KUALA LUMPUR: House prices in the UK are likely to remain under downward pressure for the first half of the year 2011. Weak demand, lack of mortgage finance and falling consumer sentiment are trends that will continue into 2011, according to Hometrack director of research Richard Donnell.

KUALA LUMPUR: Bandar Raya Developments Bhd (BRDB) is nearing completion of the first phase of a mixed development project which involves a total investment of US$437 million (RM1.35 billion) over a nine-year period in Pakistan.

KUALA LUMPUR: Fraser & Neave Holdings Bhd (F&N) will redevelop the land in Petaling Jaya that has been housing its dairy manufacturing plant since 1959 to feature commercial and residential properties with gross development value (GDV) of at least RM1 billion.

LAWAS: Hotel Seri Malaysia Lawas, the latest in the chain of hotels under Hotel Seri Malaysia Sdn Bhd, will start operating in this nothernmost town of Sarawak in February next year.

BEIJING: This southwestern city has dwarfed the country's political and economic centres as the only provincial-level municipality listed among China's happiest 10 cities in 2010, Xinhua News Agency cited China Daily's report Tuesday, Dec 28.

KUALA LUMPUR: Asian Pac Holdings Bhd's unit Safe Valley Sdn Bhd is disposing four pieces of freehold land in Setapak measuring about 8.7 million acres to Axis Milestone Sdn Bhd for RM49.11 million cash.

In a filing to Bursa Malaysia on Monday, Dec 27, Asian Pac said the lands were acquired in September 2007 at a cost of about RM22.06 million.

BANGKOK: The financial arm of Thailand's top home builder Land & Houses Pcl said on Monday, Dec 27 it planned to sell 1.44 billion new shares in an initial public offering (IPO) next year.

A PATCHY recovery in house prices around the world in the third quarter of this year was led by markets in the Asia-Pacific, which recorded an average rise of 9.9%. The increase was tracked in the global house price index by property consultancy Knight Frank.

THE rapid development of the mainland's high-speed rail network will make it easier to get around and bring new opportunities for real estate investment, property consultants say.

SINGAPORE-LISTED property investor Treasury China Trust plans to invest more than one billion yuan (RM466.25 million) in at least three shopping arcades on the mainland as it positions itself to take advantage of the growing wealth of consumers there.