News



Published August 14th, 2008 by Mickey

Property investors are getting excited about Brazil


Image Source: www.100tophomebiz.blogspot.com

A recent survey commissioned by the Brazilian Ministry of Tourism revealed that British buyers made up seven per cent of the overseas spend on residential property, parting with £28 million in 2007.

The main focus of property investment in Brazil is in the large cities of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, and the nine states of the north-eastern region.

Sao Paulo represents in terms of Brazilian economy and development. Sao Paulo city alone is responsible for more than 12 per cent of Brazil’s GDP and its property market is by far the strongest in Brazil. It is the most populated city in South America and has a huge deficit of accommodation; specially for the mid and lower income classes that now have more buying power due to credit allowance. A strong market such as Sao Paulo, offers not only the highest rental yield and capital appreciation but also a straightforward exit strategy for investors interested in investing elsewhere afterwards.”

Published April 28th, 2008 by Mickey

Crown Asia makes its presence felt

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Crown Asia, one of the Philippines leading builders of high quality urban housing communities nationwide for the last decade has announced its expansion both in the Northern and Southern parts of Metro Manila to give more chance to prospective clients to buy their dream home. Their target market are mostly OFW’s (Overseas Foreign Workers), Filipinos who worked abroad for so many years and are looking to purchase property where they can finally retire with their loved ones.

The company’s mission statement focuses on delivering not just projects, but indicators of progress and by improving the standard of life of its target markets, it gives the country the necessary push and motivation for sustainable socio-economic development. Projects underway are found in 3 places, 1 to the North and the remaining two are in the South part of Metro Manila. First is in Antipolo, which is North of Manila where residential properties named Terraces and Woodberry are found. Another project on the works, Valenza, can be found South of Manila, in the province of Laguna and lastly, Amici, Amalfi and Residenza, new neighborhoods set to rise in the seaside province of Cavite, just an hour’s drive from the Philippines Capital.

With these projects, Crown Asia are hoping to deliver high quality properties to both the OFW’s and new families where they can lavish the fruits of their labor, whether here or abroad.

True to their vision, Crown Asia continue to present homes that exhibits designs of long lasting excellence and certified value, raising a balanced, healthy, and a very active community life that fosters ideals among neighbors.

Published March 10th, 2008 by Mickey

Realty Boom in Davao fueled by influx of IT/BPO related Work

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The Damosa Business Center, Anflocor’s pet project is nearly complete. It is situated right beside the existing IT Park in Lanang.

This upcoming commercial building was designed to house software development outfits, telecommunication providers, research & development firms. It will be inaugurated sometime in April 2008.

Around the city, more and more commercial and residential buildings are being built. While these constructions are not directly related to IT, they are matching the efforts of various sectors in promoting the city as an ideal IT investment destination.

Mr. Villaver said he welcomes these real estate projects, as well as the entry of other property developers that are targeting information technology services to provide the necessary jolt for the local economy and provide more work to Davao’s growing number of IT graduates.

In Addition, Blue-chip property developers like SM and Robinsons are actually eyeing Davao City as a possible area of funneling in investments and open economic zones focused towards IT and IT-enabled services.

Published March 5th, 2008 by Mickey

Sluggish Housing Market Top Florida Story in 2007

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TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Florida couldn’t navigate out of its housing doldrums in 2007.

Around the state, a surplus of homes and condos built during an unprecedented housing boom left the market saturated and sluggish. Foreclosures climbed, lifting Florida to the No. 2 spot nationwide in the number of bad mortgages per capita by November.

Continue reading ‘Sluggish Housing Market Top Florida Story in 2007′

Published March 5th, 2008 by Mickey

Another IT Park will soon rise in Davao

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Ed Villaver, VP and General Manager of Damosa Land, acknowledged recently that the Anflocor Group is entering into a partnership with Ayala Land Inc. for the creation of a 10-hectare business complex in Bajada. The property is located on Jose P. Laurel Ave., near Victoria Plaza complex and Barrio Obrero. Villaver estimates that groundbreaking will commence middle of this year.

This came to be following the success of the Damosa IT Park of Damosa Land, a number of other real estate development projects are now expected to see the light of day in Davao City. According to Villaver, the site wont be another IT economic zone. It will become a mixed-use property that will be occupied by business process outsourcing companies and other Manila-based franchises. Aside from these developments, a hotel is currently in the works around the vicinity to house expatriates and other transients.

Published March 1st, 2008 by Mickey

Donald Trump’s New Soho Condominium Good to Go

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Donald Trump’s problems on the PR front for the Trump Soho condo hotel nearly ruined his day, but the Department of Buildings gave him some good news to alleviate his disappointments. The DOB partially suspended “the Stop Work Order ” to allow Bovis Lend Lease, the Contractor of the Project to proceed with the construction of the phases. With this development, work can begin from the 23rd Floor down, but works on the upper part of the building as well as crane operations remain suspended at the moment. They further added that they will have daily presence at the worksite to make sure that all authorized corrective work is in compliance with site safety requirements of the city. Workers are likewise encouraged to get more safety training familiarization. The Stop Work Order was issued after the fatal accident on the 42nd floor happened.

Published February 21st, 2008 by Mickey

Surf’s Up in Southern Philippines

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A small island which lies in front of Dinagat Island is one of the Philippines best kept secret, until now. Siargao Island was unknown a few decades back until some foreigners accidentally discovered its awesome waves. This is probably so as it faces the Pacific Ocean. Massive coral reefs, islands and islets, white sandy beaches, amazing caves, and small waterfalls all conspired to make Siargao a truly wonderful paradise. These natural gifts are complemented by the biggest mangrove forests in the entire Mindanao island. The town of Del Carmen boasts of a rich diversity of flora and fauna and is probably the best place to get some photos of crocodiles.

Moving on, the most important aspect of a Siargao trip is to experience the beautiful surfing playground, rather unparalleled to other surfing destinations in this country. I bet some are yet to be found.
Currently, the Cloud 9 area found in the small town of General Luna has the “perfect” waves for professional surfers to smash. It has beaches rich with white powdery sand that stretches for miles and further adds to its beauty.

Now that its summertime again, a quick visit to this gem of an island is just what a foreigner needs, even Filipinos from the urbanized areas can lavish at the relaxing atmosphere this small island has to offer.
Now, if your schedule does not allow you to go, there is still hope. National and international surfers are flocking into Siargao usually around September because it is usually these times that the waves attain their highest peaks, not to mention international surfing contests are usually held at the end of the month.

Siargao island is truly an amazing destination this summer and if you have time and money to spare and wants a stress free vacation for a few days without burning your wallet, then this is it. So pack your bags and lets go to the beach!

Published February 15th, 2008 by Mickey

Mindanao Airports rehabilitation essential towards its development

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Presidential Adviser on Peace Process Secretary Jesus Dureza promised big housing developers in the Philippines that it will be business as usual even if there is a suspension of the peace talks with Muslim separatists. This is what he said during their National Convention in the City of Davao, one of Southern Philippines’ progressive cities. He further added that Mindanao is not going back to war and the the GRP Panel are continuously searching for an amenable agreement for both sides.

Mindanao, being packaged by the Department of Tourism as an agri-industry hub is moving towards a more sustainable development in the island with various choices of upcoming residential areas, not to mention that it is being groomed to become the retirement haven returning Filipinos and retiring foreigners.

Now, because of that, the government is expediting infrastructure projects to further boost Mindanao’s accessibility. The repairs and modernization of airports and other ports of entry in Mindanao took off late 2006 with funding cost of P5.654 billion.
Aside from the considerable marketing and promotions of Mindanao, various projects are currently under way like the Seaweed Industry Project, Energy Programs and the Prioritization of Air Routes.

Published January 20th, 2008 by Mickey

USC Lusk Center for Real Estate Says Current Down Cycle Holds Hope for Real Estate Development Graduate Students

LOS ANGELES - While conventional wisdom might question the job prospects for graduate students entering the real estate field next spring, opportunities abound for those with the creative thinking and skillful analysis needed to make a deal work in a challenging market, according to Stan Ross, chairman of the board of the University of Southern California Lusk Center for Real Estate.

Continue reading ‘USC Lusk Center for Real Estate Says Current Down Cycle Holds Hope for Real Estate Development Graduate Students’

Published January 15th, 2008 by Mickey

Rents on the rise as home prices slip

In the Inland Empire, which has suffered the worst of the housing market meltdown, renters caught a relative break as landlords raised rents at half the pace found in neighboring counties. Although rents rose across the Southland, some analysts said they had been expecting to see even higher prices given the housing market meltdown, which turns many potential home buyers into renters.

Continue reading ‘Rents on the rise as home prices slip’




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