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The winners: Singapore, South Korea and the Philippines

Singapore experienced Asiaâ??s highest residential property price increases during 2006, with 9.5% real (inflation-adjusted) house price rises.

There were also 9.3% real house price increases in South Korea, and 9.1% real house price increases in the Philippines. These were seen in the Global Property Guide House Price Indices, the biggest collection of residential property price indices.

Singaporeâ??s strong 2006 GDP growth rate, at 7.9%, pushed up demand for Singapore property. The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) private residential property price index rose by 10% (9.5% in real terms) in 2006.

South Korea also saw a strong rebound in property prices, despite continued efforts by the government to depress the market. The Kookmin Bankâ??s house price index rose 11.6% in Dec. 2006 (9.3% in real terms) from a year earlier.

In the Philippines, strong economic growth and reduced inflation contributed to the continued recovery of the real estate sector. In addition, demand from Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and dual citizens has been strong, pushing prices up. Luxury condominium prices in the Philippines rose 15% (9% in real terms) in 2006, following an 11% nominal price rise in 2005, according to Colliers International.Japan and Hong Kong are laggards

Japanâ??s residential property market continued to fall in 2006, despite repeated attempts by the media to portray the market as rallying. Nevertheless, the residential urban land price index registered a smaller fall in 2006 (-2.8%) compared to last year (-4.7%).

Hong Kongâ??s property market turned negative (-2.13%) in 2006, after impressive gains in 2004 (27%) and 2005 (8%). Higher interest rates in the US, mirrored directly in Hong Kong, were a major cause of the downturn.

Taiwanâ??s messy political crisis seems to have frozen residential prices, with 0% appreciation during 2006. In real terms, Taiwan experienced a decline in house prices during 2006 (-1.7%). During three years prior to the second quarter of 2006, Taiwanâ??s Sinyi house price index rose 17%.

In Malaysia, house prices did not to keep pace with inflation. Malaysian house prices today are at the same level as 1995, in real terms.

Thailand saw the end of ending its strong post-Asian crisis property market recovery, as the political crisis impacted the economy. House prices moved up just 1.9% in 2006 (-2.4% in real terms), after 2005â??s price increase of 7% (1.5% in real terms), and 2004â??s rise of 9% (6% in real terms).

Indonesia managed to reduce 4Q 2006 inflation to 6% from 16% during the first three quarters. With the house price index registering a 6.6% increase in 2006; house prices rose by 0.5% in real terms.The 2007 elections â?? risks abound

2007 is an election year in Korea, Taiwan, and the Philippines, and political uncertainty is likely to increase. There will also be elections in Japan and Hong Kong, but they are unlikely to have much impact on the real estate market. In Thailand, uncertainty will increase if elections are not called. The Philippines. A victory for President Arroyoâ??s party in the upcoming Congressional elections would be positive for real estate. Election years in the Philippines bring money inflows, but also increased uncertainty. But if Arroyo wins enough seats in Congress she will push constitutional change, removing constitutional limits on foreign ownership of real estate and companies â?? good for real estate. South Korea. The economic interventionism of left-of-center President Roh Moo-hyun has been damaging for Koreaâ??s housing market. His support is crumbling, and a less interventionist president may be elected in December. But even if the opposition Grand National Party wins, excessive government intervention in the housing market has a very long history in South Korea.Taiwan. Parliamentary elections at end-2007 will provide a strong lead on whether the Kuomintang (KMT) can regain control of the presidency in 2008 from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). President Chen Shui-bianâ??s two terms have largely been spent on keeping him from being ousted. Significant banking and tax reforms have been held hostage by politics. Japan. Half of the seats in the upper house will be contested in July. Seats held by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) may be reduced, risking its reform agenda. These seats were won with the help of former prime minister and popular reformist Junichiro Koizumi. Hong Kong. Donald Tsang is up for re-election as chief executive where elections are still largely ceremonial and Beijingâ??s anointment is the only significant factor. Pro-democracy campaigners are hoping and pushing for reforms to full democracy and Mr. Tsangâ??s failure to push for constitutional reforms in 2005 means that this will be his last term.Thailand. The sooner elections are called, and Thailand is returned to democracy, the better it will be for the property market and the economy as a whole. The fate of Thailandâ??s property market hinges on the junta. If the junta prolongs military rule, the market will suffer.

The Global Property Guide sees inflation risks to be minimal in Asia in 2006. But other risks threaten the real estate market, particularly the re-emergence of bird flu in several countries, Indonesia in particular.

China is an incredible destination that provides tourists, investors, and prospective residents with a wealth of opportunities. From 1949 when the Communists took over the country to 1990s, there were only few office set ups and housing units in China. But, the country has now changed tremendously, and one can see high-rise commercial buildings and luxury apartment blocks dominating the skyline of China.
All of the destinations in China, especially Beijing and Shanghai, are considered hotspots for investing in real estate, no matter it is residential or commercial properties. When Beijing is the capital and the seat of administration in the country, Shanghai is regarded as the trade as well as financial center of the country, and is home to the Shanghai Stock Exchange. Investing in Shanghai property market can undoubtedly fetch handsome returns in the form of rental income, since it is highly westernized because of its long tradition of international trade as well as European influence.
Now we will discuss some of the prime reasons that attract savvy investors to invest in China real estate, which include:
- First of all, China boasts of one of the world’s fastest growing economies
- With the set up of the World Trade Organization, China has now become the leader of the global economy
- Real estate prices in many of the cities in China such as Shanghai are presently one third of other world’s global cities such as New York, London, Tokyo, and Hong Kong. This is perhaps due to the explosive number of foreign direct investments per year
- Shanghai in China has been chosen as the venue to host some parts of the 2008 Olympics
- In contrast to other countries in Asia, China has very low crime rates. This in turn makes the country a safe place to live in
- Above all, the country is welcoming for westerners due to highly educated, amicable, and well mannered Chinese people
Investors interested in investing in property markets are categorized into institutional investors, commercial property investors, and residential property investors. Institutional investors fall under the category who is interested in investing in high rise office complexes as well as latest retail units, due to their increased demand and chances of shortage in future.
In the case of commercial property investors, they invest largely in properties such as small office spaces and commercial lands. When comes to residential property investors, they mostly invest in residential properties including villas, condominiums, apartments, single detached houses, townhouses, and serviced apartments. Some may invest in these properties to sell them in future when their prices rise, while some invest them in order to rent it out and yield good profits.
The price of a property in China varies depending upon the nature of the property and the area where it is situated. For instance, a standard apartment in Puxi near Shanghai is about RMB 20000 per square meters. On the other hand, the price of a serviced apartment attached with high end amenities and facilities may go up to RMB 30000 per square meters. According to certain recent reports, the price of a 60 square meters studio in one of the posh areas in the country starts from about 90,000 Pounds.
People who are interested in real estate in China can either invest it in property itself or via a REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust), which in turn is a firm that invests its assets in real estate holdings. One of the prime benefits of investing through REIT is that they offer tremendous tax benefits, since investors need not have to pay any tax over the dividends. Another great benefit is that investors can buy or sell them just like stocks. Above all, no minimum amount has been set in order to invest in a real estate investment trust.
There are a number of real estate firms in the scenario in order to help you find your dream property in China. These firms undertake a range of services in connection with real estate, such as, market analysis, advertising, negotiation with sellers, and providing the services of professional attorneys in order to check the authenticity of documents pertaining to property.