English | русский                              Call Us Free UK: 0808 160 0670 IR: 1800 932 514

Daily Bulletin:

TV property expert predicts UK property market recovery | Banks under pressure to cut rates | Olympian plumps for Brazil | Annual property show will put spotlight on Russian market

Brazil’s New Millionaires

According to the latest wealth report by Merrill Lynch and Capgemini, the number of Brazilians worth more than US$1 million leapt up by more than 19% in 2007 to 143,000. What's more, the country's number of billionaires has grown almost five-fold during the same period.

According to a report by Thomson Reuters, this enormous increase in high net worth individuals in Brazil is largely thanks to a commodities and credit boom in the country which has lifted millions of Brazilians out of poverty, lessening the economic inequalities in the country. Brazil's stock market has tripled in 4 years and many of the new millionaires have made their money by cashing in on a wave of initial public companies. Last year, a total of 62 companies went public in Brazil, turning scores of investors into millionaires overnight. Investors are also latching on to Brazil's new found oil wealth. In June, the oil and gas company, OGX Petroleo e Gas Participacoes went public, attracting $4.1 billion as investors lined up to get a piece of the action.

Signs of wealth are everywhere in Brazil as the economy goes from strength to strength. The Financial Times recently reported on record profits during the last quarter for Italian car manufacturer Fiat. Its Chief Executive, Sergio Marchionne, hailed Brazil as the source of their record results, saying that, "most of this increase comes from Brazil where we had a phenomenal quarter." Along with record new car sales, there are a growing number of shopping malls, particularly in Sao Paulo, catering to the newly rich and private jet and helicopter sales are hitting new records.

Brazilians are also keen investors in the property market, particularly now that mortgages are available for Brazilian nationals. More accessible mortgages are increasing demand from domestic buyers, particularly those from Sao Paulo, who are buying holiday homes on Brazil's glorious north east coast, close to Natal.

« Back

Rental Market Booms in Brazil’s North East

The north east region of Brazil is not only seeing a remarkable boom in new housing, but it is also experiencing a large increase in the home rental market, according to an article printed in one of the region’s leading newspapers.

Locating the Property Hot Spots

Although many property markets are stagnating, there are some areas which still have great potential for investment.

No Sign of the Credit Crunch in São Paolo

This weekend the world’s leaders got together in Washington at the G20 summit in a global attempt to solve the so-called global credit crunch.

A New Way to Invest in Spanish Property

Spain is a well-established overseas destination to invest in property and a prime favourite with investors from the UK – the Foreign and Commonwealth Office estimates that around 1 million Britons own a property in Spain.

Bank of England’s Massive Rate Cut

It was generally agreed that it was only a matter of time before bank lending interest rates fell even further, but most financial analysts were caught off guard by the Bank of England’s massive cut in rates last week.

Romania’s Economy Continues to Grow

At a time when many European Union economies are moving towards recession, others, like Romania, are doing considerably better.

Macedonia Property Hitting Investors’ Radar

Rugged and strikingly beautiful, Macedonia has been slow to reach the radar of international property investors. However, there have been signals lately that this might be changing.

St Lucia: Cheaper than You Think

When many people think of the Caribbean, the word “expensive” often comes to mind. However, there are still some corners of the Caribbean that offer excellent value for the money and St. Lucia is one of them.

4 Times Olympic Gold Medallist, Chris Hoy, Teams Up With Obelisk To Launch Its Laguna Beach Project

Chris Hoy, Great Britain’s triple gold medal cyclist at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and in the 2004 Athens Games, will be joining the team of investors at award-winning Obelisk as they launch their latest project, Laguna Beach in Brazil

Malaysia Reviews Rules for Foreign Investment

In an attempt to protect the country’s lucrative property market, the government of Malaysia has agreed to review the rules governing foreign investment.