News - Archive for December 2011

Rental Boom Lights Beacon of Hope for US Housing Market

The US and UK housing markets have experienced many similar trends during the financial crisis; with both experiencing the same trends, usually one followed by the other...

Concerns surrounding a looming crisis in China's property sector and the subsequent negative impact this could have on the rest of the economy, has been the subject of conjecture in the International press for the past few months...

The "flight to quality and security" among commercial property investors will continue next year, one real estate expert has claimed...

Last year's Housing Humbug Report covered a number of points, many of which will make an appearance again this year of course – but first, was I right?

Last year 26,744 more homeowners had properties worth a million quid or more, taking the UK total to 253,118 in December. This amounts to 1 in every 108 homes, which is down slightly compared to the 1 in 97 homes registered in 2007.

People seeking an income-producing property investment may want to consider the merits of the rental sector, after a report published by Savills suggested prime assets in this category will continue to perform well over the next five years....

LaSalle Investment Management (LaSalle) has published its Investment Strategy Annual 2012, with predictions for the performance of international real estate markets over the coming year, as well as a focus on which assets are likely to be the targeted by investors....

According to data just released by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, financial institutions invested £2.2 billion in UK houses and apartments in the year ending April 2011, a 189% increase over the previous year...

Door to PAIF Opens to New Investors

Property Authorised Investment Funds (PAIFs) were originally introduced in the UK in April 2008, but take up of these vehicles has so far been relatively low, with no PAIFs currently open to retail investors....

The commercial leisure market has had its best year since 2007 in terms of the level of investment ploughed into the sector during 2011, it has been revealed...

Figures published by IPD earlier this week revealed that, for the first time in over two years, a capital decline occurred in the UK's commercial property market during November. According to the firm's monthly index...

Head of Colliers International Hotel Agency team Julian Troup recently predicted the UK hospitality industry will see an increasing number of buyers looking for hotels to acquire in the country...

The UK housing market crash has had one unpredicted and unmistakeable consequence in creating a massive and near-unprecedented rental and buy to let boom across the entire country. But will this become a permanent shift in the way Brits think about property ownership?

There are signs that growth in the Chinese hotel market may be slowing down, largely as a result of reduced demand. Research published last month by STR Global showed that, during October, occupancy levels at Chinese establishments dropped by 2....

Hotel rooms are big business – with the right chain and the right location, profits in the industry are spectacular with yields up to 12% PA. Room rates can obviously play a large part in profits generated. Just for fun – how much do you think it costs to stay in the following hotels?

Looking Forward to Independent Hotel 12

A new event for hoteliers in the boutique accommodation sector is due to be held in London next year, with organisers Single Market Events (SME) London and Fresh Montgomery recently announcing Independent Hotel 12 will be hosted at Olympia's West Hall in October 2012....

UK House Prices: What to Expect in 2012

The value of homes in the UK has been broadly stable during 2011, posting slight gains at the start of the year followed by marginal declines in more recent months...

Thai Hotels Set to Hike Prices

There is the possibility that hoteliers in Thailand will increase their room rates next year, it has been reported. The Bangkok Post recently highlighted predictions made by US firm Starwood Hotels and Resorts, which anticipates the cost of staying in a Thai hotel to rise by up to 20 per cent in 2012....

Last month, Australia's Clean Energy Future Bill passed through the senate and became law. The hotly-debated carbon tax is included in this piece of legislation, with commentators from a range of industries regularly debating the pros and cons of the new regulations...

The Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) hotel market has delivered a mixed performance so far in 2011. Research published last month by Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels revealed that the sector...

Shared ownership is being hailed as the saviour of UK first time buyers. It is a simple but unfortunate truth that most potential first time buyers in the UK can't get a mortgage...

With development continuing apace in the London districts surrounding the Olympic venues for 2012, there is much speculation over how the real estate market in the capital will be affected by the sporting event in years to come....

The Irish property market has attracted reports of nothing but doom and gloom for almost 2 years, but especially in the last few months. Rightly so I hear you say; the Irish property market has been one of the hardest hit in the world by the financial crisis...

During the boom emerging markets were all the rage with investors, especially private investors who could only see the potential profit of a studio apartment for £7k (for example), and hear the talk of the 40% instant gain made on completion of an off plan property...

The City of London Belongs to the World

Research released earlier this year highlighted the influx of international investment into London's financial district, indicating that more overseas investors are targeting this part of the capital's real estate industry...

Investors looking for alternative real estate markets in which they can enter the Buy to Let (BTL) sector and receive good returns on their money may want to consider the merits of Panama City...

For those that don't know, the combined intellect of the European Union's financial brains has come up with a tax first conceived in a university lecture in the seventies...

There is a question at the moment, about whether or not insurance companies, pension providers and other institutional investors can fill the senior debt in the real estate industry...

Despite strong demand from tenants for accommodation in the private rented sector (PRS), lender restrictions are making it difficult for new landlords to enter the Buy to Let (BTL) market...

Student property investment experts are warning of the potential for falling student numbers to become a long term problem, affecting the long term yield potential of specialist student property investments, especially those serving lower-class institutions...