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Ask most people what comes to mind when they think of Brazil and football, parties and sunshine would be their immediate answer. A few might mention music – the bossa nova, made famous by performer Astrud Gilberto, most notably with the song The Girl from Ipanema, originates in Brazil – film buffs would mention recent acclaimed film City of God, but few people would say, “Ah, yes, Brazil. I know someone who has a property there.” Well not yet maybe, but that’s all changing.
Roy Bristow, marketing manager of leading overseas property website, New Skys (www.newskys.co.uk), notes that purchasing property in Brazil is for the adventurous among us. “At the present time, Brazil is a good investment choice because it is cheap and unexposed, where you can purchase beachfront property for a fraction of the price you’d pay in Europe,” he says. “However, it is still a long haul destination and not really practical for those who are looking for a regular holiday destination.”
On a good day the flight to Salvador airport in the country’s northeast region of Bahia will take around 12 hours from the UK – hardly weekend break territory, but for a week or two not too onerous. BA flies direct to the country, as does Brazilian airline TAM (www.flytamairlines.com). Flight prices vary depending on the season but can be bought from around £450 return. Talking of seasons, bear in mind that Brazil has a vastly different climate to that in the UK.
A vast country – its northeast is on the equator and its southern regions on the tropic of Capricorn – the climate varies from tropical regions north of Rio de Janeiro to more temperate ones south of the city. The seasons are the opposite of those in Europe – summer is November to March and winter is June through September. Average summer temperatures range from 25-40 degrees Celsius.
Of course, that is the appeal of Brazil for many of us: our summer equals their winter. So if you’re considering buying for personal use or for investment purposes you will have the sunshine as a major draw, but where would you be best advised to buy for profit or pleasure?
“Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo remain the most popular and stable investment areas. However, housing prices in these areas are the highest in the country,” says Bristow. “The northeast of Brazil is predicted to be the hotspot for investment property, with the government continuing to invest in infrastructure and tourism facilities. The area also has the lowest crime rates and the highest quality of life ranking in the country.”
Specifically, look to the fastest growing real estate areas in the country’s northeast regions of Bahia and Ceara. Places such as Praia do Pipa in the state of Rio Grande do Norte and Jericoaquara in Ceara have become very popular with European travellers and property buyers, largely because the region has some of the most stunning beaches and coastline in the country – and a near perfect tropical climate.
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