THE text message blasts went out on the evening of May 23. Before the night was through, more than 80 registrants had set up camp at Eco World Development Group Bhd’s sales gallery in Semenyih, Selangor. They were joined by a few hundred more the next day to get their queue numbers to buy a house in its flagship township, the 1,089-acre EcoMajestic in Semenyih.

RESIDENTS in Melaka and nearby areas who love shopping but don’t want to pay the full price for luxury goods will be eagerly looking forward to the opening of Freeport A’Famosa Outlet Village in Alor Gajah. The RM190 million outlet centre, which will open its doors in April next year, will offer luxury and premium brands of past seasons at discounts of 30% to 70%.

THE Kota Kinabalu property market is buoyant after having remained stable last year. The secondary market — which rose marginally in 4Q2013 following a slow performance in 3Q2013 — is expected to continue growing.

THE drive to Seremban via the KL-Seremban Highway on Monday morning was easy as the roads were clear. After passing the Seremban/Labu toll, at the roundabout, we took the left exit, then headed straight and soon reached old Seremban town.

SEREMBAN and its “offshoot” townships, Seremban 2 and S2 Heights, have in recent years become a beneficiary of rising property values in the Klang Valley. While the capital of Negeri Sembilan is a mere hour’s drive from Kuala Lumpur via the North-South Expressway and Kajang-Seremban Highway, prices of properties there are still fairly affordable, in comparison to the Klang Valley.

AS many residents in Seremban 2 work in the Klang Valley, most of the town’s commercial area, save for Biz Avenue where the banks are located, is fairly quiet. However, come night time, when the residents return, a lot of them will spend their hard-earned cash in the township’s growing food and beverage hub.

S P Setia Bhd
(June 12, RM2.99)

TOKYO: Yield-hungry investors have been betting that Japanese real estate investment trusts (REITs) will pay off as asset prices rise and interest rates remain stable, with the instruments growing in popularity among both retail and institutional investors.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) plans to convert some oil palm plantations surrounding Kuala Lumpur’s main air terminal into attractions such as theme parks, concert halls and golf courses to lure businesses and visitors.

KUALA LUMPUR: Despite slower growth in Knight Frank Global House Price Index in the first quarter of 2014 (1Q14), Knight Frank expects the index to strengthen in 2Q14.“All eyes will remain on central banks, in particular the Federal Reserve, the Bank of England and the European Central Bank.