1. What sort of properties do SPEI source and sell?
2. How do I identify which is the best emerging market to invest in?
3. I have heard a lot of negativity in the press about property scams; how do I avoid the pitfalls and what are the main pitfalls of investing in an emerging market?
4. What is the best way to go about having a “hands off” investment property?
5. SPEI constantly reiterates the need to research all aspects of property investment on the part of the investor; can you please assist me with some good resources for undertaking my research?

1. What sort of properties do SPEI source and sell?

We sell a wide range of investment products that will suit a variety of budgets and attitudes to risk.

Firstly, we sell offplan apartments in major emerging market cities such as Buenos Aires (Argentina), Bucharest, Iasi, Ploiesti (Romania) and Panama.

We also have excellent offplan and resale homes in Montenegro for those seeking coastal holiday investments and we source land (with & without planning permission) in Montenegro & Romania.

Finally, we provide buyers of all types the opportunity to invest in our own Someplace Else resorts at ground level either by (a) purchasing affordable landplots in our Argentine Dos Lunas & Belize Reserve projects or by (b) entering into a more complex joint venture with ourselves and a small group of high net worth investors to jointly develop and market an emerging market resort.

2. How do I identify which is the best emerging market to invest in?

There’s no simple answer to this question, as what is best for one person may be entirely unsuitable for another. However, there are four factors you can consider that will help identify which type of product and country will suit you best. These factors are:

Budget – how much do you want to invest?
Timescale – how long do you want your money invested for? 
Income – do you need some form of income or are you just looking for capital growth?
Risk Factor – how risk adverse are you?

One of our staff members will be more than happy to arrange a face-to-face meeting to match your answers to these questions with our available product range. 

3. I have heard a lot of negativity in the press about property scams; how do I avoid the pitfalls and what are the main pitfalls of investing in an emerging market?

As a country that has enjoyed an unprecedented economic and property boom, it was inevitable that certain companies convinced people to buy into schemes that were either miss sold, entirely unsuitable or complete fabrications.

The easiest way to avoid both these kinds of people and the main pitfalls of investing in emerging markets is to do your research and due diligence on the agencies and developers selling the property to you and on the area it is located in. Common pitfalls include: buying a property without planning permission, buying in an area where there is no rental demand or resale market and buying in an area where banks are unwilling to offer foreigners finance.

If you hire an independent lawyer to ensure that all necessary planning permissions are in place and if you can verify an agents claims of access to finance and projected capital appreciation & rental yields, then it will be very difficult for a company to sell you something unsuitable. 

4. What is the best way to go about having a “hands off” investment property?

As anybody who manages a property portfolio will tell you, having a completely hassle free investment property is actually very difficult to achieve.

However, if you’ve done your research beforehand and bought a well located property that you intend to keep for at least 5 years and if you contact a good lawyer, mortgage broker and property management company early in the purchase process, then you’re well on your way to achieving that elusive “hands off” investment.

Needless to say, Someplace Else always spends time on the ground building relationships with local lawyers, brokers and management companies and our clients receive regular reminders that they should be contacting them well before completion! 

5. SPEI constantly reiterates the need to research all aspects of property investment on the part of the investor; can you please assist me with some good resources for undertaking my research?

Yes, that’s correct. Research is fundamental to ensuring that you have a profitable investment over the long term. Our website has a list of sources which can be accessed by visiting www.someplaceelse.ie/research-centre. Other useful sites include:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/country_profiles/default.stm
http://www.globalpropertyguide.com/
http://store.eiu.com/countries.html
http://www.economist.com/
http://www.overseascafe.com/
http://www.myoverseasproperty.ie/