Are you thinking of relocating to Italy, for business or pleasure, or perhaps purchase a vacation home there? There are many different regions to select from, each with its own culture and climate.

First we will consider in the Tuscany region, which is absolutely gorgeous. There is seamless integration of the beautiful land here and a great variety of homes. You will be fascinated by the tiniest hamlets to largest cities like Florence. A simple walk in the country in this area will lead you through vineyards and forests and past old farmhouses and even castles. This area is also rich in culture, with several museums. Connoisseurs of both wine and fine food will be happy here as well, and for a bit of pampering, you may want to visit one of the many serene spas.

Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, with minor islands surrounding it. A little-known fact is that Sicily is a very multicultural society – it has been ruled by Africans, Asians and Europeans. To round out Sicily’s charm, those who visit and live there marvel in its history, folklore, art and archeology.

Alto Adige, on the northeast coast of Italy has many similarities to its border country of Austria. This reflected in the culture, food and recreational activities in Alto Adige. The terrain here is varied and beautiful, with alpine meadows, snow-capped peaks and waterfalls. In winter, this is a popular skiing destination, while spring and summer welcome many hikers to enjoy spectacular views of both Italy and Austria. There are, of course, beautiful valleys between the mountains.

What most regions of Italy have in common is that you will have a variety of home types to choose from. You can purchase anything from an urban loft or apartment to a farmhouse, villa or Mediterranean style home or mansion. Before settling on a choice of area, take a look at the nearby amenities.

As you can see, there is quite a variety to choose from when considering Italy as a new home or vacation destination. Regardless of what region you choose, you will be making a good investment. Though the Italian real estate market got away far better than other European real estate markets, there are still bargains to be had in this sector. As a matter of fact, a recent study by Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena indicates that the country is supporting the recovery of the housing market by extending bank credit to new purchasers, making mortgage funds nicely accessible.

There are several things a ‘foreign’ purchaser should be aware of. Italy expansion, via what they call the principle of reciprocity, the right to allow buy of Italian real estate to countries which participate in this reciprocity.

The two main steps of the buying process are usually as follows. The compromesso should and the rogito must be fulfilled – these are the commitment agreement and the implement of the final deed of sale, respectively. There are various taxes, including the VAT tax, that you will need to understand, but a good agent will make the process seemingly painless.

Farmland in Ukraine is one of the world’s most fertile and has the potential to become one of the most productive. New technology and better farming techniques are being introduced with excellent results. The ever-increasing yields from land mean that Ukraine is now among global leaders in grain sales. In 2009, Ukraine became the market leader in Spain, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt and Saudi, and also entered the Far Eastern markets of Japan and Korea for the first time.

Ukraine farmland has several advantages in a very competitive industry. Along with more effective farming methods, Ukraine has reduced freight prices. In addition, the devaluation of the Hryvnia currency has increased profitability.

Agricultural land in Ukraine is currently under-exploited. However, as the pressure for more food rises globally, more land in Ukraine is being farmed. Just a decade ago one million hectares were under crops. In 2009, Ukraine farmed 4.2 million hectares, a massive increase of 420%. Likewise, farms are getting bigger – the average farm size grew from just 28 hectares to 101 between 1999 and 2009. Reflecting this growth in agriculture are the production volumes from Ukraine land. These saw a year-on-year increase of 5% in January this year.

The rich and fertile soil found throughout Ukraine produces grains (corn, barley and wheat) and sunflower. Together with Argentina and Russia, Ukraine forms part of the so-called Sunflower Triangle. The increased quality of Ukraine sunflower crops plus a consistent export level of an average of 1.76 million tonnes over the last three years ensure that Ukraine is a leader in the sunflower industry.

But all this is just the tip of the iceberg. According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Ukraine has huge potential in agriculture, a potential that will gradually be realised over the next ten years. The recent USDA ‘Agricultural Projections to 2019′ report finds that Ukraine along with Russia and Kazakhstan will become major agricultural players by 2020.

The report says that traditional exporters such as Australia, the EU and US will “remain important in global trade in the coming decade. But countries that are making significant investments in their agricultural sectors and increasingly pursuing policies to encourage agricultural production, including Ukraine and Kazakhstan, are expected to have an increasing presence in export markets for basic agricultural commodities”.

The report highlights corn exports from the Former Soviet Union, which are predicted to rise to 8.4 million tonnes by 2019. The bulk of these exports will come from Ukraine where “favourable resource endowments, wider use of hybrid seed, and greater investment in agriculture, stimulate corn production”.

Barley is also hugely important crop for Ukraine, which together with Russia, has an almost 50% share of the world’s barley trade. According to USDA, “Ukraine became the world’s largest barley exporter in 2009 and is projected to remain so throughout the projection period (2019)”. With farming productivity increasing annually, the future for investment in Ukraine land is very bright.