REAL ESTATE

What's this? First home buyers are not interested in taking out a loan to buy an overvalued property? The Australian Bureau of Statistics released data yesterday showing that loan approvals fell 1.5% in December, to the lowest level in three months.

The concept of an Homeowners Association, or HOA, isn't one that typically comes to mind when most people think of sustainability. We see more and more horror stories in the news nowadays of homeowners slapped with hefty fines for growing gardens on their own property, or even thrown in jail for daring to keep a cistern in their backyard.

It seems that comparing the price of a US minesweeper and a marine sanctuary is never a good way to earn public appeal as Filipino netizens take on Twitter in response to Donald Trump Jr., reports Inquirer.net.

After three years of house price falls, Dubai's housing market is now recovering fast, while its neighboring Abu Dhabi, UAE's capital, is still struggling.

The RBA's interest rate cuts don't seem to be working. It's a bit player in the global currency war, and Australia's economy will suffer the consequences. Manufacturing's woes are well known. But the RBA's move to ultra-low interest rates was supposed to perk up Australian house prices, and therefore the housing market.

Even though the U.K. saw house prices drop for a sixth month in December, it has still true jewels which cannot be described as cheap and average at all. Lloyds TSB issued its annual list of most expensive streets in the U.K. Not surprisingly, London has once again outperformed other cities in the competition as all from the top ten are located in the capital of the U.K.

Hurricane Sandy has the undesirable distinction of being one of the ten most expensive hurricanes in US history. In the days before Sandy impacted, it was forecast to be 'large, slow-moving and no doubt very costly.'

In response to a weekend news article that claimed mortgage brokers fail to adequately disclose to customers the commissions they receive from lenders, Mortgage Choice CEO Michael Russell, one of Australia's largest independently-operated firms, seeks to set the record straight.

Development in Dubai froze or stalled in many cases following the 2008 crash. But gradually, Dubai's property market has started to recover and stalled or partially shelved projects are return.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has denied reports she was aware of a Melbourne property that was bought on money allegedly pilfered from union coffers, insisting that her role as lawyer for the Australian Workers Union (AWU) was strictly on setting up its ‘slush fund’.

Domain has launched Domain Chinese today, the first property magazine for the Sydney Chinese community that not only features listings, but also editorial content as well as statistics and tools for the property investor.

Vietnam is facing a housing catastrophe. A disastrous slump has overtaken its housing market. The government is embarrassed, the banks are bankrupt, and the economy is in a mess.

Australia home prices skid in October, giving a slight reprieve to the four-month gains, the latest RP Data-Rismark said.

Residential property prices in New Zealand have continued to rise in the third quarter of 2012. The national housing median price rose by 6% to NZ$371,000 (US$304,168) during the year to September 2012, according to the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ).

Home prices continued rising in July across the United States. According to reports, home prices in the U.S. biggest cities have risen to the highest level in almost two years.

No end to the global housing market downturn is in sight, except probably in the US, according to a survey of global house price trends by the Global Property Guide. Asia is weakening, and house price falls in the worst-hit European crisis countries are dramatically accelerating.

Sri Lanka's house price rises continue, as security issues get sorted out. There's no official house price data in Sri Lanka, but developers and homebuyers confirm there have been double-digit property price rises.

Australia's leading residential builders and developers have jumped on board a new web-based house and land matching service houseandland.com.au

Having worked as an SEO consultant for many years, i first got into the game doing SEO work for many of Victoria's real estate agents.

Almost a third of the economy faces a digital "big bang" over the next three years, pushing companies as diverse as retailers, banks and real estate agents to rethink their strategies, a new report says.

Singapore's New Creation Church recognises the power of contemporary audience-capturing ministry and strong business returns of a good investment.

Consider Minneapolis, Minn. You could've bought, out of foreclosure, a three-bedroom, two-bath house of 1,356 square feet on a quarter acre lot for about $29,000. It needed a lot of work, but houses in the neighborhood recently sold for $75,000.

It is not all gloomy in the Australia housing market. According to the latest RP Data/Australian Financial Review (AFR) data, there are some suburbs that allow investors to earn amidst disappointing price declines.

Over the 16 weeks leading up to August 26, Dubai saw a bullish market driven by property. On Sunday August 12, Nakheel announced that demand was expected to remain high for properties on the island. The Dubai developer made the statement as it announced the sale of a 305,704sqft plot for Dh1,302 ($520) per square foot to an unidentified local investor.

www.globalpropertyguide.comNo end to the global housing market downturn is yet visible, except probably in the US, according to a survey of global house price trends by the Global Property Guide. Asia is weakening, and house price falls in the worst-hit European crisis countries are dramatically accelerating.

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) is among the bodies to suggest that loan-to-value (LTV) ratios should be capped for property lending in Australia.

Despite the recent floods, an extraordinary change of mood has gripped the Philippines, the sense of a new beginning.

Among Australian states, Queensland has the most number of mortgage defaults, a report by Fitch Ratings released on Wednesday said.

Zac Efron has recently been reported shopping for a luxury home address. Is this a sign of growing up, or is he getting ready to settle down?