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☆ In forgotten parts of Singapore's iconic Orchard Road shopping street, a new era is taking shape
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-22 | by ( Kevin Lim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The Far East Shopping Center on Orchard Road in Singapore, on Thursday, April 11, 2024. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesThe Far East Shopping Center along Singapore's Orchard Road has seen better days. Orchard Road, Singapore's main shopping street, is 2.2 km (1.3 miles) long but much of the activity takes place in the middle of the stretch as well as at selected malls linked via underground walkways to subway stations. Far East Shopping Center isn't connected to Orchard MRT unlike several of its neighbors. Two of the properties, the voco Orchard hotel and Forum The Shopping Mall, share some 180 meters of frontage along Orchard Road.

Persons: Ong Beng Seng, hasn't, CDL, Singapore's URA, URA, Richard Goh, Rasa Singapura, Sukanto Tanoto, Du Shuanghua, Jeremy Lake Organizations: Shopping, Bloomberg, Getty, Shopping Center, Singapore Botanic Gardens, Urban Redevelopment, Properties, Singapore, Developments, CDL Hospitality, Arts, CNBC, Singapore Botanic, Pacific Eagle, Food, Savills Singapore, Concorde Locations: Orchard, Singapore, Delfi Orchard, Istana Park, Canning, HPL

☆ He left his corporate job to help his mom in the family's 90-year-old restaurant. He almost gave up but figured out how to turn it around.
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-02 | by ( Erin Liam | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

He directs customers to find seats in Sabar Menanti, his two-story Malay restaurant, while ducking behind the counter to serve the restaurant's signature nasi padang. His grandparents opened Sabar Menanti in the 1920s and started selling nasi padang near a tombstone shop. But as his relatives had a handle on the business, Tambunan went on to work in the shipping industry. Dealing with rising costsAt a nasi padang stall, diners can choose from a variety of sides to eat with their rice. Tambunan told me he wanted her to remain active in her old age and encouraged her to return to help.

Persons: Iszahar Tambunan, Menanti, nasi, Tambunan, —, Sabar Menanti, Sabar, Erin Liam, Tambunan's, I've, Maryulis Bagindor Marlian, Nasi, Beef, Azreen Aziz, Aziz, tauhu telor, masak, I'm, Anthony Bourdain, Erin Liam I, Menanti Tambunan, he's Organizations: Service, Urban Redevelopment Authority, Singapore Statistics Board Locations: shipbroking, Singapore, nasi padang, Sabar, padang, Malay, Kampong Glam, Bahasa Indonesia, Sultan Mosque, Nasi padang, Indonesian, rendang, achar

☆ Singapore private housing prices cool, ending an over year-long rally
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-01 | by ( Dylan Butts | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Singapore's private home prices fell for the first time in five quarters amid depressed sales, preliminary market data showed on Tuesday. The data released by the Urban Redevelopment Authority showed that its private home price index fell 1.1% last quarter as compared to the previous three months. The fall reversed gains from the second quarter and represented the index's first drop since the second quarter of 2023. In total, prices were up only 1.1% in the first three quarters of 2024 compared with a 3.9% gain over the same period the prior year. Sales transaction volume also fell by about 11% in the third quarter from the previous three months.

Organizations: Urban, Authority

☆ ValueAct takes a stake in Sanwa. How the activist can make a good company into a great one
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-28 | by ( Kenneth Squire | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Business: Sanwa Holdings is a Japan-based company mainly engaged in the manufacture and sale of building and commercial facility construction materials, as well as the provision of maintenance and renovation services. Activist Commentary: ValueAct has been a premier corporate governance investor for over 20 years. Ahead of any shareholder value creation, ValueAct will likely call for increased shareholder returns in the form of buybacks to capitalize on the Sanwa's relatively low valuation. ValueAct is likely to continue as an active shareholder while Sanwa continues to do what it's been doing, just on a faster timetable. As an engaged investor, ValueAct has historically closed the gap between "good" and "great" by supporting management in executing its plan.

Persons: ValueAct, Rob Hale, Hale, Sanwa, Clopay, healthily, It's, Dalton, Ken Squire Organizations: Sanwa, Olympus, JSR, ValueAct, Griffon Corp, KKR, Nikkei, U.S, Dalton Investments, 13D Locations: Japan, North America, Europe, U.S, Asia

☆ Here's how much it can cost a family of four to live across 10 major Asian cities
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-26 | by ( Ernestine Siu | In Ernestinesiu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Living in a major city can come with a hefty price tag, so it's best to be informed before you make that big move. In Asia, Hong Kong and Singapore top the list for cost of living. A family of four can expect to spend an estimated $9,000 a month to live in one of these cities, according to Numbeo, an online database of user-contributed information. Singapore also saw a "rocketing increase" in its housing rentals from 2022, however, prices have begun to stabilize in recent months, said Ma. Here's a broader look at how much it costs for a family of four to live across 10 major cities in Asia, according to data by Numbeo:

Persons: Tracey Ma, APAC, Hong Kong, Ma Organizations: Mercer, CNBC, Singapore's Urban Redevelopment Authority Locations: Asia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Mercer, Hong, Ma, Singapore's

☆ Singapore is considered one of the best-designed cities in the world. The man who masterminded it has 2 regrets.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-26 | by ( Amanda Goh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Read previewTowering skyscrapers, candy-colored public housing apartment blocks, and lush green spaces — Singapore has long been recognized for its meticulous urban planning. AdvertisementCreating bicycle paths for the city"When I was in the HDB, I raised the issue of planning bicycle paths for citizens," Liu told Business Insider. Liu says he wishes he had developed bike sections for roads and incorporated bicycle paths into streets. Related storiesAdditionally, bicycle paths can boost local economies, as cyclists are more likely to stop at local businesses, he said. fiftymm99Indeed, Singapore's public housing apartments are home to about 80% of the country's resident population today.

Persons: —, Liu Thai Ker, who's, Liu, Thomas Schroepfer, Schroepfer, John Pratt, Rita Padawangi, Taro Hama Organizations: Service, Business, Morrow Architects, Planners, Housing Development Board, Urban Redevelopment Authority, The Straits Times, Singapore University of Technology, Design, Ministry of National Development, Keystone, Singapore University of Social Sciences Locations: Singapore, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Singapore's, Sands, Ubin, Pulau Ubin, kamakura

☆ Japan's property market shows signs of overheating, central bank says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

In a heat map of economy sectors which are running hot, the ratio of investment by real estate firms to gross domestic product (GDP) turned "red", a signal that the property market was overheating, the central bank said. "The increase in real estate firms' investment has been accelerated by urban redevelopment projects by major real estate developers," it added. "In some limited commercial areas in central Tokyo, transactions in the higher price range have been increasing," it said, adding that developments in the real estate transaction market "continue to warrant close monitoring". Japanese banks could also face risks from the rising possibility of interest rates remaining high overseas, it added. But credit costs could rise abruptly, particularly for loans to Asia, if overseas interest rates stay higher for longer, it warned.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Banks, Leika Kihara, Kim Coghill, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: REUTERS, Bank of Japan, Bank, U.S . Federal Reserve, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, TOKYO, Asia

☆ Opinion: The people Olympic host cities don’t want you to see
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Opinion David Goldblatt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

A Japanese policeman checks the signs to be used during the opening parade at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, 1964. Police officers stand guard at the rowing and kayak competitions venue at Lake Lanier near Gainesville, Georgia, ahead of the 1996 Olympic Games. Helsinki, which built the first permanent Olympic Village in 1952, created a successful and architecturally distinguished neighbourhood of social housing. Barcelona’s 1992 Olympic Village became the epicentre of a process of beachside gentrification and soaring house prices. Until that changes, we can expect the staging of future Olympic Games to look the same.

Persons: David Goldblatt, Read, David Goldblatt David Goldblatt, Douglas Miller, Charles Platiau, dockets, Buda Mendes, Barcelona’s, Urman Lionel, Denis Organizations: CNN, Olympic, Hulton, Getty, LAPD, Atlanta, Police, Housing Rights, Pan American Games, Rio de, City Council, Melbourne Olympic Games, Asahi Shimbun, City, Games, International Olympic Committee, Olympic Games Locations: British, Paris, Berlin, Roma, Tokyo, Moscow, Los Angeles, Lake Lanier, Gainesville , Georgia, Atlanta, Seoul, Beijing, Rio de Janeiro, Rio, Brazil, Buda, Helsinki, Melbourne, Japan, Australia, Mexico, Athens, Portakabins, London

But unlike most cities, Singapore is spending enormous resources to try to cool itself down — and learning lessons that could help other cities. But unlike most cities, Singapore is spending enormous resources to try to cool itself down — and learning lessons that could help other cities. Building without cool paint Building coated with cool paint Building without cool paint Building coated with cool paint Satellite image by Planet LabsSimple design decisions can also have a big impact on a building’s temperature. Singapore has built out a more systematic solution, a network of green corridors that connect green spaces together and allow cool air to flow throughout the city. “A corridor can at least generate this kind of cool air circulation in a city.

Persons: ”, Brian Stone Jr, Khoo, Stone, it’s, “, Nicholas Lin, Richard Hassell, Winston Chow, “ You’ve, Singapore Rebecca Toh, Chow, Tamara Iungman, Adele Tan Organizations: Georgia Institute of Technology, ”, The New York Times, Planet Labs, WOHA Architects, Cooling, Research, Phoenix, Climate Central, SINGAPORE Marina Bay Network, National Parks Board, Barcelona Institute, Global Health, Singapore’s, Redevelopment Authority, Urban Locations: Singapore, Phoenix, Mumbai, Singapore’s, Puat, ”, L.A, ” Singapore, Pickering, The New York Times Singapore, New York City, Jurong Lake, Cooling Singapore, Marina Bay, downtowns, Ariz, Maricopa County, shadeless, Marina, Paris, Bishan, MALAYSIA, SINGAPORE, Medellín, Colombia, “

"The major thing that we see now is onshore-traded Country Garden bonds going down," he said. Country Garden is a giant with thousands of projects in nearly 300 Chinese cities. Li Changjiang, the president of Country Garden Services, sold 3.2 million shares of the company last week, reducing his stake to 0.11% from 0.21%. They also cut its price target to HK$0.9 from HK$2.3 and that of Country Garden Services Holdings to HK$6.7 from HK$22. "Distressed Chinese property developers’ bond restructurings can buy them some room," Fitch Ratings said in a report on Monday.

Persons: Longfor, Wanda, Yao Yu, Morgan Stanley, Morgan, Li Changjiang, Fitch, Jason Xue, Tom Westbrook, Clare Jim, Xie Yu, Georgina Lee, Marc Jones, Kim Coghill, Jamie Freed, Barbara Lewis, Christina Fincher Organizations: HK, Dalian, Garden, Country Garden Services, Garden Holdings, Garden Services Holdings, China, Greenland Holdings, Ocean Group, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, SYDNEY, China, Hong Kong, Evergrande, Cayman Islands, Shanghai, Sydney, London

☆ China’s real estate slump predicted to last for years, threatening to spill into the wider region
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Jihye Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Future Publishing | Future Publishing | Getty ImagesWeakness in China's real estate sector could be a drag on the economy for years to come and could even impact countries in the wider region, Wall Street banks have warned. "We only assume an 'L-shaped' recovery in the property sector in coming years," they said. watch nowGoldman Sachs economists also noted there are expectations for China's government to introduce more housing stimulus packages to support the sector. If the challenges in the property sector deepen and bring risk aversion in the financial system and affect consumer confidence, this will cause a deeper slowdown in China. watch nowHui said the government's push to cap property prices at a certain level could be missing a big chunk of potential buyers.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Lisheng Wang, Goldman, Tai Hui, Morgan Stanley, Hui, CNBC's, that's Organizations: Future Publishing, Reuters, Market Locations: CHINA, Nanning, South, Guangxi Zhuang, Wall, China, Asia

☆ BlocPower: 2023 CNBC Disruptor 50
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Cnbc.Com Staff | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Brooklyn-based cleantech company BlocPower is squarely positioned with a mission to fight climate change while solving social injustices, focusing on renewable energy, reduction of carbon pollution, and urban redevelopment in lower-income areas. BlocPower was founded in 2014 by Donnel Baird, the child of Guyanese immigrants, who drew on his experience growing up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn in an apartment without well-functioning heating and cooling systems. This retrofitting of older buildings can lead to major energy savings, 30% to 50%, and a reduction of at least 40% in greenhouse gas emissions, BlocPower says. In Buffalo, BlocPower inked a contract with utility National Fuel Gas Company to upgrade hybrid heating and cooling systems in 34 low-to-middle income residential and commercial buildings. It also sealed a deal with Fujitsu General America to bring a better-functioning automatic heating and cooling unit to the U.S.

☆ Singapore hikes property stamp duties to cool property market
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Chen Lin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SINGAPORE, April 26 (Reuters) - Singapore raised taxes on private property purchases in a surprise move late on Wednesday night that includes a doubling of stamp duties for foreigners to an eye-watering 60%. The ABSD on Singaporeans' second and subsequent home purchases will rise to 20% from 17%, and 30% from 25%, respectively. The government said in a news release that property prices showed "renewed signs of acceleration amid resilient demand." The last time it raised stamp duties was in December 2021, when it said the property market was "buoyant" despite the economic impact of COVID-19. Property prices and rents in Singapore have been climbing steadily over recent years due to construction delays caused by the COVID-19 disruptions.

☆ Singapore rent prices are still sky-high. Long-time expats are having to consider drastic changes
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Charmaine Jacob | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

If rents continue to grow steadily, more residents will bite the bullet and purchase a property before paying higher prices for rent, Knight Frank's Christine Li said. Whether one's renting a room, an apartment or a house, long-time expatriates living in Singapore are digging deep into their pockets and making drastic changes to cope with rising rents. Some foreigners living here say their landlords may be taking advantage of an overheated property market to jack up prices — with some doubling the rent. "If rents continue to grow steadily, more people will just bite the bullet and purchase a property before paying higher prices for rent," she said. Justin Paget | Stone | Getty ImagesFrancesca said many potential landlords offered her "rent free deals" to convince her to agree to higher prices — that essentially translates to no rent for the first few months.

☆ Singapore withstands a global property downturn
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Thomas Shum | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HONG KONG, Jan 3 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Property is crashing everywhere, except in Singapore. The Asian city-state’s private residential prices are up 14% year-on-year, according to third-quarter data from Knight Frank. That’s a sharp contrast to major cities like Hong Kong and Sydney, which saw decreases of 7% and 4% respectively over the same period. Home prices in Hong Kong, the world’s least affordable property market by far, could fall by as much as 30% by the end of 2023 from 2021 levels, reckon analysts at Goldman Sachs. Still, Leonard Tay, an analyst at Knight Frank, predicts an up to 5% increase for private home prices in 2023.

☆ How Atlanta's growing economy burned low-income renters and homebuyers
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Carlos Waters | In Carloswaters | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"It's a huge increase in population," said Dan Immergluck, a professor of urban studies at Georgia State University. "Atlanta is becoming a wider city," said Nathaniel Smith, founder and chief equity officer at the Partnership for Southern Equity. Some Atlanta locals believe ambitious urban redevelopment projects, such as the BeltLine, have contributed to fast-rising prices in the area. "We've put about $700 million into the BeltLine to date," said Atlanta BeltLine Inc. CEO Clyde Higgs. That has caused a number of good things and also a number of pressures within the city of Atlanta."

☆ Wealth darling DBS channels Singapore’s success
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Una Galani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MUMBAI, Nov 3 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Singapore’s status as a financial centre is thriving, and DBS Group (DBSM.SI), the city-state’s $63 billion wealth darling led by Piyush Gupta, is reaping the benefits of its home market’s success. It makes the Lion City’s pragmatism a key pillar of support: Singapore generated 62% of DBS' total income in 2021. DBS’ wealth management business is attracting money at a rapid clip: net new asset inflows amounted to S$15 billion during the first nine months, doubling from a year ago, Gupta noted. The bank’s annualised return on equity hit a record high of 16.3% too. The bank’s return on equity also hit a new record high of 16.3%, up from 13.4% in the prior three-month period.

☆ Singapore's mortgage costs are rising — but some buyers are shrugging off higher rates
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Abigail Ng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The rising cost of borrowing is unlikely to have a major impact on Singapore's property market, analysts told CNBC. Ore Huiying | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesSINGAPORE — The rising cost of borrowing is unlikely to have a major impact on Singapore's property market, analysts told CNBC. Singapore's real estate market is backed by wealth, according to Christine Li, head of Asia-Pacific research at Knight Frank. Demand driversHowever, it doesn't mean the residential property market ignores rising rates and looming risks, said Alan Cheong, executive director of research and consultancy at Savills. "However, past trends indicate that our property market is highly resilient and usually rebounds within six months of a cooling measure," she said.

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