The EU Affect
Date: 01/23/2008January 24, 2008
All but a couple of Balkan countries are expected to have fulfilled the conditions for signing the Stabilization and Association Agreements, the first step toward EU membership, by the end of 2008. Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Macedonia are now well on the way to joining the 27-nation bloc.
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Borders Down
Date: 12/19/2007December 20, 2007
The Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia have now joined the Schengen border-free zone.
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An Italian Home for Less Than $50,000
Date: 12/11/2007
December 12, 2007
Paris, France
I’ve just heard about a sustainable tourism project in Italy with restored properties selling for less than $50,000. The houses are in a cluster of abandoned medieval villages, the Borghi Nascosti in the Abruzzo region, and prices start at 29,000 euros ($42,530) for a studio or one-bedroom apartment. The price tag includes new wiring, plumbing, furnishings, and restoration work; some of the houses have antique floors or vaulted ceilings. The whole project is backed by the village councils. Labor and materials are largely locally sourced.
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Algarve’s Winning Formula
Date: 11/01/2007
November 2, 2007
Paris, France
Southern Portugal’s Algarve region has long been a favorite with tourists, boasting more than 300 days of sunshine a year, plentiful golf courses, 100 miles of coast, and wide sandy beaches. But now there’s another reason to look at investing in or around the Algarve coastal town of Portimão.
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Poland’s Property Party Ain’t Over Yet
Date: 10/29/2007
October 30, 2007
Paris, France
The euro is getting stronger, and, yes, the dollar is falling. We reckon it’s going to carry on falling for some time yet, but that’s no reason to give up on Europe. On the contrary, if the dollar is going to get weaker, it makes sense to put your cash elsewhere. You can still build up a strong property portfolio here if you invest wisely—if a property is a good deal, it doesn’t matter what currency you use to buy it.
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Look Beyond the Euro
Date: 10/15/2007
October 16, 2007
Paris, France
While worldwide media coverage is focusing on an ever-stronger euro, smart readers are exploring other options: 14 of the EU member countries do not use the euro right now. Although the U.K. and Denmark have special derogations, and Malta and Cyprus are set to join next year, you still have plenty of other ways to make your dollar go further in Europe.
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Tax Relief
Date: 10/06/2007
October 7, 2007
Paris, France
More good news from the country with everything: A recent reform of France's inheritance laws has raised the threshold for gifts for each child from 50,000 euro ($69,300) to 150,000 euro ($207,929).
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Europe vs. the Americas
Date: 09/28/2007
September 29, 2007
Paris, France
Conference Director Grant Perry sent around the first draft of the proposed schedule for the upcoming Ultimate Event II in Panama City next month.
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