You make your money When you BUY, NOT When You SELL.

This is one of those phrases that professional real estate investors believe and follow …. and the places with more supply per square meter is at the fairs.

The Property Investor Show & OPP Live was held in London in late 2010. The most relevant facts during this real estate exhibition were:

1 – There was a live auction with more than 200 properties. Even if you previously hadn’t participated in real estate auction, I encourage you to go see one to learn its dynamics, the purchase before and after the auction, the closing of good business, or the rules to perform this type of purchase, etc..

2 – In the English market, and in the international (but in a smaller scale), there is the possibility to “buy fractional”, ie. to buy a part or portion of the entire property. It is a figure that has considerable popularity in a market like the one we have today.

The approach is aimed at the holiday home as an investment. Second home buyers seek homes that require them to give a small down payment, with low building expenses, and few financial risks … but that allows them to benefit 100% from their investment. It differs from multiowners, which means only a right to use the property x weeks per year. (I’ll make a post detailing this type of fractional purchase).

3 – Almost half of the exhibition was dedicated to the international market, with potential countries such as Spain and Portugal for the English market, as well as new destinations to invest, such as Cyprus, Greece, Africa, Egypt, Brazil, Swazi and Turkey (the ones that had great reception in the English market were mainly: Cyprus, Turkey and Egypt).

4 – In particular, Egypt was the guest country, with many product developers offering the best destinations in the Red Sea. Egypt is considered one of the leading emerging markets in the property sector because it is generating great interest from international markets to invest there.

Many of the reasons to invest in Egypt are: good sustained economic growth, cheap labor and land, and a booming real estate market. A great thing is that the RE market is interesting to both, domestic and foreign customers.

Among the advantages of buying in Egypt is the exemption of tax rates:

* The purchase and ownership of a property is exempt from taxes, both inheritance and capital gains.
* The administrative charges, if any, are very low in general.
* There is an estimated return on investment between 5 to 11% depending on the type of property.
* The areas of the Red Sea are the most popular for tourists and the demand for vacation homes is located in Hurghada, Sharm el Shiekh, and Gouda.

* Theoretically, when buying a home it is not necessary that it be registered in the deeds of the property, although the possibility exists if a buyer decides to register his property paying a fee for it.

5 – There were about 130 seminars of about 45 minute each, in addition to the exhibition, with the idea to reflect this continuous change because new markets are opening at the same time, and new creative ways to face sales and marketing are emerging ….. It is said that the money exists, but will exist only for companies that are prepared to give in exchange good business prospects ….. It is also interesting the idea that investments in “passive properties”, for example student apartments or hotel rooms, should be part of investors’ portfolios as investment alternatives.

A Real estate fair that shows a market undergoing a deep transformation

Former Minister of Housing, Beatriz Corridor, opened the show a year ago in company of F. Baltasar, Counselor of Environment and Housing of La Generalitat. This occurred during the time in which President Zapatero was considering to eliminate the Ministry of Housing in his government reshuffle, whose tasks would then be under responsibility of the Ministry of Development led by J Blanco.

The show was hosted in Montjuic showing the large supply of homes available at the time, both first and second-hand homes, as well as store and office space, parking lots, which, as was seen in other real estate exhibitions around the country, were a big chunk of the bank’s portfolio.
The show’s international section had a wide representation from Russia.  There was still a close relationship with the Arab Union for Real Estate Development, and there was a delegation from South American countries, i.e. Argentine and Colombian businessmen looking to find Spanish partners to invest here. In the Symposium, held at the same time, the representatives of Colonial and Morgan Stanley, believed that international investment was starting to show interest in the Spanish housing market, not so much for developers but to create personal wealth, and always at attractive prices … . this was referred to as possible competitors to the Spanish family offices, which were those that had been buying quite much in previous years.

Exhibitions and fairs are generally intended to present to the public and the specialized sector the latest industry trends, showing the existing product supply at the national and international level. That gives a quick overview of; the evolution, market trends at that precise moment and of the future for each particular sector…… But in this case it is very difficult to predict the evolution of the housing market but also the new skills that the job market will demand in the future (either by the changes that new technologies have introduced, or the differences in advertising, or the easy access to foreign markets to both buyer and seller (globalization), or energy conservation and respect for the environment, etc. ..).

It ‘s obvious that the real estate business that will emerge after this crisis, must come with drastic changes, as we currently witness this transformation process. When the market reactivates, it should be more environmentally responsible … To point out; the information about the crisis have proved to be inaccurate as well as the forecasts about the behavior of the economy …. and recovery in Spain seems to me like a snail trail.

A conclusion for the future could be that the new market must be created by all of us all, bearing in mind a greater economic rationality.

Much has been said about the Expo, which closed its doors on October 31 2010, but there are always uncovered pictures and details that dazzle and we were not aware of. The central theme of the exhibition is “A Better City, A Better Life,” representing the common desire of all societies to have urban nucleus in accordance with modern life, welfare and sustainable development.

At this Expo, cities were able to directly participate, and for that reason, a space referred to as Best Urban Practices Area was created, where several cities around the world presented their experiences and proposals, as well as their point of view of a better model of urban development. Spain was represented by three cities: Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Bilbao.

Given the size and the number of participating countries, the Expo was considered the largest international exhibition to date, with the representation of 192 states and 50 international organizations.

The Chinese Pavilion aimed to show visitors the Chinese culture and its traditions. Its shape was inspired by the ancient Chinese imperial crowns, and the facade, with four columns and a central body in the form of a truncated pyramid, is covered with painted steel beams, twisted in accordance to the Dougong Technique. The ceiling has the shape of a Sudoku. The urban development in China from old times to present times was shown in the Pavilion.

The Expo Cultural Center, designed by the ECADI team of Chinese Architects, was one of the 5 buildings that would remain intact after the Expo disappeared. It looks like a flying saucer, which at night, becomes what appears to be a floating city.

The EXPO HUB, a 1km walk that acts as the access point of the streets and the river, is built with a plastic membrane supported by 50 masts and six funnel-shaped columns.

this picture is the interior of one of the pavilions. They delve into different aspects of urban development:

* The Thematic Pavilion: based on the architectural techniques Shikumen (typical of Shanghai), with two facades with an origami design.

* The Urbanian Pavilion: dedicated to people living in cities. Made by the Dutch architect Herman Kossmann and Mark Jong

* City Hall Being: shows the daily life in the cities, seen as living organisms.

* The Urban Planet Pavilion: represents the process of urbanization at a global level and its interaction with the environment and the countryside.

* The Urban Footprints Pavilion: its purpose was to cover the development of cities from ancient times to current times.

Last week we were in the real estate fair Natal (Brazil), IX Salão Imobiliário DO RN, held in the Natal Convention Center, from 10 to 14 March 2010.

The sensations that caused us Natal just when we arrived in the city, is that it’s in urban development, where currently are construction a large number of apartment buildings, condominiums and other real estate developments, both to the consumption of Brazilian emerging middle class to foreign investors who see Brazil as a rising economy and potential return on investment within a short period.

Natal is the capital of Rio Grande do Norte in northeastern Brazil. Those who live here can enjoy over 400km of magnificent beaches, many of which are protected by reefs and natural pools, interspersed with rivers, freshwater lakes, sand dunes and cliffs of colors. Natal is very clear, cheerful and sunny.

In the real estate fair, we could see ourselves that Brazil is in a great economic growth. Building contractors, property developers and real estate companies were present to offer visitors the many real estate developments for sale in Natal city, as in the rest of the state Rio Grande do Norte.

All these real estate developments will be announced very soon in the New Homes Real Estate Portal.

About 10,000 homes, both new construction and second-hand, will be presented at the ninth edition of the Real Estate Fair in Natal (Brazil): IX Salão Imobiliário DO RN.

This fair will be held from 10 to 14 March 2010 at the Convention Center, in the area of Ponta Negra.

The public interested in buying their own homes or as investment property, will find more than 250 companies.

As indicated Ocimar Damasio, chief operating officer of the Communication and event organizer, this real estate fair is the second largest in Brazil in terms of turnover, after the real estate fair in São Paulo. Is expected to visit the show over 30,000 people during the five days it lasts. In addition, this year has increased the number of stands, even attracting companies from other countries.

During the exhibition, visitors will be informed of more than 200 real estate developments, for all tastes, from flats and apartments to houses and condominiums, even within the state.

During the week of 10 to 14 March, 14h-22h, visitors will find a complete environment with air conditioning, restaurant, wireless Internet and auditorium.

See you there!