Small firms are getting creative about space. As the economy recovers, it can be tempting for small businesses to invest in property. Still, real estate is a huge expense—and its outlook remains uncertain. So many experts advise small businesses to conserve their capital and lease rather than buy.
But those small-business owners who do take the plunge can learn lessons from others who have created strategies to minimize their downside risk………………………………………..Full Article: Source

Swoons in the real-estate market are relative. Take the price plunge making news here on the West Coast. To hear some people talk, one of the hottest housing markets in the world is experiencing a serious course correction. Prices are down significantly over last year. But what does that mean?
To some, at least, it’s a sign that the astounding buying spree we witnessed at the high end of the market in Vancouver last year is over – at least for now………………………………………..Full Article: Source

Central and Eastern Europe remains attractive to an international business community, according to a joint business seminar in London, hosted by UK Trade and Investment, the UK government’s trade and investment promotion organisation and Jones Lang LaSalle, the global real estate services firm.
The seminar was designed to share information and knowledge on doing business in the Central and Eastern European countries. Over 120 international business delegates attended, representing SMEs, through to companies with £1 billion per annum turnover………………………………………..Full Article: Source

JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s holdings of home-loan bonds from outside the U.S. soared 35-fold in the past three years. Now, with its chief investment office facing scrutiny after a $2 billion trading loss, investors are raising concern the European market’s biggest buyer will pull back.
The largest U.S. bank by assets accelerated its purchases last quarter, adding $8.5 billion to lift its total to $74.5 billion, according to regulatory filings………………………………………..Full Article: Source

Asking prices for U.K. homes were unchanged in May as the crisis in Europe and the end of a tax break for first-time buyers damped demand, Rightmove Plc said.
The average asking price in England and Wales was 243,759 pounds ($385,000), the operator of Britain’s biggest property website said……………………………………….Full Article: Source

Baby boomers trying to ‘downsize’ are driving the housing market, say researchers. Trading down from a large family house is now the single biggest reason given for selling by homeowners approaching estate agents, says property market expert Rightmove.
Some 40 per cent of sellers say they are looking to trade down, compared with 25 per cent who hope to trade up to a larger more expensive property………………………………………..Full Article: Source

The number of Chinese and Pacific Asian buyers of the best quality newly built London homes jumped to 37 percent in 2010 from four percent in 2009, data from property consultancy Savills showed.
The majority purchase for investment and are used to buying off-plan - before the home is built………………………………………..Full Article: Source

The stock markets tanking and the rupee depreciating against the dollar seem to be daily headlines of late. While the stock and currency markets rock, taking cues from global and domestic macroeconomic developments , the residential property markets seem set on a buoyant note.
The rapid urbanisation, on the one hand, is pushing the case in cities, while the relatively more dependable property as an investment option is drawing more buyers on the other………………………………………..Full Article: Source

Housing may be perceived to have gotten very expensive at the current sky-high levels, but data compiled by mortgage giant HDFC Ltd shows that home prices are near their most affordable level in over three decades.
The home prices have indeed been rising for more than 10 years, except for a temporary slump in 2009, but the ‘affordability’ of purchasing a house has been mostly on a declining trend for almost two decades now, as per HDFC data………………………………………..Full Article: Source

For middle-class Chinese, buying a first home in the country’s previously roaring property market is slowly falling back within reach.
Property prices fell again across most of China in April, as central government regulators intended, down year-over-year in 46 of 70 major cities across the country………………………………………..Full Article: Source

China’s premier reiterated calls on Sunday for the country to maintain its campaign to cool down its property market, a series of controls on credit and purchases that have begun to drive down housing prices.
“Property market controls are still at a crucial stage, the task of adjustment is arduous and we must keep policy stable. Localities must pay attention to this point,” said Wen Jiabao, in comments reported on Chinese state radio……………………………………….Full Article: Source

While some see Singapore’s property market as too hot to handle, several analysts argue there’s still money to be made for the long-sighted equity investor.
For the past three years, the government has taken steps to cool the overheated property market, most recently boosting stamp duty on foreign buyers as the land-strapped island nation fights to fend off investment demand………………………………………..Full Article: Source

The Ministry of Construction (MoC) has proposed to delay the submission of a development plan on foreign direct investment for the real estate industry to the Government until August at the Prime Minister’s request.
So far, the ministry said, some ministries and 18 cities and provinces had not yet sent in reports on developing FDI for the property industry, including the ministries of Justice, Finance, Planning and Investment, the State Bank of Viet Nam, Ha Noi and HCM City………………………………………..Full Article: Source

Selling a home takes up to twice as long as it did two years ago, according to new research. RP Data has found the time on the market for the average Australian house is 77 days and for a unit it takes about 51 days to find a buyer. This is a big jump compared with two years ago when houses took 47 days to sell and units 38.
The unwelcome news comes as sellers battle weaker house prices, with the extra time taking to sell only adding to financial pressures………………………………………..Full Article: Source