Real estate industry
Foxtons, one of London's biggest estate agents, is facing a potential financial crisis after its owner, BC Partners, admitted to breaching lending agreements with its banks. The buyout firm invested £390m in Foxtons in May 2007, but worse-than-expected market conditions have pushed the company into crunch talks with
Real estate industry
Shlomi Ben-Ezri, CEO of the New Contractors Association, has predicted a 5% increase in home prices nationwide in 2009. In an interview with Globes, he attributed this growth to a combination of factors, including a shortage of housing inventory, a long construction period, and a slowdown in the market. This
Real estate industry
Vietnam's real estate sector experienced a significant surge in investment in 2007, with a total of $5 billion in committed capital, accounting for 24.6% of the country's foreign investment. This growth positioned real estate as the second-largest sector in the country, after industrial production. The
Real estate industry
The US housing market continued to face significant challenges in November, with sales of existing homes showing a slight increase despite being the second-lowest on record. The median home price dropped by 3.3% from the previous year, and the inventory of unsold homes remained high, indicating a prolonged market
Real estate industry
Consumer prices in Australia were unchanged in September, despite significant decreases in petrol and banana prices, according to the TD Securities-Melbourne Institute's monthly inflation gauge. The report revealed that prices rose in 33 expenditure groups, while 15 groups experienced a decline and 42 remained unchanged. The sustained inflation
Real estate industry
The Justice Department has settled a lawsuit against 10 Austin, Texas developers, builders, architects, and engineers alleging disability discrimination in the design and construction of two housing developments. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, was brought to enforce provisions of the federal
City councils
A proposed $1 million in tax assistance to help Rochester developer Bob DeWitz build 100 entry-level houses on the city's western fringe received lukewarm reception from city council members. Despite the developer's intentions to use tax-increment financing to develop $139,000 starter homes, council members expressed
City councils
Visalia City Council members stood firm against a proposal to develop 80 acres of agricultural land for a proposed subdivision, citing concerns over traffic congestion and the impact on the area's agricultural character. The council voted 4-0 to deny the request by Centex Homes to change the city&
Real estate industry
As China's government intensifies efforts to curb soaring property prices, banks are being forced to reassess their mortgage lending practices, a once-profitable business that has become a risk factor for lenders. Concerns over a liquidity-driven property boom turning into a bust have prompted banks to re-evaluate their lending
Real estate industry
China's government has issued new proposals to regulate foreign investment in its real estate sector, aiming to improve the efficiency of using foreign investment and control the market's growth. The proposals, jointly issued by several government agencies, include increases in the ratio of registered capital and
Real estate industry
A unique partnership between Visalia-based nonprofit Self-Help Enterprises and developer Matthews Homes is making homeownership a reality for 52 low-income families in southwest Bakersfield. Through a sweat equity program, families will work at least 40 hours a week, with labor contributing towards down payments. This program is their only chance
Real estate industry
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) is likely to face growing pressure to raise interest rates as housing lending continues to show remarkable strength, with May approvals increasing by 4.5% and 18.4% from the previous year. The consistent growth across various categories, including owner-occupiers and investors, and regions,
