The FIPEZAP index is the main indicator of the Brazilian real estate market and it looks at the property market across 16 regions of the country.
In June the average price per square metre was R$ 6.824 (US$ 3.045,07) with Rio de Janeiro commanding the highest prices.
In the state of Rio de Janeiro, real estate prices increased by 1.4% in June, higher than the expected official inflation rate, and in Sao Paulo there was an increase of 1.1% in prices.
According to Luke Smith, managing director of Crystal Investment and Real Estate Brazil is one of the fastest growing economies in the world and is South America's property hotspot. Investors are attracted by low living costs and the lifestyle.
‘Brazil real estate is very attractive for a number of reasons. The primary one is the low cost of financing, or at least low by Brazilian standards. Mortgage rates are at least 1.3% a month, and loan payments are generally for just 15 years,’ he said.
‘Brazilians used to buy their homes in cash, but not today. Instead, they are financing purchases with deposits and mortgages. Since 2009, when Brazilians starting buying homes on debt, mortgage lending has risen five fold, by 550% between then and 2012,’ he explained.
‘However, Brazilian real estate is not in a bubble. Its banks do not trade in risky mortgage backed securities. What’s more, deposits are actually required, unlike in the US where subprime clients were able to get into a house with little or no deposit, leading to a foreclosure crisis,’ he added.
He pointed out that Brazil can offer some excellent real estate opportunities for investors, providing returns of up to 30% ROI per annum based on capital appreciation. ‘We have some land plots available in Monte Alegre Beach Resort, Gostosom, an area which boasts some of the best beaches in Brazil. In fact the tourism board in Brazil uses some of these breath taking beaches to advertise the country as a tourist destination in London’s black cabs, Lisbon airport and other locations around the world,’ said Smith.
‘Worldwide, Gostoso is known as one of the best destination for water sports such as kite surfing and windsurfing. In fact, so much so that the triple world champion Kauli Seadi and his family moved to Gostoso and opened a windsurfing school and pousada. Although Gostoso is still a relatively young town in comparison to other holiday destinations, it is easy to understand why it is becoming increasingly popular with both Brazilians and foreigners alike,’ he explained.
‘Monte Alegre Beach Resort is an investment that truly makes business sense. The resort has been divided up into three sets of plots and prices start from £17,295,’ he added.
The firm’s advice for investing in real estate in Brazil includes concentrating on the higher appreciation areas of the north east of Brazil, making sure all due diligence is completed when buying land or off plan, checking price comparisons of other developments in the same area, making sure that any contacts are fluent in English and checking that a developer has a proven track record.