turkish baths, a fitness centre, shops, meeting rooms and coffee houses on the terrace with decorative pools. There are extensive landscaped gardens and services include valet parking, laundry and house-keeping, gated entry and on-site security.

No 1 Knightsbridge is located in Beylikduzu, one of the most rapidly expanding areas of the city. It is a residential suburb, close to the beach, but it is also within easy reach of the city centre with its cultural facilities and of course internationally renowned shopping and nightlife. Local services are excellent, making the area attractive to both local and overseas residents. Istanbul’s main Ataturk International Airport is only 15 km away and the proposed new airport at Silivri will only be ten minutes by car from the complex. The E5 motorway offers links to the city centre and the rest of Europe.

Istanbul is strategically placed where Europe meets Asia and East meets West in a creative cross-fertilisation. The city is culturally diverse, with a rich artistic and cultural heritage as the former capital of the Ottoman Empire and the centre of today’s Turkic speaking world, which extends to the border with China. At the same time, Istanbul is a thoroughly modern European city and a regional centre for higher education, science, medicine and design.

With an estimated 18 million inhabitants and an annual population growth of 4%, demand for homes is at an unprecedented level. Combine this with an emerging middle class and Istanbul presents an exciting prospect for property investment. Turkey is also rapidly transforming itself into a global economic power and is playing an important role in both the region and the world.

In short: this is an ideal opportunity for Istanbul property investment,

More information: Contact Property Frontiers about property in Brazil, by emailing info@propertyfrontiers.com or calling +44 (0) 1865 202700.

Property Frontiers is the only company dedicated to supporting investors in the world’s most investable property markets and concepts. Our mission is to research new investment opportunities, to educate and inform about all aspects of the international property markets and to support our clients at all stages of the investment process.

Rightmove Search Data Shows Popularity of Caribbean Property

2010-07-26T14:26:00.009+01:00

Rightmove data on overseas property search volumes shows unequivocally that overseas property buyers (well, potential buyers anyway), favoured Caribbean property over the traditional favourites in Western Europe throughout 2009.

This comes as no surprise to international property investment consultancy Property Frontiers, the firm has been quoted many times in the past year stating the exact same facts.

"The Rightmove data only puts hard figures onto a trend we have been commenting on for several months now; that overseas property buyers were favouring the Caribbean because it is more stable and predominantly insulated to the international financial crisis, that and the fact that buyers were predominantly wealthy lifestyle buyers, who wanted to treat themselves after the misery of the crunch," said David Cox, director of the firm.

The data in tabular form is below

	May	Jun	July	Aug	Sept	Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan
Caribbean	100	89.6	105.5	133.3	161.6	163.9	173.5	171.1	268.9
Western Europe	100	93.3	110.5	147.7	123.3	111.1	110	105.4	163.6

	Feb	Mar	Apr	May
Caribbean	256.8	231.3	183.7	177.2
Western Europe	159.4	160.3	164.8	155.5

We can clearly see demand for Caribbean property consistently outstripping that of Western Europe every month since September last year.

The Rightmove data also shows a jump in searches for Caribbean property this May compared to last, with a 177% increase shown on the table. The jump in May is only a continuation of the massive rise in demand since the start of the year.

Rob Wilson, Rightmove's head of overseas property said of the findings:

"The spike in interest in Q1 is down to a combination of post-Christmas blues and people’s new year resolutions to change their lives for the better. As we move into Q2, the less serious buyers tend to fall by the wayside however and the gap between the Caribbean and Western Europe closes as the, for some, more realistic destinations of France, Italy, Spain and Portugal gain better traction.”

He added that “The challenge for advertisers marketing property in the Caribbean (and indeed other exotic destinations) is to build into their proposition features and benefits that reassure prospective buyers that they can have the dream of paradise but with the security and convenience of an established destination in Western Europe.”

That statement is not echoed by those of Property Frontiers, because it seems to suggest that while searches for Caribbean property may be higher that the serious enquirers, those planning to and buying are favouring Western Europe. This is not true according to the statements of Property Frontiers this year, which have stated that sales of Caribbean property have been increasing at a steady rate since the start of the year.

Perhaps it is because the firm has met the challenge laid down by Wilson; reassured prospective buyers that they can have the dream of paradise but with the security and convenience of an established destination in Western Europe. If they have done this, it is because they have chosen to focus on the prime markets in the Caribbean, Grenada, St Kitts and Trinidad and Tobago, and prime properties within those markets, like the award winning Bacolet Bay Development, currently offering beach-front studio cottages from £333,333.

Belize Real Estate: Bargains if you Look Hard Enough

2010-07-19T14:01:00.002+01:00

UK based agent Property Frontiers is offering luxury 1 bedroom villas in the Cayo District nature reserve resort near San Ignacio for £72,500. This is much lower than it would have been priced at in 2007, and could well be undervalued, even in the current climate, especially given the free rental management as part of the chic boutique hotel central to the resort.

The Belize real estate market can be summed up in one phrase: there are bargains to be had if you look hard enough.

More information: Contact Property Frontiers about property in Brazil, by emailing info@propertyfrontiers.com or calling +44 (0) 1865 202700.

Florida Property a Tale of Love, Loss and Resurrection

2010-07-12T13:58:00.001+01:00

Florida property will forever be remembered as one of the biggest stories of our generation. During the last boom tens of thousands of British people bought Florida property; some were buying holiday homes, some making investments, and some making a new life for themselves.

Little did they know when they were making these decisions, that the US housing market would become so inflated that its bursting would send a shock-wave throughout the American economy, and the rest of the world.

The result of this madness was to leave hundreds of thousands of Floridian home-owners unable to meet their mortgage repayments, and forced to either sell up quickly or watch the bank foreclose on their lives, and, for those who had started businesses and/or made lives in Florida, their hopes and dreams as well.

This led to a massive surge in the availability of Florida property for sale at rock bottom prices. And this is where the biggest part of the story comes in, foreigners became the biggest buyers of these properties; that foreigners were buying properties that people of their own nationality had loved and lost was an irony hard to miss.

According to a recent study by the American National Association of Realtors, foreign buyers had spent some $41 billion on American real estate in the year ending March 2010. The data showed that British buyers accounted for a third of sales, beaten only by Canadians and Mexicans.

It is hardly surprising; there have been some fantastic deals on offer. At the start of the mini-boom; a few buyers got caught out on properties offered at 40% below market value, only to find out that they had actually paid over the odds for it, because the 40% was below its peak value. There was a real problem ascertaining a fair price when home values were so fluid.

To combat this, buyers quickly learned to judge the price of a property against its build replacement cost, and since then the best opportunities literally rise to the top.

A prime example of the moment is the Village at Town Center development. A fully gated community, a few minutes from Disney World, the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter and many more Orlando attractions, the Village at Town Center development offers 2 bedroom condos from just £35,000. The price represents a discount of 50% on build-replacement costs, and the resort is uniquely zoned to allow residential and holiday lets.

Affordable Housing Leading Brazil Investment Property

2010-07-05T13:56:00.001+01:00

One of Brazil’s most up-coming an ‘happening’ cities is Natal, capital of Rio Grande do Norte, in North-Eastern Brazil – a cultural and geographical gateway to West Africa, North America and Europe.

In Brazil as a whole, there is a chronic under-supply of 8 million residences – estimated to grow to 28 million by 2020. Nowhere is the pressure more intense than in the North-east and Natal’s burgeoning middle class is fuelling demand for high quality affordable housing. Now is certainly the time to invest in this area of Brazil, according to Property Frontiers, the company that researches new investment opportunities on the global market.

Property Frontiers have become experts regarding Brazil investment property. The firm is currently marketing the Edificio Dr. Geraldo Furtado development, offering new 2 bedroom new apartments in Natal from £64,500 – with initial payments as low as £16,250 and 6% net returns guaranteed for 4 years.

More information: Contact Property Frontiers about property in Brazil, by emailing info@propertyfrontiers.com or calling +44 (0) 1865 202700.

Property Frontiers is the only company dedicated to supporting investors in the world’s most investable property markets and concepts. Our mission is to research new investment opportunities, to educate and inform about all aspects of the international property markets and to support our clients at all stages of the investment process.

Property in Belize worthy of Examination by Foreign Buyers

2010-07-03T10:06:00.000+01:00

The influential Global Property Guide has just released its mid-2010 recommendations report of destinations it recommends for investment. Surprisingly the list of locations it has recommended in Latin America does not include Belize.

Belize is a former British colony, which gives it benefits such as English being its first language, a developed judicial and political infrastructure and a first rate and reliable health service. During the last boom, this background gave those buying property in Belize a sense of safety and security -- especially Brits, who also liked the fact that all contracts were in English.

When you add to that background the fact that property in Belize is currently 40-50% cheaper than it was in the middle of 2008 in the areas popular with foreigners, which is giving way to yields of 8-10% (yields the GPG itself say signal an investment opportunity), and it is difficult to see Belize not doing well now that foreign demand is rising.

International property investment consultancy Property Frontiers has stated its belief that property in Belize will see a strong increase in sales to British buyers particularly this winter. David Cox, director of the firm has been quoted as saying:

"Belize has a real chance of seeing some strong activity from British buyers this winter. Belize property prices in areas that are popular with foreigners have fallen by between 40 and 50% according to realtors on the ground. Thus, property in Belize is now among the cheapest in the growth hotspot of Latin America.

But the real strengths lie in the environment and value for money. In Belize you can currently buy a luxury 1 bedroom villa in a new boutique development within a tropical rainforest nature reserve setting for just £72,000. That price also buys you rental management and servicing as part of the eco-boutique hotel."

Cox then went on to explain the benefits coming from Belize being a former British colony, which are laid out above, before concluding: "things like that are going to prove very important with the new savvier wave of overseas property buyers."
It is true. If things like the developed judicial and political infrastructure were a hit with buyers before the crunch, they will almost certainly be a hit now that the crunch has awakened us all to just how badly wrong property markets can go.

Look at Dubai where many people lost thousands on developments that will never become a reality. The people who are currently buying and who will be buying for at least the next 5 years will likely be putting stability above potential returns, so the fact that property in Belize offers both definitely makes it worth examination for foreign property buyers.

Florida Property Market Could Struggle to find a Bottom

2010-06-17T12:55:00.001+01:00

International property investment consultancy Property Frontiers has given a stark warning on the future of the Florida property market. In a recent news article, the firm pointed out the possibility that the buyers of today, which are predominantly investors, could hamper future recovery in their attempts to resell for a profit.

Director David Cox said:

"Since the middle of last year, sales have been increasing in Florida as Americans join international buyers in snapping up distressed and repossessed real estate at bargain basement prices. This has undoubtedly been a good thing in the short-term, because repossessed properties are nothing but trouble for a number of reasons; they drag a neighbourhood down, and prevent it from bottoming, and so the quicker they can be sold the better.

"However, most of the people buying property now are not buying to use, they are buying to resell when the market recovers. Thus, we run the risk that every time the market starts to recover; floods of Florida property for sale will swiftly snuff it out again.

Cox then goes on to say that those who have dispelled the possibility that this could happen because of the investors being predominantly professional, may be proven wrong because we have no way of knowing how the investors circumstances will change over the coming months and years.

However, Cox concludes by explaining how those investors that invest for rental income over and above capital gains, have no need to care about how or when the recovery brings price growth.

With that logic, those investors who have invested for rental yields will surely not be tempted to sell at the first hint of recovery. Though, again, circumstances can change and even those earning a good yield could have found out that being a landlord in the states is not for them, and want to sell at the first opportunity.

We are talking about America here, where everything is on a much bigger scale to what it is in the UK, and even though it is only the state of Florida that we are discussing, we are still talking about tens of thousands of people here. With such a large number of people, it is very hard to predict what volume will feel compelled to sell early in any recovery, or rather, whether that volume will be sufficient to dampen the recovery. The only certainty is that we will all find out in time.

Brazil Property is Feeling Hot Hot Hot

2010-06-17T12:41:00.002+01:00

The positivity surrounding Brazil property, building it up as one of the top investments of our age is still showing no signs of abating.

In fact it has just recently been vindicated: Sao Paulo-based Brazilian Company Property Studies, (AKA Embraesp), has found a 22 per cent increase in the price per square metre of property in Sao Paulo in the first four months of 2010. This, a growth of 51 percent on 2009 prices is a massive testament to the incredible growth potential of Brazil property in the north east, especially as it is during a global recession.

It is little wonder that Sam Snell, one of the world's wealthiest and most prominent real estate investors has just announced that he plans to put another $500 million into the Brazilian property market, to focus on the emerging markets in the north east of the country.

Last year Snell made the news when he said that he didn't think there was a better environment for investment in the world than Brazil. At the time Snell was only announcing his intention to enter the market; he now operates six Brazilian property companies.

Brazil property is currently such a hot-investment, because the economy just has everything going for it; everything to suggest massive growth in the future, and very little to put a dampener on that growth.

Companiesandmarkets.com has recently pinpointed surging consumer demand as being a big driver behind future growth. This is the first time a research report has pointed to domestic demand, as most focus on exports, the services sector and the fact that Brazil is to host the World Cup and Olympics as drivers of growth.

It makes sense though; we would be foolish to think that all this positivity exists only outside Brazil. Inside Brazil right now, consumer confidence is likely at an all-time high, and increased consumer spending is a logical outcome of this.

Brazil property is equally well positioned for growth. Economic growth will automatically breed property price growth, as it pushes up the price of materials and labour. However, when you look at the economic growth in Brazil's future, you can't fail to see the potential for a massive increase in demand for housing, and for second homes as the population becomes more affluent. Add the massive growth in tourism, which can only be fuelled by the sporting events, and you can see why Brazil property is so hot with foreign buyers right now.

Like the big-hitters and the economic growth, the north east is most popular with foreign buyers, with Natal one of the major hotspots.

Student Accommodation Investment Benefits from Low Risk Status

2010-06-06T01:00:00.000+01:00

Student accommodation investment is a low-risk investment. So, as we are currently operating in a risk-averse investment environment, obviously student accommodation investment and other products like it are attracting more than their fair share of attention and investment.

Now, no doubt some (hopefully not many) people will have scoffed at the words "low risk investment" in the first line. That serves to prove the risk adverse environment that the credit crunch and the damage it did have given birth to:

During the last boom practically every property investment product on the market was being bandied about as having very little risk attached to it, as many people even grew sufficient Gaul to state unequivocally that property could no longer lose value, because of the international demand characteristics that emerged from budget flights etc. So now calling any property investment product low risk is liable to get people's backs up

However, when it comes to student accommodation investment, the term low risk is applied because:

You have a large pool of potential tenants, all of which need somewhere to live, and all of which are being driven to the purpose built accommodation that these investments exist by a multitude of reasons: affordability, their friends living there and the facilities, but mainly because of the affordability factor.

Also because the universities are actively promoting the property for you, out of all that, student accommodation investments are low risk because they have a set term for which occupancy can almost be guaranteed, in effect a yield as close to being guaranteed as you get in UK buy to let property investment.

According to Property Frontiers, who have recently entered the Liverpool student accommodation investment market, the field is seeing a massive surge in popularity. The firm has just sold out a development in Liverpool, and is currently marketing a second, the Streatlam towers development. In a recent press release, David Cox, director of the firm said:

"People are back out there and making property investments again. Just like people were investing in property in 2006 and 2007, but that is where the similarities end. In 2006 investors were chasing hard for the biggest returns, and desire to make a fortune superseded common sense in a lot of cases. Not today it doesn't. Those who are investing in property today are putting safety first and doing extensive due-diligence before making any kind of commitments."

In fact, when it comes to student property investment, their success is a testament to the quality of the product. We all know that the market is currently very adverse to risk, and that every investor is scrutinising everything to the finest detail before putting anything in. So, knowing that, and looking at the success of student investments, we can judge their quality.

Belize Property: Value for Money Cannot Go Unnoticed Forever

2010-06-02T01:00:00.001+01:00

Belize property is set to benefit from the return of low budget buyers now that Belize property is a lot more affordable than it was.

In the last few weeks several portals, including Rightmove Overseas and Primelocation (arguably the big two) have reported a significant spike in searches for low budget destinations such as Cyprus and Bulgaria.

It is easy to think that this is also because of their locality to the UK. When risk-appetite takes a beating as it has the past few years, to an all time low, the desire tends to be to buy closer to home, which gives a feeling of increased security. To put it another way, it is only when risk-appetite is high among property buyers and investors that they will even consider investing in far flung Asian or Belize property.

However, lest we forget the mini-boom that is currently happening in Florida, as bargain hunters from around the world snap up distressed and repossessed properties at rock bottom prices. In fact demand for such properties has increased so much that it can no longer be called a mini-boom; and that prices of those properties have incredulously started to see some growth in recent weeks and months.

As these properties start to decrease in availability and/or quality people will start to look at other parts of the continent to find bargains, at which point they will find -- if they don't already know -- that Belize property has seen property prices fall by up to 100% in some places. In fact, it needn't take any such reduction in American foreclosures to drive buyers to Belize; it could quite easily happen simply based on quality of life, quality of property and value for money.

When a property is to be foreclosed upon by a bank, it is offered to the bank staff for first refusal, at which point all the best properties; the best bargains are swiftly snapped up. In Belize, right now you can buy a brand new, ultimate luxury 1 bedroom villa in an eco-boutique resort in a Belizean nature reserve from just £72,500.

The villas, in the Cayo District Nature Reserve are being marketed by Property Frontiers. The villas (although half acre plots are also on sale for £20k), of which only a handful are available, are built around a central boutique hotel with exclusive facilities. Those who do have villas built at cost price receive free rental management as an extension of the hotel. A top investment or lifestyle buy, and fantastic value for money like this can't go unnoticed forever.

Grenada Property: Loving the Middle Ground

2010-05-30T10:16:00.003+01:00

Grenada property is set to be a leading seller in the Caribbean market this year, because it offers the perfect balance of stability, luxury and affordability, which will see it bring demand from the largest cross-section of the overseas property buying society.

Many property companies have stated that Caribbean property is currently among the best sellers, because it has proven its stability during and resistance to downturns in the global economy.

However, others have suggested that this stability could become a hindrance now that risk appetite is once again on the increase, and we are seeing an increase in the numbers of low budget lifestyle buyers, and semi-speculative investors, who are both hungry for the bargain filled markets.

This is where Grenada property could benefit, because it holds the middle ground. Grenada has all the attributes the Caribbean is famous for, of course, great beaches, warm climate, friendly environment, and Grenada property is built to the same level of luxury as the Caribbean's top markets. Where Grenada is different is that it is an emerging market within the established Caribbean, and as a result property prices are much lower.

Whereas a 2 bedroom villa will cost upwards of £1million in Barbados, you can buy a 2 bedroom villa in Grenada for a little over £642,000. And that is not a plastic prefab in the middle of nowhere either; it is a luxurious, spacious, new 2 bedroom villa, in an award-winning development.

Bacolet Bay is set in 41 acres of tropical gardens, all frontline to the white sands of one of Grenada's top beaches. To the back of the resort a rainforest sweeps upwards, and those at the back of the resort can enjoy the sights and sounds of nature at its best. Bacolet Bay won the CNBC Best Development Award in the 2007 International Property Awards.

The resort is being marketed in the UK by Property Frontiers, who themselves have just won an award, best large agent in the Overseas Property Professional industry awards in conjunction with the Association for International Property Professionals. At a time when buyers are insecure accolades like that can really put people at their ease to decide on what countries and properties are right for them.

If Grenada is on their shortlist then Bacolet Bay, offering studio cottages from just £333k will undoubtedly warrant closer inspection. Especially when the extras, like free furniture packs and a 10% guaranteed rental yield for the first 3 years are taken into consideration.