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Despite its five thousand year history, US allied Bahrain is an ‘emerging’ nation and has been in a significant state of transition since the current king and former amir of Bahrain Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa came to power in 1999 and it’s critical that any investor examining the property market prospects in Bahrain for profit potential in 2007 and beyond understands the nature of the development of the country before they consider committing to it.

While the current period of transition now means that Bahrain has become one of the most prosperous and attractive nations in the Gulf region in which to live, work, invest and prosper, it’s rapidly expanding economy and significant political changes have created an underlying feeling of destabilisation among certain factions of the local population.

While generally speaking Bahrain’s property market prospects for 2007 are very positive indeed and this article covers the positive prospects for the market, it also details the underlying problems that could undermine the short term attractiveness of the country’s real estate sector so that investors can make as informed a decision as possible about market entry and investment commitment.

Since the current king of Bahrain came to power his nation has made incredible progress…on the political front Bahrain is now allied with the likes of the USA and UK, it has a free trade agreement in place with America, it has open elections and in 2006 the first ever female parliamentarian in any Arab Gulf country was elected into office in Bahrain. On the economic front the king of Bahrain has been key to the transition of his nation away from its economic dependence on oil and going forward into 2007 and beyond, Bahrain has a strong economy with very positive annual GDP growth rates.

All of these factors have indirectly started a property market revolution which is largely fuelled by international citizens moving in greater numbers to Bahrain to live and work. The reason for this is that Bahrain is located in an important strategic position in the Gulf and has taken it upon itself to be the nation offering least resistance to multinational businesses requiring a physical presence in the region. As a result of attractive legislation, transparent business practices and a low/no tax policy, Bahrain has succeeded in attracting large numbers of international and multinational corporations to its shores who each require a base in the Gulf region and who each recruit large numbers of international expatriates who are now moving to live in Bahrain.

This resultant strong inward migration of professional expatriates demanding housing saw Bahrain being one of the first of the Gulf nations to grant freehold real estate ownership rights to foreigners. This has meant that now international citizens and investors are buying up swathes of real estate as it comes to the market and forcing up property prices out of reach of the local population. In addition to this situation, supply of property especially in the main commercial areas is in limited supply which has also resulted in a frenzied rental market too which further excludes many local citizens – clearly all of this activity has created a feeling of frustration among local Bahraini citizens and it is this frustration that is causing an undercurrent of disaffection.

There is another factor affecting the housing market in Bahrain as well – as Bahrain is joined by a 25 km causeway to neighbouring Saudi Arabia and yet is a far more liberalised and tolerant country, Westerners working in Saudi are also choosing to live in Bahrain and to commute across the King Fahd Causeway rather than live directly in Saudi Arabia. On the one hand all of these factors mean that there is strong and increasing demand for commercial and residential property for sale and rent in Bahrain among an increasingly affluent international community – this means that in 2007 and beyond there will be a perfect environment in Bahrain for property investors to exploit.

On the other hand however there is mounting tension among those local people who cannot continue to afford the rising real estate prices. While this tension goes largely ignored some are starting to say that Bahrain has moved too fast in developing new areas of its economy and in allowing multinational companies to set up operations in the country. These multinationals have been accused of largely employing expatriate staff in a country where, especially among the Bahraini youth, there are significant unemployment issues and also minimum wage issues.

So, while international demand for property in Bahrain is strong and increasing and unlikely to subside in 2007 which means investors have a hot market to target, increasing land and construction costs and a growing division between local affordability and real estate prices is creating a very real environment of disquiet that should not go overlooked by an investor determining whether the risks of market entry outweigh the prospects for property market profit.

There are many places throughout the UK, where property is available to buy. Finding a location that suits you is another matter altogether!

Having been working in the property industry for many years, I have been privy to the viewing of many property locations and have thus decided to bring together a list of five of the locations that I feel offer the most for me. Each location is different and has differing qualities, hopefully providing you an insight into some of the better places to live.

Where should I buy my house or flat if I am looking for the nightlife and what to live in the south country?

A great place to buy is a small town called Hertford. I am starting with Hertford, not only because I know of it well, but also because it offers the history, nightlife and the prices to pray for!

Hertford is an extremely picturesque town, with the famous River Lea that running through it. It is home to a historic castle. Established following the Norman conquest, the castle in Hertford was home to royalty and it was this that partly fueled the town’s road to prosperity.

Hertford had its own corn mill and was helped with the River Lea cut-through in the 18th Century, but it wasn’t until the late 19th Century that the town started expanding outwards, mainly due to the new railway line that was introduced.

The town now has a good collection of bars, restaurants and shops and is an ideal location for anyone who enjoys both the nightlife and the quiet life!

Where should I purchase my property if I am looking for a quiet place, but need a good choice of jobs?

Jobs normally reside in locations close to cities or in cities themselves. I love London and being a southerner, I am going to discuss London here!

London is rife with jobs, the choice is sky high and the money is magic!

There are quite a number of places where people, especially those looking for the quieter experience to purchase. Watford and Bushy are reasonably quiet, they both offer good routes into London and there are many properties to choose from.

Watford is home to Watford football club and naturally attracts supporters of the club. Standing on a low hill near the River Colne, Watford was originally an agricultural community and has thus prospered since early times.

Offering many differing property styles, Watford also has a great shopping center, the Harlequin center often sees many repeat visitors.

The last location on the left!

Well actually the last location I will be discussing in this article, could be on the left or the right, obviously depending on the direction you are facing – sorry, for my humorous burst!

Kent is a fantastic place to live, visit and research. Kent is home to Canterbury Cathedral and the University of Kent. The county is full of rural and city-styled locations, catering for an eclectic range of tastes.

It is within driving distance of London and as a bonus, it is extremely close to the M25, which provides great access to many places, not just London.

The prices are hot, as is the weather and the people in Kent tend to be of good character – I would truly recommend Kent as a good quality location to purchase a property.

The property exhibitions in India are unique concept in real estate industry. They are the common platforms where the traders, property dealers, buyers and sellers meet. Such exhibitions highly boost the real estate trade. The purchasers also receive expert opinions from architects, interior designers, vaastu & feng shui experts and even professional advice on selection of property. Let us take a note of some of the popular property exhibition in India.

Upcoming Popular Property Exhibitions in India (2010)

Times Property Expo (02-JUL-10 to 04-JUL-10) – The exhibition will be held at Taj Lands End, Mumbai. The Expo will showcase exhibitor profile including state-of-the-art business centres, multiplexes, sites of clubs, banks, entertainment centres, food courts, financial centres, residential projects and commercial projects.

Times Property Expo (02-JUL-10 to 04-JUL-10) – The exhibition will be held at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, Delhi. The Expo would be promoted by media giant.

Budget Home (16-JUL-10 to 18-JUL-10) – It is exclusively for the budget home sector. The objective of the show is to exhibit array of homes that are well within the reach of middle income group. The Budget Home show would be held first time in Chennai and would have stalls of promoters, builders, architects, home finance companies, architects, interior designers and home accessories.

Times Property Expo (23-JUL-10 to 25-JUL-10) – The exhibition would be held at Tip Top Plaza Thane. It would be the one stop show where property developments and investment opportunities are displayed under one roof.

China Sourcing Fair (08-SEP-10 to 10-SEP-10)- The exhibition would be held at Bombay Exhibition Centre(BEC), Mumbai, Maharashtra. The show would be highly lucrative for those who are looking for quality products of international standard and OEM partners from some of China’s most competitive suppliers.

Real Estate World India (24-SEP-10 to 25-SEP-10)- The exhibition would be held at TBA, Mumbai. It is considered to be the biggest platform for real estate industry, business development and networking. The exhibition would also include an award ceremony for India’s most innovative projects and path breaking initiatives.

Contru India (27-OCT-10 to 30-OCT-10 ) – The Contru India will be held at MMRDA Exhibition Center, Mumbai. The show has been especially designed to introduce new technologies to the real estate industry. The Contru India focusses on six major segments, Urban Infrastructure and Transportation, Green and Intelligent building, construction engineering & design, sourcing building materials and such.

That’s not all. There are many more property exhibitions in India. The exhibitions are to be held in various cities across India.

The property exhibitions in India are unique concept in real estate industry. They are the common platforms where the traders, property dealers, buyers and sellers meet. Such exhibitions highly boost the real estate trade. The purchasers also receive expert opinions from architects, interior designers, vaastu & feng shui experts and even professional advice on selection of property. Let us take a note of some of the popular property exhibition in India.

Property tax is assessed against residential and commercial real estate according to each state’s tax assessment policies. Property taxes are used to pay for needs within county communities such as law enforcement and firefighter salaries, improvements to existing schools, building of new schools, and road and infrastructure repairs.

Property tax is calculated by multiplying the assessed property value times the state tax rate. For example, if the state tax rate is 5-percent and appraised property value is $100,000, the annual tax rate would be $5,000.

Property taxes are paid on an annual basis, but most states allow homeowners to pay in two installments. Using the calculation above, property owners would pay $2500 per installment. Homeowners would need to set aside $416.66 per month to cover their tax bill. This amount is in addition to their monthly home loan payment.

Mortgage lenders often include estimated taxes in the mortgage loan and funds are placed in an escrow account. Lenders hold escrowed funds until tax installments are due and submit payments to the county tax collector on behalf of homeowners. If banks do not withhold sufficient funds, homeowners are responsible for any deficiency amount.

If mortgage providers do not include property taxes in the home loan borrowers must pay taxes directly to their tax collection office. When homeowners fail to pay assessed property tax, mortgage providers may consider the loan to be in default and can initiate foreclosure proceedings. The real estate can be sold to pay tax debts.

Property tax bills are usually divided into three categories including: school districts, county and municipality. Approximately 60- to 70-percent of property taxes are allocated to schools to cover education costs. The remaining 30- to 40-percent are distributed amongst county and local government agencies.

Tax rates remain unchanged unless increases are passed through government legislation. Property tax assessments are subjective and often vary from year to year. Multiple factors are involved when assessing real estate values.

Real estate appraisers can assess property values on comparative sales reports of other properties in the area which have sold within the previous six months. Other factors may include the historical value of the real estate or potential value if the property is used to generate income through house flipping, rental, lease-to-own, or seller carry back trust deeds.

Property owners have the right to contest tax assessment if they feel they are being overcharged. Government agencies and tax assessors do make mistakes, so it is important for homeowners to check each valuation statement for accuracy. Things to look for include: correct address, lot size, number of rooms, and square footage.

Contesting tax assessments requires time and patience. In most cases, homeowners must schedule an appointment with a property tax representative. Homeowners should always retain previous years’ tax bills in order to compare previously reported information. If mistakes are discovered, adjustments are reflected in future tax bills as opposed to providing refund checks.

Property owners should take time to determine if they qualify for any tax exemptions. The most common is the Homestead exemption which allows taxpayers to deduct exemptions for real estate used as a primary residence.

Homestead exemptions are usually a fixed amount. Florida provides a $25,000 exemption, while Louisiana exempts the first $75,000 and California exempts the first $7,000. As you can see, homestead exemptions can vary greatly by state.

Mortgage lenders can provide estimated property taxes and exemptions when borrowers obtain a new home loan or enter into mortgage refinancing. Prior to filing annual tax returns, property owners should consult with a qualified tax accountant to ensure they receive all available tax deductions.