From Bsinessweek.com: The U.S. commercial real estate market has so far averted the catastrophe that many strategists were predicting last year. Even after sales of existing homes plummeted 27 percent to record lows in July, threatening further home-price declines, analysts see commercial real estate values stabilizing.
Vacancies for apartment buildings, office complexes, retail mall, and self-storage facilities are no longer rising meaningfully, rents are no longer falling, and many Real Estate Investment Trusts, the main vehicle for individual investors to participate in the sector, continue to reduce their debt loads……………………………………….Full Article: Source

From Bizjournals.com: Freddie Mac’s quarterly housing price report shows healthy gains across the country. Its Conventional Mortgage Home Price Index in the second quarter was up 3.1 percent from the first quarter.
Price gains were registered in all nine regions its report covers, the first time that has happened since the second quarter of 2009……………………………………….Full Article: Source

From Thestreet.com: Though Freddie Mac’s report on Monday showing the largest quarterly home-price increase since 2005 seemed like good news prima facie, the headline number hid a troubling sign for the U.S. housing market.
Home prices have only risen twice in the past three years: When the Obama administration unveiled a $275 billion homeowner-bailout program, and when its popular set of tax credits expired……………………………………….Full Article: Source

From Time.com: Are housing prices near a bottom? It’s not just policymakers, realtors and bankers who yearn for the turn. Anyone who owns a house, a condo or coop is surely wishing for some modest improvement.
Not the least of these hopefuls is homeowner-in-chief Ben Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, who just this past Friday lamented the heavy toll that tumbling housing prices are having on residential investment……………………………………….Full Article: Source

From CNNMoney.com: Remember how everyone complained that banks weren’t doing enough to help troubled borrowers? Well … Banks have realized that foreclosing on home after home after home may not be in anyone’s best interest — least of all their own.
So they’ve ramped up the number of loan modifications they’re handing out to their delinquent clients. Banks are doing nearly twice as many modifications under their own foreclosure prevention initiatives than under the Obama administration’s signature Home Affordable Modification Program, known as HAMP……………………………………….Full Article: Source

From WSJ: The housing market in most of New York City is outperforming markets in the rest of the country this summer, with prices rising modestly as employment grows in the city. In Brooklyn, median prices for apartments and houses rose 3.9% so far in the third quarter to $467,600, up from $450,000 in the second quarter, according to figures provided by Streeteasy.com
In Queens and Staten Island, median prices were up 6.5% and 1.7% to $350,000 and $376,0000, respectively……………………………………….Full Article: Source

From Sdbj.com: While its once-high-flying residential condo market is being pronounced dead, Mexican real estate still has pockets of activity — in selected industries in certain geographic areas — that continue to draw investors on the commercial side.
At a real estate forum Aug. 24 in San Diego, presented by the Urban Land Institute’s San Diego/Tijuana chapter, experts noted that steady cross-border trade continues to keep Mexico industrial properties, including manufacturing and warehouse buildings, as well as leased spaces, in relatively high demand……………………………………….Full Article: Source

From Express.co.uk: House prices will rocket by more than 20 per cent in the next five years, a report out yesterday forecast. The news will be welcomed by hundreds of thousands of families who will hope the expected surge will lift them out of negative equity
.The National Housing Federation’s (NHF) Home Truths 2010 report comes after the respected business think-tank Centre for Economics and Business Research predicted similar rises would add an extra £30,000 to the price of an average home……………………………………….Full Article: Source

From Bloomberg: U.K. home values dropped in August by the most in 16 months as the housing market endured a “modest re-pricing” that is likely to last as long as a year, Hometrack Ltd. said.
The average cost of a home fell 0.3 percent from the previous month to 158,200 pounds ($246,000), the London-based property researcher said in an e-mailed statement today. That was the biggest drop since April 2009……………………………………….Full Article: Source

From Telegraph: The housing market is under threat from a shortage of first-time buyers as they are priced off the property ladder by the large deposits needed, new research shows. Just one in five prospective buyers is making a first purchase, the lowest on record and half the level needed for a stable housing market, according to property website Rightmove.
Without a ready supply of new buyers underpinning transactions, property chains may collapse, pulling down prices all the way to the top……………………………………….Full Article: Source

From Propertyeu.info: Italian real estate fund manager Fondi Immobiliari Italiani (Fimit) has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MoU) about merging with First Atlantic Real Estate, the real estate fund management arm of Milan-listed private equity investment group Dea Capital.
The companies undertook a joint study in April on the feasibility of integrating the two businesses. They have completed the due diligence process and inked a preliminary merger agreement in June……………………………………….Full Article: Source

From Aarabtimesonline.com: After half a year of recession, the local property market is still in need for measures to overcome financial strains and prod banks to enhance funding for real property projects, a specialized report said Sunday.
The slide of the real property sales in July resulted from the faltering demand and the wavering transactions in anticipation of government measures to amend the legislations and regulate the market, according to the report issued by Emaar Alahlia real estate co……………………………………….Full Article: Source

From Reuters: Some governments in Asia have announced a slew of property policies over the past month to address concerns over asset bubbles and housing affordability.
Singapore is the latest to unveil tightening measures on Monday, after similar moves in Hong Kong and China, as economies in the region, including parts of India and Thailand, face overheating threats in their property markets……………………………………….Full Article: Source

From Realestatechannel.com: Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia were the strongest performing property markets in the world through the first part of 2010, while Europe continued to struggle with the economic tide.
Ireland was the worst performing market, posting a 16 percent drop in prices from a year earlier, compared to a 34 percent jump for Singapore, according to inflation-adjusted data tracked by the Global Property Guide……………………………………….Full Article: Source

From Channelnewsasia.com: Property consultant CB Richard Ellis (CBRE) said Asian Real Estate Investment Trust (REITs) saw good growth in the first half of this year.
In its “REITs Around Asia” report, CBRE said total market capitalisation of Asian REITs surged by 24.7 per cent on-year to US$69 billion……………………………………….Full Article: Source

From Reuters: The Chinese government’s efforts to curb price rises in the property market are beginning to work, and if the market defies cooling efforts officials should impose more measures, the nation’s top official paper said on Tuesday.
A commentary in the People’s Daily, the newspaper of China’s ruling Communist Party, said shrinking transaction volumes suggested that “housing prices will start to show clear drops.”………………………………………Full Article: Source

From Forbes.com: Investor worries that the government may further tighten China’s real market have cast a cloud over the country’s property stocks. Media reported this weekend that authorities consider prices to be too high, and are considering imposing new pilot real estate taxes in Shanghai and Chongqing.
What’s ahead for China’s real estate market? Will new taxes be imposed and, if so, what form will they take? Forbes today in Shanghai talked to Steven McCord, associate director of research at Jones Lang LaSalle……………………………………….Full Article: Source

From Property-report.com: Residential rents in Hong Kong should rise in coming months due to government property market cooling measures, the South China Morning Post has reported.
Property consultants predict that rents could increase by 10% by the end of the year. They’ve risen 8.6% in 2010 already. Census and Statistics Department figures showed that private residential rents rose 1% to an 11-month high from June to July………………………………………Full Article: Source

From Reuters: Singapore announced on Monday restrictions on people buying second homes as part of new measures to cool its red-hot residential market, joining Hong Kong and China in taking steps to keep a lid on housing prices.
Home prices in Asia have soared in recent months, fuelled by the region’s rapid economic recovery and ultra-low interest rates. The gains have been highest in Singapore, where prices rose 34 percent in the 12 months to June, followed by Hong Kong which increased 21 percent, according to Global Property Guide……………………………………….Full Article: Source

From Channelnewsasia.com: Market watchers are not surprised by the government’s move on Monday to cool the housing market, and some even said that it is long overdue.
On average, analysts expect the latest measures to dampen private home sales by about 20 per cent for the rest of the year……………………………………….Full Article: Source

From Xinhua: After over a month of delay, the South Korean government announced a package of policy measures to boost the local real estate market recently going through a slump.
As the Seoul government seeks to ease mortgage restrictions and extend tax breaks to aid those who belong to the lower-income bracket, market observers are divided over the effect of the measures in the market……………………………………….Full Article: Source

From Property-report.com: Currently Phuket has a huge supply of property – both new developments and re-sales – but the demand is no way near close to the supply, thus causing a major issue within the property market.
There are some clients out there still looking for property but as a close friend of mine told me, who also happens to work for CBRE, most potential clients are looking for West Coast property and there just is not that much available and if it is available (many re-sales) the owners are asking far too much. No one is interested in the huge amount of property that lies inland and everything is also overpriced across the whole of Phuket……………………………………….Full Article: Source

From Bloomberg: The Obama administration plans to set up an emergency loan program for the unemployed and a government refinancing effort in the next few weeks to help homeowners pay their mortgages after home sales dropped in July, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan said.

“The July numbers were worse than we expected, worse than the general market expected, and we are concerned,” Donovan said on CNN’s “State of the Union” program. “That’s why we are taking additional steps to move forward.”……………………………………Full Article: Source

From WSJ: A growing number of homeowners are choosing to pay down their mortgages at a faster rate–even if it means a substantial jump in their monthly payments. Between January and June, 26% of homeowners who refinanced chose a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage, according to data from CoreLogic, a provider of financial, property and consumer information.

During all of 2009, 18.5% of borrowers who refinanced opted for a 15-year term. What’s prompting the shift to shorter loans? Historically low interest rates for fixed-rate mortgages…………………………………….Full Article: Source

From Reuters: British house prices suffered their biggest fall since April 2009 this month, declining by 0.3 percent, property data company Hometrack said on Monday in its monthly survey of estate agents and surveyors.

August is traditionally a weak month for British house prices, with many buyers on holiday, and Hometrack’s data are not seasonally adjusted. Nonetheless the firm said a downward price trend was now underway after July’s 0.1 percent fall…………………………………….Full Article: Source

From Guardian: Only a mug bets against rising house prices in Britain. This is a small island that has a rising population, tight planning controls and a tax system that favours property. Demand tends to run well ahead of supply, and that means bricks and mortar always seems a good investment.

Well, call me a mug if you like, but house prices are overpriced and have to fall. Activity is weak, with the number of new mortgage applications running at less than half their pre-recession levels. First-time buyers, according to a survey from Rightmove out today, account for only 20% of the market, about half the level needed to lubricate housing chains…………………………………….Full Article: Source

From Property-magazine.eu: Chinese buyers are anticipated to replace Russian investors as major players in the prime central London market as the number of super-wealthy individuals continues to grow rapidly in the country, new research from CB Richard Ellis revealed.
Buyers with foreign currency are still enjoying attractive discounts on prime central London property as Sterling continues to remain weak…………………………………….Full Article: Source

From Propertyfundsworld.com: Rental growth in the London office sector is likely to stall in the short term in line with a slowing in the global economy and a reduction in requirements for large buildings, according to a report by Henderson Global Investors.

However, a confluence of factors should come together to generate a prolonged period of buoyant growth over the medium term…………………………………….Full Article: Source

From Emirates247.com: Dubai developers are reportedly taking advantage of an upturn in construction activity in order to put investors in difficult financial positions, according to media reports.

Some developers are rushing through to the 40 per cent completion stage on projects, in order to issue default notices to buyers who have missed instalments…………………………………….Full Article: Source

From Albawaba.com: Real estate prices are on the rise in parts of Riyadh and Jeddah as Saudi Arabia’s growing population drives up demand for residential properties, according to research undertaken by the Consulting Division of Oxford Business Group (OBG).

Rakesh Kunhiraman, Dubai-based Director of OBG’s Consulting Division, said the growth witnessed in prime and emerging localities of the cities marked a turnaround for the Kingdom’s two key real estate markets…………………………………….Full Article: Source

From Indiatimes.com: Indian rating agency Crisil just came up with a paid rating service for real estate projects. Crisil will utilize traditional channels including newspaper advertisements, property websites and roadshows to propagate and communicate star ratings on real estate projects.

In the first phase, we aim to increase awareness and usage among the developers, as we believe that good developers already feel the need for such a product…………………………………….Full Article: Source

From Thehindu.com: Six real estate projects in Chennai have got top ratings from Crisil, which has, for the first time, has come out with a product to provide city-specific all round assessment of real estate projects.

Addressing a gathering got up to announce the award of 7-Star rating to Abode Valley and 6-Star rating to Central Park — couple of projects promoted by Lancor Holdings — Lodd Rajendra, Head of Business Development, Crisil Ratings, said Crisil was now working on two more mandates from the realty sector. He said Crisil had thus far rated 21 real estate projects…………………………………….Full Article: Source

From Indiatimes.com: The creators of the Real Estate Regulation Bill should forget about constraints being faced by the current players and should concentrate upon creating a good ground reality that serves the customer and the developer and creates a long term vision for this industry.

When Indian administrative law can oblige a pharmacist to carry a diploma in pharmacy degree, a tax consultant to carry a chartered accountancy degree and a corporate advisor to carry an LLB and / or a company secretary degree then a real estate consultant and agent should also carry a Diploma in Real Estate degree…………………………………….Full Article: Source

From Indiatimes.com: The US Embassy’s plans to sell a plot of prime land have hit a wall with permission being refused by the government which feels that the deal is not proportionate to the commercial value of the property.

The Embassy had struck a deal with a private builder for the sale of the two-acre plot located on Tilak Marg in the posh Lutyen’s Bungalow Zone of the capital for Rs 46 crore about six years back…………………………………….Full Article: Source

From Reuters: China will continue to curb property speculation regardless of recent changes in housing prices, a senior government advisor said in remarks published in Sunday.

Xia Bin, an academic advisor to the central bank, told a weekend forum in Shanghai that Beijing would maintain its “appropriately loose” monetary and proactive fiscal policy stance despite a moderation in economic growth…………………………………….Full Article: Source

From Macaudailytimes.com.mo: Buying an off the plan property is a common vehicle of investment the world over and Macau is no different. Buying off the plan, as the term suggests, involves entering a contract to buy a property before construction is complete. For developers, selling off the plan helps keep their cash flow positive and minimises the risks of large-scale projects. By securing pre-commitments, the viability of their development should be guaranteed.
Of course, buying off the plan means you are punting on buying at the right price and achieving good capital growth and can be a very good proposition for those that can predict the real estate market accurately and can anticipate the success of investing in an apartment complex in a certain area…………………………………….Full Article: Source

From Telegraph: An increasing number of expats are turning away from the traditional apartment or condo to purchase property with land in Singapore. Land is scarce in the city-state of Singapore, but foreigners this year have been eagerly buying so-called “landed properties”.

According to new research by property agent Knight Frank, foreigners were responsible for the purchase of around 150 landed properties in the first half of 2010 - only slightly less than the number purchased in the whole of 2009…………………………………….Full Article: Source

From Bloomberg: Singapore will announce more steps to cool the property market after previous measures failed to keep prices from rising, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said.

The Ministry of National Development will unveil the measures before markets open today, Lee, 58, said in a televised National Day Rally speech yesterday, without providing details. The Singapore stock market starts trading at 9 a.m. local time…………………………………….Full Article: Source

From Thailand-business-news.com: Property in South East Asia has dropped off the radar for cash-strapped British buyers, according to data from the United Kingdom’s leading property website. Property in South East Asia has dropped off the radar for cash-strapped British buyers, according to data from the United Kingdom’s leading property website.

The report from RightMove Overseas compared search statistics from July 2008 and July 2010, and the results do not bode well for South East Asian countries that previously enjoyed substantial interest from the United Kingdom…………………………………….Full Article: Source

From Koreaherald.com: With partial easing of mortgage restrictions and extended tax breaks, the government is treading a fine line to boost the languid property market while preventing a real estate bubble from forming.

The government announced on Sunday a package of tax, financial and supply measures to revitalize the real estate market after over a month of delay…………………………………….Full Article: Source

From AFP: South Korea’s government on Sunday announced measures to ease curbs on mortgage lending to counteract a slump in the housing market.

Under the plan, jointly announced by several agencies including the land and finance ministries, the government will temporarily roll back some restrictions introduced in the mid-2000s to curb soaring prices…………………………………….Full Article: Source

From Koreatimes.co.kr: Indisputably, the outstanding policy among the comprehensive steps aimed at reviving the slumping real estate markets announced on Sunday is the easing of the debt-to-income ratio (DTI) rules.

As the Seoul administration temporarily relaxes the DTI regulations in defiance of its previous stance of sticking to it by any means, folks will be able to borrow increased amounts from banks when they buy homes…………………………………….Full Article: Source

From Stuff.co.nz: The Kiwi love affair with property investment is over. New research shows a drastic decline in the number of people intending to buy real estate as a money-making strategy.

Property experts say tax changes announced in the Budget, rumours of a capital gains tax and a lack of confidence due to the recession are contributing to investor reticence…………………………………….Full Article: Source

From Economist.com: There was always some concern that the Obama administration’s attempts to prop up the housing market with a generous housing-tax credit could end badly.
Opponents of the policy—worth up to $8,000 for first-time buyers—argued that it would merely move sales around, from after the deadline to before, and could produce a slump when the deadline passed. Such fears helped clear the way for an extension of the programme from its first 2009 deadline to April of this year……………………………………….Full Article: Source

From Dow Jones: The commercial real estate sector continues to struggle even though landlords across the country are offering concessions and rent discounts, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday.
A gauge of the commercial real estate sector released by the group stood at 41 in the second quarter, up 2.8% in the quarter but still far below the 100 the NAR said represents a balanced market……………………………………….Full Article: Source

From Bloomberg: U.S. mortgage rates fell to a record, extending a two-month tumble in borrowing costs for homebuyers as property demand slumps.
The average rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage dropped to 4.36 percent in the week ended today from 4.42 percent, Freddie Mac said in a statement……………………………………….Full Article: Source

From IPE: Capital value movements have returned to positive territory in the US after two and a half years of write-downs, but economic doubts are preventing a rush of capital from investors, according to Investment Property Databank (IPD).
The latest IPD US Quarterly Property Index showed a positive capital return of 2.2% for the second quarter, contributing to a 4% total return……………………………………….Full Article: Source

From Csmonitor.com: With sales collapsing for several consecutive months for both new and existing homes, it’s clear that the underlying “organic” trend for home purchases is weak which combined with rising inventory, a recently estimated 7.3 million “shadow” units (far more than a whole years supply at the current sales pace) and rising foreclosure activity, will likely led to another bout of falling prices forcing more “homeowners” under water and further impacting overall consumption.
The ruse of government sponsorship of the nation’s housing markets and its “stabilizing” effects is quickly showing itself to be simply failed policy and with this realization we will have to accept the truly debilitated state of our housing markets however severe……………………………………….Full Article: Source

From Journalofcommerce.com: Housing starts in the second half of this year will weaken versus the first half, according to CanaData’s latest forecast. There are five obvious reasons.
Several others are subtle and raise the spectre of the Canadian housing market being infected with the deadly U.S. housing-fiasco virus. More on that in a moment, but let’s begin with factors working against Canadian housing starts……………………………………….Full Article: Source

From Guardian: In the US, Ireland and Spain, the housing market is in freefall. Here, it isn’t, and that’s why Britons are still shopping - for the moment. How are the doomsayers going to explain this one? High street spending grew last month at the fastest pace in three years.
Summer sales, warm weather and the school holidays were cited as strong reasons for shoppers to set aside their worries and join the throng at Meadowhall, Bluewater and the Metro Centre……………………………………….Full Article: Source