Buyer interest in the property auction market is now more focused on landed properties in view of the long-term value gain, auctioneers say.First Auction Sdn Bhd’s Zaarif Zainal tells City & Country: “Apartments used to be quite hot, but to avoid the maintenance charges buyers now prefer landed residential properties.”Besides the usual prime areas such as Taman Tun Dr Ismail and Petaling Ja

Taking risks is pretty much what SKN Land & Development Sdn Bhd thrives on, declares Datuk Shamir K Nandy, the executive chairman of its holding company SKN Group. This property developer — "like some remote, sexy island in Thailand, the real jewel in the crown", according to Shamir — is not one to disregard possibilities.“We like to take risks more than to see the return.

SINGAPORE: The Government has introduced two new measures that will take effect Saturday Feb 20 to temper sentiments and pre-empt a property bubble in the private residential market.

It said the measures will help to ensure a stable and sustainable property market.

KUALA LUMPUR: The second phase of the Symphony Heights highrise residential project in Selayang has been 50% sold. Units in the second phase have been opened for sale progressively since December last year.

KUALA LUMPUR: Lebar Daun Development Sdn. Bhd. will launch Casa Arianna, a lakefront twin villas project located within the 163 acre D’Kayangan development in Section 13, Shah Alam in Selangor tomorrow Feb 20, 2010.

D’Kayangan is a guarded community accessible via the Federal Highway, New Klang Valley Expressway, and the Elite Highway.

MUMBAI (India): An oversupply situation in the office property market is likely to occur in India with the expected entry of 162.6 million sq ft of new office space in the next three years, according to Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj's (JLLM) Trends in Commercial Office Space report published recently.

BRUSSELS (Belgium): Office investment levels in Belgium have soared 205%, totaling €430.6 million in 4Q 2009 compared to the previous quarter, while buyers have increased to five per asset compared to one per asset at end of 2008, according to Savills’ Brussels Office Market 4Q 2009 report.

HONG KONG: Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP) will release its residential project in Yuen Long for sale tomorrow Feb 20 at an average price of HK$5,200 per square foot, about 18 per cent higher than secondary transaction prices in the nearby area.

SANYA (China): Prices up 30 per cent in a fortnight. Luxury properties costing as much as the priciest Shanghai homes. Property sales at record levels. Developers hoarding flats in the expectation they will fetch more later. Land prices too rich even for Allan Zeman.

NEW YORK/LONDON: The planned sale of Citigroup’s real estate asset management arm has hit a snag after some of the unit’s clients refused to give their blessing to a disposal, sources told Reuters.