There’s good news for current and prospective property owners in Montenegro: new direct flights from London Stanstead to Tivet will be commencing in May.

Until now there have only been direct flights from the UK as far as Dubrovnik in Croatia, meaning that anyone travelling there had to arrange another means of transport to complete their journey to Montenegro. Although doable, it was a bit more of a hassle and may have put some people off buying here.

The new flights from Stanstead being launched by Montenegro Airlines will start on 4^th May 2008 and are expected to cost approximately £220. They may also be launching direct flights from London Gatwick in June.

The news about the flight introductions was welcomed by real estate experts. “The introduction of direct flights from London to Tivat is the news that Montenegro property buyers have been waiting for,” said Justin Faiz, managing director of Pluto Developments.

“Apart from increasing the ease by which property owners can visit, the new routes are expected to bolster the popularity of Montenegro as a tourist destination. The World Travel and Tourism Council has ranked it top, alongside China and India, in terms of anticipated visitor number growth,” he said.

He also adds that’s it’s likely to have a good influence on property rentals. “The positive effect on rental demand from the new flights (yields of up to 7%), combined with new laws to make land purchases easier and strong demand from Russia, should see the market buoyant even as a global slowdown takes hold.”

If you’re interested in exploring property options in Montenegro, Pluto Developments are currently marketing a new development. The Acacia Hill Apartments are located in Djenovici, a quiet fishing village on the Adriatic Coast, and consist of 36 two, three and four bedroom apartments in four buildings.

It looks like there is no real estate downturn in the UK after all … well at least in the St. James district of London, England anyways. A flat at 8 St James’s Square, located near both Buckingham Palace and 10 Downing Street recently sold off plan, reportedly for the amazing price of over 115 million pounds! The asking price for the next most expensive flat, located at One Hyde Park in London, is considerably less - at 100 million pounds.

The most expensive flat in the world

A former office building, originally constructed in the 1930s, will be home to this remarkably expensive flat and another five luxury apartments. Achilleas Kallakis’s Pacific Group is responsible for converting this building into the flats, which will vary in size from 3,600 sq feet to 9,150 square feet. Besides apartments, the building will also house a restaurant and bar on the ground floor.

Why did the St. James flat sell for so much?

Well, it appears that the main reason why this flat sold for such a high price is a simple case of supply and demand. Many people - those who can afford it that is - wish to own property in this prestigious area of London. Since it has been eight long years since a comparable St. James flat went on the market, this luxury apartment managed to sell for between 115 and 120 million pounds. In other words, luxury accommodations in ultra-exclusive areas will continue to sell for generous amounts - in spite of less than favourable real estate and economic conditions.

Ever popular St. James

St. James is bordered by Piccadilly, the Mall, and Green Park. Ever since Henry VIII built St James’s Palace in the 1530s, this area of London has been a popular locale. St. James Square, itself, was one of London’s very first squares and as such, this area was laid out in the 1670s. Famous landmarks in the general St. James neighbourhood include Spencer House, Bridgewater House, Marlborough House, Christie’s Auctions House, BP Corporate Headquarters and more.

Choosing where to buy a home overseas is a big decision, but according to new research one in four people (25%) are influenced by television and films.

When it comes to buying abroad, it’s sensible to think through the decision carefully, weighing up all the different options and working out what’s best from you. But the latest research from Foreign Currency Direct, a provider of currency for foreign property purchases, has suggested that some buyers aren’t doing that and may be following their heart, rather than their head. The FDC research has revealed that Britons are in fact following the dream depicted by their favourite scenes from films and television series.

It may sound unlikely, but the researchers identified the 10 most popular films that have inspired foreign property buys. The film that’s had the biggest influence in recent years is Tolkien’s famous Lord of the Rings trilogy, which influenced the most people to head to New Zealand to buy property. Especially so, it seems, for those living in the West Country, as they accounted for 12% of British buyers in the New Zealand.

More than one in 10 people over the age of 45 admitted to falling in love with the sunny South of France and buying a house there after watching the TV series, Life in Provence, based on the book A Year in Provence. Other films and programmes that have inspired property moves are Australian soaps Neighbours and Home and Away, the Leonardo DiCaprio film, The Beach, which was filmed in beautiful Thailand, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, which was set in Italy and Greece, and various James Bond films, which have been filmed on location in the Caribbean.

The complete rundown of top 10 films and TV series found to have influenced foreign home purchases are:

1. New Zealand - The Lord of the Rings
2. France - Life in Provence / A Year in Provence
3. Australia - Neighbours / Home and Away
4. Thailand - The Beach
5. Scotland - Monarch of the Glen
6. Caribbean - James Bond films
7. Ireland - Ballykissangel
8. Italy - The Talented Mr Ripley
9. Greece - Captain Corelli’s Mandolin
10. America - The Motorcycle Diaries

If this trend continues, perhaps the films nominated for the Oscar awards this year may inspire people to buy in Mexico (No Country for Old Men), Texas (There Will be Blood) or maybe even some day in Iraq (The Valley of Elah)?