Market intervention

Hong Kong needs to speed up land supply mechanism

4 Mar 2013

When it comes to market intervention, the less the better. In Hong Kong, the formula has been tried and tested and contributes to our success in being named the world's freest economy for many...

2 comments

Ping An move points to curbs on property

28 Feb 2013

A move by Ping An Bank to ban its regional branches from approving mortgages may signal that Beijing is set to tighten controls on the property market to calm record prices, sources said yesterday...

China must avoid creating more problems with action on overcapacity

28 Feb 2013

At the Central Economic Work Conference late last year, overcapacity was highlighted as a problem prioritised for action this year. So, just before the Lunar New Year, 12 ministries and state...

Hong Kong needs clarification of commercial property plans

27 Feb 2013

In a report following measures in October last year, CBRE highlighted that "while the aim of the latest measures is to curb speculative activity in the residential market, some investors may now...

New curbs likely to hit industrial, retail sales hardest

27 Feb 2013

As a measure of speculative deals in the sector, data from property broker Midland IC&I show that 1,276 confirmor sales were transacted in the industrial property market last year. Confirmor...

Opinion

Wang Xiangwei

Super ministries may not be the right answer for mainland China

Alex Lo

Church developers remain unbowed by government rules

George Chen

A house is not a home until it becomes affordable

Sale of hotel rooms shows the limits of government intervention

It comes down to supply and demand. The hefty 15 per cent stamp duty imposed on non-local buyers, which was put in place last year to curb speculation, has discouraged a number of buyers. But no...

Demand for flats falls by half in wake of stamp duty rises

Developers hoping to complete sales programmes looked for ways to fight the impact of sharp increases in stamp duties. They increased the commission for agents - some of whom were passing on the...

8 comments

Latest property market curbs welcome, but vigilance still needed

When Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah intervenes in the property market he leaves a calling card threatening to return. Once again an increasing flood of hot money has forced him to make...

3 comments

SINGAPORE

Singapore home sales rise 43pc in wake of cooling action

Singapore home prices reached a record high in the fourth quarter amid low interest rates, raising concerns of a housing bubble and prompting the government to introduce its seventh round of...

MAINLAND

Beijing property prices rising sharply beyond reach of some buyers

Data from the China Index Academy, a unit of SouFun holdings, China's biggest real estate website operator, shows that the average price of a new home in 100 major cities recorded an eight...

BRIEFS

Briefs, February 3, 2013

More than 50 people have been killed on mainland roads in four major accidents since Friday, as hundreds of millions journey home for the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday.