Top Stories Public housing is about meeting needs and aspirations: Maliki Osman The Republic's public housing policies are not just about meeting basic needs, but also about aspirations, said Minister of State for National Development Dr Maliki Osman on Thursday (Aug 27). Speaking on 938LIVE's Talkback programme, Dr Maliki said the Housing and Development Board (HDB) has been responding to the needs of a younger generation that wants a new housing landscape. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/public-housing-is-about/2079790.html Singapore Real Estate New policy measures will hit private residential market Many more Singaporeans will be applying to buy Housing and Development Board (HDB) Built-to-Order (BTO) flats and Executive Condominiums (EC) now that the monthly household income ceilings for these types of homes have been raised to S$12,000 and S$14,000, respectively. Based on data from the Department of Statistics, 6.3 per cent of the 1.2 million households headed by Singapore citizens and permanent residents earned between S$12,000 and S$13,999 a month last year. This translates to 75,600 households that earn between S$144,000 and S$168,000 — rounded up to the nearest thousand — a year from work. Productivity Council in tie-up to boost process construction and maintenance sector The new industry-led Productivity Council for the process construction and maintenance (PCM) sector - key to the support of the large energy and chemicals industry in Singapore - has tied up with Austin, Texas-based Construction Industry Institute (CII) to introduce best practices, metrics and benchmarking for the sector. Rowsley makes foray into Manchester Singapore-listed Rowsley yesterday announced four investment deals in Manchester, including new ventures linked to the Manchester United Football Club. The investments, worth £69.1 million (S$150 million) in all, represent the real estate and architecture firm's maiden foray into Britain's property and hospitality sectors . http://www.straitstimes.com/business/property/rowsley-makes-foray-into-manchester http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/business/singapore/peter-lim-linked-firm-in/2080520.html Hotels slash rates, offer goodies as tourist arrivals taper Hit by a double whammy of dwindling tourist arrivals and rising room supply, luxury to budget hotels in Singapore slashed room rates in the first half of this year amid fierce competition for the tourist dollar within the region. Singapore Tourism Board (STB) data published this week showed the Republic welcomed 7.26 million international visitors in the January-to-June period, down 3.4 per cent from the corresponding period last year. http://www.todayonline.com/business/hotels-slash-rates-offer-goodies-tourist-arrivals-taper Companies' Brief Property stock rally could be short-lived Singapore's largest property counters staged a rebound on Thursday, buoyed by a rising tide in the equities market spurred by an overnight rally on Wall Street and news of fresh stimulus measures by China. The recent China turmoil was also said to have weakened the case for a Fed rate hike in September. But Thursday's rally could prove to be short-lived given the mixed bag of earnings from developers and sluggish residential transactions here still casting a pall over their earnings prospects. http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/property-stock-rally-could-be-short-lived Global Economy & Global Real Estate Confidence in Iskandar project despite delays http://www.straitstimes.com/business/property/confidence-in-iskandar-project-despite-delays Barcelona mayor's crackdown puts Airbnb in firing line http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/real-estate/barcelona-mayors-crackdown-puts-airbnb-in-firing-line UK house prices grow at slowest annual pace since June 2013 Deepening downturn in India's building sector eats into growth Sweden's housing subsidy won't help shortage, say builders http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/real-estate/swedens-housing-subsidy-wont-help-shortage-say-builders US commercial mortgages worry Fed amid defaults http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/real-estate/us-commercial-mortgages-worry-fed-amid-defaults Architect sought for Obama library http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/real-estate/architect-sought-for-obama-library SouFun Jumps as Policy Loosening Lifts China Property Stocks TPG Capital Hires Ladder’s Guggenheim to Run Real Estate Group Pending Sales of Previously Owned U.S. Homes Rose 0.5% in July China Eases Foreign Investment Rules for Property Amid Slowdown |