By Anna Grybel and Andrea Harper

The big question is: Why are the prices so low - is it just fool's gold?

Pick up a foreign property magazine featuring Germany and it's sure to extol the virtures of Berlin with its low prices, and good rental yields, which look like a bargain for a European capital city.

But what are we actually getting for our money?

Berlin only became a capital city in 1999 following the reunification of Germany and it hasn't yet established itself as a capital city. Its economic performance is below the national average and its GDP growth rate is flat.