New Zealand - Pacific Hideaway

September 01, 2010 - New Zealand

Comprising the North and South Islands and about the same land mass as Japan, New Zealand's strikingly varied landscape and near-mystical beauty has inspired artists and film- makers alike.

The country also offers a wide range of lifestyles, leisure activities and luxury lodgings from the bays around Auckland to the serene shores of Lake Wakatipu.

New Zealand is too often compared to its antipode outpost big brother, Australia.

Yet, having ranked ninth in the The Economist Quality of Life Index for 2009, ‘Kiwi Country' offers ample investment opportunities and its own range of lifestyle choices that enrapture urbanites and nature lovers alike.

Cuba: 99-year leases for foreign investors

September 01, 2010 - Cuba

Foreign real estate investors are being granted leases on government land for up to 99 years in a move that could see a raft of luxury villas, holidays homes and golf courses being built.

Developers have been urging the Cuban government to open up to foreign investment and more and more tourists are arriving on the Caribbean island.

A new law published last week loosened property rules to allow 99 year leases for foreigners as part of a package of measures introduced by President Raul Castro to scale back the state's near total dominance of the economy while attempting to generate new revenue for a government short on cash.

Flagging demand for luxury property in Vietnam

August 31, 2010 - Vietnam

Developers of luxury apartment projects in Vietnam have had to shift their sales strategies in the face of flagging demand, according to real estate consulting and services firm Savills Vietnam.

Prior to the financial crisis, developers could sell units without much effort due to soaring demand, but they now had to turn to sales promotion programmes to turn over unit and meet sales targets, Savills said.

Indochina Land Ltd Co, developer of the Indochina Plaza Hanoi project, recently announced a trade promotion programme for customers who buy apartments in the Xuan Thuy Road complex.

Phuket property market to see continious improvement

August 31, 2010 - Phuket

Phuket's residential property market has shown signs of improvement in line with the global economic recovery, according to new research from Knight Frank Thailand.

The company's Managing Director Phanom Kanjanathiemthao said the market should see continuous improvement if not affected by any future political turmoil.

He said: "Although the market was slow in the second quarter due to the political situations, there was no new supply launched so it didn't affect the market much.

However, foreign investors and buyers have started making more inquiries for villas during the past two months".

Obama's 'Winter White House' sells for $6.9 million

August 30, 2010 - Hawaii

The beachfront Hawaii home that President Barack Obama and his family have rented during their last two Christmas vacations has been sold for $6.9 million.

The approximately 4,900-square-foot Kailua estate, which was built in 2006, was sold to Paradise Point Estates LLC, a company managed by Glenn Weinberg of Owings Mills, Maryland.

It is a five-bedroom, 5-1/2-bath plantation-style home on roughly 27,000 square feet of land and includes swimming beach frontage.

Historic low borrowing rates for property investors in France

August 30, 2010 - France

The French property market has historically low fixed rate mortgage deals which are expected to remain low and even fall further, according to experts.

French mortgage specialist Athena Mortgages said it has seen a sharp rise in the number of enquiries in August from UK buyers looking to take advantage of the cheap fixed rate deals currently on offer.

Its experts predict that September could be an even busier month as rates are expected to fall even further.

As a result it has launched its lowest ever fixed rate deals, with 15 year fixed rates from 3.3%, 20 year fixed rates from 3.45%, and 25 year fixed rates from 3.60%, all at 80% LTV.

Paul Fireman's Nevada Ranch Lists for $50 Million

August 27, 2010 - Nevada

A Nevada ranch, one of the largest in the West, with access to nearly one million acres of land, has hit the market for $50 million.

Public records show the ranch is owned by a corporation headed by Paul Fireman, the former chairman and chief executive of Reebok and the chairman of Fireman Capital Partners.

The Winecup-Gamble Ranch contains 247,000 acres of deeded land and permitted grazing access to roughly 750,000 additional acres of public and private land. It's about 100 miles from Elko, Nev. Established in the late 19th century, the working cattle ranch can handle up to 10,000 cows.

Nam Hai Resort on the sales block in Vietnam

August 26, 2010 - Vietnam

The Nam Hai Resort on China Beach in Vietnam is for sale, property and hotel consultant Bill Barnett has reported on his blog thephuketinsider.com.

The owner Indochina Land is offering a 60% ownership stake, with the possibility of increasing it to 100% ownership. Singapore's CBRE Hotels will handle the sale exclusively.

The development, which has 60 one-bedroom pool villas and a 40 hotel-managed residential villas, was opened in 2006 under the management of boutique chain GHM.

Peach Blossom Retreat, Hangzhou

August 26, 2010 - Hangzhou

Located outside of Hangzhou and surrounded by undulating green hills, this project offers residents the serenity of country-style living complete with all the latest luxuries.

Greentown's Peach Blossom Retreat is situated 18 km outside of Hangzhou on a landscaped plateau at the foot of Phoenix Mountain.

The vast, 1.8 million sq m site epitomises the particular beauty of the region, enveloped by undulating green hills and located adjacent to Peach Blossom River.

The Serenade, Hong Kong

August 25, 2010 - Tai Hang

Located in Tai Hang and flanked by Mount Butler to the back and sweeping views of Victoria Harbour to the front, this new 54-storey twin-tower residence offers 270 luxury units, including 30 upper floor sky-house units (241 sq m), and just four exclusive pre-penthouse and penthouse units (344 to 371 sq m) occupying an entire floor.