investing in property

Having lived in New Zealand now for almost 5 years I am often asked if I have bought a house yet. It seems that you can't be settled properly if you don't own a property and lain down 'roots'. Well, we have settled here but haven't bought our own property and to be honest I don't think I ever would. New Zealand houses are way over priced for what they are and mortgage rates are far too high.
At the moment we rent a lovely sunny town house 2 minutes walk from the beach, shops, pubs and our workplace. We pay our rent each week and enjoy hassle free living without the millstones of mortgage repayments, repairs, DIY etc.
But I do believe that property can be an excellent investment and that a lot of profit can be made in a relatively short time if you choose the investment wisely.
With that in mind I have bought a beautiful brand new villa off plan in Brazil. (See picture above) Why Brazil, I hear you say! Well Brazil is fast becoming a very popular holiday destination especially in the North East near the city of Recife. We have a lot of lovely Brazilian friends in New Zealand and all of them agree this part of Brazil is very beautiful, extremely safe with a relatively cheap cost of living. There is an international airport just been built close by as well as golf courses and of course fantastic beaches. The villa is on a complex being built right on the beach front - one of the first in the area. Property prices are already increasing by 20% each year and as I got an excellent price on the villa I know that once its built (work starts 2009) and I resell I will make a very handsome profit.
The bargain prices are obviously limited to buy off plan so if you are interested then you would need to have a look now.
I am very excited that I have got in on something big at the start. Having never done anything like this before I was impressed with the way this firm helped me through the legal processes of purchasing Investment Bonds then property. It was quick, easy and not stressful at all.
So move over pizza shop I'm a property investor now!!