When it comes to movie stars, although he isn’t worth the top guys on the Forbes rich list, the richest actor in the world is Will Smith, worth over $400 Million, well on his way to reaching the billionaire status we all dream of. On the rest of the list of the world’s richest movie stars at number two is Johnny Depp, followed byEddie Murphy, then Mike Myers. Also in the category of sports personalities is the richest footballer, David Beckham. The amount of money some people are worth is astonishing, from sports players to program inventors; these are some seriously wealthy people!

Being the person on top of this list is an achievement that anyone would strive to reach, and Bill Gates being that person for many years, has only recently been beaten by the Mexican Tycoon Carlos Slim Helu. However, the “world’s richest” title changes every so often so keeping their names exactly where they want them isn’t always easy. Some of them don’t ask for this to happen, but when you are so good at what you do and people love you, they will be willing to pay millions, sometimes billions to have you on their side as this pushes up their own rating too. keep checking the Forbes Rich List to see if Carlos gets beaten any time soon!

You can also purchase Cape Town investment property from estate agents, if you like, but you are bound to get it cheaper from bank repossessions property auctions. It doesn’t make a difference whether you are looking for commercial or residential properties, you are sure to find a decent cheap real estate that will be an advantageous investment. You can’t really go wrong with properties; you can live in them yourself, rent them out for an extra monthly income or renovate and sell for a whole lot more than what you bought it for. The choice is yours, but think about it for a while before you make a decision.

You can ask at your nearest banks if they have any upcoming repossession auctions on properties and get the details so that you can attend and see what they have to offer. There are many suburbs in Cape Town, so before you purchase something do a bit of research on the area it is in if you don’t know anything about it so you have an idea of what to expect. Cape Town investment property is a good opportunity for anyone who has some extra cash that they would like to invest.

You really have to think carefully as there are so many options that one can choose from when it comes to investment opportunities in South African properties, but it all depends on their knowledge and ability to sniff out a good deal when they see one. To ensure good returns, don’t choose any companies that haven’t made great profits in a long time, or if it is the stocks you are going for, make sure your shares will benefit you by thinking ahead. By investing your capital into bank repossessions, be it properties or businesses, you will always have something to fall back on.

You can’t just buy a house anywhere at anytime, you have to know and understand how the property market works and strike when it is at its peak. By just doing your own thing, you are basically jumping into an alligator pit blindfolded; it is not the most sensible thing to do! If you really don’t know your way around when it comes to large amounts of money, get a professional in to help you and together you can determine which of the investment opportunities in South African properties will be best for you.

Make sure the house is the type that you want when you are looking to buy a bank repossessed home as an investment. However, if the house is not entirely what you had in mind, you could always fix it up a little and make some small alterations if that is what you think you need to do. The condition of the houses will depend on how the bank chooses to sell them; you might get the houses looking a little out of shape for a cheaper price, or the bank will have them fixed up before they put them on the market and sell them for a little more. Repossessions take place all the time, so it is up to you to keep up with them when you are looking to invest your money in something worthwhile. Auctions are always the best place to start; ask your nearest bank for more details on their auctions.

Remember that you have many options and shouldn’t give up easily, to buy a bank repossessed home as an investment takes time.

House Sales in South Africa

House sales in South Africa are increasing every year, because people cannot afford the payments anymore. Nowadays, many people will agree that renting a house instead of scouring the market to buy one is much cheaper, although in many upper class areas letting is more expensive, it is still much cheaper than buying. This is also another reason why many people are looking into house repo auctions. This is also a great way to get your hands on a house. It is a cheaper alternative, but not always the solution. There are many houses going for sale around the country, but for many people all they can do is fantasize.

With the increase in house sales in South Africa, today having an ordinary job will not get you your dream home. You will be forced to rent a house and most of the time you will find yourself living in an area where houses to let are cheap and there are no other option. With the increase in house sales around the country, you can visit your bank and see if they will be able to finance you, if you do decide to attend an auction. It is much easier to get a loan today compared to years ago. If you are willing to take this route, it could work, and for many people this could be the only solution to buying a house.

Have a look at what is available on the internet and see what houses are up for sale. Once you have a list of houses, contact your bank or visit any one of the ABSA, Standard Bank, FNB or Nedbank branches and see if you can get a bond. Depending on your salary, an amount will be worked out for you. If you are happy with it, go house hunting. House sales in South Africa are increasing and making it hard for the average person to own one.

When the property market recovers, those who invested in repossessed property and land around SA are going to reap the rewards and great those rewards will be for some. As the banks have to repossess more and more homes and houses nationwide over time, so these assets are going to have to be sold at cheaper prices in order for the financial providers to get any kind of return on them. As time goes by, not only are people losing their houses but also people are reluctant to spend at bank repossession auctions in South Africa which means that the lists and catalogues of property in possession from the banks is simply getting longer.

Auctions are public events and being held in Cape Town, Gauteng, Durban, Bloemfontein and other parts of the country regularly and anyone who qualifies can join in the bidding at an event. There are of course rules and guidelines to follow for anyone looking to buy property through one of the auctions nationwide so it is wise if you are interested to speak to a member of the bank whose event you plan on attending and participating in. It is extremely sad to think how many South Africans are losing homes due to their financial troubles but the bottom line is we all make choices and those losing a house are more often people that made the wrong choices. A good starting place for those interested in viewing catalogues and seeing lists of bank repossessed property for sale in SA is on the bank websites online.

Bank auctions selling repossessed houses in Cape Town are an event that intimidates many as the whole bidding process maybe unfamiliar territory. This is fair enough and there are usually staff on hand to assist in explaining the process and how things work. Investors with large amounts of capital finance will find themselves in a strong position to snatch up some real bargains that will give an excellent return in the years to come. That is not to say that a buyer needs massive amounts of capital at the ready though, ABSA, Standard Bank, FNB and Nedbank among others all offer mortgage bond loans that can be used to purchase property in possession.

One thing that should be noted is that houses and business premises that are being sold by the banks due to repossession have often been neglected by the previous tenants due to a lack of finances. Certain lists of properties exist which offer a potential buyer the opportunity to visit and inspect premises before attending an auction event and getting involved with the bidding. Whether you have a large capital sum of money to invest or you are a first time buyer needing finance from the bank, you have an excellent opportunity given the global climate currently to buy repossessed houses in Cape Town as a wise investment choice for future profits.

Among many keys to getting involved with property investments in South Africa is once again location. Buying and selling in the right areas can be the difference between any investor making just a little or a lot of money as profit. Tips include looking for areas where new industrial areas are being built as this will lead to jobs and also people wanting to live in the area and therefore more housing developments and homes. So if you discover a place where a lot of commercial building is going on it may be worth investing in some vacant land or in plots available on new housing developments near by.

Estate agents in the immediate areas where properties are available to buy will be able to assist in locating potentially worthwhile solutions for beginners to the sometimes intimidating world of investing. Keep your eyes open when it comes to dealing with estate agents, they work on a commission basis and they could be pushing to sell land or homes that they have had trouble selling, use your common sense and be careful. Also, their commission is normally negotiable so you can negotiate with estate agents in order to pay the lowest amount of commission possible on a sale. Now is a good time to find deals worth considering and property investments in South Africa are considered a decent choice for those looking for making some nice profits.

It’s never too late to begin investing in real estate or considering the returns available with getting involved in the property markets. Amongst opportunities for potential investors is overseas property investment. There are a lot of untapped property markets throughout the world which in the form of rental yields or short and medium long term capital growth can offer the investor some great returns. Countries such as Bulgaria, Croatia, Turkey and Hungary are a few examples that maybe worth considering for those interested in overseas property investment opportunities.

For an investor looking for a lower risk alternative to the stock and commodity markets, real estate may be the best option as the markets do not rise and fall rapidly. Bargains are difficult to find in rising property markets whereas in a market where values are falling getting property at good prices becomes much more likely.

Learning about strategies as well as trends in both the local and overseas property markets is a key to success and getting help from professionals is the ideal way to make sure any real estate investments you decide to go ahead with become successful and profitable.

Offshore Unit Trust Funds - Known as mutual funds everywhere else in the world but South Africa, offshore unit trust funds are the main generic investment product marketed to South Africans. For this reason many future articles within this website will deal exclusively with offshore unit trust funds.

Life Assurance Endowment Policies - Life assurance endowment policies are marketed in South Africa on a limited basis, mainly by South African life assurance companies with offshore operations, but a wide range of choice is available in offshore jurisdictions.

Property - Property is becoming an increasingly popular foreign investment.

Direct Securities Investment - These are direct investments into either bonds or shares.

Private Equity Investments - In the main private equity investment takes the form of South Africans either establishing an offshore company or buying shares as investment opportunities in an existing company or companies.