Weekly Asia Real-Estate News & Commentary
10 Jan, 2013 – “Real-Estate in Asia in 2013 – Predictions & Prospects”
“…all indicators seem to point to the fact that Asia will continue to be favoured by global property investors world-wide, as it was in 2012 – although with less fervour than in 2012, mainly due to curbs and cooling measures placed on major economies in the region such as China, Singapore and Hong-Kong, which will most likely act as buffers, to try and prevent super-heating in those markets – with the result being that South-East Asia, and in particular Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, are being hailed these days as favourite destinations for capital flow…[read more]“
3 Jan, 2013 – “Real-Estate in Asia – 2012 Summary – Emerging Markets”
“…The term “emerging” in this context, however, refers not merely to the ability of foreigners to be active in those markets, whether directly or through local partnerships, but more accurately to their ability to do so in relative safety, operating in a regulated environment, with reasonable recourse options in case things go south…[read more]“
28 Dec, 2012 – “Real-Estate in Asia – 2012 Summary – Established Markets”
“…property-wise as well as economy-wise, 2012, perhaps more than anything, is now seen around the world as “the year in which the scales tipped” – that is to say, the year in which the balance of wealth and, subsequently, of power, has finally passed beyond that gigantic equalising threshold of income, growth, equity and capital, and firmly cemented Asia’s position as “where it’s at”…[read more]“
22 Dec, 2012 – “China’s Real-Estate Scene Stabilises | Asian REITs Beat Stocks”
“…This week’s news items bear the mark of stability and sustained growth outlooks for Asian economies as a whole, underpinned by a robust property market, and led by China‘s modestly re-vitalised real-estate sector – while the region’s REIT market, firmly asserting itself as “the place to be”, produces some spectacular numbers…[read more]“
14 Dec, 2012 – “Thai King’s Fund Far From Benevolent | Foreign Investment in India Hits Rock Bottom”
“…A quick web search for the definition of “Benevolent”…reveals the meaning of the word to be “Well meaning and kindly” or, alternatively, “(of an organization) Serving a charitable rather than a profit-making purpose” – definitions that Amporn Pannarat, facing eviction from her home of six decades, would most likely be hard pressed to agree with…[read more]“
30 Nov, 2012 – “Asian Money Escapes to Sydney | US Tops global Real-Estate Markets”
“…Investors from China, Hong Kong, South Korea and Singapore are snapping up real estate in many of Sydney’s most desirable locations. Similarly, Asian investors are swooping on top-end residential property in other states as well. They are among the top buyers of new development properties across Australia’s major cities, with families taking advantage of what they see as relatively cheap real estate prices compared to those in some of the larger urban Asian centres….[read more]“
“…In India, Asia’s third largest economy and one of the world’s most populous countries, the battle against corruption and uncertainty rages on. Government and industry efforts, reported on in previous digests, designed in an attempt to ensure the continued flow of foreign funds into the country and sustain its continued growth, are facing an uphill battle…[read more]“
17 Nov, 2012 – “Chinese Buy Japan’s Water, UK’s Real-Estate | Turkey & Indonesia Attract Billions”
“…Foreign investors, led by Chinese, have been purchasing extensively in water-rich rural Japan – one of the wold’s top 10% countries in water resources, and also the only country in the Asia-Pacific region that doesn’t regulate property investment by foreigners. As a result, certain land in certain areas – particularly Hokkaido, in the country’s North, an island roughly the size of Austria with triple the average Japanese land water resources – can be bought for 60 U.S. cents a square meter – most importantly, including abundant groundwater…[read more]“
9 Nov, 2012 – “Over 1 Million Impoverished in Hong-Kong | Obama Win Boosts Asian RE Stocks”
“…Hong-Kong is viewed by many as being monopolized by mainland Chinese property developers and high ranking officials holding top-class properties bought at very high prices – power-houses who will fight every inch of the way to ensure this particular bubble keeps on inflating – and seemingly blind to its effect on the people of the city, as well as to its all but imminent impending burst…[read more]“
3 Nov, 2012 – “Cooling Measures Save China, Fail Hong-Kong | Asia Future Bright”
“…traditional, mainland China and its reluctant foreign-educated and rebellious step-daughter, the city-state of Hong-Kong, have ended up in the same position – being forced to artificially intervene in a rapidly heating property market – and with startlingly differing results, if this week’s news reports are an accurate reflection…[read more]“
26 Oct, 2012 – “US QE3 Harms Asia Economy | China/Singapore Buy Trophy Western Assets”
“…investors in search of higher yields have been taking their money to Asia, as is usually the case – the sudden and unbalaned migration of funds causing huge problems for Asia’s currencies and real-estate markets. And while the Bank of Japan, as always, has been flagged as the most aggressive of the lot, Macquarie Bank reports this week that central Asian banks have spent an astounding 18 Billion USD since September…[read more]“
18 Oct, 2012 – “China’s Mega-Rich Lose Billions | Asia Bubble Potential Intensifies”
“SOHO China, owned by Zhang Xin, one of the country’s top self-made women billionaires, also saw a sharp drop in net worth – SOHO, Beijing’s largest real estate developer, reported a 65% decline in first half net profits, as it completed fewer projects than expected…[read more]“
12 Oct, 2012 – “Singapore RE Market White-Hot | India Steps Up Its Game”
“Singapore’s residential & industrial real estate sectors are on fire, despite government attempts to keep prices under control. July saw 1,946 new homes sales, a rise of 42 percent month-on-month. That puts the total sales figure for the first eight months of 2012 at 15,300 new properties, close to the full-year total of 2011…[read more]“
5 Oct, 2012 – “Thailand’s Bump on the Way to the Top | World’s Richest Turn to Property”
“…Government officials were quoted threatening the destruction of resorts and villas and revocation of land titles if illegal activities were proven, with 12 properties listed in the investigation and an alleged team of 366 investigators targeting nearly 600 hectares of island land…[read more]“
28 Sep, 2012 – “The Great Tokyo Rebound | Asian Real Estate Gets Greener”
“…Spectacularly, Tokyo’s office space is outperforming Singapore and Hong-Kong, where rents have been dropping in the last 2-3 quarters. Japan’s government, which predicts it will break out of the deflationary cycle for the first time in twenty years, desperately needs the cash injection, as reconstruction efforts following the great 2011 earthquake, tsunami and subsequent nuclear spillage are ending… [read more]“
15 Sep, 2012 – “Beer Maker Brewing SE Asia’s Biggest Deal | Australia RE Crash Looming”
“…Analysts predict that an acquirer may pay as much as 7.7 billion SGD for the Frasers Centrepoint Ltd. property unit, which for various reasons is greatly under-valued by the company’s stock share price. If the subsequent sale goes through, it would be Southeast Asia’s largest real-estate deal, according to data compiled by Bloomberg… [read more]“
7 Sep, 2012 – “Asians Buying Up NYC & London | Taiwan’s Time in the Sun”
“…Foreign ownership in the city, previously lorded over by cash-loaded investors from Russia and the Middle East, has already been overtaken in volumes by mainland Chinese, representing the shift in global wealth and on the lookout for trophy assets… [read more]“
3 Sep, 2012 – “Japan’s Stability VS Hong-Kong’s Luxury Bubble”
“…the bubble property market of Hong-Kong continues to soar to un-attainable heights – an illustration of this was found in the price of a Hong-Kong apartment that has just sold for 430 million HKD (55.4 million USD), a record price for a flat in Asia. The apartment fetched 8,000 USD per square foot – the second-highest price per square foot in the world… [read more]“
24 Aug, 2012 – “Theme Parks Flourish as India & China’s Thrill Ride Ends”
“…According to Jones Lang LaSalle, rates in India’s top seven cities dropped 35% in the first half of 2012, compared with the first half of 2011 – as India’s formerly booming real-estate market grinds down to a halt. The country’s general economic outlook is also far from bright, as Morgan Stanley revises downwards India’s expected GDP growth rate for 2012 to 7.4%… [read more]“
17 Aug, 2012 – “Pension & Retirement Funds Venture Overseas”
“…The USA’s largest public pension fund is committing $530 million to invest in a Chinese real estate funds …South Korea’s National Pension Service has been the largest foreign public sector buyer of London property, with 1.04 billion pounds in purchases since 2008…Malaysia’s superannuation fund KWAP, government super funds PNB & EPF…as well as private investment company Amcorp Group Berhad, and sharia-compliant fund … [read more]“
10 Aug, 2012 – “Rise of Malaysia / The European Connection”
“…Asian money seems to be actively directed towards European soccer clubs, a trend that seems to be intensifying, with the latest indication given last week, when state-owned China Railway 15th Bureau Group confirmed to be in talks with Inter Milan, the storied European club, to build a home stadium for the Italians by 2017… [read more]“
5 Aug, 2012 – “Asia ’13 Wins Over US & Euro | Bangkok / Jakarta Trailblaze”
“…In Bangkok alone, prices have risen by an astounding %29 in the last 12 months, as global investors starved for higher returns in the stagnating or outright failing European and US markets continue to send their money overseas… [read more]“
27 Jul, 2012 – “Asia’s Top RE Destinations | More Cross-Border Investing”
“Commercial & industrial property, in particular, seems to be drawing the majority of capital, with office and retail spaces flagged as favourites for overseas investors in all countries due to high returns – in spite of the higher volatility normally associated with these markets… [read more]“
20 Jul, 2012 – “IMF Confirms Asia Cool-Dow | Japan Rides Again”
“The IMF’s report reflects ongoing global concerns regarding shrinking growth in China – and particularly India, which is having it’s slowest year in just over a decade, as the Chicago Tribune reports this week… [read more]“
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(Composed by our Asia-Pacific Manager, Mr Ziv Magen, Pic – Asia on Globe / “Blatant World“)
