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| SECTION
ONE - EXOTIC REAL ESTATE |
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| 10
Things You Need to Know Before Buying a One-Way Ticket to Tonga |
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On the night I met the young lady who later would become my wife, we engaged
in a conversation about world travel. I, of course, boasted of my
desire to find an island to call my own; something in a tropical location,
with pure white sands and emerald seas. I was mortified and the bubble
that was my dream was burst when she informed me that every man says he
wants his own island in paradise. That conversation did two things:
one, it woke me up to the fact that I am in no way unique when it comes
to a need for adventure and escapism; and two, it ignited a determination
to accomplish what so many of those other dreamers never do; actually achieve
the dream. |
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| Real
Estate on the Costa Del Azahar |
| - I have an
ongoing love affair with Spain. For two years now, I have been searching
the Spanish mainland as well as Spanish islands for my ‘perfect’ place.
By place, I mean two things. Firstly, the perfect area. Secondly, the perfect
property. Two years ago, I thought I had found the perfect area after spending
a summer on the Mediterranean island of Ibiza. Alas, it was not to be.
Property prices were extortionate (demand far outstripping supply on this
tiny world-famous island). A regular income was hard to find outside the
tourist season. Reluctantly, smitten as I was, I had to admit that maybe,
just maybe, Ibiza wasn’t quite right for us after all. Not in the long-term,
anyway. |
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| Unspoiled,
relaxed, easygoing, beautiful, and safe—Croatia’s tourism rediscovery |
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Croatia is one of Europe’s loveliest treasures. Everything a discriminating
visitor—or home buyer—is looking for can be found right here: crystal-clear
seas...timeless fishing villages and unspoiled beaches...roman ruins, a
pristine lake district, and medieval walled cities. Every twist and turn
of the coastline serves up grandstand views of secret coves, little harbors,
and calm turquoise waters. Out in the Adriatic Sea, a galaxy of islands—1,185
of them—shimmer like a cache of emeralds. |
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| DUBAI
or not DUBAI? |
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When my I told my friends and family three years ago that I was going to
live and work in Dubai the first thing they asked was ‘Where is that?’
When I told them that Dubai was a part of the United Arab Emirates in the
Middle East they’re next two questions were ‘Are you mad?’ and ‘Why the
hell would you want to go and do that for?’ My travels around the Middle
East have shown me repeatedly that the people of this region are cultured,
educated, peace loving people whose Muslim faith is about respect, love
and charity. As a woman I feel totally safe walking through the streets
of Dubai in the evening. This is not something I can say for other places
I have lived like England, Ireland, The States or even New Zealand which
has world leading reputation for being a ‘safe’ environment for people
to live in. |
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| The
St Tropez Of the South West of England |
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It's one of the most expensive places on the planet to buy a plot of land.
The Sandbanks in Poole, Dorset used to be a quintessentially English seaside
resort … donkey rides, candy floss, long damp summers spent trying to bury
your little brother on the beach. Now it's a blinging millionaires' playground
with house prices so high you'd have to jet off to central Tokyo, New York
or Hong Kong to find anything as extravagantly priced. |
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| Buyer’s
Guide to Estonia |
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Even before its EU membership, Estonia was a popular tourist destination,
particularly as a short break getaway for European tourists. The
nightlife in Tallinn, the capital, continues to attract many of Europe’s
younger populations, drawn to its affordable attractions. The city
has continued to appeal to the more refined tourist attracted to the character
of the old town and its spectacular architecture. As a tourist destination,
Estonia’s appeal will continue. Accessible in a couple of hours and serviced
by budget airlines, picturesque and affordable, the country is a realistic
alternative to traditional Mediterranean destinations. |
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| Real
Estate in Buenos Aires - from bust to boom in three years! |
| -
If you had come to Buenos Aires like I did three years ago you would have
found a country on its knees, a country that had just become the biggest
debt defaulter ever. A country that not only couldn’t pay its debts to
the IMF but couldn’t even pay its own municipal workers. The country was
in chaos and the people were demotivated - it was in short a truly miserable
time for Argentina. Fast forward three years and what a difference 36 months
has made to Argentina. Property prices are up by as much as
34% in some areas. In some locations prices are higher than they were before
the crisis! The economy is growing by 8% a year and tourism is booming
and so is the property market. If you were lucky and purchased property
here last year you almost certainly will be sitting down patting yourself
on the back and counting your profits. |
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| SECTION
TWO - FINANCE & INVESTMENT |
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| Prepare
Your Rental Property for Occupancy |
| - Among
your many responsibilities as a landlord, the law provides for a warranty
of implied habitability. This means that the dwelling must be considered
habitable and any known problems must be fixed before you allow a tenant
to take occupancy. When a tenant vacates one of your units, take this opportunity
to perform a walkthrough of the unit to determine its condition and discover
what repairs or maintenance need to be done. Here are some of the specific
areas that you will need to examine in your property before you accept
a new tenant. |
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| New
Year resolutions that will save you money on your currency |
| - December
is gone; chocolate boxes have been emptied, wrapping paper recycled, decorations
packed away for another year, all the batteries on the kid’s toys have
run low and parents everywhere are sighing with relief as the bleep and
whiz of the electronic toys has declined. The currency markets however
are recovering from the volatility that December always holds and trying
to gather their thoughts on the direction that the major exchange rates
might take in the year ahead. This would be a very simple process if the
factors that affected these markets stood still but of course they don’t. |
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| An
All Seasons Tax Tip—Foreign Currency “Tax Swaps” |
| - How
can you take advantage of the U.S. dollar’s short-term strength while holding
onto your medium-to long-term foreign currency positions? This may not
sound possible…but it is! You can hold onto your foreign currency positions,
and at the same time, benefit from a stronger U.S. dollar. No, you have
not entered into the Twilight Zone. Rather, you are about to embark on
a crash course in foreign currency “Tax Swaps.” |
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| Tax
Haven Raises 2006 Entry Price |
| - While
Monaco is a well known European tax haven, Andorra has remained little
known outside of the financial community - despite enjoying the same tax
advantages and arguably more private banking than her better known rival. |
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| What
has caused EUR/USD to fluctuate over the past three months? |
| - Since
September 2005 EUR/USD has been trending in a strong downward direction
resulting in over a 9 cent movement (1.2580 high, 1.1638 low). To
place a monetary value on this move if you were to buy a property in September
05 priced at 100,000 euros it would have cost you $125,800. The same property
in November 05 would have cost you $116,380, that is over a $9,0000 saving.
So why has there been such a move? |
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| Travel
Writers Wanted |
| - How would
you like to spend a summer exploring the Western U. S.. no charge? Or perhaps
you'd prefer a long-weekend vacation with your spouse at a five-star resort
in Mexico. airfare included and all-expenses-paid? Those are just two of
the perks travel writers I know have enjoyed. No doubt, it's a charmed
existence they lead. The thing is, a year from now. you, too, could be
enjoying that life. |
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