Friday, September 15, 2006
More French property price news - still on the up!
According to FNAIM - the French estate agents association - the rise in prices in the year to April 2006 was 8.3% compared to 13.6% for the previous year.
The slowdown in price rises was largest for apartments (+7.5% to April 2006 compared to +15.1% the year before). The slowdown in house prices increases was less pronounced: +9.4% up to April 2006 versus +11.7%.
Differences were quite marked in different regions, with price deflation in the Ile -de-France region that includes Paris and the surroundings, and the Centre/Alps region.
Sud-Ouest (+6.3%), Ouest (+10.5%), Nord et Est (+5.0%), Sud-Est (+2.1%), Centre et Alpes (-0.2%), Ile-de-France (-2.3%).
Some of the largest increases for prices for the recent year of houses were in:
Beziers (+39.5%), Morangis (+22.9%), Sevran (+22.6%), Ancenis (+21.4%).
The slowdown in price rises was largest for apartments (+7.5% to April 2006 compared to +15.1% the year before). The slowdown in house prices increases was less pronounced: +9.4% up to April 2006 versus +11.7%.
Differences were quite marked in different regions, with price deflation in the Ile -de-France region that includes Paris and the surroundings, and the Centre/Alps region.
Sud-Ouest (+6.3%), Ouest (+10.5%), Nord et Est (+5.0%), Sud-Est (+2.1%), Centre et Alpes (-0.2%), Ile-de-France (-2.3%).
Some of the largest increases for prices for the recent year of houses were in:
Beziers (+39.5%), Morangis (+22.9%), Sevran (+22.6%), Ancenis (+21.4%).
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Property prices trends in France - latest report
French house prices report
According to FNAIM - the French estate agents association - the rise in prices in 2005 was 10.3% compared to 15.5% in 2004.
The slowdown in price rises was largest for apartments (+10.6% in 2005 compared to +17.8% in 2005).
Differences were quite marked in different regions, with price deflation in the Ile -de-France region that includes Paris and the surroundings.
Sud-Ouest (+7.6%), Ouest (+6.8%), Nord et Est (+6.4%), Sud-Est (+5.7%), Centre et Alpes (+0.5%), Ile-de-France (-6.0%).
Some of the largest increases for prices for 2004/2005 of houses were in:
Beziers (+31.1%), Brest (+31.9%), Jarnac (+30.9%), Carcassonne (+24.1%).
According to FNAIM - the French estate agents association - the rise in prices in 2005 was 10.3% compared to 15.5% in 2004.
The slowdown in price rises was largest for apartments (+10.6% in 2005 compared to +17.8% in 2005).
Differences were quite marked in different regions, with price deflation in the Ile -de-France region that includes Paris and the surroundings.
Sud-Ouest (+7.6%), Ouest (+6.8%), Nord et Est (+6.4%), Sud-Est (+5.7%), Centre et Alpes (+0.5%), Ile-de-France (-6.0%).
Some of the largest increases for prices for 2004/2005 of houses were in:
Beziers (+31.1%), Brest (+31.9%), Jarnac (+30.9%), Carcassonne (+24.1%).
Tenerife - A natural jewel
Tenerife is a natural jewel - the largest of the Canary islands. The island's beauty is breathtaking - with Spain's highest mountain Teide, pine forests, and lush green vegetation and flowers in the north.
OK - it's well known for the concrete party resorts in the south, but it's easy to get away and see the real Canaries. The south west of the island is very dry indeed - and it's pretty much a desert but the bonus is lots and lots of sunshine.
Great spots are Vilaflor - mountain village nestling often in the clouds beneath the Teide national park and El Medano, with the beautiful shaped Montana Roja (red mountain) and nearby sweeping sandy beach. This small fishing town is famous for windsurfing - but there are sheltered spots nearby for plenty of sunbathing. The capital Santa Cruz de Tenerife is a great place with a very Spanish big city feel - and the nearby Las Terisitas beach has echos of Rio!
It's really handy for the UK with lots and lots of flights (not dirt cheap but often reasonable). Lots of foreigners have settled on the islands, so for a more authentic way of life one may need to stray of the well-beaten tracks. Prices are quite high, but you get year round sunshine and potentially a year-long tourist season if you choose to rent out your new abode / apartment / finca.
OK - it's well known for the concrete party resorts in the south, but it's easy to get away and see the real Canaries. The south west of the island is very dry indeed - and it's pretty much a desert but the bonus is lots and lots of sunshine.
Great spots are Vilaflor - mountain village nestling often in the clouds beneath the Teide national park and El Medano, with the beautiful shaped Montana Roja (red mountain) and nearby sweeping sandy beach. This small fishing town is famous for windsurfing - but there are sheltered spots nearby for plenty of sunbathing. The capital Santa Cruz de Tenerife is a great place with a very Spanish big city feel - and the nearby Las Terisitas beach has echos of Rio!
It's really handy for the UK with lots and lots of flights (not dirt cheap but often reasonable). Lots of foreigners have settled on the islands, so for a more authentic way of life one may need to stray of the well-beaten tracks. Prices are quite high, but you get year round sunshine and potentially a year-long tourist season if you choose to rent out your new abode / apartment / finca.
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Malaysia - Penang, Kula Lumpar, paradise
The housing market in Malaysia provides opportunities for buying a house overseas. Top places of interest include the capital Kuala Lumpar, holiday paradise Langkawi,
and the island of Penang: Georegetown, Greenlane, Bayab Baru, Pulau Tikus,
Ayer Item to name but a few. Malaysia was affected far less by the Tsunami than
its unfortunate neighbours.
Malaysia is a very interesting place to visit for a holiday - and it's always a good idea to go on holiday somewhere first to see if you like the place. It's much cheaper than buying a house, and can help preventing problematic mistakes.
see Your House Abroad for more...
Friday, February 17, 2006
Brrreeeport!
What is Brrreeeport ? It's a shameless (or should that be shameful)
attempt to increase traffic on your blog or webpage!
www.brrreeeport.co.uk
attempt to increase traffic on your blog or webpage!
www.brrreeeport.co.uk
Saturday, February 11, 2006
Ryanair on Dispatches (February 13, 8pm on Channel 4)
Having spent a recent weekend in the company of Ryanair I'll also be looking forward to the forthcoming Dispatches programme on Channel 4 (Monday Feb 13 at 8pm).
We had a nightmare trip to Carcassonne in France. Neither outward nor return flights went near to the destination airport. We were dumped in Spain (Girona) and we had to pay for all the extra taxis, trains (x2), car hire, hotels, subsistence etc. to get us to Carcassonne, and then on to a rearranged return flight from Biarritz a day later than planned (and some 250 miles away and yet more expense from Carcassonne).
Try arriving by train at your own expense into Carcassonne station at 3am for a short weekend away...The communication with the passengers was woeful - either no information or complete lies were the order of the day.
The very aggressive response (as usual) on their website is typical and whoever suggested that they publish the detailed correspondence with Dispatches team on the Ryanair website has made a terrible mistake! Their dirty deeds have been recorded for all posterity now! One small point: it is truly ludicrous to claim that just because google throws up over 800,000 search items for cabin crew training school that there is a large number of cabin crew training schools! Doh!
However, I have generally been pleased with Ryanair up until this recent trip, so my hope is that they continue to do the good things well, but sort out some customer care and contingency planning properly - worthy of their position as a leading European low-cost airline.
We had a nightmare trip to Carcassonne in France. Neither outward nor return flights went near to the destination airport. We were dumped in Spain (Girona) and we had to pay for all the extra taxis, trains (x2), car hire, hotels, subsistence etc. to get us to Carcassonne, and then on to a rearranged return flight from Biarritz a day later than planned (and some 250 miles away and yet more expense from Carcassonne).
Try arriving by train at your own expense into Carcassonne station at 3am for a short weekend away...The communication with the passengers was woeful - either no information or complete lies were the order of the day.
The very aggressive response (as usual) on their website is typical and whoever suggested that they publish the detailed correspondence with Dispatches team on the Ryanair website has made a terrible mistake! Their dirty deeds have been recorded for all posterity now! One small point: it is truly ludicrous to claim that just because google throws up over 800,000 search items for cabin crew training school that there is a large number of cabin crew training schools! Doh!
However, I have generally been pleased with Ryanair up until this recent trip, so my hope is that they continue to do the good things well, but sort out some customer care and contingency planning properly - worthy of their position as a leading European low-cost airline.
Monday, February 06, 2006
St Kitts and Nevis - Caribbean dreams
The housing market in St Kitts and Nevis provides opportunities for buying a house
overseas. In fact St Kitts and Nevis was named 18th in the top 20 places to buy abroad by Amanda Lamb on Channel 4's A place in the sun .
St Kitts and Nevis is in the Caribbean and is a very interesting place to visit for a holiday - and it's always a good idea to go on holiday somewhere first to see if you like the place. It's much cheaper than buying a house, and can help preventing problematic mistakes.
For more info see
Your House Abroad
English is the main language, and the capital of the small nation is Basseterre. St Kitts used to be known as `St. Christopher' (and still is in some circles). For tourist information see
the St Kitts tourism site
the Nevis
island tourism site.
overseas. In fact St Kitts and Nevis was named 18th in the top 20 places to buy abroad by Amanda Lamb on Channel 4's A place in the sun .
St Kitts and Nevis is in the Caribbean and is a very interesting place to visit for a holiday - and it's always a good idea to go on holiday somewhere first to see if you like the place. It's much cheaper than buying a house, and can help preventing problematic mistakes.
For more info see
Your House Abroad
English is the main language, and the capital of the small nation is Basseterre. St Kitts used to be known as `St. Christopher' (and still is in some circles). For tourist information see
island tourism site.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Bulgaria - Eastern Hot Spot
Bulgaria is a fascinating and beautiful country, so it is little surprise that it has become the hottest spot in Eastern Europe to attract buyers in recent years.
Bordered by Romania, Macedonia, Yugoslavia, and Turkey, Bulgaria has a wealth of attractions. From its mountains where you will find ski resorts such as Bansko in the foothills of the Pirin Mountains, Pamporovo, Borovets and the Vitosha Resort to an attractive coastline with beach resorts such as Sunny Beach and Golden Sands rivalling those of their Spanish cousins.
As well as these more lively resorts there are quieter, historic spots including Nessebur and Sozopol, both worth a visit for their charming Bulgarian Revival architecture, plentiful seafood restaurants and unmistakable Bulgarian atmostphere. Varna, on the Northern coastline, is known as Bulgaria’s sea capital with its lively old town, seaside gardens and beaches. Burgas, in the south, is another sea city, busy with the normal hub of city life, it is perhaps the coastal villages which surround it that are worth visiting for relaxing holidays, none the least, Nessebur.
As well as sea and mountains, Bulgaria’s other attractions include the city’s capital, Sofia, complete with yellow brick road (well, almost, it’s a yellow brick path that leads you around the centre of the city), it has some very interesting architectural sites such as the large gold-domed St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral built in the early 20th century to commemorate the 200,000 Russians who died in the 1877-78 Russo-Turkish War. Fine eateries and cafes are dotted around the centre - long gone the days when you wandered round aimlessly trying to find somewhere to eat.
Other notable historic sites include the Rila Monastery, 120km south of Sofia; Plovdiv with its Old Town beauty of clustered National Revival houses huddled along its cobbled paths (bear in mind that to see the beautiful old town you have to first confront the new, grey apartment blocks which are present throughout Bulgaria’s cities) and Veliko Turnovo set dramatically on the banks of the River Jantra (once Bulgaria’s capital).
Another site worth mentioning are the Valley of the Roses, where the area’s prime crop is understandably, roses. Resting two and a half hours east of Sofia, the biggest town in the valley is Kazonlak which during the summer months is filled with the fragrance of roses.
Bulgaria is an intriguing place to lay your hat. As well as its beauty, it also has its strangeness. Dancing bears, for example, are still led around by the nose by the gypsy caste whose work it is to tame them and to make money from them.
Some of the roads are still an adventure to ride upon, but they are getting better thanks to EU money being pumped into the country (Bulgaria joins the EU in 2007). Some things are changing for the better. But gone are the days when you could be the only one sporting a sexy bikini (12 years ago even the most attractive woman was clad in full crimpelene seventies costume). If only those days could return, now the place is littered with sexy minxes coming in from Gdansk to Sevastopol.
Unfortunately no cheap flights from the UK yet, but it cannot be long away ...
The winter months are long, which is good for skiing of course in the mountains. Also, one can be sure of a wonderful, cheap, baking hot summer period.
see Your House Abroad : Bulgaria
Bordered by Romania, Macedonia, Yugoslavia, and Turkey, Bulgaria has a wealth of attractions. From its mountains where you will find ski resorts such as Bansko in the foothills of the Pirin Mountains, Pamporovo, Borovets and the Vitosha Resort to an attractive coastline with beach resorts such as Sunny Beach and Golden Sands rivalling those of their Spanish cousins.
As well as these more lively resorts there are quieter, historic spots including Nessebur and Sozopol, both worth a visit for their charming Bulgarian Revival architecture, plentiful seafood restaurants and unmistakable Bulgarian atmostphere. Varna, on the Northern coastline, is known as Bulgaria’s sea capital with its lively old town, seaside gardens and beaches. Burgas, in the south, is another sea city, busy with the normal hub of city life, it is perhaps the coastal villages which surround it that are worth visiting for relaxing holidays, none the least, Nessebur.
As well as sea and mountains, Bulgaria’s other attractions include the city’s capital, Sofia, complete with yellow brick road (well, almost, it’s a yellow brick path that leads you around the centre of the city), it has some very interesting architectural sites such as the large gold-domed St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral built in the early 20th century to commemorate the 200,000 Russians who died in the 1877-78 Russo-Turkish War. Fine eateries and cafes are dotted around the centre - long gone the days when you wandered round aimlessly trying to find somewhere to eat.
Other notable historic sites include the Rila Monastery, 120km south of Sofia; Plovdiv with its Old Town beauty of clustered National Revival houses huddled along its cobbled paths (bear in mind that to see the beautiful old town you have to first confront the new, grey apartment blocks which are present throughout Bulgaria’s cities) and Veliko Turnovo set dramatically on the banks of the River Jantra (once Bulgaria’s capital).
Another site worth mentioning are the Valley of the Roses, where the area’s prime crop is understandably, roses. Resting two and a half hours east of Sofia, the biggest town in the valley is Kazonlak which during the summer months is filled with the fragrance of roses.
Bulgaria is an intriguing place to lay your hat. As well as its beauty, it also has its strangeness. Dancing bears, for example, are still led around by the nose by the gypsy caste whose work it is to tame them and to make money from them.
Some of the roads are still an adventure to ride upon, but they are getting better thanks to EU money being pumped into the country (Bulgaria joins the EU in 2007). Some things are changing for the better. But gone are the days when you could be the only one sporting a sexy bikini (12 years ago even the most attractive woman was clad in full crimpelene seventies costume). If only those days could return, now the place is littered with sexy minxes coming in from Gdansk to Sevastopol.
Unfortunately no cheap flights from the UK yet, but it cannot be long away ...
The winter months are long, which is good for skiing of course in the mountains. Also, one can be sure of a wonderful, cheap, baking hot summer period.
see Your House Abroad : Bulgaria
