Global Economy & Global Real Estate Investors go for student units in Britain Source: Straits Times The search for better yields is leading Singapore property investors to a little-known corner of the real estate market - purpose-built student accommodation in Britain. The appeal is clear: Entry prices are low and the rental yields promise to be consistently high.
Mortgages, car loans driving up Malaysia's household debt Rate is second-highest in Asia, and analysts expect rising trend to continue Source: Straits Times / Asian Report Last May, assistant marketing manager Kristine Lim bought a double-storey terraced home in Klang, a fast-growing suburb in Selangor. It cost her and her husband RM650,000(S$251,000). The couple took a 30-year loan of half a million ringgit. Each month, they fork over RM2,500 - a quarter of their combined income - to pay it off. "We don't have much of a choice," she told The Sunday Times recently. "If we don't buy now, the property will be even more expensive later on."
As it is, she said, five years ago, similar units would have cost half the price. -By Yong Yen Nie in Kuala Lumpur Global holiday home prices recovering Source: Straits Times |