A Place In the Sun at the NEC; This Really Is The Time To Buy

At first glance there was little sign of the credit crunch and the collapse of world banking as we know it at todays 'A Place In The Sun Show' at the NEC Birmingham.There was less floor space and therefore less stands than previous years but there were enough of the public to give the hall a busy feel.

There were many of the usual faces and the usual places; Turkey and Dubai were still the most prominant property investment destination and the deals were still 'ticking all the boxes'It was also interesting to see the deals on offer for a couple of Argentina Mendoza stands, The Caymen Islands, Australian beach property and Fiji.

It was the 'at show discounts' that really gave the game away. 10%, 15% and 20% off for signing up on the day. One very large and well known firm had cut the prices of some of their Spanish Property by around 40%, and this was only the first day of the show.

As I walked passed the stage, listening to 2 TV presenters of the show confessed that they had not yet bought a property abroad (their priority had been to buy a home in the UK) They teased each other about West or South London offering the best deal,it struck me that, actually, neither place gets too much sun? They went on to say that they were now in the market to buy further afield.Shameless. But the point is, that if you afford to do it, perhaps now really is the time to buy.

Abu Dhabi United Invest In City

Move Over Roman Abrahmovic. A group of Abu Dhabi investors agreed to buy Manchester City on Monday from Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Thai prime minister, in a deal that highlights the global interest in owning football clubs in the English Premier League.

Within hours of the deal, the new owners displayed their ambition and deep pockets by signing Robinho, the Brazilian forward, from Real Madrid for a reported £32.5m. The player had been sought by Chelsea.

The deal is one of the most high-profile private deals to emerge from the United Arab Emirates’ capital, one of the richest cities in the world.

The Abu Dhabi government institution have gone on an extensive spending spree in recent years, recycling hundreds of billions of petrodollars on trophy assets and companies that it hopes will help diversify the oil-dependent economy. However previous investments have been restricted to UAE stocks and property.

A fan of Al Ain and Al Jazeera football clubs in the UAE, Mr Fahim declined to say who he supported in the Premier league prior to the deal. “I am now a massive Man City fan,” he said. Very Wise.