This is rare, but it has happened this week on the property forums. A thread about Tunisia on the totallyproperty.com forum is positively crackly. It also has some lovely photographs.
Prices are very affordable, rental yields of 14% before fees are being quoted, the country has six international airports with regular flights, tourism is rising and it is no wonder that agents posting point out; 'there is a lot of excitement about Tunisia.
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With one bedroom apartments starting at €24,999 it is obvious why there is a lot of interest. The thread also shows that it is the French who have led the way when it comes to Tunisia. Not only have they been holidaying in their former colony for years but they have been investing in property too.
Madhia is being described as the 'Monte Carlo' of Tunisia but those who have visited the resort point out that it has a long way to go with that particular aspiration.
El Kantaoui and Hammamet, the two best known resorts in Tunisia, are also the most modern and thriving with tourists. There are also golf and spa resorts currently being developed.
Sidi Bou, just 20 minutes from Carthage, is earning itself as a reputation as being a chic, fashionable resort where rich Tunisians, French expats and the president spent their holidays.
The downside to investing in Tunisia is that foreign investors cannot get mortgages but the forum reports that this could change soon according to those based in the country.
Further west Morocco is a similar emerging market which has created a buzz but has a more advanced property industry. A number of new developments are highly praised on the Channel 4 property forum this week.
The beaches are describes as 'lovely' the sea as 'inviting' and the government's 2010 vision is giving property investors a lot of confidence. Some popular developments have already sold out but it is reported that six new ones are going to be announced soon.
If buying off plan in a foreign country it can, of course, be stressful wondering how the building work is going and if it is on time. Some developers and agents put pictures of work in progress on their websites and more of this would be popular, according to those who contribute to the property forums.
They say that pictures can speak a thousand words and that is certainly the case for the calabriahomes.com forum. This part of Italy is yet another location where there is a lot of interest and excitement and this forum is active and informative.
Pictures of the popular Jewel of the Sea development show work in progress. But they also, perhaps, indicate a less obvious story. As one poster points out – the pictures taken in July show work done but not a lot of activity going on. In Italy, in common with many other Southern European countries large companies tend to shut down for most of August, but investors in this development seem disappointed there was so little activity in July.
'Distinct lack of builders in the photos. Hope they're pulling their fingers out before they close for August,' wrote forum member Mr. Ploppy. The reply is perhaps a familiar one – builders, of course, work to their own timetable, which means working for a few days, disappearing for a few days etc, etc. Nothing seems to change whatever country you are in.
The good news for investors in this development is that the photographs were taken on a Sunday and that was why there were no builders around. They were back on the Monday 'beavering' away and getting fed up with investors arriving to take their photos!
So it just goes to show that a photograph can 'lie'. But being less than forthcoming is not pleasing the investors on this site. They want to know when the promised 18 hole golf course is going to be ready.
For some property investors there are more serious issues to deal with like political uncertainty and upheaval. With the Russian 'invasion' of Georgia still very much in the news, the issue of what this means for investment in central European countries, especially those next to or very close to Russia, is raised on the forums.
It is clear from a thread on the propertysecrets.net forum that a number of issues are exercising members. Poland has been a popular location but it suddenly in the news for all the wrong reasons, most notably the recent threats from Russia when Poland agreed to the siting of US global anti-missile shields.
Then there is Slovakia and the Czech Republic, the Baltic states and even Turkey where political tension is not unknown. No one is rushing out to sell their investments. But it is a timely reminder that you never really know what the Russian bear is going to get up to next.