One of Asia's property investment crowdfunding pioneers CoAssets has gone public on Australia's NSX exchange.
The company was co-founded by Singapore's Getty Goh and has a short term track record of investments into a select set of Thailand property developments.
CoAssets assists developers in short term funding requirements.
With the listing under their belt, the group is expecting to increase investor confidence as a mean's of growing their portfolio and fund base.
I've just read an article by Agence France-Presse about spiking demand in London's red-hot property market for houseboats.
Stressed end-users of property have been forced to take to the water as a result of skyrocketing home prices.
One cost effective solution has become houseboats on canals and rivers in and around the capital city.
A key outcome of the trend now is increasing traffic on the waterways and pollution concerns.
Currently the government is facing new issues over controls for permanent mooring and also noise issues by land-based homeowners.
Expect more pressure on London real estate as investors and residents alike battle over coveted property in one of he world's top markets.
Forbes recently came out with their richest of the rich list for Thailand 2015.
Topping the Thailand bourse is Dhanin Chearavanont who regained the top honors after slipping to second place last year.
Coming in after Khun Dhanin is Carabao Dang.
One highlight of the hospitality sector is Bill Heinecke of the Minor Hotel Group who is for the lack of a better term. Thailand's richest caucasian, though of course he does carry a Thai passport.
Making news recently in the Thailand's property world has been software developer CyperPlanet Interactives shift into the real estate sector under the Habitat Five entity.
The group recently inked a deal with BHM Hospitality for an X2 branded residences project in Jomtien.
On offer will be sixty private pool villas offering a investment management program.
This is the second X2 foray with the first being the X2 Vibe Pattaya condominium.
Asia's current freezing frenzy over hotel branded residence is continuing with an upward tilt.
Global giant Starwood has signed a deal for a mix-used use project in Mactan Cebu.
Tagged under the Sheraton moniker, complimenting a hotel, will be 182 one, two and three bedroom apartment units.
Developed by AppleOne Properties, the residences are targeting a 2020 completion date.
The recently opened Snow Town in Bangkok has locals and tourists buzzing.
Part of the repositioned Gateway Ekamai Mall, the project is over 3,000 square meters and is a large-scale attraction.
There are plans to open other Snow Town parks Asiatique and other malls.
According to an article in the Bangkok Post the investment into Snow Town hit sixty million baht.
Meanwhile Gateway owner Thai Group TCC have plans to open a second Asiatique in Pattaya.
Like it or not sentiment remains a key driver of investment dynamics.
This week's plunge in the China financial markets is highlighted by the predominance of retail investors.
It's been estimated in the financial press that up to eighty per cent investors in Chinese equities are retail versus institutional.
Welcome to the casino-like marketplace where day traders have seen fortunes soar but now are sinking like dead seagulls.
Volatility is a natural when smaller players dominate a sector and this is clearly the case in China's present conundrum.
In Thailand, the bum rush for cheap and small condominiums as short term investment has become the norm over the past six years.
While the real estate dynamics are not exactly similar to the financial markets, a similar train of thought by investors is rampant where a get rich quick process has become the mantra.
As Asia looks set to cool off, perhaps it's not entirely a bad thing to see a return to normal long term thinking for stabilized assets such as property
One unlikely Asian nation is seeing sharp rise in real estate led residences visas �" South Korea.
Under a program called F-2 Residential visa, properties in select areas offer the benefit.
These are mainly condominiums, villas and hotels with a minimum threshold of 700 million Korean Won (just over USD600,000).
To date a vast majority of the take-up has been Mainland China.
A permanent residency visa can be obtained after five years of the investment which converts into an F-5 visa.
All eyes today in the financial markets are looking at China, which is seeing a massive devaluation of stocks.
Hundreds of companies have requested that their traded shares be suspended.
Over the last month nearly 30% of the market value has evaporated.
While the impending Grexit was thought to have been this week's top news story, China is now front and center stage.
For tourism players the downturn may very well be immense.
Again 2015 is shaping up by disruptive events across the globe.
Should the Euro drop and the Chinese travel market retract, Phuket may soon be wishing for a return to the good old days.
