Second home owners flock to Spain for Christmas

Owners of Spanish holiday flats are likely to travel there for the Christmas holidays, according to experts.The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) stated that Spain was one of the most popular tourist destinations during the festive season, mainly because many people owned property there.In addition, the good weather during the winter months was also said to be an attractive quality, especially in places such as the Canary Islands.Frances Tuke, a spokesperson for ABTA, said: "They're a year-round destination, with temperatures always in the 70s."She added that Costa del Sol was also a highly popular region, since it also offered a much better climate than the UK over Christmas.This follows recent research by Yorkshire Bank which found that 43 per cent of Britons were considering buying a place in the sun.Spain was found to be the most popular destination among prospective buyers, in particular the Costa Blanca and the Costa del Sol.

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Tourists 'flock to Catalonia'

Catalonia has benefited from a massive influx of tourists since the introduction of cheap flights to the region, an airline has said.
Budget carrier Ryanair stated that since it began offering services to Spain in 2002, it has transported almost 13 million people to Girona and Reus.
The firm added that since it provided transport at a relatively low cost, tourists were able to save a collective total of more than €1 billion.
Michael O'Leary, chief executive of Ryanair, stated that Catalonia had benefited as a result since tourists had more money to spend while on holiday in the area.
He also said that new flights to the region would be announced soon, potentially boosting tourism and overseas property investment in the region.
Mr O'Leary commented: "At the end of this month, we look forward to bringing even more of Ryanair's guaranteed lowest fares to Catalan passengers, when we launch 14 new routes from Girona."
The introduction of new flights is likely to lead to extra interest in the region among foreign flats & houses buyers.
Earlier this month, the Telegraph recommended that overseas property investors look at airline routes to identify potential growth markets.

Take it easy mates! Keep going!

European markets 'appeal to Russian buyers'

Russian property investors are continuing to purchase property in other European countries, a media report has said.
According to Russia Profile, many overseas buyers are choosing flats & houses to enter the Spanish property market, while Cyprus has also proved to be a popular choice.
The news provider attributed their popularity to several factors, such as the good infrastructure in these countries, as well as the safety and quality of the property itself.
In addition, the markets were praised for offering affordable house prices, meaning that many considered a foreign purchase better value for money than an investment in Russia.
The news portal added that these countries were popular with different groups of people, including both middle-class buyers and "super-wealthy" Russians.
According to a recent study by Yorkshire Bank, many prospective buyers want to enter the Spanish property market in order to enjoy its warm weather.

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Interest rates, and growth, on hold

The direction of the economy will become clearer this week, as the size of the national slowdown is quantified and interest rates are left on hold.
The Reserve Bank meeting tomorrow is likely to be a short-lived affair, with the futures market pricing the chance of a move higher in official interest rates at less than 5%.
The prospect has emerged that the RBA's tightening cycle has ended, after 12 rises in six years and evidence the economy has hit a speed bump.
The economic data is pointing clearly at the moment to a marked slowdown of the economy being under way. It's a question, however, as to whether the cooling of the economy has gone too far.
The gross domestic product numbers for the first quarter, published on Wednesday, will show just a mild expansion of economic growth although there is some thinking among economists that a contraction could have occurred.
The majority of market economists are likely to adjust their calls today after retail sales and inventory numbers are released.

Flats 4 Midgets wish you luck!

Australia: Homes sacrificed for city's future

Politicians expressed sympathy for northside residents facing resumptions as the State Government rolls out the large Airport Link and Northern Busway projects through Kedron and Windsor.
Premier Anna Bligh said she understood the distress faced by extra residents waking up yesterday morning to find they would lose their homes.
"It is very difficult when we are putting in place major pieces of infrastructure," Ms Bligh said.
"I have complete sympathy with those people who will be losing their homes as a result of this project," she said.
"I ask them to understand the challenge that government faces as we make sure that we have the roads we need for the future."
She defended the information being given to residents yesterday morning.
"It is just not possible in a city like Brisbane to build what we need without having some effect on people's houses and flats," Ms Bligh said.
"Where that happens we will treat people fairly."
Lord Mayor Campbell Newman said he understood the difficulties faced by residents.
"What I understand is - and I can only go on what I have been briefed on - that there will be some widening of Stafford Road for a block from Gympie Road, west towards Stafford City," Cr Newman said.

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Spain offers stress-free move

Spain is one of the least stressful countries to move to, according to research from the currency company HiFX.
South Africa meanwhile, is the most stressful country to make the change to, closely followed by the US and Australia.
Moving abroad isn't just about moving your belongings and pursuing a new lifestyle.
Decamping to a different country means getting to grips with a whole new way of living - from the language you'll be speaking, to the money you'll be spending. And we live in flats, not in houses like you, Brits.
Lack of understanding about how crucial systems like tax and law work in a foreign country could lead to problems for an emigre.
Each year more than 385,000 people emigrate from the UK.
There are approximately 761,000 Brits currently living in Spain according to the Institute for Public Policy Research.

Cheers & take care!

i-Phone, hitting the Indian market

The eagerly awaited Apple iPhone has finally hit the Indian market. But there are a number of challenges that it may face in the market. Not just Apple, but its Indian Retail partners—Bharti Airtel and Vodafone—will have to play their roles to perfection for their customers to enjoy the iPhone. India is amongst the few markets where the partner telcos are spending huge sums training thousands of their employees to activate the iPhone. This because, unlike their western counterparts, Indian customers cannot be expected to activate the phone online. Low internet and PC penetration is a roadblock here and even amongst those in metros and large cities who own PCs, only a small minority has Apple’s iTunes on their systems. The other catch is slow internet speeds which can frustrate users attempting to download the iTunes.
“We have trained over 3,000 employees across 41 locations and 400 stores in the top 45 cities to help activate the iPhone. We have also trained a large number of our call centre executives who will help our customers activate the iPhone,” explains Bharti Airtel president for mobility Sanjay Kapoor. Mr Kapoor added that it would take customers about five minutes to activate the iPhone at Bharti’s retail outlets. Ditto to Vodafone, which has gone a step further and even given appointments at its retail outlets to its customers who have booked the iPhone to help them activate and use the device.

Buying a phone, worst than buying flats... Cheers!