Despite the fact that the property boom in Australia has recently slowed, the governor of Australia's central bank gave a strong hint today that the bank may raise interest rates soon for the first time in over one year.

"It's more likely that interest rates will go up - we look around the world and see that this is happening in other countries as well," Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Ian Macfarlane told a federal parliamentary committee in Sydney.

Australian interest rates currently stand at 5.25%.

With property prices in much of the UK having stagnated in recent months, a growing number of investors are increasingly looking overseas for investment opportunities, with most investors targeting emerging markets.

According to a recent survey conducted by the Homebuyer Show, close to 40% of investors looking to buy abroad are prepared to invest in emerging markets, while 19% favour beach resorts.

The survey also found that the majority of overseas investors are looking for long-term capital gains rather than buying a holiday home, with countries such as Bulgaria, Croatia, and the Czech Republic all proving most popular amongst investors.

Nick Clark, managing director of The Homebuyer Show said: "Buying a property overseas has been a distant dream for many people for a long time, but in reality the process is becoming a lot easier."

Sun, Sea, Sand, Property!

Great food, fabulous weather and luxurious beaches, the Carribbean has always been a popular holiday destination amongst the British. Now due to a number of large-scale developments driving property price down and the dollar proving weak, an increasing number of investors are buying homes in the Caribbean and in particular Barbados.

Arabian Heights Residences.

Arabian Heights Residences, a new Dh300 million (£40m) project, which will form part of the residential cluster of the Dubai Silicon Oasis, which is set to become the centre of the region's semiconductor business, was launched yesterday. The construction of the 440-apartment complex (which will be offered on a freehold basis) is set to begin during the latter part of 2005, and is due for completion by the fourth quarter of 2007.

Dr. Mohammad Al Zarooni, Chief Executive of Dubai Silicon Oasis, said: "The Arabian Heights development will play an important role in achieving our goal of making Dubai Silicon Oasis one of the world's leading centres of advanced electronic innovation, design and development."

As the first residential development announced for Dubai Silicon Oasis, officials said, Arabian Heights promises to be in high demand. Prices for studios to two-bedroom apartments will range from Dh330,000 to Dh1.2 million, including parking.

Paris Will always be Popular.

While many investors have turned their attentions to new up and coming property markets in places such as Bulgaria or Dubai. Others still prefer investing in more traditional locations such as Paris. The ever-popular French capital is always going to attract tourists no matter what time of year it is and the best thing is that tourist rentals traditionally yield the best return, with upmarket properties located in Paris's town centre particularly popular. Some forecasters predict that prices may rise by as much as 15%, while rental returns of 6.5% to 7% remain realistic. Further more, French mortgages remain cheap thanks to low interest rates, which are currently less than 3.5%.