Brazil Facts Why Invest
in Property?
Also see Affordable Housing Brazil Affordable Housing Brazil
Projects
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Brazil is one of the BRIC countries (Brazil,
Russia, India, China). It is the only one to have a full democracy and low risks of war, terrorism, SARS and
hurricanes. Morgan Stanley Capital International recently reported that
Brazil has become the world’s biggest emerging market, displacing China. [1]
·
The recent discoveries of major oil
reserves are prompting predictions that Brazil could join the world's "top 10" oil producers [2].
·
Brazil is self-sufficient in energy and raw
materials, helping to insulate it from any downturn in Western and US economies. Many press reports state
that Brazil is unfazed by the
financial crisis in the US and Western Europe caused by the collapse of sub-prime mortgages and house
prices [3].
·
Inflation was 3% last year, well
below the official target. This has allowed a steady reduction of interest rates whilst much of the world has
seen increases [4].
·
Brazil’s benchmark fixed lending rate has
fallen from 21% in 2005 to 12.5% in 2007. The government of Brazil expects this to continue falling to 9.5%
by 2010 [5].
·
Brazil 's Real (R$) has risen to its highest
level for over eight years as demand for commodities plus domestic local stocks and bonds have fuelled
currency purchases [6].
·
Brazil has also built up foreign reserves of
over US$100 billion, further insulating its economy from recent global financial tremors [7].
· Foreign investment in new property
construction and real estate projects in Brazil jumped 35% to US$2 billion last year, the fastest expansion in
three years. [8]
· Starting in mid-2005, more that 25 property
companies have debuted on the Brazilian Stock Market, raising more than R$17 billion. According to
the
Sao Paulo Stock Exchange, foreign investors bought nearly
three quarters of the shares on offer [9].
· The recent
availability of 240 month mortgages (previously 60 months)
, record low interest rates and rising wages have led to record
mortgage borrowing, and government guarantees for low-income property buyers are making low cost properties
attractive [10] . Now they are at 360 months. (www.cef.gov.br)
·
The housing deficit in Brazil is
estimated at 7.9 million units . The state of Ceará in Northeast Brazil has a deficit
of 420,000 properties of which Fortaleza, the capital city of the state, has a deficit of 154,000 properties.
[11]
·
The Lula da Silva administration will
continue its effort to reduce the country's housing deficit, estimated at 7.2 million homes, by concentrating
on low-cost property for low-income families and on affordable property for middle classes. [12]
·
The Brazilian government’s Minister
for Cities stated that 2005 was a year in which the federal government of Brazil applied record funding
towards habitation - a total of R$15.3 billion (US$6.7 billion). [13]
· By 2006, driven by the record mortgage
lending of approx £5 billion British pounds (the banking industry predicted further increases in 2007) the property
development sector was beginning to address the housing demands of the low and middle
classes.
Luiz Paulo Pompeia is director of the Brazilian Enterprise for Property
Studies (EMBRAESP) and he concurs that this market sector has been neglected during the past six
years. He believes that from 2007 it will
recover strongly from having become the sector with the largest deficit. This month of May 2008 alone has
financed R$ 2,27 billions in real state in all Brazil (22.069 units). Counting these five first months of
2008 until May we have had
R$ 9,75 billion in mortgage financing in Brazil.
(ABECIP - Jornal Diário do Nordeste 27th june 2008
)
·
Improvements in housing and rural
electricity programs have been recent accomplishments in Brazil. The World Bank has played a catalytic role
through a Housing Development Policy Loan of US$502.5 million, approved in June 2005. An additional
Sustainability Loan of US$505 million has also been granted to support Brazil’s goal of balancing
economic growth with social development, plus the maintenance and improvement of environmental quality
[14].
·
The World Bank also approved a
US$501.25 million Road Transport Project to improve Brazil’s federal
road infrastructure.
· João Crestana, vice-president for urban
development for Secovi (the main syndicate of the real estate sector in the State of the São Paulo), stated in the
New York Times, (05.07.07):
"There is
a stronger demand for residential property. There is a deficit of properties and currently there are plenty of
people with money to buy them. (Construction) companies can see there is a niche market." [15]
Information
Sources:
[1] Brazil moves to top of emerging market index - Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce,
Inc. Feb 29, 2008
[2] Oil discovery rocks Brazil,November 9, 2007 CNN.com
[3] [4] [7] Bucking the trend- August 22, 2007 Guardian Newspaper
[5] Reuters - Brazil gov't sees Selic rate at 9.5 pct in 2010 (May 2007)
[6] Brazil's Real Rises to Eight-Year High on Bets Inflows to Gain, February 21, 2008
Bloomberg.com
[8] [10] Hines, Calpers May Create $800 Million Brazil Fund by August February 12, 2008,
Bloomberg.com
[9] Brazil Housing Market Gains Strength As Local Credit Grows,September, 2007, Dow Jones
Newswires
[11] João Pinheiro Foundation - Déficit Habitacional no Brasil
2005
[12] [13] Agencia Brazil
[14] World Bank – Country Brief
[15] New York Times - Loan Changes in Brazil Motivate New Buyers and Home
Building
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