Hi,
We are thinking of investing in property particularly the Gulf Shores, Alabama. Does anyone know if this is a good area to invest in please. Cheers

Do you think the US market has bottomed out or is close to doing so?
If not keep your cash earning interest and jump in when you think the time is right.
If you feel it already has then now is as good a time as any.
Cash is king in the US as in most other struggling areas. Bargain hard - be ruthless. Know when to walk away and try to know when the other guy is likely to want to walk away. You are in the drivers seat and make sure the individual/agent you are dealing with knows this - without being ignorant or worse arrogant of course.
My feeling is, and I have very high powered advisors in the USA that the worse is not yet over and it may be to your advantage to be patient a while longer and be ready to move fast once you feel confidence is returning.
My personal choice for coastal investment in the US would be the Carolinas and Georgia down through to Jacksonville.
Others may disagree. Go over, take a look for yourself, do your homework. Taking into account tax/ease of management/cost of such if you are going to be absent/work permits/visitors visa etc etc etc.
Personally, unless you intend to live there or have other business interests, I feel you would be better off investing closer to home. You can diversify your portfolio throughout Europe with half the headaches distance will give you and there are depressed markets here (coastal) which should not escape your radar.
I wish you luck and have fun doing the homework - it's part of the thrill of getting it right. I have just bought four building plots (des res types) in Florida at absolute rock bottom prices (distressed sales) but it'll be at least a year before I consider either building or selling on.

Where and for about how much?

I am following Florida, Arizona and New Mexico markets. I am not sure how fast will the property taxes decrease in Florida after the crash...

Near Crystal River. N of Tampa. I wish my crystal ball covered foreseeing taxes and the whims of local governing bodies, most times I've tried to second guess them I've been wide of the mark. Most times I grit my teeth, let them do whatever they wish and then respond to it. Looking at foreclosures in Georgia next week, thus far the figures seem to add up in my favour but who knows how the US market will behave in the short term. Long term it will come back - nothing is forever.

I would suggest you look at the Georgia coast near St Marys just above the Florida border. Also downtown Atlanta. Both these areas still have rapidly increasing populations and soon GA will begin to phase out state tax for retirees.

Be carefull of foreclosures as lots are in suburbs where overbuilding took place such as ringing outer Atlanta. Better to buy intown in a gentrifying area. IMHO Atlanta is still way underpriced and has never seen a bubble with steady appreiciation of 3-5%.

Check out the link for the beltline in Atlanta: http://www.beltline.org/



PS I forgot to mention there is a planned international airport for Panama City which may increase gulfshores. The town of Fairhope is very nice.