Opalesque Real Estate Briefing http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing Daily global real estate investment news Thu, 17 May 2012 01:32:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 en Canada: Housing market cooling, but ‘palatial’ homes still strong http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47788 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47788#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 01:32:21 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47788 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47788>Article Link</a> Canada’s real estate market may be cooling, but a new report says high-end homes are still going strong. Re/Max said its Upper-End Report (which has something of a ring to it) found continuing demand for luxury abodes in the first quarter of the year. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47788 Housing market in Canada called hottest in the world with lessons for US home buyers http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47787 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47787#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 01:32:10 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47787 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47787>Article Link</a> Local homebuilding companies here in the timber mill town of Coos Bay report brisk business in May even while they wish improving home sales mirrored the housing market boom up in Canada. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47787 US: Housing starts probably rebounded from a five-month low http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47786 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47786#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 01:31:52 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47786 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47786>Article Link</a> Builders in the U.S. probably broke ground on more houses in April, rebounding from a five-month low and indicating the industry is stabilizing, economists said. Starts climbed 4.7 percent to a 685,000 annual rate, according to the median estimate of 80 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47786 Housing market posts best stretch of growth in nearly four years http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47785 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47785#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 01:31:39 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47785 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47785>Article Link</a> U.S. builders started construction of new homes in April at a slightly faster pace, extending their best stretch of business in almost four years, according to data released on Wednesday. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47785 The housing rebound illusion http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47784 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47784#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 01:31:24 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47784 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47784>Article Link</a> Housing starts were surprisingly strong this week, while there was improving sentiment from home builders. So should we start to breathe a sigh of relief that the housing market is returning to health? The short answer is no. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47784 Housing market recovery has officially begun http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47783 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47783#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 01:31:10 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47783 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47783>Article Link</a> That’s how Time Magazine is describing the conclusions from a new report issued Tuesday by the Conference Board and Nielsen through their jointly-owned Demand Institute. Here are some excerpts form the report titled “The Shifting Nature of U.S. Housing Demand”: (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47783 US: Back from foreclosure to homeownership http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47782 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47782#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 01:30:58 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47782 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47782>Article Link</a> Data is not available, but interviews with more than 30 lenders, builders, Realtors and consumers suggest that a growing number of Americans are getting back into the housing market, even though they went through a foreclosure, bankruptcy or short sale in recent years. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47782 Southern California home prices rise as distress declines http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47781 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47781#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 01:30:41 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47781 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47781>Article Link</a> Home prices in Southern California climbed last month from a year earlier for the first time in 16 months as sales of distressed properties, which usually sell at a discount, dropped to the lowest level in four years. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47781 JLL: European office rents soften slightly http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47780 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47780#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 01:30:28 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47780 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47780>Article Link</a> Prime office rents fell by 0.3% in Q1 2012, according to the Jones Lang LaSalle European Office Index. This is the first overall recorded reduction in rents since Q4 2009. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47780 Europe: DTZ cuts investment forecast as debt crisis continues http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47779 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47779#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 01:30:16 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47779 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47779>Article Link</a> DTZ has downgraded its European real estate investment forecast for 2012 due to the ongoing deterioration in Europe’s economic outlook. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47779 UK’s 60-year property boom: House prices ‘have risen more than 100 times’ since Coronation http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47778 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47778#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 01:30:03 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47778 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47778>Article Link</a> Today’s average house price is 105 times higher than it was when the Queen was coronated in 1952 - making it seem as if we could all afford palaces now in comparison. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47778 Why are houses in Britain so small? http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47777 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47777#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 01:29:49 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47777 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47777>Article Link</a> We build the tiniest new dwellings in Europe, and yet more storage and living space is what people desperately want. One left their kitchen bin in the middle of the kitchen, because there was nowhere else for it. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47777 IPD: London continues to grow amidst UK slowdown http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47776 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47776#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 01:29:38 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47776 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47776>Article Link</a> Central London offices, retail and industrial units remain the only areas of the UK commercial property market recording a positive growth in values, according to the IPD UK Monthly Index. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47776 Irish property market: Slow road to recovery http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47775 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47775#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 01:29:24 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47775 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47775>Article Link</a> The property crash in Ireland has been followed by some recovery, but retailers believe that rental values are still too high and further improvements are being stalled. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47775 Clarity ‘returning to Egypt property market’ http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47774 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47774#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 01:29:11 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47774 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47774>Article Link</a> It remains a challenging time for the real estate sector in Cairo amid on-going uncertainty, however clarity is slowly returning to the Egyptian property market, according to a report. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47774 Dubai’s real estate market rockets to no 1 with the fastest growth in the world http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47773 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47773#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 01:28:52 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47773 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47773>Article Link</a> In a remarkable turnaround, the value of prime residential real estate in Dubai has risen 4 per cent in the first three months of 2012 becoming the fastest growing in the world. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47773 Investments in Asia’s commercial, industrial real estate markets tumble 42pct in Q1, Hong Kong the exception http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47772 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47772#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 01:28:39 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47772 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47772>Article Link</a> Is it a blip or a bump? Analysts aren’t sure as they ponder the 42 percent drop in Asian commercial and industrial real estate in the first quarter. Hong Kong was the exception. Investments doubled in that market, according to Los Angeles-based CBRE. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47772 Southeast Asia’s high end property market: a mixture of results http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47771 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47771#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 01:28:25 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47771 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47771>Article Link</a> The first quarter of 2012 has seen an average growth of one per cent in high end residential prices in eight of the key markets in Asia. Bangkok, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta’s market rose in the consecutive quarter of 2011-12, according to Jones Lang LaSalle’s recent Residential Index. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47771 India: Real estate marketing tips for smaller developers http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47770 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47770#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 01:28:10 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47770 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47770>Article Link</a> Despite the market slowdown and high competitiveness among the ‘Big Boys’ in the Indian residential real estate business, smaller builders of residential projects can still corner a healthy market share. It is all a matter of knowing which league to play in, and how to play. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47770 China: Real estate market showing signs of recovery http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47769 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47769#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 01:27:59 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47769 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47769>Article Link</a> After having cooled down in recent months, the real estate market in China is showing signs of recovery, due to pent-up demand, encouraging measures by local governments and easing macroeconomic policy, analysts said. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47769 Chinese property giant’s foreign ‘tryout’ http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47768 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47768#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 01:27:47 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47768 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47768>Article Link</a> In September 2010, property company China Vanke told The Wall Street Journal that it had no plans to expand abroad. On Monday, it said it is taking a 74% stake in Hong Kong-listed Winsor Properties Holdings, which has residential, office and warehouse projects in Hong Kong and Singapore. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47768 What Singaporean buyers want in Malaysian property http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47767 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47767#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 01:27:35 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47767 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47767>Article Link</a> Security or crime issues top the list of concerns for prospective Singaporean buyers of Malaysian real estate, but the ability to flip an asset quickly is also a major consideration, according to PropertyGuru group chief executive Steve Melhuish. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47767 Thailand: Residential market back on track http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47766 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47766#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 01:27:21 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47766 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47766>Article Link</a> Housing sentiment has improved since last year’s floods, but demand has shifted to condominiums and locations near mass transit, say property developers and the Real Estate Information Center (REIC). (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47766 US: Housing market recovery has officially begun http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47723 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47723#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 01:04:24 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47723 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47723>Article Link</a> It’s been a rough five and a half years for the American homeowner. Since the housing bubble reached its peak in early 2007, Americans have watched helplessly as $7 trillion in housing wealth evaporated. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47723 Housing markets: Boom ahead? http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47722 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47722#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 01:04:08 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47722 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47722>Article Link</a> It’s been a long time coming, but America’s housing market finally seems to be normalising. Construction has been so low since the beginning of the bust that many markets are experiencing increasingly tight conditions. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47722 Homebuilder confidence in U.S. climbs to five-year high http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47721 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47721#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 01:03:55 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47721 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47721>Article Link</a> Confidence among U.S. homebuilders jumped more than forecast in May, reaching a five-year high that signals an improving outlook for construction. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo index of builder confidence rose to 29, the highest since May 2007, a report from the Washington-based group showed. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47721 Housing’s future: Renting and downsizing http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47720 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47720#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 01:03:37 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47720 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47720>Article Link</a> Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like a rented apartment. That may be the mantra of U.S. households for the next three years, according to a new study released Tuesday by the Demand Institute division of the U.S. Conference Board. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47720 Homes for sale grow scarce as sellers await higher prices http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47719 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47719#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 01:03:26 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47719 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47719>Article Link</a> Real estate agents, who spent the six-year U.S. housing collapse coaxing buyers off the fence, are now hunting for sellers as home inventories hover near lows last seen in 2005. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47719 Canada’s housing market booms; experts see trouble http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47718 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47718#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 01:02:55 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47718 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47718>Article Link</a> Housing prices are going through the roof in Canada. The real estate market there is one of the hottest in the developed world. In Toronto, prices increased 10 percent in March alone. The average detached house in the city costs more than $600,000. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47718 Toronto lifts Canadian homes sales, Vancouver drags http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47717 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47717#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 01:02:29 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47717 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47717>Article Link</a> Canadian existing home sales jumped 11.5 percent in April from a year earlier, boosted by a hot Toronto market, but modest price gains nationally and sluggish activity in Vancouver suggest the country’s housing boom may be cooling. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47717 Banks not immune to housing-related failures: Corporate Canada http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47716 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47716#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 01:02:15 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47716 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47716>Article Link</a> Canada’s banks, ranked the soundest on the planet by the World Economic Forum, aren’t immune to collapses triggered by falling housing prices, according to the government official implementing new mortgage rules. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47716 Brazil builders plunge as PDG profit tumble deepens slump http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47715 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47715#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 01:01:57 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47715 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47715>Article Link</a> MRV Engenharia & Participacoes and PDG Realty SA Empreendimentos & Participacoes led a plunge among Brazilian real-estate companies after reporting first-quarter profit that fell more than forecast. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47715 More real-estate loans default in Europe http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47714 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47714#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 01:01:39 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47714 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47714>Article Link</a> European commercial-real-estate markets are struggling with a sharp increase in problem mortgages just as more European countries slip back into recession. A growing number of landlords, hit with falling rents and occupancies, are defaulting on loans, and it is happening not just in the most-troubled parts of Europe but in big centers like London and Frankfurt. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47714 Indians wary of investing in property: Survey http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47713 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47713#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 01:01:25 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47713 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47713>Article Link</a> Uncertainty in the real estate sector is keeping the Indian home buyers away, according to a survey. “While property still remains the preferred choice of investment of nearly all the Indians, as high as 92 per cent, they are pretty scared of trading in the property market now,” real estate market tracking news portal Track2Realty’s survey titled `Home Buyer’s Satisfaction Index’ said. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47713 Beijing commercial property market rallies http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47712 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47712#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 01:01:12 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47712 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47712>Article Link</a> Rentals for office buildings in Beijing rose 48 percent year-on-year in the first quarter, while average monthly office rentals increased 12.64 percent quarter-on-quarter to 277.57 yuan per square meter, reports China Securities Journal, citing DTZ. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47712 Singapore home sales stay strong http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47711 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47711#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 01:00:43 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47711 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47711>Article Link</a> Sales of new private homes in Singapore rose in April to a near three-year high, government data showed Tuesday, as transactions exceeded 2,300 units for an unprecedented third straight month amid resilient demand in the city-state’s property market. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47711 How to repair Australia’s property sector http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47710 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47710#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 01:00:26 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47710 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47710>Article Link</a> At last we can see some improvement in the property market in Sydney and to a lesser extent in Brisbane and the Gold Coast. The reason is definitely the lowering of interest rates. It is too early to say by how much the properties rose, but the effect is definite. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47710 Knight Frank: Prime world city markets turn negative http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47687 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47687#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 01:24:07 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47687 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47687>Article Link</a> The Knight Frank Prime Global Cities Index records first quarterly fall since 2009. The value of prime property in the world’s key cities fell by 0.4% in the first quarter of 2012. This represents the index’s first quarterly fall since the depths of the global recession. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47687 In good news for Obama, housing markets improve in key states http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47686 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47686#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 01:23:46 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47686 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47686>Article Link</a> President Barack ObamaThe November 6 U.S. presidential election between President Barack Obama and presumptive Republican challenger Mitt Romney may be decided by a small number of “swing” states - those that could go to either man - where the health of the housing market looms large for voters as they weigh their choice. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47686 Steps unclear in builders’ race to top http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47685 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47685#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 01:23:29 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47685 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47685>Article Link</a> Record-keepers for skyscrapers are struggling to keep up as builders around the world create ever taller towers, stretching everything from the limits of architecture itself to the definition of a spire. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47685 Commercial real estate heading for a deep freeze http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47684 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47684#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 01:23:16 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47684 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47684>Article Link</a> One of the clichés of real estate investing is that you can make more of everything but you can’t make more land. The implication is that real estate has to be a one way bet. More people competing for a share of an asset that can’t be expanded very readily must equate to constantly rising prices, or so the law of supply and demand might seem to suggest. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47684 European deal volumes shrink 50pct in April http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47683 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47683#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 01:22:58 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47683 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47683>Article Link</a> European real estate investment slowed significantly in April compared with March, continuing the downward trend seen since the beginning of the year. PropertyEU Research recorded a volume of EUR 3.5 bn for April, compared with almost EUR 5 bn a month earlier. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47683 UK home-movers at their most upbeat for almost 2 years http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47682 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47682#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 01:22:40 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47682 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47682>Article Link</a> UK home-moves are at their most upbeat about property prices in almost 2 years, according to Rightmove’s latest research. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47682 More prime offices up for sale in Dutch market http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47681 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47681#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 01:22:18 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47681 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47681>Article Link</a> More sales of large high-quality office buildings are on the cards in Amsterdam following Deka Immobilien’s acquisition of the Viñoly office building in the city’s Zuidas business district. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47681 JLL: Prague office market green leader and solid leasing performance http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47680 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47680#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 01:22:03 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47680 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47680>Article Link</a> At the end of Q1 2012 the class-A and B office stock in Prague totaled 2,814,000 m², which means that the Prague office market is – after Warsaw and Budapest – the third largest in CEE. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47680 Dubai outperforms global property markets in Q1 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47679 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47679#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 01:21:43 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47679 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47679>Article Link</a> Dubai was the world’s top performing real estate market in the first quarter of 2012, according to the latest Knight Frank Prime Global Cities Index. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47679 Real estate investment plunges 42pct in Asia Pacific http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47678 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47678#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 01:21:27 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47678 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47678>Article Link</a> Major capital markets in Asia Pacific saw subdued sentiment in real estate investment in the first quarter of this year with the Chinese mainland recording a dive of 70 percent in volume, an industry report has found. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47678 Mumbai residential market prices crash 9.1pct in 1 year http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47677 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47677#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 01:21:00 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47677 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47677>Article Link</a> Prime property prices have risen in the December-March quarter 2012 in four Asian markets barring Mumbai, Shangahi and Beijing and Sydney, says a Knight Frank report that published the Global Cities Index. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47677 China’s easing aimed at housing market http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47676 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47676#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 01:20:42 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47676 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47676>Article Link</a> Concerns of a collapse in China’s housing market may have been foremost in the minds of Beijing policy makers as they sought to pump up bank lending with a cut to reserve ratios, according to analysts citing very weak data for the sector. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47676 Singapore sees pockets of hot activity in property http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47675 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47675#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 01:20:24 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47675 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47675>Article Link</a> Singapore’s housing minister said on Monday the government continues to have concerns about the residential property market, in particular small-sized “shoebox” apartments, and will not hesitate to take more action if needed. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47675 Singapore: Property owners, managing agents must rely on contract http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47674 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47674#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 01:20:12 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47674 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47674>Article Link</a> The working relationship between property owners and their managing agents is ultimately based on a contract, Minister for National Development Khaw Boon Wan said in a written response to a parliamentary question from Aljunied GRC MP Sylvia Lim on Monday. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47674 Australia’s $1.4 trillion pension funds chase property assets http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47673 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47673#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 01:19:36 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47673 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47673>Article Link</a> Australian pension funds, managers of about $1.4 trillion in assets, plan a property buying binge that may drive up prices, as new laws force employers to increase contributions to retirement savings programs. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47673 Thomson Reuters launches first highly-liquid, investable, real estate indices for ETF market http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47672 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47672#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 01:19:09 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47672 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47672>Article Link</a> Thomson Reuters, the world’s leading supplier of intelligent information for businesses and professionals, and Global Property Research today announced the launch of the first highly-liquid, real estate indices. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47672 Knight Frank: Prime world city markets turn negative http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47647 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47647#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 01:44:43 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47647 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47647>Article Link</a> The Knight Frank Prime Global Cities Index records first quarterly fall since 2009. The value of prime property in the world’s key cities fell by 0.4% in the first quarter of 2012. This represents the index’s first quarterly fall since the depths of the global recession. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47647 Canada: Demand for new housing set to pump up market bubble http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47646 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47646#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 01:44:20 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47646 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47646>Article Link</a> post thumbnail

Doug PorterNew numbers last week on Canada’s condo-juiced housing market are fanning fresh worries about a bubble in Canadian real estate. This week brings another temperature reading on the housing market – sales of existing homes for April. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47646 Which Canadian property markets are most at risk? http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47645 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47645#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 01:44:01 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47645 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47645>Article Link</a> The oft-repeated axiom in real estate is “location, location, location.” Even housing “bears” recognize that there is no such thing as a Canadian real estate market. Granted there are macro factors that affect all regions equally, most notably the cost and availability of credit, but regional markets vary widely in terms of their fundamentals and, by extension, their vulnerability to a price correction. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47645 US faces biggest land shortage in history: property investor http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47644 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47644#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 01:43:09 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47644 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47644>Article Link</a> The devastation of the US housing market in the global financial crisis is well known. Since 1950, the US has averaged more than 1 million new houses annually, but in the past three years, that number has fallen to 500,000 a year. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47644 Is now the time to buy your first house? http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47643 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47643#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 01:42:52 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47643 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47643>Article Link</a> It’s been a scary few years for the housing market. But at some point, the nightmare has to end (please?). Is now the time? Should first-time home buyers consider jumping into the market? (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47643 Miami housing market enjoys robust price increase in 1Q http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47642 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47642#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 01:42:38 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47642 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47642>Article Link</a> According to the Miami Association of Realtors, limited housing supply in Miami-Dade County coupled with heightened demand fueled robust price appreciation in the first quarter of 2012. This was in spite of a significant percentage of closed home sales being short sales and REOs (bank-owned) properties. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=47642 Europe’s woes hit global demand for luxury homes http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47641 http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47641#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 01:42:21 +0000 Laxman http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47641 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Realestate_Briefing/?p=47641>Article Link</a> Demand for the world’s priciest houses is likely to cool this year after two years of strong growth, as concerns over Europe’s debt crisis, the health of the global economy and governments price cooling measures in Asia dissuade buyers, research showed. (more…)

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