It’s possible to invest in funds which purchase and manage property in Spain, Slovenia, Poland, Bulgaria, Croatia etc., etc. These funds work just like any other general investment fund. The investors’ money is pooled and fund managers then purchase a range of investments – in this case a range of properties in various locations – and manage them.

Anyone looking to invest in such a property fund should expect a minimum investment of around 10,000 - 20,000 with a 1% upfront fee, a 1% management fee and a performance fee. Obviously charges and investment rates vary from fund to fund and returns are not guaranteed.

There is still room for expansion in popular property hotspots of Spain, France, Italy and Portugal. The markets in these countries are proven, strong and ever popular, and if you head off beaten track, away from main tourist destinations and airports you are still likely to find significant property investment opportunities.

New flight routes and new areas of interest in these European destinations are attracting more property investors month on month and word in market is that if you are interested in these countries you should consider northern parts of Costa Almeria or Costa Calida in Spain for example, Costa de Prata in Portugal or Languedoc, Cote d’Azur and surprisingly, Paris in France.

Further afield Dubai and Florida are established, proven markets with room for growth, Bahrain and Canada are countries worth considering, as are New Zealand and South Africa. The latter is of particular interest to speculators as it is set to host world cup in 2010, Rand is weak, political situation is stable, it is possible to buy yourself out of crime hotspots and scenery is diverse, breath taking and stunning and property market is definitely hot!

If you are considering property investment for first time or are keen to increase your presence in real estate investment market place, make sure you are comfortable with any investment before you go ahead and sign on dotted line. Read around and do plenty of research - internet is a great place to start – research country you are considering investing in, and any investment, real estate or legal company you are considering getting involved with. Seek independent advice and always keep in mind that value of any investment can go down as well as up.

To your success – cheers!

PAY YOUR BALANCES MONTHLY That’s right – have enough money set aside for purchases you intend to make that you never carry a balance on your credit card. Basically, you are using bank’s money as leverage in your transactions – if a purchase goes bad, bank will intercede on your behalf. Keep your money in an interest-bearing account (checking, savings, or money market), and earn money while you let bank cover your purchase for 25 to 45 days.

MAKE YOUR LARGEST PURCHASES THE DAY AFTER YOUR CARD’S CLOSING DATE Every credit card has a “closing date”, or a date when bank posts all of your charges and payments and generates your statement. If you make a charge to account day after card’s closing date, you’ve given yourself almost 2 months to pay for that charge. It will be another month before bank closes your account for that month and generates your statement, and then you normally have 2 to 3 weeks as your “grace period” for payment. That’s seven weeks you can have money in your bank account earning interest for you. Having a line of credit is a necessity in our society if you intend to purchase a house, car, or other big-ticket item that requires an established payment history. Using your credit cards wisely can help you establish your credit, lets your money work for you, and gives you ability to contest charges in event you purchase a lemon without having to worry about getting a refund or finding individual who has scammed you. Just be sure that what’s in your wallet is your friend, not your master.