UK: Ample opportunities across all markets
While there has been a notable shift towards stronger markets following the uneven recovery seen across the UK, there are still development opportunities available across all markets, according to a report by Savills Research. The report, which identified some of the most...
Continue Reading • 2 Apr 2012
Private home prices drop, HDB resale prices increase
Residential property prices have declined in Q1 2012, according to flash estimates of the private residential property price index released by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA).This is the first price decline seen since Q2 2009, following the trend of stabilising prices over the past nine...
Continue Reading • 2 Apr 2012
US mortgage rates may have hit bottom
Consumers still waiting for home loan rates to hit rock bottom may have missed an opportunity. After hitting record lows in February, the average rate for 30-year mortgages climbed above four percent in March, a first since October 2011. Most economists believe that rates will continue to...
Continue Reading • 2 Apr 2012
Higher possibility of new property curbs, says expert
Compared to two months ago, the possibility that the government will implement a sixth round of cooling measures is now much higher, according to a report by The Business Times.However, such measures will likely come in Q2 2012, according to Png Poh Soon, Head of Consultancy and Research at...
Continue Reading • 2 Apr 2012
URA gets new boss
The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) has named Peter Ho Hak Ean as its new Chairman. He will take the place of Alan Chan whose term of service ended on 31 March. Ho joined the URA on 1 December 2011 and formerly served as Senior Advisor to the Centre for Strategic Futures and Senior Fellow at...
Continue Reading • 2 Apr 2012
Private home sales soar to 5200 units in Q1
Strong demand for new private residential projects has pushed home sales to 5,200 units in Q1 2012, second only to the record sales seen in Q3 2009 when a total of 5,578 units were snapped up. According to CBRE Research, these figures are based on keen interest for the large supply of about...
Continue Reading • 2 Apr 2012
Jeremy Lin moves into luxury NY pad
NBA’s newest superstar Jeremy Lin has moved into a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment at The Residences at W New York – Downtown (pictured), the only hotel in Manhattan, New York that offers private residences for sale.“I love the W Hotel in Taipei, so I liked the idea of...
Continue Reading • 30 Mar 2012
270 units sold at Ripple Bay condo
Property developer MCL Land has seen strong interest for its Ripple Bay condo (pictured) in Pasir Ris, with 270 units sold at the 679-unit project as of 8pm yesterday.According to a Business Times report, buyers were mostly Singaporeans with a good spread of one- to three-room units snapped...
Continue Reading • 30 Mar 2012
Punggol EC site attracts 10 bids
A 13,241.8 sq m executive condominium (EC) site at Punggol Central (pictured) has received a total of 10 bids, with Qingjian Realty (South Pacific) Group offering the highest bid of S$136.7 million in a public tender that ended yesterday. “The results of the tender closing for the EC site...
Continue Reading • 30 Mar 2012
UK mortgage approvals fall to lowest in eight months
Mortgage approvals in the UK fell to its lowest level in eight months, as the poor economic outlook hurt demand for property and banks tightened lending conditions.According to the Bank of England (BoE), lenders approved 48,986 home loans, down from the revised figures of 57,899 in the previous...
Continue Reading • 30 Mar 2012
UEM Land opens first property showcase in Singapore
Malaysian developer UEM Land Holdings Bhd is setting its sights on Singapore after opening its first property showcase outside Malaysia. Datuk Wan Abdullah Wan Ibrahim (pictured), Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer at UEM Land, said “Singapore has been one of the key success...
Continue Reading • 30 Mar 2012
BCA raising building standards with focus on elderly
The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has announced that it will raise the construction standards of new buildings with the aim to integrate universal design features which are environment-friendly and will help all residents. According to a report by The Straits Times, the revised...
Continue Reading • 30 Mar 2012
Sky Habitat the priciest suburban condo?
A new condo in Bishan that’s slated to launch in mid-April could be the priciest suburban condo to hit the market, according to a report by The Straits Times. The article said that the indicative average price of Sky Habitat (pictured) at Bishan Street 14 is expected to range between...
Continue Reading • 29 Mar 2012
Resale home prices continue to fall in February
Resale home prices have fallen steadily in the past three months, with small and high-end units recording the biggest drop. Overall, prices in February dropped 0.8 percent compared to January, in addition to the one percent drop seen in December. Central home prices fell 0.9 percent while...
Continue Reading • 29 Mar 2012
US mortgage rates up this week
Average 30-year fixed rate mortgages in the US soared four basis points to 4.10 percent this week, while refinance applications declined 4.6 percent. At the same time, the purchase application volume climbed 3.3 percent over the period, according to latest data by the Mortgage Bankers Association...
Continue Reading • 29 Mar 2012
Slipping private home prices cheer up buyers
Property hunters on the lookout for affordably-priced homes are in for some good news. Prices of completed private homes dropped in February, according to a report by The Business Times. Flash estimates from the National University of Singapore SRPI (Singapore Residential Price Index) show they...
Continue Reading • 29 Mar 2012
Azuri luxury project set for China showing
Overseas property developers IOREC and Flacq United Estates Limited (FUEL) will showcase their Azuri development (pictured) in Mauritius at the Beijing Overseas Property and Development Show, to be held on 5 to 8 April 2012. According to the developers, it will offer “excellent investment...
Continue Reading • 29 Mar 2012
Palm Isles condo preview launched
Property developer Frasers Centrepoint has launched the preview of Palm Isles (pictured) at its showflat along Flora Drive. The project is going at an average selling price of S$830 psf after discount.So far, 50 of the initial 100 units released have been sold as of 11pm last night.Located in the...
Continue Reading • 29 Mar 2012
London property boom benefiting other sectors
The popularity of London as a property investment destination for overseas buyers has seen benefits in other industries. With more than half of London’s most expensive residential property sales being attributed to overseas buyers last year, the shipping of fine art and antiques has become...
Continue Reading • 28 Mar 2012
Record nominations for CBRE
In its first year of taking a regional approach to the Asia Pacific Property Awards, part of the International Property Awards, CBRE has won awards in every major market throughout the region.In Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, the Philippines, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand...
Continue Reading • 28 Mar 2012