Starting a family may see the financial burden consumers are under rising dramatically, it has been suggested.

The news comes as research released by MoneyExpert reveals that those parents who have children under the age of 18 are typically some 1,140 pounds in debt in the 12 months following the birth of their first child. According to the finanical comparison website, more than a third (39 per cent) of couples see their income fall after the birth of their first child as at least one partner either works less hours, or gives up their job altogether, in the subsequent months after a birth.

And with over 40 per cent of new parents going into the red in the first year of having a child, such consumers could well struggle to meet demands for payments on areas of their finances such as utility bills, credit cards and home loans. Meanwhile, money management difficulties could be even more pronounced for the seven per cent of parents who are more than 2,500 pounds in debt, with two per cent owing over 7,000 pounds.

Research from the company also showed that three-quarters of those suffering from a loss in earnings as they have a child are looking to make up for such a shortfall. Some 28 per cent of these consumers turn to their family for finanical aid, while ten per cent are set to take out a loan to help relieve the pressure on their finances. Meanwhile, 22 per cent are to use credit cards as a means of supplementing their spending.

Sean Gardner, chief executive of MoneyExpert, said: “For most of us worries about money go out of the window with the joy of having a baby. It’s hard enough coping with the sleepless nights and new responsibilities without thinking about budgets. But financially a new baby can cause havoc because of the combined burden of extra costs and reduced income. If money is already tight, it’s no wonder that so many families have had to turn to borrowing to make ends meet.”

He added that as households are set to face increased costs, taking out a loan or another form of credit is often “a sensible way to tide you over”. As a result, Mr Gardner urged those considering borrowing money to take the time to choose the right product for them.

Meanwhile, the financial services firm’s debt index reveals that more than 2.48 million Britons are “very concerned” about their capacity to manage their finances as the series of interest rate increases by the Bank of England’s monetary policy committee starts to make its impact felt.

Accordingly, opting for a low-rate loan may be an advisable idea for those concerned that pressure on their finances is set to increase after they have a child. Last month, James Ketchell, from the Consumer Credit Counselling Service, reported that Britons are becoming evermore prepared to take out secured loans and apply other forms of credit as they get older due to becoming “used to the idea” of borrowing while at university. Mr Ketchell also reported that the majority of those applying for a loan use the money for “vital things”.

Mark Dawson writes for Loan-Arrangers .co.uk where visitors can compare secured loans online. Then apply for one of our low rate loans or bad credit secured loans. Visit today www.loan-arrangers.co.uk

A lack of financial understanding may well see many Britons struggle with their money management in later life, it has been suggested.

According to Des Hamilton, technical director for the Pensions Advisory Service, a number of adults are not aware of how much they need to be putting away into pension schemes to fund a comfortable lifestyle after retiring. And with such consumers set to witness a potential shortfall in their income upon giving up work, they may develop difficulties in making payments on mortgages, utility bills and personal loans.

Mr Hamilton reported that the nation is on course for money management problems in later life due to amendments to pension schemes, which in turn has seen many people make an inadequate level of contributions. He said: “It is left much more in the hands of the individual. Responsibility is more on the individual and at the moment people are just not doing enough.”

The Pensions Advisory Service representative added that there is “a little bit of complacency” surrounding people’s attitudes towards their finances. He pointed out that a number of people are leaning towards other methods of saving for the future, for instance relying on the amount of equity built up in their property as a means of funding their retirement.

“The trouble is people just don’t appreciate how much it takes to provide for themselves properly in retirement”. When you enter into a company pension scheme people think: “That’s it now, I’m providing for my retirement,” that the company’s scheme is designed to give them adequate income in retirement, but it’s not,” the technical director added.

His comments come after research carried out by Mercer last month revealed that the level of money being put into company pension schemes is currently too low. According to the company, the present level of employer contributions - which stands at 6.8 per cent - is insufficient to support workers during retirement, while the shortfall in income may cause them to struggle with loan repayments and other demands on their spending. Meanwhile, consumers were also reported as missing out on potentially higher pension earnings as they fail to shop around for competitive annuities.

Consequently, those consumers who are concerned that the proportion of money they are currently putting into pension schemes may not be sufficient to provide them with their desired lifestyle upon retirement may wish to consider opting for a debt consolidation loan. In applying for such a loan, it is possible for borrowers to merge debts owed to various creditors, via credit cards and personal loans for instance, as well as other demands on their spending into one low-rate monthly repayment.

And by doing so, they may well find that they have more disposable income left to allow them to make greater pension contributions. However, Adrian Coles, director general for the Building Societies Association, recently warned those looking to take out a loan, whether it be for debt consolidation or for any other purpose, to make sure that they will always be in a position to afford repayments. He stated that the five base rate rises by the Bank of England since August 2006 are set to put further pressure on household spending, with debt consolidation loans one possible way of relieving such anxieties.

Tom Dawson writes for Essentially Home Loans where visitors can apply for secured personal loans online, we also specialise in bad credit secured loans for UK residents. Visit Today: www.essentiallyhomeloans.co.uk

Motorists could be set to see the financial pressures that having a vehicle entails increasing over the coming months, it has been suggested.

The news comes as research carried out by Experian reveals that the impact of the floods seen over the course of this summer has had little effect on car insurance costs within the direct sector. During the third quarter of this year, from July to September, the typical quote for a comprehensive cover policy in the market stood at some 567 pounds 30p - a rise of 0.8 per cent from the 562 pounds 70p recorded during the previous three-month period.

Meanwhile, those opting for insurance from the broker sector may be set for a particular increase in financial difficulties, which as a result may see them struggling to make payments on loans, overdrafts and other forms of borrowing.

In June, comprehensive premiums stood at 495 pounds before rising to 538 pounds a month later. Meanwhile, third party, fire and theft cover surged from 570 pounds to 632 pounds during this period. Both types of insurance are said to have risen over the rest of the summer. And with the average quote for a third party, fire and theft policy within the broker market now standing at 639 pounds 70p, it is the highest figure noted since July 2005 - the time at which the firm began gathering such information.

However, it was suggested that as a result of the flooding witnessed earlier this year, the cost of car insurance could be set to rise further. This in turn may affect consumers’ ability to handle the various running costs attached to a vehicle such as repairs and tax, in addition to managing other areas of their spending such as paying utility bills and personal loans.

David Murby, managing director for Experian’s insurance service division, said: “For nearly two years, comprehensive motor insurance premiums in the direct market have been higher than in the broker market”. However, the recent increase in broker prices means the gap between the two markets is closing and broker prices have almost reached the level they were at two years ago, before they started dropping.

“The true impact of the floods is likely to manifest itself in insurance premiums over the next few months in the direct market once claims have been settled and insurers have been able to assess the real impact. The broker market is likely to follow suit.” Mr Murby added that the recent rise noted in broker insurance costs is unlikely to have been due to the impact of the floods, as the sector often tends to “react slower” to such events than the direct market.

Consequently, those people concerned at their capacity to keep with rising expenses for running a car may wish to consider taking out a low-rate personal loan. In addition, opting for such a method of borrowing could be advisable for consumers looking to purchase an automobile as it is often a much more competitive choice than selecting a forecourt finance deal. Earlier this year, research released by Halifax showed that the average household spent some 1,509 pounds on vehicles last year - accounting for 4.4 per cent of their disposable income. Overall, the financial services firm also reported that financing a car purchase is the second most popular reason for consumers to apply for a personal loan.

Abbi Rouse writes for AllAboutLoans.co.uk, an online loans comparison site, visit us today for information on all loan topics including secured loans UK applications and home loans from all leading UK providers. Our Site: www.allaboutloans.co.uk

There are many times in life where situations may occur that put a stress on your financial situation. Losing a job, medical emergencies, or family situations may cause you to fall behind on your bills. However, losing your job does not have to mean that you also lose your home. If you have accumulated some mortgage arrears on you home after you lost you job, do not lose heart. There are still some ways that you could save your home from foreclose. Being in contact with your bank and working with them to help you out, is the best thing to start with. To help you stave off foreclosure on your home, here are some ways to handle your mortgage arrears.

Contact Your Bank

There are hundreds of people all over the country that have missed a couple of payment on their home so you are not alone in this predicament. If you think that you will be unable to pay your amortization for a couple of months while you are still trying to find work, it is best to call your bank and tell the loans officers about you change of circumstances. You bank has probably handled this situation before and they know how this go. Banks are not in the business of reposing and foreclosing properties so they will not really jump at the chance of divesting you of your home. Besides, if the bank forecloses your home, it will now have to face the challenge of disposing the property in order to free their capital. Since foreclosing your property will entail more work on he part of the bank than just merely giving you a couple of months grace period, the bank will most likely give you the grace period to pay for your amortization.

When negotiating with the bank for grace period, make sure that you express your strong intention to pay your debts. You should also outline your plan on how you will go about paying your debts and how much time it will take you to do this. If the bank officer will see your strong interest to pay your debts and keep your home, he or she will be more open to the possibility of giving you the extra time that you need.

Leasing Your House

If you cannot pay for the amortization of your home and you have exhausted your grace period, you might want to lease your home for a while. You can use the money that you get from the lease to pay for the amortization. If you have no other place to go, you can just rent a portion of the house. You can move to the basement of the house for a new months and lease the upstairs rooms. Note that if you really want to keep your home, moving to the basement for a few months or so is a small sacrifice that you have to do. Besides, living in the basement of your home is not really that bad. Once you get a nice job, you can always move back to the upstairs room.

James Copper is a writer for www.repossession-stopper.co.uk

When starting in the Foreign Exchange market, you will find many programs available, both web based and client based, to aid you in your trading activities. Forex Trading software has made forex trading easier and more efficient; and the ability of these applications to incorporate all the different currencies available worldwide has given forex traders the capability to conduct business any minute of the day.

Most Foreign exchange brokers offer their clients packages free of charge or as a part of the trading accounts they have signed up for. Generally, the software applications that come bundled with a trading account provides the bare minimum; the other features may be made available for a certain price.

Software packages offered by brokers should be considered as an important aspect when choosing a broker. Before deciding on a specific broker, try downloading the software or sign up for different packages using demo accounts. These will provide you a better look into the software package.

In general, there are two types of forex trading software available today. The first of these types of software is known as the service side or the web-based software. As indicated by the name, this type of software application is a version of the program available online, accessible via web browsers such as Firefox or Internet Explorer. This software application works by having traders log into their account with the use of a user id and password. Once logged in, traders are then connected to the trading platform where they can perform operations associated with their respective accounts.

The other type of forex trading software is the client side or client-based. You will need to download this application and install it onto your computer. Both types of forex trading program are very popular among traders as both allow forex traders to conduct transactions at any time of day from anywhere in the world.

There are several benefits and advantages to the use of forex trading software. Aside from providing traders the ability to conduct business and perform transactions, forex trading applications offers traders access and information on the relationships of currencies and trading. These software tools also provide real time access to forex quotes and other vital information necessary to conduct trading successfully. Forex trading programs also provide access to data on the historical behavior of currency rates. Charting mechanisms are also provided to help traders gain marginal profit.

You may be a bit apprehensive to use forex trading software due to some concerns about security. Forex Trading software are generally secure applications and you are assured of being protected; however, if you still have doubts about the levels of security, you can take some measures to protect yourself and your investment. Use passwords to protect your trading application as well as your personal data, back up your data on a regular basis, use anti virus programs that are up to date, and update your software regularly.

To learn the best forex trading strategies and learn everything about forex trading software just visit www.forex-trading-platform.org

In real estate, there are the usual professionals and there are the highly successful professionals. They work hard, but they also work smart. If you are a real estate professional who wants a career boost or market change, then investment property software can help. In the digital age, why not let technology work for you?

Expanding your work from the single family to the commercial market, or leaving the single family properties altogether, should be both lucrative and hassle free. By incorporating investment property software into your working style, you can invest more effectively on higher yielding deals.

Once you take your real estate investing high-tech, you can expect a turn around in your fortunes. The software makes your paperwork more manageable and easier to access. You can shift to larger properties in the commercial arena, get back a greater income on them and deal with knowledgeable sellers, lenders and brokers to expedite the process. No more depending on sellers that do not understand the process.

Do not be concerned about the complications of managing commercial real estate. There is a variety of software applications available to make it easy to know what you are doing. In a market that is strong and healthy, you can take advantage of those conditions to boost your bottom line.

Any investment property software you choose should include blank PDF forms that you simply fill in as you need to. The forms should include the necessary worksheets for loan comparisons, broker submissions, loan quotes and insurance quotes as well as initial set up and marketing packages. And these are all doable on your computer or laptop.

Most investment property software packages start you off with an agent set up that is an easy to read and smart sales document so you can put your best foot forward. You also get a comparative market analysis that will allow you to hit the ground running. It is an easy way to jumpstart your commercial property investment career.

Remember, with commercial real estate, every second counts. The single family market is in a slump and housing prices are continuing to fall. Making the switch is a sound career move. With the prices of traditional homes threatening to continue their fall, the better, more lucrative market is clearly the commercial property market.

Using technology in your real estate endeavors should enhance the returns on your investments. Ideally, going digital will give you back your missed weekends and evenings, and eliminate the necessity of wading through tons of paperwork and red tape. Investment property software gives you the inside line so you can be a competitive agent or investor.

Preparing yourself for the commercial market is fast and simple. The forms show you all the information you need to create an attractive package that will impress sellers, lenders and brokers. Plus, you can create your own investment scenarios and determine just how lucrative they will be before you decide to invest.

Including investment property software into your real estate process can benefit you enormously. With less paperwork to fill out and fewer low yielding opportunities, you can maximize how you spend your time searching for and acquiring profitable properties.

Going blindly into the commercial property market is not the way to turn a profit. Working smarter uses your time and money to your advantage. Using investment property software can help make life easy. Visit KISCL to register now. www.kiscl.com

There are two distinctions that will be made in this article. The first regards forex trading software that enables the retail forex trader to access data feeds and charts that show the current market action of major currency pairs and crosses in the forex markets.

The second regards forex trading software that either assists the trader in some way as an adjunct to their trading or claims to identify trading signals whereby the trader can enter the market using the software perhaps as a stand alone or in conjunction with their technical analysis charts.

The forex trading software that is probably most relevance to the forex trader, who participate in online forex currency trading through a forex broker, is that of a charting package which may well be provided by the broker. Many forex brokers, contrary to popular belief, provide excellent information for their clients, in order to help them.

In addition they will provide a kind of forex trading software, that incorporates a datafeed which transmits the latest market prices as given by the broker with a package that enables the trader to use charts of different timeframes, different currency pairs and a selection of technical analysis indicators, which can be used to create a technical training strategy.

A good charting package will be reliable 24 hours per day in providing up-to-date quotes and potting market action on a candlestick or bar graph. The amount of options will vary from broker to broker, from charting package to charting package.

Most will include the bid ask prices across a variety of pairs as well as the option to display one chart or multiple charts and to put on those charts indicators such as: moving averages; RSI; Fibonacci retracement levels and an ability to change the change the color scheme to the desired choice. Such a software made it to trader the opportunity to execute trades as well. Features such as one click order execution and closure are desirable. Speed of execution obviously is a major advantage for intraday trading.

The other type of forex trading software that has been popular to the retail investor, is the forex software that claims to identify signals and entry points for trades usually for a monthly fee. Unfortunately the reviews online for such softwares, purportedly from past users, are frequently very negative.

It is not the purpose of this article the judge, just a present appear to be the facts. The other hand, some companies offer a forex trading software, which rather than identifying the signals, provide either a template or a chart set up along with training which may or may not be proprietary, that can help the trader improve their style dramatically.

Of course, there are other types of forex trading software. There is the type of software that allows the trader to practise trading through a simulation of historical forex market data, so that the trader can practice their trading, even at times for the markets closed, i.e. at weekends.

One other thing to be remembered is that even if you’re forex broker does not provide you the software that you find is the most useful of the most helpful in terms of your looking at charts in order to trade, is that your computer may well be able to run both your brokers software and the particular charting package software that you like, at the same time, enabling you to place trade with your broker whilst monitoring the market using a charting software from either another broker or datafeed provider.

Full-time pro forex trader Sam Beatson is considered THE Master Forex Trainer by his students. He’s created his own forex trading software to help traders for FREE. Visit www.sambeatson.com to find out about Sam’s coaching programs & FREE forex trading software.

It is telling of a destinations pulling power that based purely on chats with a local estate agent and a neighbour who could see the house from her garden, Helen and Mike Gosling bought “the most perfect home in the world” in the Portuguese region of Alentejo without setting foot near the place.

If that sounds slightly mad, the five-bedroom, 350,000 (GBP 240,000) house with seven acres of land near Beja, the hottest town in Portugal is not some buy-to-let investment they were about to farm out to strangers, but is the Goslings new home. And like many people, they had never even heard of Alentejo before.

“We saw the house advertised on the internet and did not have time to visit, as we had an African holiday booked the following day, but did not want to lose the property so we went for it, says Helen, 50, who runs a car breakdown recovery business with Mike, 59, in Worcestershire, England.

“We had visited the Algarve and the Silver Coast near Lisbon, but from our reading about the Alentejo we loved the sound of the tranquillity and sense of remoteness,” she explains.

Wedged between Portugals two best-known holiday spots, the Algarve and Lisbon, Alentejo has been slow at taking root in property buyers minds, hindered partly by the lack of an airport. That will be remedied if the proposed expansion of Beja military airport, set for 2009, goes ahead, undoubtedly sparking interest in this hidden corner. Until then, Lisbon or Faro are the nearest options, one to two hours drive to most parts of the region.

Even well-heeled Lisbonites, who are dismissive of their neighbouring region, are starting to take note, selling up in upmarket Cascais or Sintra in favour of a traffic jam-free commute into the capital from Alentejo.

It is an agricultural region rooted in traditional cork production, clam stew and polyphonic singing a random selection of its specialities but highlights such as the World Heritage city of Evora and medieval hilltop towns are overshadowed by the Algarves sought-after golf and beach resorts.

“It has taken me a decade to get people to know about Alentejo,” says the Goslings estate agent, Bert Snijder from Alentejo Home Tel. 0871 711 8992 from the UK or Tel. +351 269 441 717).

“Alentejo is the same size as the Netherlands but with 800,000 inhabitants compared with Hollands 16 million,” says Bert, who, incidentally, is Dutch. “It is the perfect place for people who want to get away from the stress in Northern Europe.

Even in August, you can lie on unspoilt beaches with no one else around for miles.”

You can build dream house for relatively little money especially inland, where you can even have your own vines and olive groves. Converting an old farm is ideal for those in search of tranquillity try Beja, Evora or Estromez.

And although you will pay more by the ocean, Comporta, Zambujeiro and Sagres are stunning and offer better value than comparable regions in Spain and France.

Alentejo may be the birthplace of legendary explorer Vasco de Gama, and home to swarthy footballing hero Luis Vigo who is rumoured to be building a golf course in Odemira but the vast region still retains an understated appeal.

The upside of anonymity is low property prices. Coastal properties cost around 50% of what you would pay on the Algarve, and rural renovation projects in various states of dilapidation can be cheap enough to buy with a credit card.

Bert Snijder reports that most of his clients want to be within 40km of the coast, which may only mean a 20-minute drive away, as the roads are empty. The further east you head, towards the Spanish border, the cheaper the properties. But the climate is extreme, with boiling summers and very cold winters.

One inland area predicted to become Portugals next major resort is Alqueva, near Europes largest man-made damn. Its 800km shoreline is a fishermens paradise, and the plans to build golf courses, luxury hotels and restore the nearby rural villages are luring property investors.

Currently, two-bedroom houses in the area cost from around Euro 162,600 (GBP 110,000). With coastal development limited to very low build density and nothing within 1km of the sea, Alentejos Atlantic coast remains untapped, with endless kilometres of white sands that become more rugged as you head south.

Troia on the Blue Coast, south of Lisbon, has been a Portuguese secret for a long time, but now it is being developed, they are building a new marina and golf courses, but they are avoiding dense high-rises.

Vila Nova de Milfontes, with stunning beaches and a cobbled old town, is another resort worshipped by the locals and some German villa owners but few visitors from further afield. There, a one-bedroom apartment will cost from around Euro 118,000 (GBP 80,000), while you can buy large family houses for GBP 150,000.

Prices are slightly higher, due to scarcity of supply, in nearby Zambujeira do Mar, an unassuming fishing village momentarily besieged by rock fans attending its festival each August.

Then it returns to typical Alentejo tranquillity, which is just how buyers like it. Even those who have not been there yet.

Top tips for buying in Portugal:

Alentejo is a huge region with three distinct areas the mountains, plains and beaches so take time to drive around and choose an area before you start looking for a property.

Do not underestimate the language problems. Unlike in the Algarve, English is not widely spoken so seek recommendations of good Portuguese lawyers from English-speaking agents who know the area well.

Buying a plot of land and building your own house works out cheaper than buying a ready-made villa, and means you can design it how you want it. Building costs are around Euro 700 per square metre.

Land prices are determined more by their access to utilities than by location, so a small plot with mains electricity and water can cost considerably more than a larger plot nearby without these services.

Don not assume that if you buy a ruin in the middle of nowhere, you can do what you like with it. Strict buildings regulations apply and vary depending on the local council.

Get a licensed builder. Otherwise you will have to obtain a license specific to your property, which could delay renovations by several months.

If you can not be there in person to oversee building work, recruit a project manager.

Use a Portuguese lawyer who can pick up on the nuances of the contractual jargon. A foreign lawyer may not have the same grasp.

Most people under budget for renovation work. A loose rule of thumb is to take the property price and double it.

Materials and labour are cheap, but re-roofing can be pricey.

Alentejo Home is the Real Estate specialist in the Alentejo region of Portugal. Discover this unique part of Portugal between Lisbon and the Algarve and find the perfect investment.
Find out how we can make your dream come true at www.alentejohome.com

The foreign currency exchange gives a platform for the exchange of money from one countrys currency to that of another. As the market with the worlds highest daily turnover with more than $2 trillion being traded by the market, the currency traders in the world out-trade the US stock market, the world’s largest equity market.

A huge contrast to the aforementioned US stock market, is that the forex market relatively unregulated. There is simply no centralized exchange and from the start of the New Zealand open on a Sunday night through to the close of the US session on Friday, the forex market moves 24 hours a day, over 5 days per week.

For the retail trader, deals can be executed through telephone transactions with a forex broker or via the internet - hence “online currency trading”. As a worldwide system made up of banks, institutions (eg conglomerate enterprises) the trading takes place in real time, with transfer of funds approx 2 days later aka the Spot value. The different times of the markets functioning eg. US session, Asia session gives the market a different “personality” - volatility and volume traded during the UK session will be different to that of the Asia session normally.

The Evolution of the Currency Markets (FX)

In earlier times, individual retail investors in the forex market could only gain access through banks using large amounts of capital and would take place for business and investment purposes. The banks would do the business for the client. As time has gone on, trading volumes have dramatically risen, particularly after free floating of exchange rates.

A key commodity, foreign exchange allows enterprises to buy and sell goods with overseas country businesses and services, making a supply and demand component which creates a true market. The bank will try to get the best deal for the business client and so a form of bartering takes place of one currency for another. Trading for speculation also exists within banks, institutions and of course, the retail trader forex market. Any individual can take part in the currency market, provided he or she has some resources and has put time in to learn how to trade and recognise the fine points of trading the currency markets.

As with any investment there are pros and cons. High risk means that, again, like with most investments, you can lose all you invest, and this needs to be taken on board so that money traded is that which can be afforded. There is a lot of talk about forex scam brokerages, (forex scams) and because of the lack of regulation of the forex market, there is an open platform for forex scams in various forms.

There are also advantages such as that a retail trader can learn to trade from an already successful trader through a mentoring program, there are also several good books on online currency trading. It is easy to set up an account with a forex broker, who will normally offer leverage meaning a fraction of what is being traded is actually required as a margin deposit to secure any potential losses on the part of the trader.

To make an income, there must be a variation in the exchange rates between a pair of currencies. The market is liquid and can be volatile. Currencies continuously change against each other in response to world events, financial announcements, professional investor behavior and historical market performance. This happens regardless of the economic conditions in individual countries since each currency affects another. The forex market has been described as the supreme marketplace and is without doubt recession proof.

The author Sam Beatson learned to trade forex from 3 highly successful interbank market traders. He now publishes information on his forex blog and via his ezine as well as paid courses. Visit www.fasttrackforex.com for more information.

Spread across an area of 1,092 square kilometers, Hong Kong is the Special Administrative Region of China. Apart from being a hot tourist destination, Hong Kong is also an economic as well as trade center.

Due to its excellent legal and banking systems, many overseas business firms have made Hong Kong as their regional headquarters. This in turn has tremendously increased the demand for Hong Kong’s commercial real estate, including office spaces, shopping malls, and retail stores.

The worldwide demand for commercial spaces also comes from arenas including law firms, financial institutions, and accountants. In addition to overseas investors, a growing number of mainland companies are also taking up office spaces in Hong Kong. In short, commercial real estate in Hong Kong has now turned out to be a demand-driven scenario. As a result, in recent years, the sale price of commercial property has been pushed up. Further, the rents charged on commercial real estate are exceptionally high, ranging from HK$22 to HK$105 per square foot per month.

Investing in commercial real estate in Hong Kong provides great benefits to investors. One of the prime benefits of investing in a Hong Kong commercial property is that it provides you access to one of the world’s established markets. Another great benefit of investing in a commercial property is that not any kind of restrictions have been imposed on international investors to buy a property or asset. Further, purchasing a commercial real estate in Hong Kong is considered one of the best options for long term investment, as it can undoubtedly fetch you huge profits by way of renting and leasing.

Above all, the laws and regulations in connection with the process of buying commercial real estate are quite simple and liberal. Once you have found an appropriate property, an Agreement of Sale and Purchase would be signed between the property owner and investor, and this completes the sale procedure.

The buying processes related to the purchase of commercial property in Hong Kong are administered by the Conveyancing and Ordinance, which is structured in the form of English Law. In other words, the real estate law of Hong Kong is akin to one found in the UK, which in turn has attracted many American and British commercial real estate investors.

One of the unique things regarding the Hong Kong Property Law is that all of the land found here belongs to government, ie, each of the real estate in Hong Kong is held under leasehold title. Hence, those who are interested in property investment buy an agreement or a lease for a period ranging from 50 to 999 years.

A real estate or property in Hong Kong can be either solely owned by one person or through jointly by several investors. However, joint investment may be usually in the form of tenant or a joint tenancy. Further, a property can also be owned through a company structure. But, in case, if a company would like to conduct its business through the purchase of a property on lease, then it should be registered with the Hong Kong Companies Registry. In addition, every type of lease should be listed at the Hong Kong’ Land Registry.

A plethora of real estate firms now operate in Hong Kong in order to help you find your dream commercial property. In other words, commercial real estate is one of core businesses of many real estate companies in Hong Kong. They offer a continuum of services in connection with the commercial real estate, such as, sale of commercial as well as retail property, office leasing, retail leasing, leasing and sales of industrial property, sale and acquisition of development sites, leasing and management of shopping centers, and asset management with regard to commercial, retail, and industrial.

Additionally, majority of them provide the services of professional lawyers to help you in effectively carrying out buying procedures, such as tax matters, Hong Kong Companies Registry, and negotiation of purchase. In addition, there are also real estate firms providing steps to arrange mortgages for the purchase of commercial property. But, prior to approaching a service provider, it is important to undertake an investigation with regard to their reputation and the quality as well as efficiency of service rendered.

Wantanee Khamkongkaew is an independent author evaluating and commenting on leading International Property Consultants in Asia and Greater China, especially CB Richard Ellis - www.cbre.com.hk