Italy to attract investors this year

Friday January 4th , 2008

Established European markets such as Italy are set to be highly popular investment spots this year, according to an expert.

Vanessa Bird of financial services company Baydonhill stated that locations which were close to home were likely to be hotspots for overseas property buyers during 2008.

She said the strength of the market was partly due to its broad appeal, as it was attracting a "diverse selection of buyers", such as second home buyers and retirees who wanted to move abroad.

Ms Bird commented: "The huge variety present here - in terms of age, financial circumstances and motivation for buying - is the driver behind the constant supply of purchasers."

She was speaking in response to observations from the National Association of Estate Agents, which said Britons "love" for overseas property was still strong, despite the recent problems in the global economy.

According to independent analysts at Amberlamb, the Italian province of Calabria is proving to be especially popular with foreign property buyers.