A firm specialising in international property investment has said that the feel-good factor of America's new president is responsible for an increase in the number of Britons looking to move to the United States.

According to Annette Reeve, director at Mayfair International Realty, new president Barack Obama has inspired overwhelming interest in the country by those looking to make an international payment on a new property.

Britons considering escaping the British economic downturn and making an international payment to move elsewhere might want to consider opting for somewhere in Brazil.

According to international recruitment consultancy Michael Page, the country is less likely to see its economy drop rapidly in the coming years than countries that have been harder hit by the recent recession.

Foreign investors looking to make an international payment on a property in London currently constitute a large number of enquirers into such purchases.

According to independent estate agents Douglas & Gordon, buyers are returning to the property market as values in the capital have seen greater drops than the national average.

The election of Barack Obama in November last year had a huge impact on the number of Britons looking to purchase a home in America, an expert has claimed.

According to Annette Reeve, director at Mayfair International Realty, the new president inspired great interest among UK residents looking to make an international payment on a new home in the country.

In news that may be of interest to Britons planning to make international money transfers, the Travel Association (ABTA) has teamed up with London Metropolitan Police and other organisations to launch a new anti-fraud forum.

PROFiT - Prevent Fraud in Travel - has been set up to reduce fraud within the industry, which sets the market back by more than £10 million each year.

Britons looking to emigrate to warmer climes and escape the credit crunch are being urged to head Down Under.

Australian recruiting company Elmvia was recently in Glasgow on the lookout for 300 skilled workers to fill positions in Australia, with jobs available mainly in the healthcare sector, the Herald reports.

With values for property in Croatia having risen over the past year, buyers looking to invest in the country are negotiating hard for the best deal before making a significant international payment.

Figures released last year by the Croatian Bureau of Statistics highlighted that prices rose by almost 12 per cent per square metre in the first half of last year.

Foreign exchange experts HiFX have launched a new tool that aims to reduce the cost of international money transfers by £1.65 billion.

The annual saving could be made by Britons looking for the best rates to get the most from their pound, with the service being the first to show real-time rates as they move.

UK residents looking for a property in the United States are beginning to look further afield than Florida, it has been claimed.

Britons hoping to make the best of the recently improving pound may get more for their money by investing in a property over the pond soon.

Britons planning to invest in property in Croatia might want to make use of an exchange rate calculator in the coming months, as house prices could be set to fall.

According to Croatian real estate firm Investment Group Croatia, British buyers in the country are currently dwindling in number, with many purchasers now coming from Germany and Austria.

Property investors are turning to solid and secure markets, such as America, it has been claimed.

Falling house prices have meant there are currently good deals to be found across the pond and this has increased the interest in buying homes there, explained director at Mayfair International Realty Annette Reeve.

There are plenty of deals to be had when travelling to the Caribbean, it has been claimed.

Fred Mawer, writing for the Telegraph, explained it is now high season in the popular holiday destination, which would normally mean expensive and fully-booked flights.

An increasing number of Brits are looking to live in a home by the seaside, it has been claimed.

The report by Halifax revealed that coastal areas are growing in popularity for those who are moving regions within the UK.

It showed that 16 out of 20 local authorities (80 per cent) had the highest number of people purchasing accommodation by the ocean, rather than in other locations inland.

A hedging strategy could provide more security for people who are looking to transfer money between countries, it has been claimed.

The current foreign exchange market is very volatile and there have been many unprecedented moves, explained head of private clients at World First Elisabeth Dobson.

Brits who are considering investing in a home abroad need to apply the same criteria as they would for purchasing a property in the UK, it has been suggested.

Robin Wilson, head of overseas at Rightmove.co.uk, explained buyers need to consider the location, character and facilities of the place.

New build property in the UK is "extremely over-valued", it has been claimed.

Paul Holmes, chief executive officer for Firstrung, stated many developers are still working on valuations based on 2007 and 2008 prices.

It is important they begin to adjust costs of accommodation that has been recently built to be in line with the current market, he continued.

Brits are beginning to get their confidence back in investing in overseas properties, it has been suggested.

Recently, there have been an increasing number of people from the UK selling their homes back to the locals in places such as France, explained head of private clients at currency exchange broker World First Elisabeth Dobson.

Consumers need to exercise caution when undertaking online transactions such as international money transfers, a fraud watchdog said today.

Cifas revealed results of new research carried out by Get Safe Online, which found that 23 per cent of Britons had either experienced a phishing scam - where a mocked-up email is used to extract personal data – or been friends with or related to someone who had in the last year.

It is important to be aware of currency fluctuations when considering the purchase of a property abroad, says one industry commentator.

Knight Frank's Nick Barnes explains that while there are no restrictions for residents of the European Union when buying a home in another member state, it is crucial to think about possible changes in currency exchange rates due to the sterling giving "ground" to the euro in recent months.

Property investment in Germany usually comes from people who are looking to move there for work reasons, an expert said this week.

Nick Barnes is a partner of international residential research at Knight Frank and commented on the state of the country's market during the ongoing global economic slowdown.

Bulgaria has been described as holding "attractive fundamentals" for property investment by a foreign living website.

According to Shelter Offshore, the country is "in a unique position", as it holds membership in the European Union but hasn't been as affected by the downturn as countries including Spain and Germany.

Japan has been voted the best country in the world by readers of Wanderlust magazine.

The publication's travel awards saw it in the top ten for the first time, with contributors to the poll "wowed" by its range of scenery, technology and cityscapes. It was followed by Namibia and New Zealand, the latter of which is favoured by many would-be expats who want to escape life in the UK.

Purchasing property in Brazil can work "as an investment", it has been claimed.

General manager of the Embassy of Brazil's Tourist Office Tom Falcao stated many Brits are buying second homes in the north-east and further down in the south of the Latin American country.

It is vital for businesses travellers who are jetting off to America to have insurance, it has been claimed.

This advice could also be beneficial for those who visit the states regularly to stay in property they have purchased through an international money transfer system.

The economy in the UK will "decline through all of 2009", it has been claimed.

Chief UK and European economist at IHS Global Insight Howard Archer explained the 1.5 per cent contraction the country saw in the final quarter of 2008 will possibly be the "deepest".

Brazil is a much cheaper place to live than the UK, it has been claimed.

This might make it a popular destination for property investors who are looking to purchase a house using an international money transfer system.

Proposals to ration flights would "penalise all sections of the community", it has been claimed.

Mark Tanzer, chief executive of the Travel Association, explained Lord Turner's recent plans - to limit the number of trips taken by aircraft to cut down greenhouse emissions – would "impede our liberties" and damage an already suffering economy.

Buying property in the south of Cyprus is "pretty straightforward", it has been suggested.

A lot of formalities are similar to British law when it comes to buying a home in the area and, as in the UK, it is advisable to use an independent lawyer, explained property editor at BuyAssociation Paul Collins.

"France is seen as the safest place to buy," it has been claimed.

Due to poor interest rates in this country, there is little point having money tied up in savings, explained founder and director of my-french-house.com Patrick Joseph.

Brazil is becoming one of the "economic leaders of the 21st century", it has been claimed.

Author of Live and Work in Brazil Romasa Storey explained the South American country is politically stable because president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is back in power.

Consumers should avoid using credit cards if they can pay for goods there and then, it has been suggested.

This could mean Brits who have the cash to splash on a holiday home abroad may want to use an international money transfer system, rather than rely on plastic.

Sterling is "still looking oversold and undervalued", it has been claimed.

Yesterday's decision to cut interest rates to one per cent was widely anticipated and therefore had "no negative impact" on British money, explained currency strategist at HiFX Marc Cogliatti.

The weakness of the global banking and financial system means the supply of credit remains constrained, it was reported today.

These comments, from the Bank of England, came after it announced it would cut interest rates by 0.5 per cent to one per cent.

Dubai offers "first-class facilities for both leisure and business travellers", it has been suggested.

This could make it the ideal location for Brits to invest in a property – perhaps by using an international money transfer system.

The leisure aspect of buying property overseas is attracting buyers to part with their money, it has been claimed.

Due to the current economic situation, people are not purchasing a home as an investment - instead it is the lifestyle it promises that is "really coming to the fore", explained property editor at BuyAssociation Paul Collins.

There is a case for "cautious optimism" when it comes to the housing market, it has been suggested.

Content editor of FindaProperty Michael O'Flynn explained there have recently been an increasing number of enquiries from people interested in purchasing somewhere to live.

Getting a mortgage is becoming increasingly problematic for house hunters, it has been suggested.

In a recent survey by the Building Societies Association (BSA), Brits were not concerned about the cost of borrowing but were worried about how easily they would be able to find a mortgage, explained a spokesperson from the organisation.

Brits who do not inform their bank of a trip abroad may run the risk of not being able to pay for anything while away, it has been suggested.

Before leaving the UK, people make sure they are organised when it comes to issues such as passports and money matters should be no different, explained cards expert at moneysupermarket Peter Harrison.

Certain hotspots in Thailand have been developed and priced to appeal to international buyers as well as domestic consumers, it was suggested this week.

Homesgofast.com chief executive officer Nick Marr said new flights to Phuket and Koh Samui have been created due to increasing demand for travel options that go further than the country's capital of Bangkok.

Getting properly vaccinated before departing for a different country is "very important", an expert in the travel industry has said.

Sean Tipton is a spokesperson for Abta - The Travel Association and discussed the need for some people to be inoculated against various diseases depending on their destination.