Asian interest in Portugal property
By Andrew Batt:The introduction of a ‘golden visa’ with Portuguese property purchases of €500,000 has been attracting interest from Asian buyers and investors.The scheme permits visas to be granted to any non-European Union citizen who invests minimum capital of at least €1...
Continue Reading • 27 Mar 2013
Renewed interest in France homes
By Andrew Batt:The onset of spring has seen renewed interest in property investments in France, with international buyers reappearing and looking for bargains.Trevor Leggett, Chief Executive of French estate agency Leggett Immobilier, said: "Our agents are reporting increased activity right...
Continue Reading • 26 Mar 2013
UK Budget: Measures welcomed
By Andrew Batt:Yesterday’s UK budget statement, and its measures to boost the property sector, has been warmly welcomed by many in the industry.Chancellor George Osbourne (pictured) announced a £130 billion plan to guarantee low cost mortgages through a scheme that will start at the...
Continue Reading • 21 Mar 2013
UK Budget: No Mansion Tax
By Andrew Batt: UK Finance Minister George Osbourne steered clear of introducing a ‘Mansion Tax’ in the annual UK Budget statement.The move to introduce a tax on high-end homes that would have impacted the large number of overseas property buyers and investors had been widely...
Continue Reading • 21 Mar 2013
Price drop for UK's priciest home
By Andrew Batt: At £65 million it’s the UK’s most expensive home currently on the market – and the good news for buyers is that the price has recently been cut by an incredible £35 million.Heath Hall is a stunning Edwardian mansion in the Hampstead area of north...
Continue Reading • 20 Mar 2013
Plans for London 'floating village'
By Andrew Batt:The Mayor of London has unveiled ambitious plans to create the UK's largest 'floating village' as part of his on-going drive to transform London's Royal Docks.Launching an international competition to find developers and London partners to design and deliver the scheme, Mayor Boris...
Continue Reading • 13 Mar 2013
MIPIM set for China expansion
By Andrew Batt:Real estate exhibition organisers Reed MIDEM have revealed plans for a new event – MIPIM China – which is set to take place in Shanghai in 2014.The 8th edition of MIPIM Asia will take place in Hong Kong, on November 5-6, 2013 and will focus exclusively on a high-level...
Continue Reading • 13 Mar 2013
Two-year high for UK house sales
By Andrew Batt:The number of houses sold in the United Kingdom reached its highest level in over two-and-a-half years in the three months ending February, according to the latest Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Housing Market survey.During February, the increasing market stability...
Continue Reading • 12 Mar 2013
UK 140 home portfolio up for sale
By Andrew Batt: Property investors are being offered a unique opportunity to acquire a portfolio of 140 investment properties in the United Kingdom.Real estate agent Allsop is offering the residential investment opportunity which features a substantial number of homes throughout the Northeast of...
Continue Reading • 7 Mar 2013
No pain in Spain as foreign property buyers return to the market
By Andrew Batt: Hot off the heels of, and in contrast to, last month's figures which revealed a 3 percent decline in the overall number of property transactions made in Spain in 2012, the latest data from the General Council of Notaries has revealed a substantial 28.4 percent jump in the number...
Continue Reading • 7 Mar 2013
Mayor launches London database
By Andrew Batt: The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has launched a new database detailing Greater London Authority (GLA) land assets as he continues to push for greater amounts of public land to be released for development, accelerating the number of homes being built in the capital and boosting...
Continue Reading • 6 Mar 2013
Yangon sees boom in rental demand
By Andrew Batt:Real estate agents in Yangon saw unprecedented rental demand for condominiums last year, and are expecting that demand to grow over the course of the next ten months.Antony Picon, Associate Director of Colliers International based in the Myanmar city, told DDproperty.com: ”...
Continue Reading • 28 Feb 2013
Malaysian HNWs to double in three years
By PrimeResi: The number of high net worth (HNW) individuals in Malaysia is set to double over the next three years, growing from 32,000 currently to 68,000 in 2015, according to a report in the New Straits Times. Net worth will increase from it’s current US$140bn to US$330bn in the same...
Continue Reading • 27 Feb 2013
No change to Malaysian minimum property prices for foreigners
By Farah Wahida:The Malaysian government has no plans to raise the RM500,000 minimum property price for foreigners, according to Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Chor Chee Heung.While the ministry had considered increasing the minimum price, it discovered that foreign buyers...
Continue Reading • 26 Feb 2013
Tallest building set for Saudi Arabia
By Andrew Batt:British firms have won the contract for the US$1.2 billion construction of the world’s tallest building. London-based Mace will work with fellow British company EC Harris on the Kingdom Tower project (pictured) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. When completed, the tower will be...
Continue Reading • 26 Feb 2013
Meteoric rise in Jakarta office rates
By Andrew Batt:Prime office rental rates in Jakarta jumped more than 78 percent last year, and have more than doubled in the last three years according to new research from Knight Frank.The company’s Asia Pacific Prime Office Index grew 2.0 percent during the fourth quarter of 2012, up from...
Continue Reading • 22 Feb 2013
Follow in The Beatles' footsteps
By Andrew Batt:Asia property buyers will get the chance to follow in the footsteps of The Beatles when a collection of 17 apartments close to the world-famous Abbey Road zebra crossing go on sale in Singapore this weekend.UK developer Residential Land has created the apartments designed by Argent...
Continue Reading • 21 Feb 2013
Aussie properties in the spotlight
By Andrew Batt: Property investment opportunities in Melbourne will be the focus of what is believed to be the first dedicated Australian property exhibition to take place in Bangkok this weekend.Real estate agency Savills is showcasing freehold property developments in Central Park and The Grove...
Continue Reading • 15 Feb 2013
Prices on the rise in Vientiane
By Andrew Batt: Property prices in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, rose by 15 percent in 2012 according to local media reports.Houmphan Sayalath, Managing Director of the RentsBuy.com real estate agent, said land prices also rose by as much as 50 percent along the banks of the Mekong River bank....
Continue Reading • 8 Feb 2013
Boom time for Philippines property
By Nikki De Guzman:The property landscape of the Philippines has experienced robust growth over the last 20 years. Experts see healthy demand for residential and commercial properties in the country, attributed mainly to strong macroeconomic fundamentals, record-low interest rates and confidence...
Continue Reading • 31 Jan 2013