2007 may be a very bad year for the housing industry in the United States but let’s see what’s in store for us in 2008. In the Philippines, the housing industry is in full boom. In Cagayan de Oro City at the northern tip of Mindanao, there are two high-end subdivisions that are in full swing. In Makati City, the central business district of the country, a dozen high-rise condominiums for the upper middle class are likewise under construction. In Dubai, high-end subdivisions are continuing to be developed too as their counterparts in the hospitality industry, the hotel sector, has also made continuing prolific adjustments by creating more high-rise hotels with lots of innovations in architecture and structural designs.

Market analysts say properties in Sicily will mostly be unaffected by any economic crisis this year thus retirees who want to stay in a foreign country for good may have Sicily in mind. In Sicily, a typical seaside villa has the usual amenities and a stunning view of the dormant Etna volcano. However, there are no nudist resorts in Sicily since even though it is not located at the Italian mainland, it is still Italian territory and Italy hosts Catholicism. But if what you want is to stay near a nudist beach, then better go to Agde in France. Agde is host to Cap d’Agde, the largest nudist resort in the world. It is not just a beach, it is a nudist hotel, shopping mall and golf course rolled into one. If you are not looking for a new home, then repossessed ones will do. There will be an expected total of 45,000 repossessed homes this year.

For investors, London, Tokyo and Shanghai still remain to be the lucrative places to invest in real estate. The particular place to invest in London is in Westminster and the area near Hyde Park. If you are a property investor and you are eyeing to put up a condominium in Tokyo, you need to employ bilingual staff who can speak both Nippongo and English. Meanwhile, Shanghai has its share of luxurious real estates too because without doubt, it is the richest city in mainland China and its growth for the past three decades has been phenomenal.

Valencia City in Spain is not to be outdone too since there are already various luxurious subdivisions rising along its coastline in anticipation of America’s Cup – yes, that premier sailing race in the world – which will have its stopover in the summer of 2009. Palma de Mallorca off the coast of the Iberian Peninsula is the fastest growing destination in the Balearic Archipelago and this phenomenon too has spurred a growing number of expats living there. That is also true in Praia da Luz and other Mediterranean havens in Portugal as well as the Mediterranean coastlines of France. So wherever you are in the world, don’t panic that the housing industry crisis in the United States isn’t over yet because it is just contained there.