IF you come here in France, without doubt the most productive and booming real estate industry is located in Valencia. Valencia is one of the stopovers of America’s Cup in 2009. America’s Cup is of course the most famous sailing race all over the world. This early, hotels and several resorts are now sprouting near the Valencia port. And sandwiched between these hotels are subdivisions which are slowly getting developed as the anticipated event grows nearer and nearer every day. Inland, there is also a growing surge of apartments for rent and for sale. Prices of condominium units vary and are negotiable but them each suite is furnished with lots of amenities – heater, air conditioners, an LCD screen television and everything else in between. The Spanish Grand Prix in 2008 which is supposed to take place here has sadly been scrapped though but that doesn’t mean that properties here are not hot.

Then in the Pyrenees at this time of the year, there are lots of properties for sale there too as the mountain range is emerging as the next Alps of Europe. People from the Netherlands and Sweden who have been bored going to the Alps try to ski and have some sled racing here in the Pyrenees. It is relatively cold here during winter but that definitely doesn’t dampen the mood of the tourists to stay in mountain cabins and have some fun. It’s a Spartan life in the cabin with no access to the Internet at all. Of course, there is satellite Internet connection but without because it is too costly and it doesn’t have any high-speed access, it is not worth it. But don’t worry, all you need to do is buy some DVDs and you can have a movie marathon on your vacation at the mountain cabin.

Off the coast of the Iberian Peninsula, there are also surges of properties in the Balearic Archipelago like those in Ibiza and the archipelago capital of Palma de Mallorca. Even though Ibiza is still the hottest destination for tourists and expatriates, Palma de Mallorca is slowly catching up. Most of the expatriates who have loved to stay here in Spain are having Spanish wives and you’ll love to hear from them learn the new language. The same scenes can be found in Spanish territories off the coast of Africa, the Canary Archipelago which is composed of half a dozen islands but the most famous ones are Tenerife and Las Palmas. Tenerife has a dormant volcano and this is a strategic place to live. There are villas as well as apartment units here for sale too.

Back here in Spain in nearby Portugal, the nation has also taken a slice of the pie as far as European real estate industry is concerned. The success to any real estate economy is synonymous to the success of its tourism economy. The same is true here in Portugal. Despite the Madeleine McCann kidnapping, both the tourism and real estate business continue to flourish in such places as Praia da Luz.

THIS Christmas, where will you want to spend it? I say you better spend it in a property that you will ultimately purchase. So again where will you want to spend it? I say go to Spain. Either you choose to be in Costa del Sol or in Ibiza. In Costa del Sol, there are lots of villas here for sale. Or if you want to live in an urbane area, then go to Madrid. Or else go to Paris. Paris has one of the most cramped apartments in the world but the flats there are close to luxury already. They already have wired and wireless Internet connection and cable television connection.

Or you may want to spend your Christmas in the Philippines. Don’t go to Manila. Go to some place exotic such as Cagayan de Oro or Marawi. In Marawi, it is a predominantly Muslim area so there aren’t many Christmas celebrations. In fact, it is the only Islamic city in Southeast Asia. But try to observe the rituals of the locals and you will surely appreciate it. Or you may want to go back two hours away to Cagayan de Oro.

Cagayan de Oro is famous for its white-water rafting. But you may want to stay here for the rest of your life if you’re a young retiree and you may want to check out the local beauties if you’re still a singleton. You may want to get married here and live like a prince at one of the high-end subdivisions such as Alegria Hills. Or you may want to go to the Solomon Islands this Christmas and steer yourself back to the 19th century.

That is not a mockery though. It simply is an admiration of the rural beauty of the Solomon Islands. Life is indeed very simple there. But then again, if you have come to admire the beauty of the place like the American soldiers did when they first occupied the place during World War II, who will stop you from living in such a paradise? There are other places like the Solomon Islands. Think of Fiji or Papua New Guinea. These are relatively very simple places.

Or you may want to spend your life in an entirely different but equally stunning environment – Nepal. Nepal is currently at a deadlock between being a monarchy or being a democracy but who cares about the politics of that country? Simply staying in their place, chewing on great tea leaves. Or you may want to spend Christmas in Australia. Australia is really hot this Christmas not because of the women there but literally because of the climate and the weather.

Australia is scorching at 36 degrees Celsius this Christmas because it’s the middle of summer there. That’s the only place in the world – together with New Zealand and Tonga – which spends Christmas in the heat of the sun. And it is really practiced there. They forego the Christmas Eve celebration for a midday luncheon at noon of December 25. If you want a very peculiar celebration of the season, then go to Australia.

FOR time immemorial, a house always has memories. Thus choosing a house anywhere in the planet must be decided with utmost care. After all, this is where one’s family will live for the rest of their lives including one’s kids. The kids may get married one day and separate elsewhere but in the meantime during their school years, their house will be of great value to them.

That’s why kids must have a say when choosing a house. If one is scouting for a house, then don’t hesitate to bring your kids in tow. These kids will evaluate on whether they like the size of a pool or not. The interiors of the house too must be very beautiful too. So when one has just purchased a house, always hire the opinion of an interior designer to have second views of things. The exteriors of the house must also be perfect too as the hosts of Extreme Makeover always emphasize. And pay extra care to withering plants as this is a symptom that the wooden columns in your house have been invaded by termites and other vermin. The lawn must be taken care appropriately.

Other common parts of a house in the modern world include the atrium, attic, alcove, basement, bathroom, bedroom, conservatory, family room, foyer, garage, hallway, hearth, kitchen, larder, laundry room, library, living room, lounge, nook, office, pantry, parlor, recreation room, shrines, stairwell, sunroom, storage room and workshop. A typical house class in the modern world consists of the following: single family-detached, duplex, terraced house, apartments, flats and condominiums. Amenities found in a home usually are a game console, a home entertainment system, an LCD television, a subwoofer system, cable television, a high definition DVD player, a heater, a wired and wireless high speed Internet connection, a fireplace, a dishwasher, an air conditioner, a clothes iron and a clothes dryer, among others.

Let’s take Japan as an example. A typical Japanese house is built on wooden columns. That is why wood is a prized catch in Japan and wood is not only very sturdy there, it is also very expensive as well. Some even import wood from as far as the United States across the Pacific. And a Japanese house which is erected in Tokyo is very expensive too because Tokyo and other cities in Japan are very congested and because of the immense development of the place, the price of real estate there is very steep.
To avoid moisture from the ground, the floor of a typical Japanese house is elevated from the ground at ten centimeters. Another common feature is that all of the doors are sliding. There are sliding doors as the main door, in the living room, in the kitchen, in individual rooms and in the main toilet. Sometimes individual rooms are just separated with wooden partitions.

Now let’s go to the Philippines. The Philippines has a lot of real property investments. Most of them are vacant lots though located in high end subdivisions. The subdivision developer dictates on the quality of the house to be constructed.