Amy Winehouse home for sale
By Andrew Batt: Fixed-fee U.K. real estate agency House Network is marketing Amy Winehouse’s former home (pictured) in Camden Square, London, with an asking price of £2,699,950 (S$5.36 million).It was hoped that the 2,500 sq ft semi-detached townhouse, which was besieged by thousands...
Continue Reading • 4 Jun 2012
‘Asians pay more' claim is ridiculed
By Andrew Batt: EXCLUSIVE: Claims that Asian buyers and investors are overpaying for their London property purchases have been ridiculed by agents and developers in Singapore.The Financial Times reported comments from a London property sourcing agent who claimed that property buyers from Asia who...
Continue Reading • 4 Jun 2012
Interest in Indonesian holiday homes rockets
By Andrew Batt: EXCLUSIVE: Indonesian villas and apartments are seeing a huge increase in interest from British holidaymakers, according to a new report from the U.K.’s leading holiday home rentals website.According to the Holiday Lettings Index published by holidaylettings.co.uk, the...
Continue Reading • 1 Jun 2012
Phuket first time buyers spoiled for choice
By Andrew Batt: Home buyers in Phuket will be spoiled for choice this weekend when presales open for two major developments by Bangkok developers.Sansiri is continuing its drive into the low-price end of the Phuket housing market with the launch of yet another project, dcondo Creek in Kathu,...
Continue Reading • 1 Jun 2012
Prime London's 33000% property price rise
By Andrew Batt: Property prices in prime central London have risen a staggering 33,000 percent during the reign of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, and far more than prices in Singapore during the same 50-year period.As the U.K. celebrates the monarch’s Diamond Jubilee this weekend, Knight...
Continue Reading • 1 Jun 2012
APREA launches China Chapter
By Romesh Navaratnarajah:To cater to the needs of its members in China, the Asia Pacific Real Estate Association (APREA) has established the APREA China Chapter.The ninth APREA chapter was launched in line with the firm’s strategy of operating on a decentralised basis, with local...
Continue Reading • 1 Jun 2012
Low US mortgage rates drawing short-term borrowers
By Romesh Navaratnarajah: More property owners in the US are taking on short-term loans following the decline in mortgage rates. The latest survey by Freddie Mac revealed that traditional 30-year fixed-rate loans fell for the fifth consecutive week to 3.75 percent from last week’s 3.78...
Continue Reading • 1 Jun 2012
Majority support Bishan nursing home plan, says MP
By Romesh Navaratnarajah: The majority of residents in Bishan are in favour of the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) plan to build a nursing home at Bishan Street 13, according to Wong Kan Seng, MP for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC.“My view is that a great majority of the residents who attended the...
Continue Reading • 1 Jun 2012
New project launches in suburbs will test market
By Romesh Navaratnarajah: Two suburban projects, River Isles (pictured) in Punggol and Sea Esta in Pasir Ris, are set to be launched in the next two weeks, adding nearly 986 new homes to the pipeline.Experts said that the latest projects will test the demand for new homes in the market, given...
Continue Reading • 1 Jun 2012
Sengkang site attracts top bid of S$383.3m
By Romesh Navaratnarajah:The Housing and Development Board (HDB) received a total of five bids for a residential site (pictured) at Sengkang Square / Compassvale Drive, with the top bid of S$383.3 million offered by EL Development Pte Ltd. Put up for tender on 16 April and slated for condo or...
Continue Reading • 1 Jun 2012
Peace Centre, Mansion put on the market
By Romesh Navaratnarajah: Colliers International has announced that strata-titled units in Peace Centre and Peace Mansion (pictured) have been put up for sale by Expression of Interest (EOI), giving interested parties an opportunity to co-own and manage the units located at 1 Sophia Road under a...
Continue Reading • 31 May 2012
Singapore slips in competitiveness rankings
By Romesh Navaratnarajah: Singapore’s ranking has slipped in the latest global competitiveness rankings compiled by Swiss business school IMD. According to the annual World Competitiveness Yearbook’s (WCY) ranking, Singapore’s position this year was pulled down by several...
Continue Reading • 31 May 2012
UK mortgage approvals rise, but uncertainty remains
By Romesh Navaratnarajah: Home loan approvals in the UK climbed in April on the back of record low interest rates, which sustained some demand for housing during the seasonal spring home-buying period. According to the Bank of England (BoE), lenders granted 51,823 mortgages in April as compared...
Continue Reading • 31 May 2012
CBRE to set up international valuation team in Singapore
By Romesh Navaratnarajah: Real estate consultancy CBRE Group will launch an international valuation team in Singapore in a bid to expand its global corporate services business in Singapore and the rest of Asia.Singapore is considered an ideal place given its central geographic location and strong...
Continue Reading • 31 May 2012
Fewer sales but higher prices in prime London
By Andrew Batt: Fewer prime properties were sold in London in April compared to March, but at significantly higher prices, according to the Land Registry’s latest figures. The entry value to London’s prime top two percent of the property market rose by 34 percent to £2 million...
Continue Reading • 31 May 2012
The Lancasters in London close to 90% sold
By Romesh Navaratnarajah: The Lancasters development (pictured) in London has gained strong interest from international buyers who are drawn to its classical facade, luxury interiors and prime location overlooking Hyde Park.With around 90 percent of units sold, the high-end project by UK...
Continue Reading • 31 May 2012
Historic house in Singapore set to change hands
By Romesh Navaratnarajah: German fund manager Union Investment Real Estate AG is selling the House of Tan Yeok Nee (pictured) to private commercial-school operator ERC Holdings for more than S$60 million.According to a media report, Savills brokered the sale of the property through a private...
Continue Reading • 31 May 2012
Yoma shares jump on Myanmar outlook
By Romesh Navaratnarajah: Yoma Strategic Holdings Ltd (YOMA), a property development and management group with the majority of its assets in Myanmar, has posted its sharpest rise in almost four months in Singapore trading, buoyed by optimism on earnings and development prospects in Myanmar. Yoma...
Continue Reading • 30 May 2012
UEM Land could boost performance with Marina South devt
By Romesh Navaratnarajah: Public Investment Bank has given an ‘outperform’ rating for UEM Land Holdings, despite posting weak results for the first quarter. This is due to the possibility that the developer could become a major player in the billion-dollar Marina South development in...
Continue Reading • 30 May 2012
US mortgage rates fall again
By Romesh Navaratnarajah: Average 30-year fixed-rate mortgages in the US slipped in the latest week, achieving a continued downward trend in recent months. According to Zillow Mortgage Marketplace, 30-year fixed loans dropped to 3.6 percent from 3.63 percent in the previous week due to...
Continue Reading • 30 May 2012