Asia Property Buyer Reports
Countries Listed In Alphabetical Order
China is enjoying a boom in its real estate market with international property investors and domestic buyers cashing in on the series of housing reforms China introduced back in 1998 to boost the economy and to allow local people and certain overseas buyers the right to purchase freehold property and land.
Despite growing media uncertainty about the Chinese property sector, industry experts and financial analysts both believe that the property boom has legs to run - and overseas investment into the real estate market in China and in particular in Shanghai remains very strong indeed thus supporting this theory.
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Because the Chinese real estate market is in its infancy having only truly been established in the mid 1990s, the official real estate buying process is relatively poorly documented and property investors can find it quite a struggle to get a definitive answer about how the purchase process will proceed.
The key to making a successful real estate investment in China is to secure local legal representation before even beginning the hunt for property to suit specific investment requirements, and also to secure the services of a licensed real estate agent.
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The potential for property investment in China is huge because the Chinese economy is the fastest growing economy in the world and spans multiple sectors - one of which is real estate - and because the Chinese government are seeking to target overseas investment and have changed the laws to allow foreign purchase of Chinese real estate.
Furthermore an investor has both the commercial and residential property markets to consider for his portfolio and also has both local and foreign demand for property in China to target for income and profit.
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The property buying process in Hong Kong is governed by the Conveyancing and Property Ordinance which was first introduced in 1984; this ordinance is based on English law and is therefore relatively standard and straightforward for British and even American real estate investors.
This article explains how to buy investment property in Hong Kong in general terms; for a more specific and personal assessment of an investor’s legal and financial liabilities, advice can be obtained from a lawyer and estate agent in Hong Kong when the hunt begins for real estate suitable for an investor’s objectives.
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The Hong Kong real estate market is buoyant and already makes an excellent investment choice for international buyers; but as the gateway to the largest emerging economy in the world, namely China, Hong Kong is poised on the brink of an incredibly exciting period and this excitement is being felt more and more in the already successful property sector.
Real estate investors in Hong Kong currently have great choice and the potential for great yields - but according to expert economic opinion, they are about to enter an age of as yet unprecedented prosperity.
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Hong Kong is an exciting market for property investors right now because the potential for the real estate sector in this Special Administrative Region of China is huge as Hong Kong’s fortunes are expected to rise in line with those of China.
This potential is further intensified by the fact that the development of residential and commercial property in Hong Kong is physically restricted by geographic area, by the fact that demand for new apartment accommodation annually outstrips supply already and because the number of new apartment developments started in recent years is down which will now lead to demand exceeding supply to the tune of an estimated 20,000 units per year for the next four years.
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The real estate market in India is undoubtedly booming with local demand for housing and office space incredibly intense; but the market has to be considered as an emerging market by investors because the laws relating to foreign direct investment into the real estate market in India are so restrictive that profiting from India’s property sector is far from straightforward.
If you’ve read around this site you know that we always try and present a potential property investor with the buying process for each country we cover, but when it comes to how to buy investment real estate in India we do not have the definitive answer! We have however collated certain facts and figures that we hope will be of assistance to anyone hoping to enter the property market in India.
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Since 2004 foreign investor interest in India’s real estate sector has really started to take off in earnest. Few doubted the prospects for prosperity in India prior to 2004 but the investment climate wasn’t right until that point with the Indian government placing excessive restrictions on foreign direct investment into the real estate sector.
A slight easing of restrictions and some impressive property price growth figures together with an influx of large overseas commitment to major developments in India have all resulted in tentative inroads turning into strong inward flows of overseas real estate investment interest in India.
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Real estate investors searching for the latest emerging property hotspots worldwide are struck by the seemingly endless possibilities in the residential and commercial property sectors in India.
As the seventh largest country in the world in terms of its land mass and with so many diverse and successful micro economies creating pockets of massive employment and affluence in certain parts of the country, the opportunities for property investors in India are as diverse as the geography and demographic make up of the country.
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International and local property buyers looking to invest in Malaysia have a wealth of urban residential real estate and tropical holiday accommodation to choose from. All generic options currently offer both strong yield potential and medium to long term stable growth and mean that the real estate sector in Malaysia is considered to be a good long term bet by industry analysts.
The attraction of the property market in Malaysia comes from a number of sources but the fundamental reason is that the Malaysian economy has some incredibly strong factors underpinning its predicted sustainable long term growth and as a direct result foreign investment into many economic sectors including the real estate sector in Malaysia is significant.
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In Malaysia the property buying process is well documented and regulated but that doesn’t prevent the purchase process from differing from person to person!
As is often the case when buying in an overseas emerging market it’s more a case of who you know rather than what you know when it comes to speeding up and easing the entire property buying process; and the more property transactions you engage in the simpler the process gets.
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The Malaysian property market offers a good mid range investment opportunity to international investors seeking reasonably priced real estate with sustainable growth potential in both the residential and tourism sectors.
The stability of the property market in Malaysia is based upon the stability of the country’s economy which is currently expanding at a sustainable rate and benefiting from closer export ties with China as well as strong levels of foreign direct investment from the US, China and Japan.
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The process for buying property in Singapore for expatriates, foreign residents living in Singapore and overseas investors is slightly convoluted and confusing as many exceptions, exemptions and requirements exist.
This is a general guide about how to buy property in Singapore and details the main specifics of the process. However a potential purchaser should seek personalized legal advice before entering the market to ensure that they are aware of any restrictions or permission requirements that they will have to be aware of or fulfil in order to buy property in Singapore.
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The property market in Singapore suffered a slowdown and correction following a period of economic uncertainty that the Republic suffered during the early part of this century.
Now that Singapore’s economic fortunes are changing for the better, the property market is also recovering with the residential market sector recovery period expected to last at least for the medium term and strong investment potential appearing in the retail and commercial property sectors as well.
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The island city-state Republic of Singapore in South East Asia offers property investors a chance to tap into a well established luxury end property market with a strong track record for growth and demand.
Singapore is such a beautiful and vibrant place to live that demand for residential and commercial property is almost off the scale; add to this the fact that Singapore has a per capita GDP equal to that of the largest Western European countries and that the government are actually modifying policies to create a more robust growth path and an investor should quickly spot that the strong growth and demand factors are very likely sustainable.
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Sri Lanka, the ‘teardrop of India’ is a country that presents property investors with as many opportunities as it does challenges making the real estate sector on this Asian island one of the world’s more exciting prospects for a property purchaser.
The stunning tropical beaches and resorts are a massive draw for tourists, second homers and even retirees, and land and property for sale or development are in abundance - but the government of Sri Lanka have imposed extreme taxation on foreign buyers and while they are keen to attract foreign investment they are also keen to control it.
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The investment potential from real estate in Sri Lanka is significant but the property market is immature and suffers from having a government that cannot commit to attracting foreign direct investment.
This makes the property buying process in Sri Lanka particularly unpleasant for an international investor; but those who are committed to buying real estate in Sri Lanka for investment purposes can achieve their goals but need to be prepared for hurdles and hiccups.
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The property investment potential in Sri Lanka is broad and stems from two primary facts; firstly Sri Lanka is an incredibly popular tourist destination and secondly Sri Lanka is growing in popularity with Western second home seekers looking for an alternative and affordable winter sun destination.
International investors looking to profit from property in Sri Lanka are however restricted by the government currently, and those who commit to the Sri Lankan property market should consider doing so for at least the medium term.
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There are many restrictions placed on foreign investors who wish to own land and property in Thailand, but because the investment opportunities in Thailand are so great, many foreigners commit to the market anyway and use the various ways and means that exist that allow them to get around or work with the restrictions.
The property buying process for foreigners in Thailand can therefore differ from person to person and from property transaction to property transaction – but here’s an overview of the general process involved for an overseas investor.
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The majority of the property investment potential that exists in Thailand today exists because of the tourism industry.
Therefore because there is a symbiosis between the investment real estate sector in Thailand and the tourism sector it’s important for an investor to examine both sides of the coin before making a commitment to Thai property.
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As Thailand has become far more universally popular as a tourist destination, so its real estate sector has benefited from increased foreign interest and investment.
A property investor has a wealth of choice and opportunity in Thailand and in recent years the entire real estate sector has returned impressive capital growth figures as well as increased rental yield returns - but issues still remain relating to freehold ownership and these present an investor with a series of challenges to navigate.
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The laws relating to the direct foreign ownership of property in Vietnam are currently under review by the Vietnamese government – the law as it stands does not permit foreign ownership of real estate anywhere in Vietnam.
A new draft law was submitted to the National Assembly in 2005 and it is due to be ratified sometime in 2006; under the terms of the draft law the real estate market will become more accessible to foreign investors.
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Many believe that Vietnam will become the next Thailand in terms of its tourist and second home appeal. Currently Vietnam is around 20 years behind Thailand in terms of its development, the number of tourists it attracts and also the prices charged for real estate but the rate of development by which Vietnam is improving is incredibly rapid.
Vietnam shares great natural attraction and appeal with Thailand and yet currently it offers a real estate investor far greater and broader potential for profit and long term investment success. Therefore while one can compare Vietnam to Thailand in terms of its beauty and charm, one cannot tie Vietnam’s potential to that of Thailand’s because Vietnam is beginning to emerge as an incredibly attractive real estate investment hotspot on many unique levels.
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Real estate investors can consider Vietnam to present them with the same opportunities as Thailand did some twenty years ago. It is a stunning country with a very young, well educated, hard working and literate population and it’s a destination of wide appeal to both holiday makers and those seeking a unique second home location.
Politically and economically speaking Vietnam is in transition and improving, developing and stabilizing. While land law is still evolving and certain domestic issues can cause problems for property developers in Vietnam, the real estate investor should have confidence about the long term profitability of any investment made into the property sector country wide.
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