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London’s luxury real estate is hotter than ever, but which neighborhood is the chicest?

According to Beauchamp Estates, a company specializing in ultra-prime property, 92 private palaces with prices above £15 million were purchased in 2022, up from 40 in 2021 and a paltry 17 in 2020.  Wealthy Americans looking to capitalize on the strong US dollar against the pound and investors from India, the Middle East, and the rest of Europe seeking a safe haven for their fortunes have all contributed to the recent uptick in demand for luxury townhomes, sprawling penthouses, and tasteful period conversions in the United Kingdom. Where, however, is the poshest address that can be found?  Nearly a third

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London’s foreign investment slows as China pulls back.

After experiencing years of instability that reduced the river of foreign money that previously poured into the metropolis, the London real estate market is preparing for a key 2023. According to MSCI statistics, foreign investment in London real estate reached £12.4 billion ($15 billion) in 2022. Foreign investment dropped significantly from £30.5 billion in 2015, before the twin shocks of Brexit and the COVID-19 outbreak. Uncertainty about property prices as interest rates increase and after political upheaval precipitated by September’s mini-budget threatens London’s longstanding ability to attract vast tracts of foreign investment. MSCI figures reveal that in 2022, foreign investors

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IMF anticipates Thailand’s recession.

The IMF’s leader has predicted that the global economic downturn would hit Thailand and the rest of Southeast Asia hard this year. Kristalina Georgieva predicts that one-third of the world’s economies will be in recession this year. This would include Thailand and Vietnam. With the United States, European Union, and China all experiencing economic slowdowns in 2023, the 69-year-old Bulgarian economist predicts that next year will be “tougher” than the previous one. Russia and Ukraine’s crisis, increasing costs, rising interest rates, and the spread of Covid-19 in China all weigh on the global economy, leading to this forecast. According to

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Real Estate Markets to Stabilize in 2023 After the Pandemic Bust

A lot may change in a year. Real estate markets throughout the globe were facing high prices, little supply, and significant demand at the start of 2022. Since central banks started increasing interest rates this spring, the outlook for 2023 has shifted substantially. Even while house prices are dropping and properties are sitting on the market for longer than usual, many professionals see this trend as more of a normalization rather than a correction. From March 2020 to March 2022, business activity and price increases were relatively high. In fact, it has already begun. Knight Frank found that the annual

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Are Scotch Whisky Casks a better Investment Than Property … or Gold?

What is it about whisky? It’s enigmatic to the point of ecstasy. It is possibly the only true, ahem, liquid investment. Property is, to quote the 1980s comedy Airplane!, up, down and all over the place as of January 2022. Quantitative easing, the printing of money by central banks to combat the pandemic, will grind to a halt this year. Inflation is soaring. As are interest rates. Fortunately, whisky has been outperforming markets since, we well basically, people started selling it.  Whisky also has the benefit of being widely tradeable and is consumed in almost every country in the world

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Global Britain ready for the world stage

There has been much speculation around the ‘Global Britain’ slogan adopted by the UK, but the vision is now clearer with the recent publication of the Integrated Review of UK’s Defence, Security, Development and Foreign Policy. More than just branding, ‘Global Britain’ is a forward-thinking and tech-driven roadmap towards domestic and international resilience. Britain’s declaration of its international ambitions comes at a time when liberal alliances are fraught, nations struggle from societal polarisation, and democracy is being undermined. Thus, it is heartening to see the Review underscore the UK’s unique strengths and why the world welcomes this incarnation of Global Britain. The

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