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Archive for September, 2008

BRIC Property Markets At A Glance

Sao Paulo Skyline
São Paulo Skyline

The term BRIC originated back in 2003 and was coined by Goldman Sachs economist Jim O’Neill. It was O’Neill’s opinion that since the US economy took a nose dive it allowed the BRIC countries Brazil, Russia, India and China to take a bigger slice of the world’s gross domestic product.

We would be taking a quick peek into the property markets of these four countries, to gain a better overview of what exactly is going on.

Property Grand Prix – Singapore

Singapore Skyline F1 Grand Prix

Singapore was definitely this season’s biggest awaited F1 race. It was a race that made history in the racing industry as it was the first ever held night race in Formula 1 and the first street race in Asia. The following is an excerpt from the Singapore GP website.

The inaugural 2008 FORMULA 1™ SingTel Singapore Grand Prix will take place on 28 September 2008 on a street circuit of public roads around the Marina Bay area. The race will be the first held at night in FORMULA 1™ history and is the first street race in Asia.

With a well illuminated race track (1,500 lighting projectors), powered by 12 twin power generators, the race was a visual feast for any Formula 1 buff.

International Property News Beat – Luxury US Homes, Romanian Property Losing Steam & Super-Rich Hotspots

Aquitainia – Islands of Spain and France in The World – Dubai

Dubai World Island - Aquitainia

Aquitainia is the fusion of two islands, Spain and France located in the middle of Dubai’s The World. The new £750 million private island paradise project was announced on September 25th by British developers, Select Property. Select Property is teaming up with Dubai based developer Select Group to launch this exciting luxury development.

“The World” has already made waves around the world due to its stunning location just four kilometres off the coast of Dubai. The cluster of 300 man made islands will be representing the world and are set to be completed in 2012.

Mukesh Ambani to Develop Five Star Kenyan Hotel

mukesh-ambani All signs point toward Kenya, especially Nairobi as reports of a new hotel owned by the world’s 5th richest man, Mukesh Ambani circumnavigate the Internet. Mukesh Ambani has apparently bought some land in Nairobi’s central business district (CBD) and is planning to build a brand new 21-storey five star hotel.

The development is supposed to play a key role in helping to rebuild the confidence in the city’s hospitality sector. Kenya experienced some nasty devastation at the beginning of this year after post election violence rocked the country.

New Commercial Tower Marks Strong Renewal for Raffles Place

One-Raffles-Place-Singapore-night-scene

Singapore, 25 September 2008 – OUB Centre Limited today unveiled plans for a spectacular new 38-storey commercial tower which will form part of One Raffles Place, creating a new gateway to Singapore’s established centre of business and commerce.

The new One Raffles Place tower will provide 350,000 square feet of Prime Grade A office space and is scheduled to be completed in 2011. It will stand alongside the existing OUB Centre, one of Singapore’s tallest buildings, officially opened by the then Prime Minster Lee Kuan Yew 20 years ago.

Henry Kok Moo Yong, General Manager of OUB Centre Limited, said that Raffles Place had been the centre of commerce in Singapore for over a century.

Eco-friendly apartments in the heart of New York

tribeca townhouses new york city

Located in the very heart of New York City, Tribeca Townhomes have been designed to combine contemporary urban design with environmental sustainability and eco-friendly living.

Paying homage to Lower Manhattan’s industrial past, the 6 one-, two- and three-bedroom properties are completed and have been constructed using traditional design elements such as limestone and architectural iron design.

Is France Next?

Paris Eiffel Tower Skyline

Paris is known as the romantic getaway of choice in all of Europe by many people. The city has long been an attractive spot for property investors due to the central Europe location as well as its popularity. It made for easy rental or long term letting.

However, cracks are now starting to appear in the city’s property market. Turnovers are on the downturn and property prices have stopped climbing which is concern for many. After the catastrophic turn of events in fellow Eurozone countries like Ireland and Spain, home owners can’t be blamed for worrying about their future.

Reports from the FT of a market slowdown have been confirmed by Parisian real estate agents. These guys know their market and if they are showing concerns, perhaps they do carry validity indeed.

An Overview of the Ajman Property Market Part 1

Ajman MarinaBack in May we posted an article about the Ajman property market and how things are heating up in this smallest of the seven UAE emirates. As it turns out, our hunch was correct. Ajman has since heated up considerably and with neighboring Dubai becoming more and more expensive and unaffordable for many, Ajman has been the emirate of choice for many investors and developers as of late.

Therefore we will cover the Ajman property market over a three part post series to give you information on investor strategies, property prices, infrastructure, the newly reformed Ajman property law and where all the action happens right now.

Three Sisters Mountain Village extends its green fingers

Located at the foot of the Canadian Rockies and surrounded by almost three million acres of protected wilderness, Three Sisters Mountain Village is extending its environmental schemes to preserve the local surroundings.

Highlighting the environmental credentials of this four season alpine resort, the prestigious eco-homes review website whatgreenhome.com has awarded the development an ‘excellent standard’ kite mark.