I have a dream, to be in Corfu
“Mamma Mia, I have a dream” is a new TV programme, looking for the next Sophie and Sky to perform in London’s West End. Fourteen hopefuls were taken to Corfu for a competition style audition, where they were put through their paces in singing, dancing and acting. All under the blue skies of Corfu.Read more...
What will it pay to bring with you to Portugal?
Portugal is a relatively cheap place to live – but not for everything. So what should you be squeezing into your luggage? And how do you bag a bargain? Portugal is a rather cheap place to live, by European standards. A recent Expatistan study, comparing living costs in 80 European cites, found Lisbon, Porto and Faro all comfortably located in the bottom half of the rankings.Read more...
Portugal and Brexit: What’s the Latest?
With little to report on the effects of Brexit on the ground in Portugal, other issues relating to Portugal and the EU are coming to the fore.Read more...
Living Costs in Italy
Expats are often pleasantly surprised by how cheaply they can live in Italy.Read more...
The EU goes slowly on, without the UK
How united is Italy with Germany and France, as one of the “Big Three EU Countries”?Read more...
US property market update
West is best for US property owners, as both prices and rental rates shot up from Oregon to San Jose. Overall the country has now seen 48 months of continuous property price rises. Still below the 2007 level, however, there could be plenty more growing to go Today the USA Property Guide runs through some of the latest news and headlines making waves in the US property market.Read more...
Costa Blanca suits Denise van Outen to a tee!
Essex girl Denise van Outen has been looking at property in the Costa Blanca. Playing golf in the sun with her new hubby is the big draw, she tells Richard WayRead more...
Spotlight on Jávea, Costa Blanca
Earlier this month Jávea was in the news for all the wrong reasons as forest fires threatened its outskirts. Sometimes it’s only when it might be lost that we appreciate what we have, so now Javea is safe again, let’s look afresh at the appeal of this fashionable Spanish beach, says Richard WayRead more...
Merger in the south of France dents Catalan pride
A regional renaming in south-east France has put the Catalan nose out of joint. But you can’t keep a Catalan down for long, they’ll probably turn the event into a party. We live close to the Spanish border in an area sometimes known as Catalonia, which straddles both sides of the border. There are around 450,000 French Catalans, largely based around the city of Perpignan which was a strong fortress in medieval times. The Catalans are a proud people, with their own language; a rough mix of French and Spanish.Read more...
The message from France: buy, buy, buy?
Buyer’s market or Brexit bust-up? What is happening in the French property market and is it still a good time to buy? The good news is that the French property market remains a very stable one pricewise and conditions continue to be ripe for British buyers. There have been signs in some areas of small increases in property value, mainly Paris, the Cote d’Azur and the Languedoc Roussillon, but it is important to note that the market is really nothing like the UK one and things happen much more slowly in France, property price changes included!Read more...
Spanish taxman’s spy in the sky
The Spanish tax authority’s use of drones and satellites has netted an extra 1.25 billion euros. Now it is extending the programme throughout the whole country and the Balearics. Don’t be caught out, make that declaration! The Spanish tax authority, called the Hacienda, is resorting to hi-tech methods to discover buildings which have not been declared for tax purposes. Since the end of 2014 they have found 1.69 million undeclared or illegal properties and they’re looking for more.Read more...