Real estate in far-flung destinations has once again dominated TheMoveChannel.com’s monthly top 10 list of hot investment properties…

In an ongoing trend for taking the road less traveled, visitors to TheMoveChannel.com ignored Europe’s top real estate markets, preferring to broaden their horizons and take calculated risks on cheaper properties in emerging property markets across the globe. Indeed, this is the fourth month in a row where the established markets of France, Spain and Italy have been ignored by prospective investors.

The United Arab Emirates and the USA dominated the chart, with four entries in the top 5 alone. The overseas influence didn’t stop there; for the second month in a row, Uruguay - the rising star of the Latin American real estate market – consolidated its position as an increasingly popular investment destination.

Commenting on the top 5 properties, Dan Johnson, Managing Director of TheMoveChannel.com, observed: “The top 5 of this month’s investment property watch is definitely a reflection of the strength of the Euro at the moment, as investors looking at recent history will view the currency as very strong against Sterling.

“It’s certainly a very valid point that the pound does not buy you as much in the Euro-zone as it used to, but investors should remember that plenty of economists feel that the Euro could still strengthen further in the months and years ahead. If this does happen, now could be as good a time as any to look at Euro investments.

USA:  A buyer’s market?

With regards to the USA’s continued strong showing in the chart, Dan noted the USA is arguably a buyer’s market at this moment:

“The continued economic downturn stateside, the weak dollar and the strengthening euro are contributing to the growing appeal of the USA to sterling backed investors. In many areas it's a buyers' market, with unsold stock and a lack of available credit giving developers double the reasons to do a bargain deal.

Despite this, Dan urged investors to ensure they were diligent when evaluating potential purchases: “Low cost doesn't always equal high value and there are plenty of commentators who feel that worse is to come for the US economy.

“Pick the wrong project, where the fundamentals don't underpin the long term viability, and you could still end up seeing immediate short term losses. But if you're prepared to be patient and hold on for the long term, the months ahead will see plenty of bargains on offer".

TheMoveChannel.com’s hottest properties for April are below:

*Results are based on number of sales enquiries generated per month.

A spokesperson for Shooba.co.uk - the company offering April’s top property - explained why the Rainbow Towers development was such a good investment: “Rainbow Towers is situated in the state of Umm al Quwain, just a 25 minutes drive from the hugely popular state of Dubai. Offering investors a unique opportunity to purchase in the UAE at a fraction of the cost of Dubai, these apartments will make superb rental investments catering for the thousands of workers servicing Dubai.

”This delightful development comprises of seven towers and a total of 1008 units. Amenities will include a gym in each tower, grocery stores, pharmacy, drycleaners and several restaurants within the development. The complex has been designed to create a friendly, peaceful and secure neighborhood, with everything residents need to feel right at home.

“Umm Al-Quwain is one of the fastest growing neighboring emirates to Dubai. This development is also located within minutes of over $3 billion worth of new development that has been recently announced with such projects as Nujoom Islands and Al Salam City. It is also less then 10 minutes away from the Hamriyah Port of Sharjah.

“The square footage rate for the Rainbow Tower development is one of the cheapest in the UAE. With the current influx of investment in Umm Al Quwain, neighboring Sharjah, and the increased cost of living in Dubai, we feel that an investment in the Rainbow Towers development could offer tremendous upside potential for both rental income as well as capital appreciation.  

To keep track of TheMoveChannel’s hottest property investments throughout the month, please visit the Investment Property Portal on our website.

Jaimie Kanwar