International and USA Land Sale

Special International Summer Promotion

2008-08-05T09:32:00.006-05:00

The advertised Banner, Logo, and Featured Listing as well as Ticker Ad are free for two weeks.

The complimentary Website Logos, Website and Listing Banners are designed by the LandBlueBook.com staff.

Special Summer Promotion

2008-08-01T10:56:00.008-05:00

The advertised Banner, Logo, and Featured Listing as well as Ticker Ad are free for two weeks.

The complimentary Website Logos, Website and Listing Banners are designed by the LandBlueBook.com staff.

Malaysia Property Inc to kick off in October

2008-07-22T14:03:00.001-05:00

THE soon to be launched Malaysia Property Incorporated (MPI), a joint public-private sector initiative to promote Malaysia's real estate internationally, will see the country getting into the limelight as a global property haven.

Promotional programmes that include road shows and conferences in the target markets of Britain, Japan and the Middle East have been drawn up and should take off later this year.

The Government has recently given the go-ahead for FIABCI Malaysia and Real Estate and Housing Developers Association (Rehda) to promote the country's real estate to foreign investors under the MPI umbrella.

Scheduled to kick off by October, the MPI will start off with a grant of RM25mil provided by the Economic Planning Unit (EPU). To read more, click here.

By ANGIE NG
Monday July 21, 2008

Foreign Investors Drawn to Real Estate

2008-07-15T12:39:00.001-05:00

Falling prices, dwindling transactions and property developers' discount offers may be frightening away individual buyers but seem to be attracting more international investors in the real estate sector.

International real estate service provider Jones Lang LaSalle said in a recent report that some international groups have raised substantial capital for China property funds and are now deploying the money, while others are moving capital from less vibrant markets in North America and Europe.

The squeeze on bank loans and falling property prices, in fact, provide foreign investors with a good opportunity to enter the market. To read more click here.

Source: China Daily
July 10, 2008

Philippine properties ‘hottest’ in Southeast Asia

2008-07-09T09:49:00.000-05:00

The Philippines was recently declared as a popular real estate hub in Southeast Asia by international commercial real estate services firm CB Richard Ellis Philippines.

It further cited that “investment opportunities in tourism, infrastructure, mining and real estate remain high” here.

In its July 2 news release sent to Inquirer Property, CBRE Philippines general manager Trent Frankum even used the superlative “hottest” in his description of how foreign investors took up properties in the Philippines. He enumerated the positive effects of the stable Philippine peso, increasing tourist arrivals, the BPO boom, and the influx of overseas Filipino workers’ dollar remittances on the property market.

Frankum’s declaration was heard in the recently held SMART Investment and International Property Expo at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre June 21 and 22. To read more click here.

By Tessa Salazar
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Published 07/04/2008

Special Promotion for LandBlueBookInternational

2008-07-01T14:04:00.004-05:00

Use our $10 Listing option, and receive two weeks of free advertisement on our Featured Listings section. But if you Become a Member, you will add even more value to your membership, since you will receive (Free of Charge) the five different advertisements described below.

Become a Member and Receive Two Weeks of Free Advertisements.We will Create and Advertise All of the Following (you do not have to do anything):

1- Your Website Banner on our Main Homepage and International Homepage
2- Your Website Logo on our International Homepage
3- A Listing Banner for one of your listings on our Main Homepage (Your listing must include a picture)
4- One of your listings on our Featured Listings Section (Your listing must include a picture)

Moscow: Office Slowdown? No, 'Rents...Are Ridiculous'

2008-06-27T11:22:00.002-05:00

There's the office market in most major European cities. And then there's Moscow.

While office rents in many cities are stagnating or dropping, in Moscow their rapid rise shows no sign of slowing. With demand outstripping supply of modern office space and the country's economy chugging along, the average cost of occupying prime space rose to $232.37 per square foot per year in the first quarter compared with $120.56 in the first quarter of 2007, according to a global survey by real-estate services group CB Richard Ellis Inc.

The long-term trend has been even more impressive. The average cost of prime office space in Moscow -- including local taxes and fees and taking into account currency fluctuations -- has risen almost fourfold from a low of $61 a square foot in 2001. It is now just below the same type of space in London's West End, according to CB Richard Ellis. The choicest locations are hoping to push even higher, with at least one building in the central business district asking rents in the $300-a-square-foot range, according to Adam Sherriff-Scott, CBRE's senior director and head of office services in Russia. To read more click here.

By MAURA WEBBER SADOVI
June 25, 2008

Special Promotion

2008-06-27T11:04:00.007-05:00

Use our $10 Listing option, and receive two weeks of free advertisement on our Featured Listings section. But if you Become a Member, you will add even more value to your membership, since you will receive (Free of Charge) the five different advertisements described below.

Become a Member and Receive Two Weeks of Free Advertisements.
We will Create and Advertise All of the Following (you do not have to do anything):

1- Your Website Banner on our Main Homepage and USA Homepage
2- Your Website Logo on our USA Homepage
3- A Listing Banner for one of your listings on our Main Homepage (Your listing must include a picture)
4- One of your listings on our Featured Listings Section (Your listing must include a picture)
5- One of your listings on our Auction Calendar, if your listing is posted for auction

Investors pour funds into Asian real estate

2008-06-18T10:08:00.003-05:00

The flow of capital into Asian property from outside the region is accelerating as a result of the credit crisis in the US, according to a report on the sector published on Wednesday.

Property investment in Asia grew 27 per cent to $121bn in 2007 and continues to build, says the report, which is being published by KPMG, the Asia Pacific Real Estate Association and index provider FTSE.

Investment was evenly allocated over the first and second halves of the year, unlike in Europe and North America, where investment slowed dramatically in the second half.

Most Asian markets recorded direct real estate returns above the global average of 10 per cent last year. This is forecast to continue, albeit at a lower rate.

The report comes during a period of aggressive fundraising activity for new global property funds, many of which are raising allocations to Asia to gain exposure to economies that are relatively insulated from the credit crisis. Property markets in the region, while not immune, have stood up relatively well compared with the US and Europe.

MGPA, the private equity fund manager part owned by Australia’s Macquarie Bank, this week launched a global fund that will invest mostly in Asia. It has secured $3.9bn in equity for Asian investment, giving it a potential buying power in the region, with leverage, of $15.6bn.

The fund has already committed $2.2bn to investments in Singapore, Japan, China and Thailand, and is looking at South Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan and Australia. North American investors make up 40 per cent of the fund.

Asian real estate investment trusts also outperformed American and European counterparts. Credit problems and softening real estate prices in the US and Europe mean that investors are focusing more on Asia both for long-term returns and opportunistic investments, according to the report.

At the same time, banks have become more reluctant to lend for new Asian projects, which increases the bargaining power of foreign funds. But the report says this has slowed, rather than halted, the financing process.

“There’s no shortage of capital in Asia,” said Andrew Weir, one of the report’s authors. “There are investment funds that have raised money and haven’t spent it yet.”

Article Source http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7b13b31a-3c8d-11dd-b958-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1

By Andrew Wood in Hong Kong and Daniel Thomas in London
Published: June 17, 2008 22:33

National Survey of Real Estate Professionals Reveals Stagnating Market

2008-06-17T15:10:00.000-05:00

NEW YORK, June 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Real estate professionals polled from around the country have expressed concern that property in the United States is overvalued.

According to the fifth annual Bryan Cave Real Estate Executives' Forecast Survey, 59 percent of the executives polled believe commercial properties are overvalued and only 4 percent consider commercial properties to be undervalued.

"The results of Bryan Cave's survey are further evidence some owners are focused on peak values of a year ago," said Jon Caplan, executive vice president of Cushman & Wakefield, a national real estate firm. "Overall, the market is awaiting more information regarding valuation. There are few recent data points. Debt is scarce, and it is not clear what the game rules will be for lending going forward. We are in a transition and transaction volume will pick up as we get more clarity."

Barry Ross, a partner at Bryan Cave, seconded Caplan's view and added that "91 percent of the executives polled by our survey believe the credit crunch will continue to reduce capital for commercial real estate financings for at least seven more months. The expectation among executives can only add to the market's woes and slow activity in the short term." To read more click here.

Posted : Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:39:23 GMT
Author : Bryan Cave LLP

Philippines seeks to become back office superpower by 2010

2008-06-03T12:39:00.001-05:00

MANILA (AFP) — The Philippines aims to make the most of the economic slowdown in the US by capturing at least 10 percent of the world's back office work within the next two years, industry leaders say.

They say the problems in the US and the possibility of recession could be a bonus as more companies based there attempt to save money by outsourcing their operations to the Philippines.

Call centres and back-office operations, such as accounting and financial processes, medical and legal transcription, engineering services and software writing, is one of the fastest growing businesses in the Philippines.

The Business Process Association of the Philippines (BPAP) expects the sector to be posting revenues of 13 billion dollars and employ more than one million people by 2010. To read more click here.

Published Feb 26, 2008

Russians snap up Australian luxury

2008-05-23T13:37:00.002-05:00

Australia's sun-drenched Gold Coast with its high rises, endless beaches and tranquil inland waterways is a magnet for just about anyone with a taste and budget for the good life.

Tourists, retirees and investors – not to mention surfers - have long flocked to this ritzy coastal strip south of Brisbane, where the climate is so mild summer never seems to end.
Hardly surprising, then, that record numbers of cashed up Russians are buying prized real estate in one of Australia's fastest growing regions.
Flush with wealth from oil and mining, Russian entrepreneurs are snapping up multi-million dollar waterfront mansions and luxury penthouses in Surfers Paradise and surrounding districts.

"We are seeing a huge increase in the money that they are spending," says Rob Sainsbury, director of residential sales at Colliers International Gold Coast. "Developers are now starting to come here from Russia as well." They are attracted by the solid returns of recent years and the expectation that their investments will grow in the future, although rising interest rates have dampened the market nationally.

Waterfront homes

The Gold Coast's 3,000-strong Russian community is tight knit.
There are few overt displays of wealth and this group of Eastern Europeans has quietly blended into the area's rich multicultural mix.
"First of all, it is a real nice place for holidays and some Russians choose to live here," says Moscow-born estate agent Elena Shakirova, who specialises in properties in Runaway Bay north of Surfers Paradise.
"They can move their business from Russia to Australia.
"Most of them are looking for waterfront homes, new penthouses, luxury apartments, and some of them are just looking to buy a block of land so they can build a house that they really want." To read more click here.

By Phil Mercer
BBC News, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

International Real Estate Investment: What Investors Should Know

2008-05-16T13:28:00.002-05:00

An introduction to investing in international real estate

It’s easy to take for granted the scope of “international real estate,” which lumps all the real estate markets of the world—193 countries, to be exact—into a single category of three words. While we recognize that a detailed guide to investing in international real estate could easily fill a book, NuWire has managed to summarize some of the basics into a short list of what investors should know before venturing into foreign real estate.

1. International real estate investment can offer excellent diversification of assets
2. Currency exchange rates can enhance or impede profit margins
3. Legal technicalities (or the lack thereof) may increase risk
4. Foreign investment opportunities abound in Latin America
5. Working with international real estate professionals is an important first step

To read this article click here

Published on: Thursday, May 08, 2008
Written by: Melana Yanos

Top 5 Mexican Real Estate Markets

2008-05-08T14:43:00.003-05:00

NuWire picks the top cinco places to invest in Mexican real estate

As Americans struggle with the rising cost of living and a suffering housing market, investing in Mexican real estate is beginning to look muy bueno. Property prices in Mexico are significantly more affordable than in the U.S., and the forthcoming retirement of the baby boomer population is likely to create huge demand for property markets offering the pleasant climate, glittering beaches and rich cultural traditions for which Mexico is famous.

Because finding the right place for investment can be equally challenging, NuWire has selected five Mexican real estate markets that show potential for growth and appreciation.

Real estate markets were selected based on factors such as affordability, proximity to the U.S., strength of the local economy, natural and cultural attractions, development of regional infrastructure, tourism activity and overall appeal as a potential retirement and expatriate destination.

1. Loreto, Baja California Sur
2. Merida, Yucatan
3. Guadalajara, Jalisco
4. Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco
5. Oaxaca, Oaxaca

To read more click here.

Published on: Monday, May 05, 2008
Written by: Melana Yanos

Foreign Buyers Flock to D.C. Office Market

2008-05-01T10:11:00.001-05:00

Last year, foreign investors bought nearly 10 times as much commercial office space in the District as they did in 2006. This year, they're buying at a similar clip, paying top dollar for properties with prestigious addresses and blue-chip amenities.

Last week, a wealthy Irish investor broke D.C. real estate records when he bought the glass-clad, I.M. Pei-designed trophy property at 2099 Pennsylvania Ave. NW for a hefty $867 a square foot. Jones Lang LaSalle, which brokered the deal, had pitched the property to potential buyers in Europe, Australia, Asia Pacific and Latin America. Vico Capital outbid a group from Dubai, sealing the deal at $172.5 million. It bested by nearly $40 per square foot the city's last high-water mark: the sale of 1801 Pennsylvania Ave. NW in 2006 for $826 per square foot.

Until recently, many international buyers were reluctant "to enter a competition that included domestic buyers that were buying in large scale and had well-developed track records in those markets," Kevill said. With loans scarce, domestic investors cannot do deals with the speed they once had, when they could pre-fund their debt and perform little or no due diligence on target acquisitions. That gives foreign investors more time to familiarize themselves with the market.

Last month, while visiting Washington, a Dutch investment adviser struck up a conversation with real estate attorney Thomas Hart at the Four Seasons and asked about commercial real estate opportunities.

Hart pointed him to Penn Quarter, the Southeast Waterfront and the area north of Massachusetts Avenue known as NoMa as developing areas where property values are likely to rise.

"With the market down and the dollar down, they could get a double discount" on U.S. real estate, Hart said of foreign investors. "It just makes sense. To read more click here.

By Anita Huslin, Washington Post Staff Writer
Published Monday, April 21, 2008

Foreign Buyers Snap Up U.S. Real Estate

2008-04-25T14:32:00.001-05:00

Real estate agents are increasingly courting foreigners to buy homes in the USA — hiring agents fluent in other languages, marketing to foreign buyers and in some cases, offering to pay the airfare and hotel bills of foreign shoppers who buy a home.

The agents are eager to win the business of foreign investors who are swooping in to buy property in the USA as home prices plummet and the dollar's weak value produces eye-popping deals for international buyers.

Because of the sinking value of the U.S. dollar relative to other currencies, a home bought by a foreigner comes with a discount averaging 30%, the National Association of Realtors estimates. Between April 2006 and April 2007, about 30% of foreign buyers came from Europe, according to an NAR survey. To read more click here.

By Stephanie Armour, USA TODAY

Sell Local, Sell Global

2008-04-22T14:59:00.009-05:00

Below you will be able to see the 14 countries that have received e-mail inquiries since the beginning of the year. The United States, Mexico and Bahamas are the three countries that have received the greatest amount of email inquiries so far this year.

Countries Receiving E-Mail Inquiries:

Bahamas

Croatia

Portugal

Bolivia

Honduras

Spain

Brazil

Mexico

United
States

Canada

Nicaragua

Uruguay

Costa
Rica

Panama

The LandBlueBook.com team is working hard to build an international online real estate community. One of our main objectives is to help you sell not only in your local market, but also in a global market. Visit LandBlueBook.com today and become part of this revolutionary land buying and selling process.

New Global Capital Flows Report

2008-04-15T14:53:00.001-05:00

According to new Global Capital Flows Report from Jones Lang LaSalle

London, 8th April 2008 – After a record year in 2007 for direct real estate investment globally, with volumes up 8% year on year to $759 billion, Jones Lang LaSalle has commented on the outlook for 2008 in its new Global Real Estate Capital report, released today. The firm expects global investment market volumes for 2008 to be down over 30% on 2007. The Americas and European investment markets will certainly see a material decline in full year volumes and, although Asia may be more resilient, volumes will not achieve the heights of 2007. To read more click here.

Dollar's Drop Gives Foreign Investors Edge

2008-04-10T14:01:00.002-05:00

Australian, Canadian and European currencies have risen sharply in recent months to give real estate investors from those countries their strongest buying power in more than a decade.

In addition, Japan's currency has been stronger in recent years, and the international currency leverage, also extends to South Korea, China and other countries. To read this article click here.

Article Written By Andrew Gomes

Costa Rica

2008-04-10T13:50:00.004-05:00

The following image is of the night time view of San Jose, Costa Rica.

The image below was taken near the Papagayo Peninsula, where the Four Seasons Resort is located.

Tourism Sector On The Rise

2008-03-29T06:05:00.001-05:00

Unquestionably, 2007 was a year of growth for Costa Rica’s national tourism industry and the beginning of 2008 confirms consistency. January of 2008 marked a good start in tourist air arrivals according to the preliminary data gathered by the Costa Rica Tourist Board - the Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (ICT).

Costa Rica closed 2007 with a total of 1.9 million international tourist arrivals, an 11.5 percent increase in comparison to 2006. Revenue generated by international tourists reached a historic high of us$1.9 billion, up us$300 million from last year.

In terms of investment, in 2007 Costa Rica received an estimated us$800 million in tourism investment; excluding investment in real estate development. Hilton, Marriott, Crown and Express are among some of the hotel chains that decided to invest in Costa Rica’s tourism industry. To read more click here.

Published March 19, 2008 by Inside Costa Rica

Free Advertisement Promotion for the month of March

2008-03-21T10:54:00.002-05:00

We are always striving to provide you with services that are beneficial to you and will help you improve your business; this is why we have decided to add more value to your membership.

When you Become a Member of LandBlueBook.com during the month of March, you will Receive the Five different Free Advertisements described below.

Your Website Banner on our Main Homepage and USA Homepage
Your Website Logo on our USA Homepage
A Listing Banner for one of your listings on our Main Homepage (Your listing must include a picture)
One of your listings on our Auction Calendar if your listing is posted for Auction
One of your listings on our Featured Listings Section (Your listing must include a picture)

Mexican housing booms despite US crisis

2008-03-14T15:49:00.001-05:00

Long thrashed by swings in the U.S. economy, Mexico now boasts a thriving housing sector whose record growth leads Latin America -- a sign of increased economic stability and an outlet for investors looking to escape the U.S. downturn.

Giants including the California Public Employees Retirement System, the largest U.S. public pension fund, are already bankrolling projects in Mexico, where they see "more bang for the buck," said Clark McKinley, spokesman for CalPERS, which has invested more than $300 million in Mexican real estate funds.

"Mexico is in the early stages of expansion," said Juan P. De Mollein, managing director for Latin American structured finance at Standard & Poor's. "There are still plenty of points for evolution because there's still plenty of demand."

Mexico simply has too much room to grow, and expanding local markets have insulated it somewhat from U.S. downturns. To read more click here.

By Theresa Bradley, Associated Press Writers

Portugal: Real estate challenges continue to mount

2008-03-07T16:54:00.001-05:00

In 2006, there were about 70,000 foreign nationals owning a home in Portugal, according to Bernardo Trindade, secretary of state for tourism. That "represents about 4 percent of the total Iberian market," he said. "We estimate their number will grow by about 5 percent annually in coming years."

An international campaign advertising Portugal as "Europe's West Coast" was started recently to highlight the modern country in contrast to the old donkey and track images of the past.

"We want our country to be one of the main destinations of reference in Europe," Trindade said. "Portugal has excellent conditions to establish itself as a destination" - with the idea that a tourist who has a good experience is likely to return and possibly to buy property.

Jose Fleming, the resort's commercial executive, said about 80 percent of the development has sold, with prices range from €345,000 to more than €1 million. Three-quarters of those buyers came from abroad, mainly Britain, Spain, Ireland and the Nordic countries - and now the resort has begun a sales drive in Germany. To read more click here.

By Patrick Blum
Published: February 28, 2008

Another Healthy Year Ahead for Canadian Real Estate Markets

2008-02-26T15:52:00.005-05:00

Scotiabank Forum Predicts Another Healthy Year Ahead ForCanadian Real Estate Markets

Economic conditions still favor Western Canada

While Western Canada continues to lead in price appreciation, average home prices rose by at least five per cent in all provinces last year. The momentum of construction and sales has carried through to 2008.

From a supply perspective, most Canadian markets are still in sellers' territory, in which prices would be expected to rise faster than inflation.

Commercial markets to lead

Commercial market activity in Canada should be brisk in 2008 even as the pace of residential building gradually cools. Notwithstanding a number of major new office tower developments currently underway, centred in Toronto and Calgary, significant new space is not expected until 2009.

A housing boom for the history books

Between 1998 and 2007, average inflation-adjusted home prices have soared some 65 per cent, easily besting the 32-56 per cent appreciation of the prior three housing cycles of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. To read more, click here.

Published: Tuesday, February 26, 2008