Sansiri sells 546 units in 90 minutes
By Andrew Batt:Property developer Sansiri has reported selling all 546 units at its latest project within just 90 minutes.The company revealed how it has generated THB 960 million (S$38.1 million) from sales at its dCondo Campus Resort project in the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai during just...
Continue Reading • 25 Sept 2012
London luxury home prices see big jump
By Romesh Navaratnarajah:Prices of high-end central London homes grew at their fastest rate in three months for September, driven by strong demand for properties exempted from a new and higher rate of sales tax, Knight Frank said. Starting in April, Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne...
Continue Reading • 25 Sept 2012
China's housing policies to stay despite high prices
By Romesh Navaratnarajah:Amid rising housing prices, China’s property measures will stay in place, reported the People’s Daily. At the same time, local authorities have been advised to increase housing supply and implement policies restricting home purchases. “With more...
Continue Reading • 24 Sept 2012
From home to boat
By Romesh Navaratnarajah: In Singapore, where housing prices are still sky-high and foreign property buyers have to pay 10 percent additional buyer’s stamp duty (ABSD), a growing number of locals and expatriates and are looking for alternative housing options such as living on a boat.Apart...
Continue Reading • 24 Sept 2012
Thomson Line spells boom for nearby properties
By Romesh Navaratnarajah:Singapore’s upcoming Thomson MRT Line (TSL) is expected to boost housing prices in nearby projects. In particular, older condo projects directly opposite Sin Ming station could see hefty price gains, according to MayBank KimEng Research.Faber Garden Condominium and...
Continue Reading • 24 Sept 2012
One Dusun Residences dominates August sales
By Romesh Navaratnarajah:One Dusun Residences (pictured) off Balestier Road topped the list of best-selling projects in August, according to OrangeTee Research. In a Singapore Business Review report, OrangeTee noted that 99 percent or 153 of the 154 units at the project were sold at a median...
Continue Reading • 24 Sept 2012
Parents' pensions could back UK mortgages
By Romesh Navaratnarajah:UK Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has proposed that working parents should be allowed to use their pension savings to help children acquire their first home, according to the Financial Times. “The government is going to do something which hasn’t happened...
Continue Reading • 24 Sept 2012
Singapore developers win top awards in business and sustainability
By Romesh Navaratnarajah:In recognition of their efforts towards sustainability and corporate excellence, Singapore-based developers Keppel Land and CapitaLand have been conferred international industry awards. Keppel Land was conferred the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB),...
Continue Reading • 24 Sept 2012
70 units snapped up at Gambir Ridge preview
By Romesh Navaratnarajah:Gambir Ridge (pictured), a new freehold condominium at Bartley Road, saw strong take-up at its preview last Friday, with around 90 percent or 70 of the 77 units available snapped up by buyers, according to The Business Times. Comprising one- to four-bedders, the units...
Continue Reading • 24 Sept 2012
20% of Aussie home buyers under severe mortgage stress
By Romesh Navaratnarajah:Nearly 20 percent of first-time home buyers in Australia could lose their homes in the coming months, according to an Australian Mortgage Stress Analysis Survey. The study, which surveyed 26,000 households, found that the number of young home buyers in severe mortgage...
Continue Reading • 21 Sept 2012
British buyers prefer new property
By Andrew Batt:More than three-quarters of British house hunters prefer to buy a brand new home rather than renting or buying a second-hand property.A survey by Barratt Homes, the U.K.'s leading homebuilder, revealed that 79 percent of house hunters would prefer to buy new – a 27 percent...
Continue Reading • 21 Sept 2012
eCO a hit with buyers
By Romesh Navaratnarajah:Of the 262 units released at the 99-year leasehold eCO (pictured) in Bedok South Avenue 3, over 220 were snapped up on the first day of its preview, according to The Business Times. Units at the 748-unit development were selling at S$1,250 psf on average, said marketing...
Continue Reading • 21 Sept 2012
Prince Charles Crescent site attracts 8 bids
By Romesh Navaratnarajah:A residential site at Prince Charles Crescent (pictured) slated for development of condominiums or flats received a total of eight bids when its tender closed yesterday, said the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA). Launched for sale by public tender on 23 August, the...
Continue Reading • 21 Sept 2012
Dismal August for UK mortgage market
By Romesh Navaratnarajah:Loan-to-value ratios and overall lending volume in the UK for August slumped back to 2010 levels, according to a Mortgage Monitor Survey by e.surv.Last month, mortgages granted fell by eight percent to 48,913 from the same period in 2011. In particular, loan approvals for...
Continue Reading • 20 Sept 2012
Saga over S$20 million bungalow continues
By Romesh Navaratnarajah:Singapore’s High Court yesterday ruled that 88-year old Chan Yuen Lan is mentally fit to make personal decisions in her suit over a S$20 million bungalow disputed by her husband, See Fong Mun, reported AsiaOne. “I've seen witnesses who are younger than this...
Continue Reading • 20 Sept 2012
Kitchen company expands into property development
By Romesh Navaratnarajah:Apart from providing kitchen solutions to high-end homes, Kitchen Culture will now expand to property development, trading and investment.It has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with an unspecified partner for a joint venture (JV) where it will hold 20...
Continue Reading • 20 Sept 2012
British developers still luring Singapore buyers
By Romesh Navaratnarajah:Overseas developers especially from the UK are continuing to attract buyers and investors from Singapore with good investment deals. Next week (28 – 30 September), Ballymore Group will hold the Singapore launch of the latest phase of its 2,000-unit...
Continue Reading • 20 Sept 2012
URA launches tenders for two sites
By Romesh Navaratnarajah:Two reserve list sites in Jurong, one residential and the other a hotel site were launched for sale by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) yesterday. Zoned for residential use, the first site at Jalan Jurong Kechil (pictured) has a land area of around 1.02-ha and a...
Continue Reading • 20 Sept 2012
Foreign home buying sees slight increase in Q2
By Romesh Navaratnarajah:The number of expatriates, including non-permanent residents (NPRs) and permanent residents (PRs) buying private properties in Singapore, inched up to 22 percent in the second quarter of this year from 21 percent previously, Knight Frank said. However, this figure...
Continue Reading • 20 Sept 2012
How eco-friendly is eCO?
By Romesh Navaratnarajah: The 748-unit eCO development (pictured), the first private residential project to be launched in the Bedok South area after 30 years, has seen strong interest ahead of its official launch, with close to 600 registrations of interest. Developed by a consortium comprising...
Continue Reading • 19 Sept 2012