Good reviews are coming in about the new Hyatt Regency Danang in Vietnam which opened late last year.
The project which is a milestone for residential led hospitality combines 200 rooms, 174 residential condominium and 27 luxury villas.
A key demand driver of the integrated resort are the nearby Greg Norman – Danang Golf Club and Montgomerie Links.
The Laguna Langco project in Hue is looking to tap into the success story of the Hyatt project though double digit interest rates and hyperinflation have flattened the property market.
The world economic situation could be headed for another plunge this year should certain current events play out the way many analysts are predicting.
Aside from the Euro situation, political uncertainty in the Middle East, threats to the oil supply chain in Iran and a North Africa's fragile democratic processes.
Clearly a knock on effect from a combination of any of this, could wind the clock back to the GFC slump.
We've been hearing about a China slowdown for the past two years but yet have to see if this will happen.
As Asia continues to make hay while the sun shine, are we just in halcyon days or will everything continue to be 'same same.'
Your bet is as good as mine looking at the remainder of 2012.
According to the publication International Living, Thailand ranks in the top 10 in the world for retirement living.
In order for the 2012 Index based on a rating system that includes real estate, cost of living, climate, healthcare, entertainment, and infrastructure the top of the pops are –
1.Ecuador
2.Panama
3.Mexico
4.Malaysia
5.Colombia
6.New Zealand
7.Nicaragua
8.Spain
9.Thailand
10.Honduras
Over the past two years we've seen a growing number of UK based properties target high net worth Asians.
Savills in Bangkok certainly started the trend towards 'reverse selling.'
Now CBRE Thailand are holding a London Property Exhibition on February 4th and 5th at the Plaza Athenee.
Products include two bedroom units with pricing points that start just under 30 million baht.
Much of the attraction for overseas investors into the London market are stabilized rental yields and a strong track record on capital appreciation.
For agents, as some markets in Thailand soften, there are two ways to make a sale – be it coming or going.
Despite a 15 year 'time out' between 1997's Asian financial crisis and the present, many regional monetary authorities still continue to shift the hot potato of debt.
Despite a 15 year 'time out' between 1997's Asian financial crisis and the present, many regional monetary authorities still continue to shift the hot potato of debt.
Here the Bank of Thailand still potentially hold's over THB1.1 trillion of debt incurred during the market meltdown depending if the authority will be tasked with clearing the FIDF (Financial Institutions Development Fund) massive shortfall.
Indonesia is in a similar situation from the IBRA (Indonesia Bank Restructuring Agency), as is Danaharta in Malaysia.
While in some cases the countries have managed to slip the issue under the carpet, there remains potential risk in the market place that the monetary sins of the past will come back to haunt them.
Despite concerns over a Euro crisis, high end real estate deals in the resort markets of Asia are gaining momentum.
Benchmarking the trend for 2011 luxury hotel branded villa sales, resort operator Six Senses sold 8 properties during the year.
Properties sold were at Soneva Kiri, Koh Kood, plus Soneva Fushi and Six Senses Laamu in the Maldives.
Transaction activity ranged from USD2 million up to USD8.5 million. One interesting statistic is despite all the media play on China, and India emerging, 7 of the 8 sales were to European buyers.
Pushing into 2012, a push in reservations has been seen with three more villas in the sales pipeline.
Speaking to the residential sales management of the chain, while majority of the transactions have been direct , they are seeing a rise of inquiries and activity from outside agents.
News is that the Sri Lanka hospitality led residential project branded by Six Senses in Ahungalla will come to market later this year.
In a process which is undertaken on a cyclical basis,every four years the actual increase is on MAV(minimum assessed value.
minimum assessed values (MAV), not land tax. This is done by Thailand's Treasury Department.
The MAV forms the basis of computing the transfer fee (2%) when land or property is transacted.
Unlike many other countries capital gains is not paid on land transactions but is essentially a transaction tax which includes the 2%, specific business tax 3.3% of the declared value and 1% withholding of the sales price which can be credited back as a tax credit.
Minimum assessed values for land in Thailand are notoriously low and tax exposure on sale comes down to single digits which by international standards is extremely low.
Another practical side is the often practiced under declaration of the declared value of the land which is illegal but often occurs when the two parties wish to minimized tax. This can come back to bite the purchaser though if they wish to list the full asset in their company books and are unable to do so if an wrong declared value is made.
So in a nutshell this is mostly a case of much ado about nothing, and not such big news after all.
The developers of the Six Senses Con Dao in Vietnam have made a strategic alliance to attract Phuket buyers to their villa offering.
Enlisting CBRE Thailand the hospitality led residential offering is for one, two and three bedroom pool villas.
Lead in pricing is aimed at investment buyers from USD575,000 with a 5% guaranteed yield for three years.
Con Dao is located south of Ho Chi Minh City, with a 45 minute domestic plane ride to get there.
Noted Vietnamese based development firm Indochina Land are behind the project.
Local Phuket development firm Phanason have shifted into higher end property with their latest offering on the east coast.
Phanason Laem-Hin Resort is located near to the popular seafood restaurant and pier which services Koh Maphrao island.
A key selling point are ocean view units. With 142 individual types prices start from THB5.9 million.
Nearby Koh Maphrao island has seen increasing attention over the past few years with the staged Village at Coconut Island, and the recent announcement that the Burasari group would invest a reported THB600 million into a resort.
