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Home Finance Real Estate How To Take Advantage Of The Exchange Rate
How To Take Advantage Of The Exchange Rate PDF Print E-mail
Written by Stuart M. Gray   
Sunday, 10 August 2008 19:15
The news is terrible at the moment it would seem, with global exchange rates slinking down into depressing gloom. This is bad news for businesses, and for consumers. The dollar seems shaky at the moment, and the Euro seems to be running away from the pound sterling as though it has been frightened off. Certainly investors and businesses are struggling to work out the best deals, and for the global market online, rates seem to be changing so quickly that it's increasingly important to stay on top of the game.
by RussellM.Stewart


The news is terrible at the moment it would seem, with global exchange rates slinking down into depressing gloom. This is bad news for businesses, and for consumers. The dollar seems shaky at the moment, and the Euro seems to be running away from the pound sterling as though it has been frightened off. Certainly investors and businesses are struggling to work out the best deals, and for the global market online, rates seem to be changing so quickly that it's increasingly important to stay on top of the game.

Today, because we live and work in a society which is global, exchange rates are of far more importance than they used to be, or at least, as far as most people are concerned. Today, anyone at all can shop online and find that items are being sold in different countries in different countries and at different rates. I am sure I'm not along in making sure that, when I'm buying something online, I change the currency if this is possible, to get a better deal. Some companies have static currency conversions, and if these are not updated regularly, then often very good deals can be had. I recently saved nearly fifty pounds simply by switching currencies when buying some software online!

Buying property, particularly overseas, can be a very great challenge at the best of times, but when you have to juggle the difficulties of getting your head round the exchange rates as well, it becomes a whole different ball game. A deal or price that seems good one day, and allows you to balance the books perfectly well, could look set to fall through just a few weeks further on as a direct result of the exchange rate. Remember, an exchange rate change of just a few pence to the Euro, or vice versa, could end up being the equivalent difference of several thousand pounds in the net price of the property you're after. Moving quickly isn't always possible when investing abroad, and so problems like these can be a real headache.

It isn't all bad news of course, and there are companies and opportunities which seem to either help you take advantage of the challenges which put others off, or simply challenge the rates themselves, to help offer you a better deal at what would otherwise be a tough time. I recently came across a company that helps people to invest in overseas property, and is currently offering an exchange rate which seems utterly absurd to anyone who's recently looked into the current rates. I checked today, and the current rate is 1.26 to the pound sterling, which isn't brilliant of course. However, the company I came across is still offering the same exchange rate that we saw back at the beginning of this year, at a staggering 1.40! To have what is equivalent to well over an 11% difference in exchange rates is phenomenal!

To put this kind of benefit into perspective, let's say you were looking to buy a very reasonable 150,000 property over in Spain, but were looking at an exchange rate of 1.26 to the pound - which is normal. By taking advantage of the 11% difference in rates that this company is offering, you could make a saving of over 16,500! I defy anyone who's considering overseas property investment to turn their nose up at such a chance!

If you're already experienced in the concept of overseas property investment, or you have done your preliminary research into the possibility, you'll be aware that it is highly recommended to set an exchange rate to begin with, that is agreed by all parties, so that any calculations can be worked out and don't start sliding all over the place later on, with inevitably nasty surprises. Locating a company that's not only willing to do this right from the world go, but to actually back date the exchange rate for you all the way back in time to before the currencies started sliding down the drain in the dank gutters of darkness is well worth considering. Having a currency exchange rate over 11% lower than the actual rate makes the whole concept of moving into warmer climates even warmer!

If the prospect of purchasing a property oversees at a ludicrously helpful exchange rate wasn't enough, you could also bear in mind the other benefits and advantages that this implies. Clearly we're all realistic enough to realise that property rates fluctuate, and there is never any guarantee of prices holding, and in the short term they may even dip. This is okay for those who are looking for long term investments, but if you're looking for a relatively quick sale, you may find the market less than predictable. What is predictable however is that you have a margin for error, or at least a safety margin. By purchasing a house at a highly optimistic rate, even if prices dipped by a few percent, you're protected by an enormous 11% buffer! There's nothing to stop you from selling the property on later at the normal rate - just don't tell anyone the enormous difference between the exchange rate you paid and the one you're selling at!

Investing in property overseas is never entirely plain sailing for the first time buyer, since very often the ways and rules of buying property, particularly for foreigners, can vary quite a bit from those you may be familiar with back home. There can sometimes be extra costs involved such as lawyers' fees and applications. A good company or agent should help you through all these requirements easily, but if you start off with a budget in mind, these fees can tip you a little further than you'd have hoped. Taking advantage of a really low rate such as this once I have come across helps you stretch your budget much further, and can help to make the whole process very much easier.

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