by Stewart M. Russell

No one can deny that the advent of the world wide web and the technology of the internet has led to some exciting possibilities, but in my experience one in particular stands out head and shoulders above the rest. This is the web cam, or web camera, a small device which can cost as little as a keyboard, but which is capable of extraordinary things. With one of these devices, you can broadcast live video, of pretty good quality, across the internet for anyone whose interested to have a look. It’s possible to pick a country – even a specific location, anywhere in the world – and enjoy a live video image of that place within a few mouse clicks.

For those people looking at investing overseas, one of the biggest and most significant decisions that they need to make right from the start is which country to invest in. There are plenty of websites, books and leaflets offering advice and information about a variety of possible locations, and in many cases these surprise people with possibilities that might not otherwise have been considered. Some people just go for the most traditional countries, such as Spain, but many people choose to buy into countries that are just starting to creep onto the radar as far as investment is concerned. But the problem is that photographs can be doctored, or taken on a particularly extraordinary summer’s day.

Overseas investors may seem to flit their attention from one country to another, from one continent to another, and the world suddenly seems a very small place indeed. Even those people who plan to go on holiday no longer seem as content with traditional resorts but instead turn their attention to little known locations that are less populated. We live in a world that is shrinking as a result of global technology, global business, cheap travel and online booking arrangements. We hardly have to leave the house to organise a trip to the other side of the world, yet there are still the miles to consider, and visiting several countries is still going to take time.

Web cams of course offer a wonderful solution here, since they are able to allow you to see a country or location for yourself, without ever having to leave your arm chair. For those looking into the idea of investing overseas, or even those looking at taking a holiday somewhere new, being able to see live footage from that place means that they can judge for themselves whether the photos in the leaflets are anything close to being representative.

There is something to be said for being able to peer through the fog and gloom of a winter at home, or through the window at work, and then with just a couple of clicks, admire the warm sun and crashing waves of the place you’d rather be. Possibly you’ll be able to admire the very same view you saw on holiday yourself, or will be shortly, or it could even be the view from your very own property, if you own somewhere abroad yourself.

Web cams offer another very real advantage for those who have purchased property abroad and are planning to let it out for at least some of the time. Your customers may well be delighted with the wonderful photographs you can show them, but as with anyone, they may have doubts as to what it really is like. If you have a web cam, or access to a web cam that’s based nearby, you can simply allow your potential residents to check it out, and see exactly what the place and the climate is like, at any time of the day or night.

Besides being excellent selling points, web cams also have the added benefit of helping to increase the security of your property whilst you are away. If you have a web cam overlooking your property, or even facing into the building itself, then you have the ability to observe it at any time, wherever you happen to be. With the majority of cameras coming with the ability to video only if they detect movement, these represent cheap but effective security features, although obviously if you do let the building out, your residents will need you to remove these cameras for their own dignity and privacy.

I really do find it amazing that I can sit here, and admire the sun sparkling off the waves as they roll gracefully in to the golden bay of Javea, whilst outside my window it looks bleak, and grey, and damp. With web cams able to offer live video from anywhere in the world, and virtual tours of properties thousands of miles away, I can only sit in wonder, and imagine just what we can look forward to in the future, to help make our world yet smaller?

About the Author:
If you have moment, take time to check out a superb Javea webcam that has just been installed on the Javea beach in Spain. Now you can see realtime weather on the Javea News website as well as a great realtime flight timetable for Valencia airport.

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