Investing

US Office Property Market Growth Slow; Vacancy Rate Stagnant

U.S. property market growth remained sluggish in the second quarter of 2013 with rents climbing little and vacancy rates remaining stagnant. The slow growth is attributed to the lack of improvement in the government employment sector of the country, according to several media reports.

Vacancies in the US Retail Sector Lowest in 4 Years

Vacancies in the retail sector of the U.S. fell to its lowest in four years in the wake of a rebounding economy and commercial property market. Average vacancy rates fell to 10.5 percent, the lowest in more than the past three years, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The Effects of Government Curbs on Hong Kong’s Real Estate Market

Hong Kong’s property sector is the most expensive real estate market of the Asia Pacific region. Home prices have been high since 2009 due to lack of steady supply, low interest rates and the influx of Chinese buyers in the region. To cool the conditions down, the government had introduced various measures in the past few months. But has the government actually achieved its target with these curbs? How have these measures affected the market?