SYDNEY: Predicting future house prices is always a gamble, but for a bearish Australian academic who lost a bet that prices would crash, it also involves a trek to the country's highest mountain peak.

KUALA LUMPUR: Ho Hup Construction Company Bhd has been granted a time extension of four months until Aug 4 to submit its revised regularisation plan to Bursa Malaysia Securities for approval.

HONG KONG: Shimao Property Holdings and a Taiwanese company have launched a US$10 billion (RM32 billion) cross-strait fund to identify real estate opportunities in each other's markets.

Shimao chairman Hui Wing-mau and Taiwan-listed Farglory Group have this week set up Straits Construction Investment (SCI) to explore large-scale property investment on the mainland and Taiwan.

SHANGHAI: Real estate investors in Asia and the Pacific expect to see regional property markets returning to normal by 4Q2010, ahead of other regions, according to the findings of Colliers International’s Global Investor Sentiment Survey.

KUALA LUMPUR: A Chinese businesswoman on April 14 filed a RM1 million civil suit against prominent businessman Tan Sri Ngan Ching Wen for breach of contract of a development project in Xi'an Qujiang, China.

Wang Yunzhen, 49, filed the suit at the High Court registrar's office through Messrs Halim Hong & Quek.

KUALA LUMPUR: IJM Corp Bhd has secured two construction contracts in Sarawak valued at RM246.7 million.

It said on Wednesday, April 14 its unit IJM Construction Sdn Bhd had received two letters of acceptance of tender for the Sarawak Public Works Department.

KUALA LUMPUR: Ariantec Sdn Bhd entered into a conditional Sales and Purchase Agreement with Jelita Marketing Sdn Bhd to acquire a 4-storey shopoffice with parking bay at Sunsuria Avenue, Kota Damansara for RM5.3million. The approximate gross built-up of the building is 10,660 sq ft.

KUALA LUMPUR: Ajiya Bhd has acquired industrial land in Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park measuring 2.84 acres for RM3.5 million.

SHAH ALAM: Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim on April 14 clarified that DPZ Asia Sdn Bhd was not directly involved in rehabilitation and cleaning up of the Klang River project.

GEORGE TOWN: Taiyo Resort (KL) Bhd, which also manages the Kajang Hill Golf Club, has been awarded a 20-year contract with a value exceeding RM80 million to manage the state-owned Bukit Jambul Country Club (BJCC).