SHAH ALAM: There is still a long way to reach property bubble in Malaysia, says Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Wira Chor Chee Heung.

According to the Housing Index for the last 10 years, prices of houses have moved about 37% while in countries like Singapore and Hong Kong, property prices shot passed 35% last year, he said.

LONDON: Rents in London's prime residential market have risen 16% since their recessionary low in June 2009, even though they are still 7% lower than the recent market peak in March 2008, Knight Frank LLP said.

BEIJING: Colliers International believes that the central business district (CBD) in Beijing and the Beijing Lufthansa Centre will continue to be the most active submarkets, as several domestic and multi-national corporations (MNCs) are actively looking for office space.

HONG KONG: A drive to make it harder for developers to add green features and facilities to artificially inflate flat sizes does not go far enough, say architectural  professionals.

A number of loopholes will, for instance, mean the city is likely to see apartments with thick glass exterior walls that can be included as part of the saleable area.

HONG KONG: Buyers returned to the property market at the weekend after the removal of the cloud of policy uncertainty that was hanging over the market ahead of Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen's policy address.

BANGKOK: Bangkok-based hotel investment company Red Planet Hotels plans to expand into the Chinabudget hotel market with its partner Tune Hotels.

Positive forecasts of continued rapid growth in tourist and business travel on the mainland will see the partners building budget hotels in second-tier cities, Red Planet chief executive Tim Hansing said.

KUALA LUMPUR: Following its proposed acquisition of property development company Hardie Development Sdn Bhd (HDSB), Permaju Industries Bhd has proposed to diversify into property development.

KUALA LUMPUR: AXIS Real Estate Investment Trust (AXIS REIT) almost doubled its earnings per unit (EPU) to 7.6 sen for the third quarter (3Q) ended Sept 30, 2010, from 3.83 sen a year ago.

KUALA LUMPUR: WCT Bhd has secured two separate projects from the Qatar and Malaysian governments collectively worth about RM1.49 billion.

KUALA LUMPUR: The government has been urged to curb house price speculation to protect the interest of those in the low and medium-income group, some of whom have been saving up for years but are unable to afford a home.