Pop star Joel sells Miami mansion
By Andrew Batt: Pop star Billy Joel has sold his Miami Beach waterfront mansion for a reported US$13.75 million.The 8,880 sqft luxury property on La Gorce Island features seven bathrooms, nine bathrooms, two kitchens and a four-car garage.The sale, which was handled by Sotherby’s Real...
Continue Reading • 13 Jun 2013
High prices at new condo will test buyer demand: analysts
By Nikki De Guzman:J Gateway (pictured), an upcoming condo in Jurong East, is expected to sell units for as much as S$1,600 psf — a price that will test buyer demand for suburban homes, according to analysts.Developed by MCL Land, the 738-unit project is expected to sell a 474sq ft...
Continue Reading • 12 Jun 2013
Singapore is Asia's most competitive city
By Nikki De Guzman:Singapore landed on the third spot among the world’s most competitive cities by 2025, according to a recent report by leading global bank Citigroup (Citi).Titled “Hot Spots 2025: Benchmarking the Future Competitiveness of Cities,” the list assessed and ranked...
Continue Reading • 12 Jun 2013
Chinese splash cash in Portugal
By Andrew Batt: Chinese property buyers and investors have been buying big in Portugal, with one agent reporting sales worth more than €25million in just two and a half months.Real estate agency Fine & Country recently took part in a Beijing property show and promoted the ‘Golden...
Continue Reading • 12 Jun 2013
Good response to FEO's Siena
By Andrew Batt:Far East Organization’s launch of its latest residential development was well received with 13 of the 30 units at The Siena being secured by buyers during last weekend’s debut.Located in Bukit Timah, The Siena, is the fifth project under the developer’s SOHO...
Continue Reading • 12 Jun 2013
Marina Bay units target Malaysian buyers
By Nikki De Guzman:Units at the 66-storey Marina Bay Suites (pictured) are reportedly being offered to Malaysian buyers at prices between S$6 million and S$10 million each.According to Thomas Tan, Head of Residential Marketing at Raffles Quay Asset Management (RQAM), the units are the last few...
Continue Reading • 11 Jun 2013
Singapore Sports Hub to open in April
By Nikki De Guzman:The S$1.33-billion Singapore Sports Hub (pictured) is set to open in 2014, following the completion of the National Stadium’s tallest horizontal beam, which stands at 77.5 metres starting from its playing field.According to Dragages Singapore, the engineering and...
Continue Reading • 11 Jun 2013
App to zap maintenance issues
By Shabnam Muzammil:A new app has been launched that allows residents in 12 town councils to report defects and maintenance issues using their smartphones.“The key thinking is to provide an additional communication tool for residents with smartphones,” said Dr Teo Ho Pin, Coordinating...
Continue Reading • 11 Jun 2013
Asia Pacific property investments up 50.2%: C&W
By Nikki De Guzman:The Asia Pacific region saw investment volumes soar by 50.2 percent to US$109.8 billion (S$138.27 billion) in Q1 2013, due to growing investments in both core and emerging markets.According to the latest Capital Markets MarketBeat report by Cushman & Wakefield (C&W),...
Continue Reading • 11 Jun 2013
Global property prices up 6.6%
By Nikki De Guzman:Property prices rose globally, recording a 6.6 percent increase in the first quarter of 2013 - the highest increase since Q2 2010. According to the latest Knight Frank Global House Index, 63 percent of the housing markets posted an increase in mainstream property prices over...
Continue Reading • 11 Jun 2013
What drives student living decisions
By Andrew Batt:With a growing number of Singaporeans investing in student accommodation overseas, it’s important to get inside the mind of students and understand what drives their decision on where to live whilst studying.A leading UK student accommodation website -...
Continue Reading • 11 Jun 2013
UK house sales at three-year high
By Andrew Batt:The amount of homes sold in the United Kingdom over the past three months reached its highest level since January 2010 as buyers across the country began to return to the market.According to the latest RICS residential market survey, published today, chartered surveyors in the UK...
Continue Reading • 11 Jun 2013
Quiet time for overseas exhibitions
By Andrew Batt:Footfall at overseas property exhibitions in Singapore was down last weekend, although developers and agents were largely happy with sales levels.The impact of the school holidays saw fewer property buyers and investors splashing cash on overseas properties, with the number of...
Continue Reading • 11 Jun 2013
2 property firms in investor alert list
By Nikki De Guzman:The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has placed two overseas property companies – Dolphin Capital Asia and Shenton Wealth Holdings – under its Investor Alert List, according to local media reports. The list serves as a reminder to investors that those companies...
Continue Reading • 10 Jun 2013
PropertyGuru holds agent seminar with Indian developer ATS
By Shabnam Muzammil:PropertyGuru will collaborate with Indian developer ATS for an exclusive seminar for real estate agents at the Hilton Hotel Singapore on 12 June. The event will provide an opportunity for agents to partner with one of India’s top developers, ATS, who will feature some of...
Continue Reading • 10 Jun 2013
EcoHouse refutes get rich quick claims
By Andrew Batt: EcoHouse, the developer behind what was Singapore’s most successful property investment in 2012, has reacted strongly to defend claims in a weekend newspaper article which cast doubt on the viability of its business. More than 1,500 Singapore-based investors are...
Continue Reading • 10 Jun 2013
Business as usual for Watch List firms
By Andrew Batt:It is business as usual for two property investment companies, Dolphin Capital Asia and Shenton Wealth Holdings, which were placed on the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s (MAS) Investor Alert list late last week for falsely claiming they were regulated by MAS.Both companies...
Continue Reading • 10 Jun 2013
Afiniti Residences units snapped up
By Nikki De Guzman:The 147-unit Afiniti Residences was sold out on the first day of its launch on Saturday, with more than 1,000 attendees participating in a balloting exercise for the residential project in Medini, Iskandar Malaysia.Singaporeans accounted for 25 percent of the buyers, while 72...
Continue Reading • 10 Jun 2013
Curtains down for Queenstown cinema
By Shabnam Muzammil:The iconic Queenstown cinema and Bowling Centre (pictured) which closed in 1999, is set to be demolished to make way for a new residential or commercial development.Built in 1977, the property located along Commonwealth Avenue was zoned for commercial use under the Urban...
Continue Reading • 10 Jun 2013
French property in the spotlight
By Andrew Batt:Villages Nature, a large-scale project located close to Disney in Paris – will see its much anticipated Southeast Asia launch in Singapore this weekend and, in doing so, becomes the first French property investment opportunity to exhibit in the city-state for more than at...
Continue Reading • 8 Jun 2013