http://www.torcana.com/blog Welcome to the Torcana Blog, discussing the latest investment trends from around the world Mon, 29 Aug 2011 10:04:16 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en More and more clients, both European and American, have been asking us about the debt crisis in the EU. . Aside from wishing to do what I can to address their concerns, I´m extremely interested in this subject as Torcana holds a substantial amount of euros, dollars and British pounds. I also ... http://www.torcana.com/blog/2011/08/what-happens-if-the-germans-or-irish-leave-the-euro.html Most buyers want to purchase at the lowest possible price. However, price must be balanced against quality. An inconsistent rental income and an uncertain exit strategy will quickly sour a deal that seemed too good to be true. - In good times and in bad, the lowest prices will always be available ... http://www.torcana.com/blog/2011/08/an-insight-into-what-torcana-avoid-doing-in-florida.html Real Estate Gold? - Gold is viewed as a safe alternative to government bonds and equities, and the price of gold is sky high as a result. Buying anything when prices are at record highs seems dubious to me, especially an asset like gold which produces zero income. I know one client ... http://www.torcana.com/blog/2011/08/there%c2%b4s-gold-in-them-properties.html - Riots in Britain, the USA losing its AAA status, emergency bilateral meetings in Europe in the middle of holiday season .... August isn´t usually this eventful is it? Let´s have a quick recap. - On Friday 5th August Standard & Poor (S&P) downgraded America´s credit rating from AAA to AA+. On Monday ... http://www.torcana.com/blog/2011/08/us-downgrade-and-crazy-volatility.html I went on a fascinating scouting trip two weeks ago (late July). I hadn´t visited this country in about 5 years, so I was very keen to see how it had changed. . This is the sixth most visited country in the world and tourism is growing at a breakneck pace. It ... http://www.torcana.com/blog/2011/08/the-hottest-property-market-in-europe.html In my previous newsletter, I outlined my thoughts on the EU/US crisis and why I felt business in Florida will carry on regardless. Here are ten reasons why I am still betting on Florida real estate: 1. As of June 2011, there were 10,559 homes available to purchase in Orlando though the ... http://www.torcana.com/blog/2011/08/10-reasons-why-i%c2%b4m-still-betting-on-florida.html The market crash in 2006-2007 resulted in the dramatic falls in property prices among many industrialised nations, but as the graph below illustrates, prices in the USA have both fallen further and stabilised for longer than other major nations. Property needs to be considered above all at micro levels - ... http://www.torcana.com/blog/2011/06/usa-prices-fell-faster-and-have-recovered-faster.html Due diligence I performed on a low income neighborhood in Orlando Let me describe one of these lower income communities that came across my desk recently. I did some basic due diligence and number crunching on it. On first glance it looked ok - an Orlando gated community with swimming pool, ... http://www.torcana.com/blog/2011/06/due-diligence-i-performed-on-a-low-income-neighborhood-in-orlando.html The three options facing real estate investors in the Orlando market Many condo investors, especially those of modest means, are now faced with three options in the Orlando market. The first is that you continue trying to find good value properties in this $60,000 - $100,000 range. As I outlined in ... http://www.torcana.com/blog/2011/06/the-three-options-facing-condo-investors-in-the-orlando-market.html Top ten tips on purchasing discounted property in Florida I´ve written this article as a guideline to those considering a purchase in Florida. While property prices are at record lows and incredible bargains are available, it is just as easy to make the wrong purchase decision now as it was during ... http://www.torcana.com/blog/2011/05/top-ten-tips-on-purchasing-discounted-property-in-florida.html