GEORGE TOWN: The Penang government has issued the Certificate of Occupancy (OC) for 7,571 units of low- and low-medium-cost houses in the state up to September this year.

State Housing and Town and Country Planning Committee chairman Wong Hon Wai said the OCs were issued by both the Penang and Seberang Perai municipal councils.

HONG KONG: Luxury home sales in Hong Kong have reached new peaks despite the government's efforts to cap rising prices.

Both by transaction number and value, upmarket home sales — those valued at more than HK$20 million (RM7.98 million) — have broken records, defying cooling measures such as higher stamp duty and a crackdown on speculation.

KUALA LUMPUR: Sunway Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) recorded a pre-tax profit of RM310.638 million for the first quarter ended Sept 30, 2010, on the back of RM72.445 million revenue.

KUALA LUMPUR: Publika the country’s first creative retail centre, integrating arts and culture with urban shopping and dining will see Ben's Independent Grocer (BIG) supermarket as its anchor tenant.

KUALA LUMPUR: Hock Seng Lee Bhd (HSL) signed a subcontract agreement worth RM67.3 million with Adiqa Engineering Sdn Bhd on Nov 9 for the construction and completion of Tuie/Supa/Manggut Road in Betong, Sarawak.

HONG KONG: Despite noticeable improvement in investor sentiment and transaction volume in 3Q 3010, the weakening economic indicators could still have negative impact on growth, said CB Richard Ellis (CBRE) in its latest Asia Investment MarketView report.

SYDNEY: Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ) joined a major rival on Wednesday, Nov 10 in pushing its mortgage rate well above the central bank's cash rate, but sought to deflect a political backlash by scrapping loan-exit fees.

LONDON: There's poetic licence, artistic licence, and — most entertaining of all — marketing licence. In the mid-1990s a British developer's advertisements listed the attractions of London and the company's project, but without mentioning the scheme was in Peterborough, East Anglia, 133 kilometres from the British capital.

HONG KONG: A steady influx of new business tenants and the expansion of financial institutions already present in the city has combined to produce a sharp increase in grade A office rents.

In Central, the average rent for prime office accommodation has risen 35% to HK$92 per sq ft since the beginning of the year, according to research by property consultancy Colliers International.

HONG KONG: Home sales activity in Hong Kong last week fell 40% from the previous week as homeowners rushed to raise asking prices in expectation of a property boom as a result of the United States' announcement of a second round of fiscal stimulus for the economy.