We can think like the chinese, a lot of people means a huge market. So if we are talking about investments, china is a good place to be in. As a bonus, it's also a beautiful country with a colorful history and culture.
I tend to agree with your flatmate. We have this stretch of land between two cities which is agricultural in nature. When rumor started about an international airport to be built smack in the middle, speculators moved in which drove the prices of lots skyward.
Buying direct from the owner can usually save you some money. However, real estate agents also exist for the purpose of checking out the property and seeing to it that they meet the local codes before putting it on the market.
How about moving to the tropics? There's always sunshine and warmth there. Several retirement villages are going up in Subic bay, Philippines, and the local cost of living is low to boot.
YOu can check with the local assessors office or registry of deeds or a similar office, they usually have an idea about prevailing market prices for land. You can also read on the classified sections of local newspapers for ads selling properties.
Hawaii is a paradise but I don't know much about it. However, I'm familiar with the Philippines and when you speak of dive spots, they have a lot of underwater paradise too. Maybe you want to check out Palawan Island.
I live in the tropics. Sorry, we are not aware of any blizzards in the temperate regions. I don't think they have much an effect on the market over here except maybe for the tourists from colder climates.
If you've got $100k to sink, you could always buy enough beach property in the Philippines to develop into a world-class resorts. There are still a lot of untapped areas in the southern portion of the archipelago.
This is interesting. What's in Dubai and Morocco other than sand and oil? BTW, if you buy a large expanse of sand in Dubai, do you also own the oil underneath it?
You could buy an island in the pacific. Ok that's too much but you could indeed buy enough land on some paradise island to develop into a resort with a golf course.