The Penang property market, inactive since mid last year, is stirring. After months of lying low, the more aggressive developers are back with new launches, this time armed with innovative financing packages they hope will woo prospective buyers adopting a wait-and-see stance.Prices on the secondary market are down.

PETALING JAYA: The local property market would be able to escape a property bubble, such as the one that is affecting neighbouring countries, as it is mainly driven by domestic demand, according to several industry experts.

 When developer Boustead Properties roped in Ikano Corp Sdn Bhd and Tesco Stores (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd to set up shop in Mutiara Damansara back in 2000 and 2001 respectively, little was known about this township except that it neighbours the sexy addresses of Taman Tun Dr Ismail and Bandar Utama.Fast forward to less than a decade later, Mutiara Damansara in Selangor is now a much sought after addr

Having just returned from Hong Kong, ARA Asset Management’s group CEO, John Lim, senses that he man in the street there is more concerned about job security compared with Singaporeans.

*This article was published in City & Country Malaysia in the week of February 9, 2009 The cost of a Golden Gate Bridge view from the top of San Francisco’s tallest residential building just got 15% cheaper.

   When the first phase of the Gardens by the Bay in Singapore is completed in early 2011, it will provide a much-needed breath of fresh air amid a credit crunch and a global recession.

 *This article first appeared in City & Country for the week of January 5, 2009  Lincoln Lee, Lucas Works Sdn Bhd’s executive director, currently lives with his family in Taman Tasik Kesuma in Semenyih, which is over an hour’s drive from the Kuala Lumpur city centre. He moved in just about a year ago from Melaka.

As lifestyles change so do the preferences of retail shoppers. Once, our parents or grandparents skirted murky puddles at smelly wet markets for weekly groceries; nowadays, their offspring prefer to do their shopping in air-conditioned comfort.

Change in profile but not valuesLee Yoke Har's resemblance to older brother Datuk Lee Yeow Chor is uncanny. Soft-spoken and affable, her quiet strength and firmness are very similar to her sibling's when it comes to dealing with the issues of the day.

Whatever the economic climate, be it a bull or bear market, there will always be opportunities for investors. When it comes to property investments, many prefer housing units. But what about commercial real estate?