57 properties sold at Malaysia Property Show
By Nikki De Guzman:PropertyGuru, Asia’s leading property portal, saw 57 units snapped up during the Malaysia Property Show (MPS) 2013, selling a total of RM49.9 million (S$20.24 million) worth of properties.On its fourth instalment, the two-day property show featured latest properties from...
Continue Reading • 8 Apr 2013
Dubai housing market sees stellar growth
By Nikki De Guzman:Dubai’s residential property market saw healthy growth in nearly all sectors in the past six months with low-cost villas posting the sharpest price gain of 20.2 percent, according to a report by property specialist Cluttons.Average prices of mid-range villas also recorded...
Continue Reading • 8 Apr 2013
Jackie Chan donates 6 historic houses to Singapore
By Nikki De Guzman:Following ten years of failed preservation talks with Hong Kong officials, action film superstar Jackie Chan donated his last six historic Chinese sandalwood houses to Singapore University of Technology and Design, according to media reports.The houses form part of his...
Continue Reading • 8 Apr 2013
The rise of branded homes in the Philippines
By Shabnam Muzammil:Branded residential developments are gaining popularity in the Philippines with at least 16 branded residential projects launched since 2008, revealed a survey by real estate firm CBRE, Philippines.The most current developments are strategically located in top resort...
Continue Reading • 8 Apr 2013
Jade Residences records brisk take-up
By Shabnam Muzammil:Jade Residences (pictured) recorded fast deals, with almost 60 units taken up on the first day of sales last week, reported The Straits Times.According to Teo Hong Lim, Executive Chairman at Roxy-Pacific Holdings, the five-storey freehold condo will feature 171 apartments and...
Continue Reading • 8 Apr 2013
US mortgage rates dip
By Nikki De Guzman:US mortgage rates dipped this week, cutting borrowing costs as the country's residential property market heads into its second year of recovery, reported Bloomberg.Average 30-year fixed loans fell to 3.54 percent this week ended April 4 from 3.57 percent previously, while its...
Continue Reading • 5 Apr 2013
NYC considers more tiny apartments
By Nikki De Guzman:New York City could get more micro-apartment buildings as its Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) announced that new requests for proposals on other micro-apartment sites will be issued, reported The Observer.An agency spokesperson added that they are...
Continue Reading • 5 Apr 2013
HK's richest still bank on property
By Romesh Navaratnarajah:Despite Hong Kong’s red hot luxury property market, its ultra-high net worth individuals (UHNWIs) hold US$43 billion (S$53 billion) worth of real estate assets or nine percent of the total net worth of its UHNW population, according to data from Wealth-X.The report...
Continue Reading • 5 Apr 2013
New seminar on investing in commercial property
By Romesh Navaratnarajah:Commercial property expert CommercialGuru has joined forces with Far East Organization to organise a talk on the benefits of investing in commercial properties. The talk will be held tomorrow at SBFC’s sales gallery along Choon Guan Street opposite Tanjong...
Continue Reading • 5 Apr 2013
S'poreans more keen on Iskandar property
By Shabnam Muzammil:Interest among Singaporeans for properties in and around Iskandar Malaysia has been on the rise due to the significant presence of developers from the city-state in Southern Johor’s real estate market and “warm ties” between the two countries, according to...
Continue Reading • 5 Apr 2013
Condo units at Hamilton Scotts fully sold
By Shabnam Muzammil:Luxury developer KOP Properties has entered into an agreement to sell the remaining units at Hamilton Scotts through a share purchase by Reignwood Holding.“Reignwood is a multinational enterprise with investments in key industries including consumer goods, health &...
Continue Reading • 5 Apr 2013
Yoma joint venture to build residential units in Myanmar
By Nikki De Guzman:Singapore-listed Yoma Strategic Holdings through its wholly-owned subsidiary SPA Project Management, has inked a deal with Dragages Singapore - part of Bouygues Construction, to jointly build 1,043 residential units (pictured) in Zone B of Thanlyin Star City in Myanmar.Yoma...
Continue Reading • 4 Apr 2013
New measures to boost South Korea's economy
By Nikki De Guzman:To improve its economy, South Korea recently rolled out new measures allowing first-time home buyers to borrow more at a lower interest rate provided they do so from a government-run fund, reported The New York Times. Buyers are also exempted from paying capital gains tax over...
Continue Reading • 4 Apr 2013
Iskandar housing demand can't match KL yet: report
By Farah Wahida:Despite higher sales in Johor since 2009, property demand in Iskandar Malaysia will take a longer time to match Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, according to PublicInvest Research. “But the bulk of property sales, especially for the properties valued at RM500,000 (S$200,449) and...
Continue Reading • 3 Apr 2013
Global prime residential rents up 5.1%
By Nikki De Guzman:Prime residential rents in key global cities increased 5.1 percent last year compared to 3.5 percent in 2011, according to a report from Knight Frank. This was a result of potential purchasers shifting to rental accomodation, supported by the strict mortgage market along with...
Continue Reading • 3 Apr 2013
London property set for more good times
By Romesh Navaratnarajah:London’s prime residential market has enjoyed record-breaking growth in the last two-and-a-half years, according to the latest Savills report. Over the past ten quarters, the city’s residential property index soared to a level not seen since the index was...
Continue Reading • 3 Apr 2013
KSH nabs $59.9m JTC contract
By Nikki De Guzman:Listed construction firm KSH Holdings, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Kim Seng Heng Engineering Construction (KSHEC), has secured a S$59.9 million contract from Jurong Town Corporation (JTC) for a project at Ayer Rajah Avenue.Under the deal, KSHEC will erect a...
Continue Reading • 3 Apr 2013
DBS unveils first-of-its-kind HDB loan
By Nikki De Guzman:DBS Bank has launched the first-of-its-kind HDB home loan called POSB HDB Loan - a new mortgage option for flat buyers, reported AsiaOne.It offers a floating interest rate capped below the housing board’s concessionary rates for ten years. The HDB concessionary interest...
Continue Reading • 2 Apr 2013
Foreign firms eyeing high speed rail link
By Farah Wahida:Mainland Chinese and Hong Kong companies have expressed interest to participate in the proposed high-speed railway (HSR) project between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.According to Mohamad Nur Ismal Kamal, CEO of Malaysia’s Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD), the train...
Continue Reading • 2 Apr 2013
Asia to get tallest building
By Shabnam Muzammil:Asia is set to replace the Middle East as home to the world's tallest building after UAE-based property developer Emaar announced plans to build a new tower on the continent that will soar above 1km.Emaar's Chairman Mohamed Alabbar noted that the site for the project had been...
Continue Reading • 2 Apr 2013