Launch of GEM Cities – The Global Urban Property Market Experts

Ideally suited to today’s turbulent economic climate, cities across the globe provide the stability and security that investors are searching for. Immune from fickle fashion trends, urban centres offer significant and sustained capital growth, easy accessibility via air, road or rail and a local supply of end-users from multinational companies to student populations. With the arrival of GEM Cities there is now an expert in the global urban property market to service this sector.

Trevor Byrne, Director of GEM Cities comments, “We aim to provide our clients with expert advice on purchasing in cities across the world from established cities such as Berlin to the emerging destinations of Panama City and Bucharest.

We are constantly looking for unique opportunities in both the residential and commercial sectors that will offer our investors the chance to buy at, or under, market value, often with the option of using finance to fund the purchase. The great advantage of a property investment in a city is that it provides that essential component – an ‘exit strategy’.

Whether you’re buying to let or buying to sell, there will always be an end-user - market forces near-guarantee investment success.”

Cities have a healthy supply of tenants from businessmen on overseas secondments to student populations to emerging middle classes keen to improve their living accommodation. Most will be long-term prospects, on month-long or indeed annual contracts, thus keeping those mortgage payments covered - and not on a seasonal basis, but all year round. Similarly, pick an up-and-coming city dedicated to attracting foreign investment from multinational companies and to improving infrastructure from road networks to international airports and you’ll inevitably find a waiting list of buyers keen to get on the property ladder and as a result, the keys to your home.

This will in turn fuel some quite considerable capital appreciation.

Additionally cities do not suffer from the fashion-led trends of other destinations, which can increase or decrease in popularity according to the whims of travel magazines. Cities have longevity in the marketplace as there is an already established living population, and as such not as reliant on outside visitors to buy and rent your property. Also, as global economies falter and ordinary families tighten their belts when it comes to holidaying overseas, cities remain relatively unaffected.

So if you’re prepared to take your heart out of the equation and base your property investment decisions solely on the head, consider a city property and prepare yourself for some of the biggest profits in the industry.

Try the German capital, Berlin. Currently showing some of the lowest prices per square for property across all the European capitals, Berlin also has one of the lowest owner-occupancies. As few as 14% of Berliners own their homes, so the potential for long-term rentals is colossal. GEM Cities is promoting Treptow-Koepenick II, a 154-unit development of apartments arranged across four storeys. Built in 1926 but fully refurbished both aesthetically and structurally in 2001, Treptow-Koepenick II benefits from solar power hot water supply and useable basement space. A five-year rental agreement is in place with a management agency who has already secured 95% occupancy. Prices start from just 75,000 euros for a one bedroom apartment with 60% LTV available via German banks.

Or perhaps look to Panama City, a world centre for international banking and finance related activity due to an absence of currency exchange controls and special tax breaks in carefully zoned areas. Foreign and local citizens are guaranteed equal treatment in investment and property transactions further reinforcing Panama’s tradition of providing a foreign investor-friendly arena. GEM Cities is promoting Colores de Bellavista, an office-studio apartment tower with a striking glass façade. Investors can choose from an equal number of offices and studios, 264 in total, each measuring 45m², although units can be combined across to a maximum of an entire floor, that’s to say nine units.

On-site Colores de Bellavista has a business centre, café, swimming pool and gym whilst hotels, shops and restaurants are all within walking distance. Pre-release prices start from just 92,000 USD per unit (approx. 73,741 euros) with 60% LTV available.

Contact GEM Cities by emailing info@gem-cities.com, visit the website at www.gem-cities.com or
call UK Freephone 0800 24 94 100, Irish Freephone 1800 932 590 or call the Spanish office on 00 34 952 782 966.

Author: 
Date: 11/4/2008