In an ironic twist, it seems the massive collapse of so many pensions as we slid into recession has actually made alternative investments like agricultural land investments in Argentina and such places more popular. This is according to recent statements from international investment consultancy Property Frontiers. In a recent news article director of the firm David Cox was quoted as saying:

"Investment in agriculture is a fairly new form of investment, but it is perfect for today's investor. With doubts over what kind of pension we will get; never before have there been so many average people out there looking for a form of investment that will give them a secure financial future. The proposition for agricultural investment is simple; demand for food is continuing to rise as populations grow, yet, with ocean's rising and country's urbanising, we aren't producing any more land."

Cox went onto explain a little about the product they are currently marketing, in Argentina, based on a common agricultural land investment model.

"The package we are currently putting our weight behind offers contractual earnings. Basically, the minimum investment is £12,000 and the investors choose whether to invest over 5 years for a 66% return, or over 10 years for a 160%. There is no doubt over the success of the crop, because the payout is locked in the initial contract," he said

Many believe that so many people are putting together their own pensions, using the Self Invested Pension Plan, because they can pick and choose when and how to invest, when to get out, and if their investment doesn't go exactly according to plan, then their money will not be going towards expensive offices and staff wages.

Within this, agricultural land investments are among the most popular, because they are a commonly accepted addition to SIPPs. As well as being a prerequisite in many cases for obvious reasons, this also makes an investment more popular because it acts as a kind of government seal of approval. Let's face it, the government has had enough pensions blowing up in its face.

Cox said it best: "We all want a secure financial future, and the SIPP is a great way of ensuring that. There are many great property investments out there, some of them can even be put in a SIPP, but very few, if any of them make it as easy to understand where your returns come from as farmland investing."

Dubai property could see a double dip in prices and will remain under pressure until at least 2012/13, Fitch has warned. The ratings agency also said that Dubai real estate companies may face significant refinancing risks when their debts mature in 2011/12. Bashar Al Natoor, director of Fitch's EMEA Corporates team in Dubai said:

"Despite signs that conditions may be stabilising, as well as a recent round of debt restructurings and extensions, Fitch believes that the credit outlook for the sector remains negative."

This goes against the reports and predictions of many analysts that have said Dubai property prices cannot fall any further now that the initial shockwave has been absorbed. These reports are based on recent price indices coming up flat and some even showing moderate growth.

For instance Colliers recently said that because prices were now at 2007 levels, that the market had likely reached underlying value. This was to be expected in a report showing their third consecutive quarterly price growth of 4% in their Q1 index, which also put prices up by 2% on the previous year.

The latest partially positive index is from Asteco, which said that prices were flat in the second quarter compared to the first. However, Asteco also said that rents were down, with an 8% quarterly decline on apartment rents, and a 4% decline on villa rents. The continued decline in rents could easily lead to the second dip predicted by Fitch.

A glimmer of hope come from the tourism industry though: according to Major General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, director of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs, just over 7.17 million tourists entered the UAE through Dubai entry points in the first half of this year, which is an increase of just under 1 million compared to the same period last year. This could be good news for the property market according to international property investment consultancy Property Frontiers.

"Apart from the indirect benefit of increasing revenues into the economy, the property market could also benefit directly from increasing tourism, if it is properly taken advantage of," said David Cox, the firm's director.

"Before prices started growing at rapid rates and people started buying to flip and profit, people bought Dubai property because it has low living costs, great beaches and a year-round warm climate. Therefore if agents and developers can work hard to promote property on that basis then maybe it could help the market. This will not be a quick process, but if the Dubai real estate industry can get back to its roots and stick to them it will be a better market over the long-term," he explained.

To talk about Brazil investment property is a bit of a misnomer at the moment, because practically every property in Brazil has investment potential. However, arguably what is being referred to when discussing Brazil investment property is affordable housing developments in the largest and fastest growing Brazilian cities. Also arguably, in most cases this tends to be cities outside the capital Rio de Janeiro, where prices are much lower, rental demand the same or greater and therefore yields higher.

One such city is Natal, in fact along with Sao Paulo it is home to some of the best and most potentially lucrative investments in Brazil, which -- because Brazil is regularly recommended as one of the best investment markets in the world today -- indirectly means the world.

According to David Cox, director of international property investment consultancy Property Frontiers, residential property prices in Natal could have grown by up to 22% in the first four months of this year alone.

In a recent article, after explaining the massive growth the Brazil economy is currently experiencing, Cox was quoted as saying:

"Needless to say, the affluence of the Brazilian population is growing at a rapid rate. Thus, the demand for housing to buy and rent is growing at a rapid rate. The north-east is leading this growth; according to a recent report by Sao Paulo research agency Property Studies, (AKA Embraesp), property prices in Sao Paulo rose 22% in the first four months of this year.

"Natal is also growing rapidly, and so is the demand for property. Potentially, Natal property prices have grown by the same amount as Sao Paulo or maybe even more."

Affordable housing in Brazil is definitely one of the hottest investments in the world in terms of potential, recommendations and predictions -- on a par with affordable housing in China, but easier for foreigners to invest in, because foreigners cannot buy property in China. Unfortunately easy is a bit too strong, because the biggest problem for foreigners interested in buying Brazil investment property is the lack of availability.

Though the situation is improving, it is still very difficult for foreigners to find affordable housing for sale in Brazil. Like pretty much everywhere, international agents have tended to focus on luxury properties and especially on off plan properties, because these are built by developers for the foreign market, and it is easy for agents to connect with them.

The reason why Property Frontiers was quoted above, is that they were the only company I could find that had a long-standing reputation and availability of affordable housing Brazil investment property. The firm is currently marketing the Edificio Dr. Geraldo Furtado development, offering new 2 bedroom new apartments in Natal from £57,000.

Istanbul property investment could well be one of the great missed opportunities of our age. As a city Istanbul has as much going for it as Shanghai (arguably more in some respects), Rio de Janeiro, or Mumbai, and the same going for it as a property investment destination as well. Yet, aside from commercial property investment, investment in Istanbul property is barely ever heard of in mainstream channels.

Although it is commonly mistaken as such, Istanbul is not the capital of Turkey; rather it is the cultural, economic and financial centre of the country. A country that is vast and geographically unique; stretching and connecting Asia, Europe and the Middle East. This means that Turkey is home to many different cultures; cultures unchanged for generations, mixtures of several cultures, and cultures adapted to meet the requiems of modern society. Istanbul is a microcosm of these cultures, and as a result is very exciting place to live.

Needless to say Istanbul has plenty of variety when it comes to dining out, and shops where you can buy whatever your heart desires -- within reason --, including many shops familiar to all of us. It also has a rich history, with many internationally recognised landmarks and attractions to marvel.

Istanbul has not one but two international airports, which are serviced regularly by flights from almost every destination in the world, including most British airports. What's more the airports' coverage grows almost by the week.

Last but not least many great beaches are easily accessible from Istanbul. The city is on the Bosphorus strait, but beaches to the Black Sea, the Aegean Sea and the Sea of Marmara are all within a day-trips distance.

In short: Istanbul has everything a location needs to make for successful holiday property investments. While the massive population, population growth and potential for rising affluence, make residential potentially very lucrative in Istanbul property investment, holiday home investment is what foreigners tend to go for, according to international property investment consultancy Property Frontiers.

"Turkey is a hot favourite for holiday home investments at the moment, because property is cheap and the cost of living is low. People are getting a holiday home they can enjoy and that will see rental demand grow as the tourism industry continues to mature. Within that Istanbul is a favourite, because the city has practically everything one looks for in a holiday destination," said director of the firm David Cox.

You know you are in a downturn when people start talking about below market value properties. Do you think no one sold their property at a discount because they could no longer pay the mortgage before the downturn? Of course they did; up and down the country hundreds of properties were bought and sold for less than their market value, it just that they weren't grouped together and named.

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.

The story of now is the increasing numbers of below market value properties this will create. 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.

We all know (well, those of us immersed in overseas property anyway) that Caribbean property has been seeing among the strongest recoveries in foreign demand in the world since the middle of last year.

What we also know is that the main course of this increased demand has been from wealthy buyers and for high end property. However, this is starting to change now, with reports of increasing sales and prices in lower-end markets like the Dominican Republic.

This dominance of the wealthy, and their favouring high end property is thought to have been because the wealthy were the least affected by the downturn, and started buying as soon as the risk-that they would be died with the first signs of economic recovery. The Caribbean is thought to have become a favourite in this, because they wanted to treat themselves to a slice of paradise after all the misery.

It is also thought that the wealthy began buying prime property around the world to put their money into tangible assets at a time when cash was at risk of massive devaluation. High end property became the popular choice for this when the price of gold went off the charts. In this the Caribbean was also a favourite because it was largely insulated from the international volatility.

Whatever the reason, high end markets in the Caribbean began seeing a massive increase in sales to foreigners since April last year. Meanwhile low-end Caribbean property markets struggled as they did all around the world -- well, where foreign demand is relied upon for growth that is.

Well, this is all starting to change. In the last few months, several property portals, including Rightmove Overseas, and Primelocation have reported a resurgence in searches for low-budget destinations like Bulgaria and Cyprus. Most recently there have been reports of price growth and increased demand in the Dominican Republic, which is home to the lowest property prices in the Caribbean.

According to international property investment consultancy Property Frontiers, the Dominican Republic is not the only Caribbean property market that will benefit from an increase in lower-budget buyers.

"We have seen demand increase for prime property in the Caribbean, and now reports of increasing demand for low-end property. We have also now started to see an increase in demand for mid-budget property of 200-400k. Grenada property will benefit from this as the year progresses," said director David Cox.

The firm is currently marketing an award-winning development, offering studio cottages in Grenada from £333k.

According to international property investment consultancy Property Frontiers, prices of Lourinha property, in Lisbon on the Silver Coast of Portugal have now stabilised and will see growth of 5% or more in the next 12 to 18 months.

In the present market it is either very difficult or very easy to say such things about property markets.
That is because the world has just seen one of the worst economic events ever recorded and this understandably had a massive impact on property markets the world over -- added to by the fact that it emerged from sub-prime lending into the American property market. So, markets fell by differing amounts depending on a number of factors, some by almost 50%, some by less than 5%, but over the last 18months few have avoided falling at all.

Now that the international economy is recovering, most markets have now fallen about all they are going to fall. That said: in the case of Portugal it is more likely than not that the market has stabilised, mostly because the market never destabilised. Portugal never really had a massive boom and so it never really had a massive bust either. In fact, according to the index of global estate agency Knight Frank, Portugal property prices fell by only about 5% during the entire downturn.

That said: prices in some of the areas most reliant on foreign buyers have seen developers discounting properties by up to 25%. Lourinha is one such area, and now that low budget buyers are returning to the market, sales are recovering rapidly at that price level. Thus, the Lourinha property market has stabilised, because developers will not need to discount their prices any further, and can now concentrate on sales growth and returning to a cycle of steady growth.

So there is little doubt about whether the market has stabilised, whether it will see 5% growth in the next 12 - 18 months is a different story. Again though, this is quite likely depending on how the developers play it:
Prices are currently at a 25% discount. If developers try to put that back on as it has been removed then a 5% growth may be difficult in that buyers may scurry to other markets where bargains are still more present. However, if the developers make the discounts the new price level and introduce growth from there, then a growth of 5% is a quite moderate prediction.

Florida property continues to experience a sales surge as foreign buyers snap up bargain short, distressed and repossessed sale properties. According to the latest data from the National Association of Realtors, Florida experienced the third biggest rise in sales in the US in the first quarter of this year, when sales were some 35% higher than last year.

It is hardly surprising given the trend that is currently emerging in overseas property markets around the world: foreign buyers will only buy discounted properties, as the feeling of buying at a reduced price, and of getting a bargain, becomes akin to the feeling a child enjoys whilst hugging his security blanket to fall asleep.

The financial crisis was a terrible shock to the system. We all found out -- or those who had forgot remembered with a jolt -- that property can lose its value as quickly, and in fact even faster than it can gain it. Though the fear is getting buried deeper and deeper, it is still there, and getting a discount alleviates the fear that the property could lose value soon after it is purchased.

Two things there is no shortage of in the Florida property market is discounts and bargains, so it stands to reason that it would be enjoying solid growth in sales. According to international property investment consultancy Property Frontiers, the level of competition in the market could even lead to the prices of foreclosure properties in Florida starting to increase. In a recent article director of the firm David Cox said:

"While it looks like the flow of foreclosure properties in Florida coming onto the market is far from slowing, anyone who does want to pick up a bargain Florida property for sale should get their finances ready, and start searching now. The market has really heated up this year, and there are literally thousands of active buyers and investors, private and institutional out there searching for their dream home in Florida. By the time the banks give their staff first refusal on the best properties, there is a lot of competition for the best ones to reach the market, and people need to act fast or miss out.

"What's more, foreclosure properties are not immune to market realities: while the banks and creditors are generally looking for a quick sale to cut their losses, the mass of buyers, and the potential for bidding wars can and is increasing the floor levels at which the foreclosed and repossessed properties are being sold at."

According to the latest set of data from Realty Trac, repossessions are starting to increase again in Florida. So it seems likely that foreign sales will continue to be strong for the foreseeable future.

Student property investment is benefiting from the increased due-diligence being carried out by even the most casual investor. According to experts and pundits no one is flying blind into any kind of property purchase after so many were burned as the financial crisis hit. This is a bad thing for any shoddy properties or dodgy dealers, but for solid investment products, like student properties in carefully chosen locations, it is most definitely a good thing.

In fact, in the same respect it is a good thing for the entire industry. During the boom property companies were springing up all over the place, and every property was an equally magnificent investment opportunity. A property investment would likely win on the strength of its marketing material rather than the strength of the investment fundamentals. This is no longer the case, private buyers, be they lifestyle buyers or investors are sorting the wheat from the chaff and making informed choices.

We are already seeing student property investment becoming one of the biggest benefactors of this change. International property investment consultancy Property Frontiers have just taken on their second student property investment opportunity in Liverpool, after the first sold out in near-record time.

Director of the firm, David Cox said of the move:

"We have just taken on our second student accommodation investment product in Liverpool, a: because of the success of the first, and b: because the model is so safe, and the returns so strong that it is hard to find any downside.

"Most students want to live off-campus with a bit of freedom, and it is that sector of the student accommodation market which is most under-supplied. What's more, because supply is growing much slower than demand, occupancy, which is currently running at 97% (100% minus the holidays) in the best locations, will remain strong."

According to those involved in student property investment from the other side of the fence (investors) there are two main types of student property investment; flats and houses around the areas surrounding the universities, and purpose built blocks.

Both the properties that Property Frontiers has marketed have fallen into the latter category and it is easy to see why. Both have been studio apartments, which give the student a nice place to live and their own place, while the blocks have things like communal computer rooms etc. So, they can have the privacy of their own place, but with the camaraderie of shared accommodation. Both have been located within a short trip of all three Liverpool universities.

The package attracts high levels of occupancy; according to Property Frontiers all apartments in the current development are booked up for the coming year, at yields of over 10%. The apartments or pods as they are known are priced at £40,000.

You simply can't miss Brazil property if you are reading about overseas property at the moment. Everything points to massive growth in the Brazil property market, in the short, mid and long term. This is making the country increasingly attractive to investors, at a time when it is also seeing increased demand from holiday home buyers as well. Here are 5 reasons why everyone is so hot for Brazil property.

1 - Capital Growth

Brazil is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. The population is growing increasingly affluent as wages increase. Property price growth is a natural result of economic growth and inflation. But increasing foreign investment in Brazil will likely push capital growth to well above the rate of inflation over the next 5-10 years.

2 - Rising Tourism

Tourism to Brazil is growing at an alarming rate, and has been doing so since the widespread use of low cost carriers opened up long-haul travel to the masses. Brazil tourism is growing so rapidly, that HomeAway has recently purchased a Brazilian rentals portal to allow it to better service the growing demand for Brazilian rental properties.

3 - Low Prices

Brazil property is currently available for a fraction of the cost of rivalling established destinations. This is especially true in the emerging regions in the north east of Brazil, most notably the city of Natal. As was covered in point 1, prices are set to grow rapidly and that is one definite reason to buy Brazil property now rather than later.

You can currently buy a luxury apartment, literally right in front of a 3000m stretch of private Natal beach at prices starting from just £138,000. This is in the world-class Natal Ocean Club development, currently being marketed by Property Frontiers.

4 - Rental Yields

The powerful combination laid out above of low prices and massively rising tourism give way to impressive rental yields on Brazilian property. Again, the north east of the country is particularly strong in the rental yields department, because it is seeing exceptionally fast tourism growth and has exceptionally low property prices.

5 - General Growth

We all know that the Brazilian economy is growing rapidly, but so is the country and its population, developing into a world-leader. The Brazilian government is working hard to develop the infrastructure, and those who invest now are certainly onto a winner.

The upcoming sporting events, namely the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016 are a big hint to the destination that Brazil is set to become.