But in most regions the difference in property values is not enough to release the desired sum. The average price of a detached house is £290,208. A semi is £166,024, a terrace house is £150,307 and flats cost £159,292, according to Halifax. The average price of a bungalow is £192,373.

Unless you own a detached home – or live in wealthier areas of the South-East where the differentials are higher – trading down will not work.

Turkey is currently a non-euro zone nation but is blessed with a wonderful climate, very friendly welcoming people and an economy that is not doing too badly. You do well with your exchange rate as a tourist. The coastal areas of Marmaris and Antalya are developing well – five star hotels are springing up along the beach fronts – and units are still cheap to buy. I would buy an apartment in Antalya having spent two weeks there back in 2006. I loved it and could just myself sitting on my balcony watching the sea, my apartment decorated in true-Med style with stylish Murray Feiss lighting. Consider also Istanbul – the city which lies in both Europe and Asia. Investors predict Turkey – Istanbul in particular – will be one of the top five locations to buy investment property for 2010/2011. When you see how quickly resort developments are being snapped up you can see just how correct they are.

Working out which time is the best time to refinance your home mortgage is something which can take some effort and knowledge on your own part – but if you go to the trouble of educating yourself about market trends and refinance rates your research and homework could end up saving your thousands in interest over several years. So find yourself a calculator, get online and start your research…

There are many good sites which offer you the facility of a refinance calculator. Once you have found what the current home mortgage rates are verify them with the source of the information – usually a phonecall – and ensure that you are speaking with a mortgage officer. Compare your current mortgage rates with what is advertised – can you lower your rates by at least half a point…? if so then it may be time for you to consider a mortgage refinance.

If you can lower your rates by more than a point or two then it is definitely time for you to take action. If you are only a new home owner and intend to be in your home for less than five years then you would be best not to bother at this point – longer than that and it would pay you to consider home mortgage refinancing.

It has been said many times that in order to make money you have to spend money and with regards to real estate this is certainly true. With the recession the homebuyer has found it difficult to get a foot on the property ladder, and if you are already an occupier you will have been hesitant to make the move to a new property. The tax credits scheme will enable prospective homebuyers – and first home buyers – to take advantage of these lucrative tax credits on offer:

- If you are a first home buyer you can benefit from up to $8000 in tax credits. This offer also includes those who have not owned a home for the previous three years. The limit of the price for the new home purchased is $800,000.

- If you have lived in your current home for five of the eight past years you can benefit from up to $6,500 in tax credits. This is particularly useful in encouraging current home owners to ‘trade up’. The scheme has been expanded to include those in this category so take advantage of it.

- Due to restrictions there probably will be no more extensions on this scheme so with this in mind you will need to have a written, binding contract by April 30, 2010 and must close by June 30, 2010.

- There are income limits: $125,000 for singles and $225,000 for married couples with a $20,000 phase-out of the credit for both.

More information here which explains how important the 2010 Homebuyer Tax Credits scheme is in getting the home industry back on track:

What this guy is saying basically is that homebuyers are vital to the nation’s economy – first homebuyers and subsequent buyers all make a significant contribution to keeping the economy stable. We need folk to buy homes, we need folk to sell the homes – and the easier and less complicated it is made to achieve this the better.

I encourage you to visit the site and get informed about this scheme; even if you have only been considering buying your first home in 2010 you can still qualify but you need to get moving. Try starting the search for your next/new home while you there!

If you are a landowner you might already have been approached by companies to consider leasing some land for the construction of a tower or you might be needed to re-lease or you just may have some issues regarding the situation.

If you follow the above link you can contact Steel in the Air are consultants who specialise in this field and can assist you.

A friend of ours in the Outer Banks area of North Carolina in the US tells just about the same story; the vacation rental side of things is not doing too badly however the residental real estate side of things is more along the lines of ‘wait and see’.

Well many people have already done so and not regretted their decision - those who have moved to France that is. France is many things to many people but ask anyone who has sold up and set up home in France and you will find a common thread – the lifestyle, the lower cost of living and the family oriented way of life. Security. Safety. Lifestyle.

France is quite simply a family-friendly country. And if you are looking to get out of the rat race and offer your family a much higher standard of living – a much safer standard of living - then there is no better place to consider than France.

One of the best and most secure ways to combine family life and earning a good living in France is by buying a business where you only have to walk downstairs from your bedroom to get to your office. No sitting in traffic, no commuting – your clients come to you - you are your own boss !

The property pictured here represents your way to a new life altogether. It is a 12 room hotel/restaurant nestled right amongst the leafy vineyards of French Catalonia – if you want peace, security of living and a completely safe environment for you and your family to live in then this is certainly the place for you.  The hotel/restaurant will be your bread and butter – your home will be a large five bedroom family villa attached to the hotel. Like I said – no sitting in traffic or commuting to work.

Front View of property.

For the potential hotel-owner it enjoys high occupancy throughout the tourist season and is well represented on several high profile booking systems as well as being a very popular stopping point for tourists on the main route between Paris and Spain. Plenty of drive-by stopovers will also complement your income. But you dictate your working hours here – you can simply close the doors and have the place to yourself whenever you feel ‘enough is enough’. That is what life is all about here – just ask the local’s !’

Or maybe you have decided you have worked hard enough and just want a great place to live with the family; enjoy the local food and wine, this is Languedoc-Roussillion of course! Get involved with the close-knit and friendly local community and live the life your family deserve. This property can also be an ideal grand-size family residence. Bring the Grandparents with you where they will benefit from the healthy climate, warm summers, excellent healthcare providers and a culture where the senior generation are respected and highly valued.

The unique aspect of this region is that your have your ‘foot’ in Spain as well as France both at the same time – you are 30 minutes by car from the Spanish border and the towns of La Jonquera and Figueres; and just 20 minutes drive from the beautiful beaches of the stunning Mediterranean. Yet at the same time you have the monumental sight of Mt Canigou just within view of the property and the winter snow resorts just a 50 min drive away. This is French Catalonia – with it’s own mix of culture, cuisine and history.

There are local village schools which provide a warm welcome, excellent education and where families actively take a role in the ongoing interests of their children’s schooling. Teachers who care for each child on an individual basis.  Like school used to be. Village fete’s, music festivals, cultural events and, of course, the annual grape harvest. 

Twenty minutes away is the city of Perpignan where there are numerous Lycee’s offering your teenagers higher education as well as the University of Perpignan.

There are streams and gorges within minutes nearby to fish and swim in – all fresh, clean mountain water. Quiet lanes to walk in the evenings, miles and miles of vineyards to explore – stark and bare in the winter,  a brilliant and leafy green from Spring right through to Autumn. The local baker will deliver your bread, buy your cheese from the local cheesemaker. Pick your own cherries, pomegranates and olives – buy a piece of vineyard and make your own wine!

This property has it’s own fresh water supply on site via a spring which was discovered by the Romans who camped here on this spot 2000 years ago - no need to pay water rates. Your neighbours are the Cathar Castles and the centuries old vineyards and their owners who have been tending these vines for generations.

Just think about it. A fantastic business opportunity with the added bonus of quality family life thrown in – or your chance to relocate the family – grandparents and all – to a property with plenty of space which will offer you all privacy, security and a much more favourable standard of living. One which you deserve…once which your family deserves.

Try buying this kind of life anywhere else these days; don’t pass it by. The grass can definitely be greener…

Asking Price: Euros 740,000 (approx £587,000)

Contact e-mail

It is becoming almost impossible to say the least.

I would hate to be a first time home buyer right now as mortgage lenders have drastically altered their lending criteria and as a result young house hunters are finding that they are relying more frequently on the Bank of Mum and Dad more often. As more and more young people depend on their parents to provide them with board and lodging well into their thirties it just gives you a clear idea on just how difficult it is to get your foot on the property ladder these days.

Then again, the sellers are in the same boat…most people need a mortgage these days to buy a house and many lenders just are not lending. So many properties are languishing on the for sale market.

Nothing compares to it. Seeing your Home Plans grow from start to finish; from that time you select your ‘bit of earth’ to the time you buy it, own it and then start deciding what form your House Plans will take. Maybe you have known what you have wanted for a long time…or maybe you are open to suggestion…?

Many people these days are opting for the natural, rustic look – this is very popular and a trend which will never go out of fashion. Using all natural materials and an environmentally friendly theme Log home plans are becoming the choice of many a house builder – both young and…well, everything after.

That dream home of yours is not just in your dreams anymore.