Europe`s property downturn exaggerated, says expert

Released on: March 31, 2008, 8:21 am

Press Release Author: Jim watson

Industry: Real Estate

Press Release Summary: If the UK property market has been subjected to some rather
severe predictions about the property market in general and buy-to-let in
particular, with the recent Homebuyer and Property Show in Birmingham having a
debate entitled: \"Is the UK buy-to-let sector facing its Armageddon?\", the same can
be said across Europe.

Press Release Body: If the UK property market has been subjected to some rather
severe predictions about the property market in general and buy-to-let in
particular, with the recent Homebuyer and Property Show in Birmingham having a
debate entitled: \"Is the UK buy-to-let sector facing its Armageddon?\", the same can
be said across Europe.

Here, some are predicting that it is as good as the end of the world for the
continent\'s property markets as the global credit crunch hits home in a number of
different countries.

Of course, what has happened is a slowdown across Europe, with the Royal Institution
of Chartered Surveyors stating in its European Housing Review that the boom was
over. While it noted that this trend was not without exceptions, describing Cyprus -
where house price inflation rose - as \"a rare case of a country shrugging off the
gloom\", the overall picture was indeed a dark one.

Yet is it really so dark? Seeking to shine a torch on the situation, Paul Owen,
chief executive of the Association of International Property Professionals (AIPP),
said: \"It is a bit apocalyptic to talk about the boom being over because prices have
slowed [though] the argument that the market slowed up in the second half of last
year is self-evident.\"

So in addition to Armageddon in Britain, Europe has been talked about as facing the
apocalypse. But Mr Owen suggested such talk has been completely overblown. To him
the situation has been one of uncertainty, punctured recently by a \"collective sigh
of relief within the industry\" at the first two exhibitions staged by the AIPP this
year, when it became clear that investors are still out there.

He added: \"The change that we have seen in the last 18 months or so has been where a
greater proportion of the buyers are investors as opposed to holiday home buyers but
if you look at profits and the specifics of emigration there are still very strong
numbers leaving the UK full-time who are obviously looking to buy foreign property.
So it being the end of something I find a little over the top.\"

Maybe the reaction to the downturn has been a knee-jerk one, which having perhaps
imagined that the boom years will never end now sees no light at the end of the
tunnel in more fallow times. In the meantime, apart from tapping in to the Cypriot
boom, many will still be drawn to the most popular places like Spain and France. VEF
pointed out this week that those looking to the latter country can find properties
28 per cent cheaper on average than their UK equivalents, or 50 per cent in
comparison with homes in the south-east of England.

So for UK property investors,
there are still prospects out there and the market is still alive, while it is not
only not the end of the world for the market but also nothing disastrous for the
bank balance.

In today\'s world Property investment is an excellent investment option especially
investment in UK

Web Site: http://www.assetz.co.uk

Contact Details: Address:Assetz House, Newby Road, Stockport,Cheshire

zip:SK7 5DA

ph:0845 400 7000

fax:0845 400 6010

email:linkexchangeseo@gmail.com

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