Understanding the Financial Crisis

A very well explanation regarding Financial Crisis happened in 2008. Check this out!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqUGoVez8xg&feature=share

Resorts World Bayshore to kick off in 2013

By Farah Wahida:

Genting Hong Kong Ltd will begin works for phase one of its Resorts World Bayshore in the Philippines, a development three times larger than the existing Resorts World Manila, according to The Star.

Notably, Genting Malaysia Bhd owns 18.4 percent of Genting Hong Kong Ltd.

“Following the success of Resorts World Manila, we hope to do the ground-breaking soon for the first phase of Resorts World Bayshore. We have already signed up Westin as one of the hotels there,” said David Chua, President of Genting Hong Kong.

The RM3.41billion development on a 16ha plot, which eyes RM1.7billion initial investment, is scheduled to be completed by 2016. Resorts World Bayshore will comprise two 800-room upscale hotels, a mall, a 3,000-seat grand opera and residential towers surrounding a casino, once completed.

The development is part of efforts by the Philippine government to build a 100ha leisure and gambling haven to compete with Las Vegas and Macau. Resorts World Bayshore is just 20 minutes apart Resorts World Manila and will take up eight sq km of reclaimed land in Manila Bay.

Meanwhile, ground-breaking ceremony for the third phase expansion of Resorts World Manila has been carried out by Genting group chairman Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay. Expected to be finished in 2016, the expansion will add over 1,000 hotel rooms, gaming facilities, retail space and other international hotels to the integrated hotel.

VALUE BUY: 1Borneo Condominium with Cottage Style Furnishing

Warm Greetings from Metro Homes, Sabah!

1Borneo Condominium is standing tall on a 23 acre development along Jalan Sulaman-Coastal Highway, elements of the whole development comprising of 2 blocks of Condominium namely 1Borneo Condominium Tower A and B, 1 block of Super Condominium namely Prince Tower, 1.5 million square feet of retail space, 2 blocks of Office Towers, Private College namely Mahsa College and Ascot Academy, and 1 block of Office cum Shop Lots with 3,500 car park bays provided.

Public Amenities within close proximity would be State Immigration of Sabah, Educational Institutions such as University Teknologi Mara (UITM), University Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Mahsa College, Ascot Academy and Politeknik Kota Kinabalu. In terms of Medical Facility there is Hospital Likas located at Kingfisher area only 6.5km driving distance away. Within only 13 minutes drive or 13.4km away, you may reach classy 6-star resort namely Karambunai Resorts with world class 18 holes of golf course and spectacular sea view overlooking Sepangar Bay. 

Property Description:

This unit available for sale is located at Tower A, 900 sq ft which is fully renovated with built-in cabinets, quality furnishing with hard wood material, kitchen wall is tiled at fully height, overall the whole unit is designed and furnished with sense of "Cottage Feel". It is ideally resided for single individual or couple whereas 2nd bedroom has been converted into study room with built-in book shelves. The living room is overlooking spectacular "Kampung View" and Crocker Range view providing serenity for its dwellers. 

Property Address: 1Borneo Condominium, Tower A (High Floor)

View/Scenery     : Kampung View/Alamesra View

Area/Size            : 900 square feet (Corner Unit)

Selling Price       : RM400,000

View to Appreciate!

Call now for more info and viewing appointment!

Thank you! 

--


Best Regards
for Metro Homes Sdn Bhd

Real Estate Negotiator
WAH KHENG WU
Metro Homes Sdn Bhd
Mobile :+6016-810 0663
Office :+6088 486 060
Fax :+6088-486 033
Email :kwwah88@gmail.com

  

E-28-5, Block E, KK Times Square,

Off Jalan Coastal Highway, 
88100 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.

..............................................................................................................................

Asia Pacific Property Awards 2009.  Winner for "Best Malaysia Real Estate Agency Website"

Real Estate Website  : www.metrohomes.com

MM2H Website         : www.mm2hnet.com

Twin condos poised to be Sabah's highest building

By Farah Wahida:

Luyang will be home to the highest building in Sabah, once a twin tower condominium development with more than 50 storeys is completed there in the coming years, according to The Daily Express.

The twin tower would exceed the 30-storey Menara Tun Mustapha, the 38-storey Sabah State Administration Complex as well as the yet-to-be-built Tawau Times Square which is said to be the highest building planned in Tawau and Sabah.

The Central Planning Board and the Sabah State Cabinet have approved the project but the development’s name and design has not yet been finalised. The developer is still incorporating the best practices and international standards for the planned 540 units to lure locals as well as expatriates.

“The engineering design allows tolerance of seismic tremors of up to 5 or 6 on the Richter’s Scale. Consideration in design for exclusive lifts and lobbies are still being worked out after a visit to Singapore to look at the very best,” said Sabahan Architect Jeremy John Lo Vui Ken.

For instance, the staff will have separate lifts from the occupants.

“It will be the highest condominium complex in Malaysia and Southeast Asia with a 360 degree panoramic view of Kota Kinabalu sited on a five-acre land in an excellent location with good convenient accessibility,” said Datuk David Chu, the developer of the project.

Bolton signs JV for RM480m GDV Sabah development

By Ho Ching Ling of theedgeproperty.com
Wednesday, 21 November 2012 16:44


KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 21): Bolton Bhd has entered into a joint venture agreement with Mobuild Sdn Bhd for a residential development project in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah worth an estimated gross development (GDV) value of RM480 million.

The project — which represents Bolton's maiden project in East Malaysia — will consist of 500 units of luxury condominiums and 50 units of landed villas on a 10.33 acre land at Signal Hill and is slated to be launched in the first half of 2013.

"As you know, we have primarily been a Klang Valley developer, but we view Kota Kinabalu as a very good market," said group executive chairman Tan Sri Azman Yahya at the double signing ceremony today.

According to Azman, the partnership will be a 50:50 collaboration in which Mobuild will provide the land while Bolton will be responsible for the working capital and development of the units.

Azman added the group will be announcing more joint venture collaborations in the near future specifically one development in Penang and another in Kota Bahru, the latter which will be announced by end of this year.

"Bolton is currently being sought after as a desirable joint-venture partner due to our flexibility and adaptability when dealing with our partners and the type of attractive development concepts we bring," he said.

The group also signed a RM370 million financing facility with Affin Investment Bank today consisting of RM230 million Islamic medium term notes programme and a RM140 million revolving credit line, which Azman said will be largely utilised to finance land acquisitions and project financing.

"The facility also gives us the funds to undertake further land and development acquisitions to move us closer to our RM1 billion annual sales target we set to achieve in a couple of years," Azman added.

The property developer currently has a land bank size of 1,300 acres with the largest plot being the 625-acre land in Sungai Long.

"We expect to launch the first phase of this township comprising 160 acres within the next two years with a target GDV in excess of RM1 billion whereas the remaining phases will be developed over the next 10 years and could further generate GDV in excess of RM2 billion," he said.

RHB raises fair value for Mah Sing to RM2.58 after 3Q profit

By Cindy Yeap of theedgeproperty.com
Monday, 19 November 2012 17:46


KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 19): RHB Research Institute retained a neutral stance on Mah Sing Group Bhd but raised its fair value by 3.2% to RM2.58 after the property developer reported a 27.8% year-on-year jump in third quarter earnings Monday afternoon.

In a note following Mah Sing's results release, RHB said Mah Sing's 3Q earnings was "in-line" with expectations but it is raising its price target from RM2.50 to RM2.58 to account for higher gross development value (GDV) for the developer's Southville City and Sutera Avenue developments.

"We maintain our market perform rating on Mah Sing, as sentiment on property stocks is likely to stay cautious ahead of the general election," RHB said in a note today (Monday), adding that its price target was at a 15% discount to its revised revised net asset value estimate of RM3.04 per share.

RHB did not change its forecasts for Mah Sing, whose unbilled sales stood at RM2.95 billion.

May Sing is targeting RM3 billion sales for 2013, a 20% increase from 2012's target of RM2.5 billion.

"We believe the major contributor would be Southville City in Bangi, where GDV for the township project has been revised upwards to RM3.63 billion from RM2.15 billion as a result of proposed changes to the development components to include more commercial content," RHB said in the note.

Downside risks for the stock include softer economic growth dampening property demand.

At 4.31pm, Mah Sing was up 1 sen or 0.44% to RM2.28, off an earlier intra-day high of RM2.29, with about 1.4 million shares done.

RHB's price target of RM2.58 implies a 13.2% upside potential.

9 TIPS AND TRICKS FOR FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS – SUBSEQUENT SALE (AFTER ACCEPTING THE OFFER)

9 Tips and Tricks for 1st Time Home Buyers – Subsequent sale (after accepting the offer)

1.   Time is of the essence. Once you have accepted the offer to purchase, you will need to look for a lawyer as soon as possible to represent you in the sale and purchase transaction.

2.   You have to monitor the time period for the execution of sale and purchase agreement (“SPA”). Normally, the SPA is to be executed within fourteen (14) days from the date of acceptance of the letter of offer by the seller. In the event you fail to execute the SPA within the specified time due to your own delay in engaging your lawyer, the seller is entitled to forfeit the earnest deposit you have already paid to them.

3.   Always request an inventory list to be attached in the SPA if the property is sold with fixtures and fittings.

4.   Sort out your loan financing as soon as possible once you have accepted the offer, as late payment interest might be incurred if the delay in obtaining the loan cause the late completion of the SPA.

5.   You are eligible to withdraw your Employees Provident Fund (Account 2) to finance the purchase of property if you are a Malaysian Citizen or Permanent Resident, provided that you maintain at least RM500.00 in your Account 2.

6.   Be prepared that the transfer of your property might take a little longer if it is a leasehold property with individual title, which requires state consent. This does not happen if your property is still held under a master title.

7.   You are eligible to a once in a lifetime 50% remission on ad valorem stamp duty for the purchase of a unit of residential property with a purchase price of not more than RM350,000.00.

8.   You are eligible to a once in a lifetime  50% remission from the stamp duty chargeable on loan agreement to finance the purchase of a unit of residential property with a purchase price not more than RM350,000.00.

9.   Remember to file your Form CKHT 2A to the Inland Revenue Board. Every disposal and acquire of property must be declared to the Inland Revenue Board. 

More Britons choosing mortgage over marriage

By Romesh Navaratnarajah:

A growing number of couples in the UK are having to choose between getting a home loan or proceeding with their wedding, considering that nuptials cost around £20,000 (S$38,784) on average — roughly equivalent to the deposit for a home.

A new study by Barclays shows that Britons prefer to get a new home rather than splurge on lavish weddings. Specifically, 52 percent of Britons said they would rather spend their savings on a home loan deposit than a wedding.

Only 10 percent of respondents said they would use their savings for a wedding. Interestingly, 16 percent of males chose weddings compared to just nine percent for females.

The research also shows that ten percent of Britons opted to scale down their nuptials, or postpone them so that they could save for a property.

“With the average home deposit costing in the region of £16,000 (S$31,027), it’s not surprising that couples are having to think twice about the way in which they tackle the dilemma of tying the knot and buying a property,” said Laoiseach Lynch, Head of Mortgage Products at Barclays.

1MDB’s KL property push raises concern

1Malaysia Development Bhd’s push into the property sector is raising concerns about the company’s rising debt and a possible commercial property glut in KL.

The company is involved in the 70-acre RM26bn Tun Razak Exchange (or TRX – previously known as the KL International Financial District) – 25 buildings and a new stock exchange – 20m square feet of floor area. It is supposed to serve as a financial services regional hub.

The government wants to remove subsidies on a host of goods, but in the case of TRX, it wants to give a host of “incentives” (notice how they are not referred to as subsidies when offered to corporations but by the euphemism of ‘incentives’) for the TRX project. These include:
exemption of stamp duty on loan/service agreements
a 100 per cent 10-year exemption from income tax.
a 70 per cent five-year income tax exemption for real estate developers operating at the exchange

Ah, subsidies by any other name… and no doubt, other property developers and owners are not jumping with joy for they could well lose business and tenants.

The Edge weekly (6 August) reported that 1MDB’s total loans and borrowings rose to RM6.8bn (31 March 2011) from RM4.4bn a year earlier. 1MDB then piled on further debt of RM11bn to finance its investment in the energy sector including buying up Ananda Krishnan’s Tanjung assets for a hefty RM8.5bn. (It is now eyeing the energy assets of Genting, Sime Darby and Bukhary’s Malakoff, reports The Edge).

When it was first set up, 1MDB’s initial capital of RM5bn was raised from 30-year bonds. About RM3.5bn of this was invested in PetroSaudi. It later sold this for RM4.2bn and invested in Murabaha notes.

The Edge also reported the firm had pumped in RM194m into properties (70 acres for TRX and 484 acres of the Sungai Besi air force base in KL) but these are now revalued at RM826m! How did this happen?

The Sungai Besi land will be turned into ‘Bandar Malaysia’ – mixed development of 62m square feet including 17000 homes of which 4000 will be ‘affordable’ (and the remainder of 13000 ‘unaffordable’?).

Both TRX and Bandar Malaysia will require RM5.4bn funding for the first phase. Now where is 1MDB going to raise the money from? The government or state-managed funds?

The following week, The Edge (13 August) carried another report saying that property players are concerned about the oversupply of office space in KL.

Let’s see, what do we have now in the pipeline:
TRX (by 1MDB)
Bandar Malaysia (1MDB)
KL Metropolis (Naza TTDI) – 1m sq feet (first phase)
KL Eco City (S P Setia) – 5.6m sq feet
the ridiculous 100-storey Warisan Merdeka tower (PNB) – 3m square feet

Current supply of office space in Klang Valley: 5m-7m sq feet per year.

At present, the occupancy rate for Grade A offices in KL is around 87 per cent.

Compare this to the time when KLCC was being built in 1997 – the occupancy rate in the city back then was a high 98 per cent. It plunged to 82 per cent soon after the towers were completed.

Are we heading for a commercial property glut in the coming years? You tell me.

(Thanks to The Edge for the statistics/data in this report).

Foreign property purchase in Malaysia plummets

By Farah Wahida

Malaysia failed to achieve its goal to attract foreigners to buy properties and make the country their second home, according to property experts.

Minister of Tourism Malaysia Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said the country has recorded 1,659 properties sold from 2007 to August 2012 under the Malaysia My Second Home Programme (MM2H) worth about RM1.5 billion.

Property experts noted that the purchase amount of about RM300 million annually was insubstantial compared to annual total residential property transactions worth RM30 billion. The small investment is deemed to have no effect on the property market as a whole.

The non-speculative nature of investments is believed to be the cause of the small figure of property investment by foreigners.

“The MM2H programme has contributed immensely towards the creation of a vibrant domestic economy and helped spur local economy,” Ng said following a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Bank of China (M) Bhd (BoC) and Ministry of Tourism in Kuala Lumpur last Thursday.

Ng said that from 2002 until August 2012, the country had attracted 19,488 participants from 120 countries to help promote the MM2H programme with China, Bangladesh, Japan, the UK and Iran topping the list of participants.

Singapore sales success for Thailand Property Showcase

By Andrew Batt:

Property worth more than THB 88 million was sold during the recent Thailand Property Showcase, the first multi-developer Thailand property exhibition to take place in Singapore.

The event, organised by PropertyGuru and its Thailand website DDproperty.com, saw 16 units transacted at the two-day event, as well as generating an additional 646 leads for exhibitors worth more than THB 3.3 billion.

A spokesman for Knight Frank, one of the exhibitor companies, described the event as being: “A great platform for Thai property”. The developer of H-Condominium, another exhibitor, said: “We were very impressed with how well the event was organised. The traffic we saw was far beyond our expectations.”

The event showcased 10 developments from Bangkok, Hua Hin and Phuket. Attendees also learned from experts and market-watchers in popular seminar sessions.

Thailand properties have been growing in popularity with Singaporean buyers this year, and the Thailand Property Showcase is further evidence of this, says Andrew Batt, International Group Editor of PropertyGuru.

He added: “It came as a surprise to many visitors that property prices in Thailand have been more stable than those in Singapore over the last five years. Singapore prices are volatile whereas the house price trend in Thailand is far more stable in Thailand.”

Rainwater Harvesting System

This concept may not be overly fitting for Windsor’s current financial hardship in terms of unit costs, but rainwater harvesting units could prove to be very cost-effective in the long-run.

Research has and is being done at the University of Guelph to produce a successful rainwater harvesting system. The system was designed by two engineering graduate students in collaboration with a local supplier of rainwater harvesting technology.

According to University of Guelph, the harvesting process goes like this: “Rainwater that lands on the home’s fiberglass roof will be collected in roof gutters and downspouts and diverted to a filtration device before it is carried to a 6,500 litre underground cistern. The stored water will be pressurized and piped into the home to supply water to three toilets, the washing machine, and the dishwasher. The collected rainwater will also supply water to an underground irrigation system. This would account for over 50% of water consumption in a typical home.”

Benefits of Inverter Air Conditioning

Inverter air conditioning is more expensive than non inverter air conditioning but with the current spiralling energy costs, is it worth the extra ££s?

Let's see what are the benefits of an inverter air conditioning compared with a non inverter air conditioning:-

• At least 30% - 50% cheaper to run as it consumes less power
• Far quicker to achieve desired temperature
• The start up time is reduced by 30%
• Much quieter
• No temperature fluctuations, maximising comfort level
• No voltage peaks from compressor
• All EcoAir inverter air conditioning are heat pumps which in itself is one of the most energy efficient form of heating

Is it worth paying more for an inverter air conditioning? 

So, in summary an inverter air conditioning can reduce your energy bill.  It will be worth paying more for an inverter air conditioning if you use your air conditioning for:-

• all year round
• used for heating

With energy costs now running at approximately 12p per kWh and still rising there is no doubt this will save you ££s in the long run. 

What is the difference between inverter and non inverter air conditioning units?

Non inverter or Fixed speed air conditioning deliver a fixed amount of power via a fixed speed. This means the compressor has to stop and start to maintain the desired room temperature.

Inverter air conditioning system, varies the speed of the compressors, delivering precise cooling or heating power as required.

How does Inverter Air Conditioning work?

The amount of cooling or heating required by an air conditioning unit varies depending on the outdoor temperature and the amount of heat in the room.

When the cooling or heating capacity needs to be increased,the compressor will operate at a high speed and will increase the amount of refrigerant flow.

Conversely, during moderate outside temperatures for example, when the cooling and heating capacity needs to be decreased,the compressor will operate at a low speed and will decrease the amount of refrigerant flow.

When the inverter air conditioning is switched on, the compressor operates at a high speed in order to cool or heat the room quickly. As the room temperature approaches the set temperature, the compressor slows down, maintaining a constant temperature and saving energy. Any sudden fluctuation in the room temperature, will be sensed and instantly adjusted to bring the room temperature back to the set temperature. EcoAir inverter air conditioning use between 30-50% less electricity to operate.

Singapore executive condominium prices exceed S$1 million per unit

Julia Richt | Oct 24, 2012 | Comments 0

There is a growing trend of ECs being priced over over S$800 (US$654) per sq ft

Research from Savills Singapore real estate agent show that over 300 new Executive Condominiums (ECs) were sold for over S$1 million (US$817,327) per unit. Although the average price quantum in Q2 2012 was still S$822,000 (US$671,843), the average price of S$731 per sq ft in Q3 marks a historical high.

The new 958 sq ft EC at the Arc sold at S$941 (US$769) per sq ft in February hits another record high. This follows the trend of ECs being priced over S$800 (US$654) per sq ft with 215 units at that price range in the first three quarters of 2012, compared to the 19 in 2011 and 13 in 2010.

According to Savills, the rising prices of resale HDB flats has provided funds for many HDB upgraders to spend on more properties.

Savills reports that there is a “seemingly growing number of young, affluent buyers snagging bigger and more luxurious penthouses…” possibly due to low interest rates, and rising incomes. However according to Channel NewsAsia (CNA), there is a growing concern that EC buyers are reaching over their limits.

Based on the S$12,000 (US$9,808) income limit prerequisite for all EC buyers, a S$1.1 million (US$899,060) purchase is a risky reach once interest rates exceed three percent. The mortgage installments would hover around S$4,400 (US$3,596) and S$5,000 (US$4,087), possibly totaling in a cash top-up of between S$2,100 (US$1,716) and S$2,700 (US$2,207).

CNA states that ECs priced below S$1 million (US$817,327) would be a safe purchase especially with loan repayments, even if interest rates were to reach four percent.

One Hyde Park - Redefine Luxurious in London

http://www.onehydepark.com

Hong Kong housing troubles unlikely to impact Singapore

Cheyenne Hollis | Oct 31, 2012 | Comments 0

Housing problems in Hong Kong are unlikely to have an impact in Singapore.

The recent property cooling measures introduced in Hong Kong are unlikely to have an impact on Singapore property prices. Experts said foreign property investors would not switch their portfolio from Hong Kong to Singapore, Channel News Asiareported.

Besides being leading international financial centres, both Singapore and Hong Kong hold some of the world’s most expensive homes.

Hong Kong tops the list, according to research from real estate agency Savills, while Singapore, fourth on the list, continues to see private home prices soaring to new highs.

Both cities have introduced a series of cooling measures to dampen prices.

Hong Kong introduced its third set of measures in two months last week, requiring foreign buyers to pay 15 percent tax. This is more than Singapore’s Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty of ten percent that was introduced in December 2011.

To cool its property market, Singapore has capped the home loan tenure, the sixth cooling measure in recent years. However, with high liquidity in the global market, analysts said new measures would be more frequent, with one to two measures a year being normal going forward.

“At the moment, the perception is that HK is trying to fight fire… At the same time, they are trying to fight the free market status,” Colin Tan, head of research at Chesterton Suntec International, said. “We have committed to supply as much as demand, whereas they have not yet said so.”

Still, market watchers forecast home prices in Singapore to increase.

“Developers will ultimately have to pass the land cost to the buyers. You have a case where land cost has risen by 15 to 30 plus percent over the past six months,” Alan Cheong, head of research at Savills Singapore, said. “Come next year, with land being about 60 percent of development cost, developers will probably have to raise prices by ten to 15 percent for certain areas, particularly in the suburbs.”

While Hong Kong and Singapore are considered safe havens for property investing, some analysts said investors could start look to second-tier Asian markets that have less government intervention.

Favourable odds for property investors

Nov 09, 2012 | Comments 0

Months of preparation went into this year’s iProperty EXPO 2012 and with 40 stands showcasing a wide range of property sector businesses at MBS last weekend, the planning paid off.

This year, Malaysia was flavour of the month, hogging the limelight with over a dozen developers that had travelled to Singapore to showcase new developments, concepts and to excite the potential investor audience. Malaysian developers showcased a whole host of projects, but one that particularly  caught my eye was Bayou Creek, just 15 minutes from Singapore in Iskandar Malaysia. The project offers luxury canal fronting bungalows and semi-Ds for as little as S$750,000 (US$600,000). Malaysian Southern Gateway’s Grey Stones project was also attracting a lot of attention with its affordable luxury living concept, while Tropicana Danga Bay Berhad drew in the crowds with its Danga Bay waterfront complex, Tropez Residences.  There were several developers tapping into Malaysia’s fast-developing capital, Kuala Lumpur, too. Malaysian Mah Sing Group BHD was inviting visitors to consider its premier lifestyle development, M City. Boasting the first ever multi-level thematic hanging gardens in Malaysia the property offers a tropical sanctuary, sky garden, lagoon park and bamboo grove. Meanwhile, Malaysia’s Elite Forward Sdn’s The Elements @ Ampang was promoting tranquility through its prime city condo in KL.

Malaysia, however, wasn’t an isolated hit at the show, Joel Tan from Singapore property developers, Trillion, informed me that things are also going well “We sold over 20 properties in a weekend,” he said, referring to an independent event in which Trillion showcased a number of properties in Bangkok the previous week.

It was exciting to see the impact that Asian investors now have on a global scale. Australian developer, Salvo Property Group is keen to showcase its extensive portfolio of off-plan projects in Melbourne. A city, which, according to Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Livability Survey, is the most “livable” in the world. It’s the second year that Melbourne has claimed the prized top-spot – so definitely a market to watch.   “There are plenty of exciting developments in Melbourne, given Australia’s colourful heritage,” Scott O.Talbot, Salvo Property Group’s marketing manager told me. “It’s of no surprise that people from all around the world chose Australia as a second home or to relocate,” he added. The Platinum development, with its 52 floors of elegance, luxury and stunning views is also strategically located next to a casino, while another casino friendly offering was also present at the show – Turnberry Towers, with its 9ft ceilings and sparkling finishes was catching the interest of those looking at investment in the USA.
Malaysia is also making headway at this year’s MIPIM Asia conference in Hong Kong. Many developers have taken the opportunity to showcase their projects, Emkay  Group is busy showing off one of its latest projects in Malaysia, Belum Rainforest Resort. Being set in a natural rainforest, the extensive development offers nature-loving holidaymakers the ultimate in luxury. Award winning international firm Benoy is sponsoring MIPIM this year and has a lot to share with major developments around the world and increasingly in Asia. In comparison to iProperty Expo, MIPIM Asia seems to be a lot more industry led, the footfall isn’t significant, but the quality of delegates is. At MIPIM, developments in Mainland China and South Korea are also making a mark with large-scale developments, reports and condos.

The range of properties on offer at the both the iProperty Expo and MIPIM have provided investors with plenty of opportunity to hedge their bets in the global property market.

Luxurious Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, California

Click here for Video Clip

Asia's Real-Estate Markets Show Signs of Cooling

By JASON CHOW

Measures taken last year by Asian governments to cool their countries' property markets are proving effective, according to a study by real-estate firm Knight Frank, though the intended slowdown is coming at a time when the global economy is hitting the brakes.

"These huge booms that we saw from 2009 to 2011 are coming off now," said Nicholas Holt, research director at Knight Frank and author of the firm's Asia Pacific Residential Review.

Last year, governments across the continent introduced various policies, including limits on bank lending and higher taxes on real-estate transactions, to limit speculation and rampant price increases.

But these policy measures, coupled with a global economic slowdown, are reining in prices in several markets in Asia, which until recently bucked global trends with a real-estate sector that was appreciating rapidly.

China's housing market has been one of the most deeply affected. Housing prices in Beijing and Shanghai (Knight Frank only tracks the prices of those cities in China) rose only 0.3% in the first quarter when compared with the last quarter of 2011. On an annual basis, house prices in China are down 2.2%.

Just a year ago, Chinese housing prices were increasing 8% on annual basis.

But other countries are also seeing their governments successfully rein in markets. In Singapore, housing prices slipped 0.2% on a quarterly basis. Malaysian housing prices fell 0.6%, while Taiwan's market dropped 1.5%.

Hong Kong prices rose 1.4% in the first quarter, but Mr. Holt said that the city still has low supplies of housing inventory, which keeps prices elevated.

The Indian market is slowing too, with prices down 0.9%, though Mr. Holt said that was due more to economic problems than government policy.

The most promising market in Asia is Indonesia, Mr. Holt said, calling it "the flavor of the month" among investors. There, prices rose 0.8% on a quarterly basis, which translate to a modest 3.6% annual gain. "The fundamentals are stacking up nicely," he added.

Knight Frank also released the latest update on its Global House Price Index, which tracks residential prices across the world. The index showed that prices remained flat during the first three months and only eked out a 0.9% gain when compared with a year ago, the lowest price rise since late 2009.

The firm said that economic weakness in Europe coupled with Asian governments' efforts to cool the market have kept a lid on global prices.

12 Guidelines For Success

12 Guidelines For Success

by ADMIN on SEPTEMBER 3, 2012


Here are 12 guidelines for success that will help you achieve your desired outcomes, regardless of what your business is.

Like all success tips, these guidelines represent quick and easy starting points for making the necessary changes to achieve better results.
1. Align Your Personal and Business Goals

Aligned goals means that achieving your business goals will lead to the achievement of your personal goals easily and effortlessly.

Aligned goals:
double your rewards: you achieve your desired personal and business outcomes
produce a single focus
reduce time and energy wasting diversions

The best way to bring about this alignment is to do what you value and believe in.

To learn more about aligning your personal and business goals, see Chapter One of the ebook, How To Achieve Better Marketing Results…Sooner.
2. Plan to Succeed–Work Smart Not Just Hard

Success in any field requires a huge time commitment. Ensure that you can commit the necessary time.

In order to succeed, it it is better to work smarter and not harder.

The best way to work smarter and not harder is to set and work to achieve S.M.A.R.T. goals.
3. Use More Resources Better

In one way or another, all 12 guidelines for success will help you make better use of your existing resources.

Few resources offer more potential for making better use of your resources, than the Internet.

Among its other benefits, the Internet provides the opportunity to effectively communicate with people you know and people you don’t know, regardless of where they live.

It allows you to effectively communicate and keep in touch with prospects, clients and contacts.

At the very least, you will need your own unique website for attracting…andsatisfying...the best clients.
4.Do What You Do Best, Delegate The Rest

Most people will try to help if they can.

If people like you they might help; if they don’t like you they won’t help you.

To help others help you:
ask them for help
be specific
listen to their response
acknowledge their response





Of the 12 Guidelines For Success, guidelines 1-4 apply to personal considerations…factors that focus in you and who you are all about.




Guidelines 5-8 of the 12 Guidelines For Success, apply to actions that focus on factors other than specific client interactions.


5. Define And Work Your Market Niche

Market Niche

Successful niche marketing depends upon going narrow, going deep and helping your prospects select you instead of the competition.

To succeed in a niche market includes learning everything there is to know about your niche markets.

Helping prospects select you means offer them a compelling reason for choosing you instead of the competition.

To learn more about offering prospects a compelling reason for choosing you, see Chapter Eight of the ebook, How To Achieve Better Marketing Results…Sooner.
6. Learn Everything You Can About Your Clients

All clients:
will benefit from your service
have personal goals hopes and dreams
demand and are entitled to receive your best

To learn about your clients’ changing needs, continuous market segment research is critical.
7. Overcome The Challenges That Face You

All successful people share three characteristics:
commitment
tenacity
willingness to learn from others

Regardless of what service you provide or what market you are in, you will face most if not all of these challenges:
a competitive marketplace
educated clients
information explosion
difficulty entering a new market niche
negative perception of real estate agents
prospects don’t know you

Consistently following these 12 guidelines for success will help overcome these challenges.
8. Continue To Do What You Well…But Do It Better

To survive in today’s competitive marketplace, you must have some level of competence in many areas.

However, success requires more than mere competence. To thrive over the long term, you must continue to get better at everything that you do.


Guidelines 9-12 of the 12 guidelines for success apply to specific client interactions.


9. Communicate to Attract Prospects

Marketing Communications

Attract more and better prospects by offering them a compelling reason for choosing you.

Help them understand what distinguishes you from the competition and the benefits that they will enjoy from hiring you.



10. Communicate to Convert Leads Into Clients

New clients:
replace clients whose transactions have closed
have a lifetime value that represents the revenue that you will receive during the time when these clients continue to select you as their agent
are the first stage of the client pipeline that results in the referral of pre-qualified leads.

Effective follow-up is a key ingredient of converting leads into clients. It also allows you to showcase your right stuff.

To ensure that you follow up consistently and effectively, develop and a good follow-up system.
11. Communicate to Satisfy Clients Understand And Meet Their Needs

Clients demand quality service.

It is the quality of your service that most distinguishes you from the competition.

By monitoring client satisfaction you can improve the overall quality of your service.
12. Communicate To Help Your Clients And Contacts Make More Referrals To You

Referrals are the largest single source of new clients.

The best way to generate referrals is by developing and following your own referral system.

Clients, family members, friends, referral partners and network contacts can and will make referrals to you.



You do however have to ask for referrals and make it easy for people to make referrals to you.

To ensure an ongoing flow of referrals, keep in touch with your contacts regularly.

Improve Your Real Estate Sales Record

Realistically, there are only 3 ways to improve your real estate sales record:

• attract more clients


• attract better clients


• attract more and better clients

Attract more clients

This is the most straightforward approach to improving your record.

More clients will mean more transactions, which in turn will result in higher income.

Basically this approach involves attracting more clients who are similar to the clients that you are already serving.

The best and only way to attract more of these kinds of clients is to improve your marketing.

There are three areas of marketing that can be improved to attract more clients.

Your Website

In today’s market, 80% … or more … of prospective real estate clients search online for their new homes.

Without a strong online presence … ideally in the form of your own website … you will be invisible to the largest source of prospective clients.

If you haven’t refreshed or updated your website in the past 3 months, do it … and the sooner that you upgrade your site the better.

Improving your internet marketing is the single most important action you can take to improving your marketing.

2. Generate More Referrals

As well as searching online, prospective clients also ask their family and friends forrecommendations when selecting a real estate agent.

If you are not keeping in touch with your network contacts and clients, reconnect with them.

Help them remember the great client service that you deliver so they can make referrals to you.

You can also use your blog and website for maintaining relationships with your referral sources.

3. Prospecting

In today’s high-tech world, it’s easy to forget the importance of personal interactions with prospective clients.

Extricate yourself from the computer and phone … get out to connect with prospects.

There is no telling how many people might become more interested in buying or selling once they learn how you can help them.

Attract Better Clients

From a marketing perspective, better clients buy and sell real estate more frequently, buy and sell higher priced real real estate or both.

In order to improve your real estate sales record by attracting better clients, it will be necessary to focus on a different target market.

This process starts with thoroughly researching your proposed new niche market.

Learn as much as you can about this market to ensure there is a good fit between thismarket segment and your skills and resources.

In addition to increased networking focused on your new niche market, apply the three approaches to attracting more clients as set out above.

This will help you increase your profile and credibility in the new niche, which in turn will help attract better clients.

Attract More And Better Clients

This is the most challenging approach to improving your real estate sales record.

It means undertaking all of the approaches listed above.

Huge as the challenge may be, it is not impossible.

The best way to start is with a whole new marketing plan.

Based on your past achievements, you will create a real estate marketing plan will help you connect with a succeed in your new market.

Iskandar Wellness Township project to commence in 2013

by Cheryl Tay

Khazanah Nasional Bhd and Singapore’s Temasek Holdings will jointly develop the iconic Wellness Township project in Iskandar Malaysia starting next year, reported The Sun Daily.

Covering a total of 207 ha in Medini, Nusajaya (pictured), the Wellness Township will allocate 201 ha for residential projects and 5 ha for commercial developments, said Datuk Ismail Ibrahim, Chief Executive Officer of Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA).

“I understand that the two parties (Khazanah and Temasek), which hold a 50:50 stake in the project, are in the final stages of plan preparation to get the planning approval,” he said.

According to a recent interview with Bernama, Ismail said IRDA has already obtained the application for planning the commercial project on a 5 ha site.

“The commercial component is in the approval stage. I expect building works will start in 2013 at the latest,” he said. This portion will involve the construction of condominiums, serviced apartments, retail units and wellness centres.

Ismail also noted that the construction works for the whole Wellness Township project is expected to be completed within three to four years. Apart from focusing on the healthcare concept at the highest level, residents at the township will be able to enjoy healthcare infrastructure.

“The houses at Wellness Township will be provided with facilities and equipment for owners to enjoy the convenience based on wellness and healthcare. Also, the buildings will have the infrastructure and support services that will provide comfortable living,” added Ismail.

PHB confident to get DBKL's approval

Property investment company Pelaburan Hartanah Bhd (PHB) is optimistic that its proposed RM5 billion integrated commercial project in Bangsar will be approved by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), said Datuk Kamalul Arifin Othman, CEO of the company.

Some of Malaysia's largest property developers including Mah Sing Group Bhd and SP Setia Bhd, had been eyeing the project's progress as they are interested to take part in it.

"We've submitted the master plan for Lot 61 in Jalan Bangsar to DBKL and it is, at this point in time, under their evaluation. But we are very confident it will be approved by DBKL very soon, based on the fruitful discussions we've had with them so far," said Kamalul Arifin Othman, who is also the Managing Director of PHB.

The project has a sizeable gross development value of "about RM5 billion" and needs to be planned carefully, he explained.

"We're in no big rush. If we get the (DBKL) approval this year, or early next year, we'll be all right," he noted. Once the approval is given, PHB will then chose the developers which it wants to work with.

"Possibly, we will carve out the land into several parcels," he said, adding that they have received a number of proposals from established developers.

To be developed in phases over "several years", the project will likely comprise hotels, office buildings, retailers and several blocks of serviced condominiums and apartments.

MBSB's profits soar, lending moderates

By Andrew Batt:

Profit at the Malaysian Building Society Bhd (MBSB) rose 9 percent in Q3 to stand at RM263 million. Revenue also rose by 44 percent year-on-year to reach RM1.3 billion.

This significant increase is attributed to the strong growth in the Islamic banking operations across its retail segments. The largest contributor for the quarter was the Personal Financing-I (Islamic) packages that caters to the stable government market.

“The group’s non-performing loans (NPLs) stood at 4.33 percent as at 30 September as compared to 8.82 percent as at 31 December 2012, and the reason for this was the pursuit by MBSB to resolve its corporate legacy loans,” said Datuk Ahmad Zaini Othman, Chief Executive Officer and President of MBSB.

In Q3, net loans, advances and financing stood at RM23.2 billion, representing an increase of 52.6 percent from last year’s RM15.2 billion.

Personal financing led the company’s performance for Q3, while the growth of its mortgage lending segment moderated as compared to the previous quarter. Moreover, the company’s corporate loans segment saw higher disbursement rates.

“In addition to the securitisation of our loan assets, we are also looking at a structured capital management plan to strengthen the group’s capital structure to support loan assets’ growth while we believe a stronger structure will enable the group to provide competitive returns to its shareholders,” added Ahmad Zaini.

UK property prices decline

By Andrew Batt:

Average house prices in the U.K. dipped by 1.2 percent in the three months to October according to the latest Halifax House Price Index.

Commenting on the decline Halifax Economist Martin Ellis said: "Signs of a modest deterioration in the trend in house prices continued in October. The weak economic background has been a key factor dampening housing demand this year. Recent encouraging developments relating to the level of overall economic activity and conditions in the labour market, however, may help to support demand and underpin house prices around current levels over the coming months."

October’s drop was the fifth successive decline in this measure of the underlying trend and compared with a 0.5 percent fall in September. Average prices in the three months to October were 1.7 percent lower than in the same period a year earlier. This is very similar to the annual rate recorded a year ago: down 1.8 percent in October 2011.

October also saw a continuation of a modest rise in mortgage approvals. The industry-wide number of mortgages approved to finance house purchase - a leading indicator of completed house sales - increased for the third successive month in September.

Approvals increased by 4 percent to 50,000 in September, but were still 2 percent lower than in September 2011 according to seasonally-adjusted figures from the Bank of England.

Properties from the U.K., and epsecially London, have been selling extremely well throughout Southeast Asia during 2012.