Margaret Thatcher's former home is to go on the market for up to US$ 59.5 million after wealthy foreign buyers have been attracted by its "blue plaque effect". The house in Belgravia, London, will go up for sale after its current owners complete a major refurbishment project which will include two basement floors and a connection to a mews property behind. The new owners are thought to have arranged an extension of the lease and after initial renovation work. However, workmen are now expected to convert the house into a far larger "iceberg home" with a number of subterranean rooms totaling around 650 square meters. The extensive work being carried out by developers Leconfield Property Group is not expected to be finished until next year, but already potential buyers are interested in acquiring the property because of its historic association with the former Prime Minister. Estate agents in Belgravia say the connection with Lady Thatcher, who was Prime Minister between 1979 and 1990, will add to the property's value. It is expected a figure of around US$ 59.5 million could well be realized as trophy-hunter buyers from the US or Middle East bid against each other to own the home of such a famous figure. Lady Thatcher stayed at the five-storey house until December 2012 when she was unable to use the stairs. Blue plaques commemorate the link between notable figures of the past and the buildings in which they lived and worked. London's blue plaques scheme, which is run by English Heritage, was founded in 1866 and is believed to be the oldest of its kind in the world.

Croatian authorities allowed non EU country citizens to buy property in the country. Previously, non EU country citizens had to launch a company to register property. After signed agreement on real estate sale between parties, the contract must be approved by the Ministry of Justice, and only then the ownership certificate can be received. However, according to experts, registration procedure is very simple and there are not limitations for foreign buyers. According to Global Property Guide, real estate prices in Croatia have not recovered from 2008 crisis. In 2009, they felt by 6.5 per cent, in 2011 - 3.3 percent, in 2013 - 4.9 percent. Analysts believe that Croatia entry into the European Union last year and permission for foreigners to buy real estate will improve the situation in the market. In 2012 Turkey's Parliament also has approved a law that eases restrictions on the sale of land and real estate to foreign citizens and firms despite harsh objections from opposition parties.

The bidding war for the dirtiest hotel in America is about to come to an end with the winning bid expected to be around US$180 million. "It's the dirtiest, and best located hotel in New York City," Lawrence Wolfe, who has been handling the sale for the seller, told. "It was under-managed and neglected." The 600-room Hotel Carter, just off New York's Times Square on West 43rd Street, was a three-time "winner" of Tripadvisor's dirtiest hotel in America survey. Recent guests said the problems are far from fixed. "The location's great, but there's no hot water in the shower, " one guest exiting the hotel told CNBC. Her room rate? Just over US$ 200 for the night, she said. First opened in the 1930s as the Hotel Dixie, the Carter recently has been tied up as the estate of the former owner is settled. In recent years it has been in the news for code violations as well as a homicide. The sale, expected in the US$ 180 million range, will be followed by a full-gut renovation that will cost US$ 100 million to US$ 125 million, Wolfe said. It hasn't yet been determined if the hotel will close during renovations or if it will undergo construction in phases. When it reopens, it will remain an independent hotel, he said.

London's biggest and most expensive office building, HSBC's global headquarters, is up for sale at what would be a record price for the British market, in a sign that the capital's -commercial property market is booming again, reported The Financial Times. The 44-storey, 102 thousand square meters building in Canary Wharf, east London, is being -marketed by the estate agents JLL and GM Real Estate for offers above US$ 1.85 billion, say sources with knowledge of the property. The HSBC tower became the most expensive building in London when it sold for US$ 1.83 billion at the height of the UK property boom in 2007. HSBC has a 13-year lease on the building and is 0committed to annual upward-only inflation-linked rent reviews, according to sources familiar with the tenancy arrangements. This would make it an attractive proposition for investors seeking a hedge against inflation. Last year, HSBC ruled out the possibility of relocating its headquarters to Hong Kong, opting to stay in the UK despite stricter European restrictions on bankers' bonuses. The building was designed by Foster + Partners and built in 2002, and HSBC raised almost US$ 1.85 billion by selling it to the Spanish property company Metrovacesa, only to take ownership back in-house in late 2008 when Metrovacesa hit financial difficulties. The South Korean national pension fund NPS then bought the building - whose address is 8 Canada Square - from HSBC the following year for nearly US$ 1.34 billion. NPS, which is being advised by JPMorgan, is seeking to sell in order to free up funds to take advantage of other opportunities across Europe. The London market has seen just two deals at higher prices than NPS's US$ 1.85 billion target; but both involved multiple-building estates rather than single assets. Late last year Blackstone sold its 50 percent stake in the City's Broadgate office -complex to Singapore -sovereign wealth fund GIC, and Armenian billionaire Dikran Izmirlian sold the More London estate to the Kuwait state property company St Martins. Both deals were reportedly priced at about US$ 2.85 billion.

According to Bloomberg, for last 14 months The Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund completed almost US$ 6.88 billion of deals including US$ 2.5 billion of real estate deals. Now Greece is preparing a property portfolio valued at as much as US$ 688 million to offer to investors by the end of this year. The properties will include leased city buildings, homes and development land. The Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund was created in 2011. Greece is selling everything from land to ports and airports as part of a US$ 331 billion bailout from Europe and the IMF. The asset fund has a mandate to raise US$ 15.2 billion by 2016. The original target after the first bailout in 2010 was for US$ 69 billion by 2015. Greece holds an extensive privatization program to increase revenue and reduce the budget deficit. In March 2013 Greece's cash-strapped government detailed its plans to sell 28 state-owned buildings on long-term lease, including tax offices, ministry buildings, and the main police headquarte's Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund announced, that one of the best real estate properties - the Athens former airport in the coastal area of Athens Ellinikon will be sold. Earlier Greece HRADF has identified 40 uninhabited islands and islets that could be leased for as long as 50 years to reduce debt as pressure grows on the country to revive an asset-sales plan key to receiving international aid. At the beginning of 2012 Archaeological treasures including the temple of Delphi, the most popular site after the Acropolis, were available as backdrops for filming and photographic shoots.