Pattaya Property News
Russian interest in Pattaya condos remains high, while Indians are expected to be the next big thing as their interest in the local market grows.
An extremely detailed and informative report by Colliers International, says that by the end of 2011, there was a supply of approximately 46,100 units in Pattaya. More than 7,700 units are scheduled for completion in 2012, which is an increase of 47 per cent in the total supply. A similar number is expected next year, too.
Jomtien is expected to grow over the next two years and become the main player in the Pattaya housing market. This is because of the large number of projects being launched in Jomtien and due to the huge interest from Russians in buying there.
No new projects were launched in the Pattaya area but the construction of the current developments in this area has shown good progress which has led to greater confidence resulting in improved sales.
A large number of Thai buyers are also now entering the Pattaya property market. They appear keen on purchasing a holiday home for occasional recreational use and possibly to protect themselves against future flooding problems in Bangkok. The Thai market is particularly brand conscious and follows well-known names such as LPN, Raimon Land and Major Developments.
The Russian market continued to be strong during the second half of the year and it appears to be more resilient in the face of global economic problems than other markets. Europeans, especially British and American buyers have not shown such demand as in previous years, however buyers from Australia have also been notable throughout 2011 due to the strong AUD.
There has been a notable increase in enquiries from Indian visitors. Many enquiries are generally for lower priced units, which is is exactly the same trend that the Russian market followed several years ago. Colliers expects Indian buyers to be a major force in the coming years: about 20 Indian hotel chains are looking at setting up in Thailand to cope with close to one million predicted Indian visitors coming to Thailand in 2012.
The 2011 Thanachart Bank Thailand Property Awards were held at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel in Bangkok. The awards ceremony was attended by more than 600 CEOs, managing directors, developers and senior management figures.
With 31 categories, the awards are a benchmark for quality.
“Over 1,300 nominations were received this year, and from those over 250 entries” said Terry Blackburn, CEO of Ensign Media, organisers of the event.
As a special contribution to the flood recovery effort, the Thanachart Bank Thailand Property Awards, in collaboration with Habitat for Humanity, conducted a fundraiser and raised 400,000B for the construction of two new houses for flood victims in Lopburi.
And, in case you were wondering, here are the main winners. Best Residential Agent (Resort), Best Property Consultancy and Best Commercial Agent was CB Richard Ellis (Thailand). Best property website was www.cbre.co.th.
Soneva Kiri by Six Senses Resorts and Spas won the Best Villa Development in the Eastern Seaboard and Best Developer was Minor International PLC.
The widow of an Italian property mogul died aged 94 and left all of her real estate and financial assets to her pet cat.
Four-year-old Tommaso is now the proud owner of a 10 million euro fortune and an empire of Rome flats and houses.
The last quarter of 2011 was the busiest for four years with a surprising amount of enquiries and sales. Buyers are coming from Russia, Canada, America, Norway and Switzerland.
Italy’s new Prime Minister Marion Monti has outlined plans to cut Italy's deficit - the second largest in Europe - by reintroducing a property tax.
Homes priced between 350,000 to 500,000 euros are the most popular, as the buy-to-let potential that saved Portugal's plummeting property market gives new hope to Italy.
Given that most of the property markets are in meltdown right now, it may seem like a good time to invest.
But do you go for a villa in Greece, an apartment in Italy or a mansion in Ireland? A firm called IPS has been doing the hard work for you, and worked out the pros and cons of investing in some of the world’s most precarious economies. And here are their thoughts.
You would need an experienced head to choose the right place to invest to guarantee a return though.
Many overseas investors are trapped in a market where tenants are hard to find.
There are also issues surrounding ownership of properties, with some investors left sitting outside the gates of properties they once owned.
Real estate developer Sansiri is entering the Phuket property market.
Sansiri will develop 556 studio units spread across three eight-floor buildings on a 70 rai site in Kathu. The project will cost 560 million baht, with studios going from 999,000 baht to 1.4 million baht. It will also have a communal swimming pool, fitness room and green area.
There were plans eight years ago for Sansiri to begin work in Phuket but instead it focused attention on Bangkok.
National house price growth in the UK could reach 3 per cent this year.
The current regional north south divide is expected to deepen and unemployment or concerns about job losses is set to be a major factor.
It is also expected that new housing supply will remain historically low, rents will continue their upward path, increasing by approximately 5% annually, and the mortgage market will remain limited as a result of the Eurozone turmoil.
‘The property market in 2012 is likely to continue in a similar vein as it has both this year and last, with relatively flat house prices buoyed overall by a strong performance in key locations, particularly London and upmarket commuter hotspots in the south east,’ said Stuart Law, chief executive of Assetz.
Despite a possible economic slowdown in the US and Europe, the private residential market in Singapore remains robust with strong home sales.
Real estate service provider Savills in Singapore said the economic forecast for 2011 had been downgraded from five to seven per cent to between five and six per cent, yet the island nation still saw strong house sales.
Executive condominiums grew in popularity after the government lifted the monthly income ceiling for new EC purchases. More primary home sales activity was observed in the northeastern region.
High-end and super-luxury home prices slipped two per cent and 0.4 per cent quarter-on-quarter in the third quarter respectively, while mid-tier home prices dipped marginally and mass-market home prices rose.
The average price for non-landed high-end private homes dipped from US$1,816 per sq ft to US$1,782 per sq ft.
House prices may continue to increase by one to two per cent, while high-end and mid-tier homes may see a price dip of two to four per cent.
The flooding situation in Thailand will have hit all parts of the property sector, but will vary in degree and extent, according to eading real estate consultant CBRE Thailand.
While in Pattaya, hotel occupation is now booming, industrial areas have been severely hit by the waters.
Overall, the flooding will result in changes in demand patterns in the residential sector in terms of preferred locations and product. In terms of location, Bangkok’s Lumpini, Silom, Sathorn and early Sukhumvit area will be the preferred areas. Demand for high rise condominiums is likely to rise as people look for second-homes in the city center.
Purchasers considering buying residential properties will pay more attention to the product, design features and flood protection measures of individual developments. Housing developers will also need to ensure flood prevention measures and features are incorporated when launching new developments.
benefit. Bangkok residents with disposable income will be inclined to purchase holiday homes out of Bangkok as many residents are now evacuating to Pattaya and Hua-Hin.
experiencing a short-term slow down as businesses are delaying decisions, while the retail business is experiencing a slow down or closure in some areas which are directly affected by the flooding. In the long-term, retailers may re-think their distribution strategy and consider a wider geographical dispersion of their distribution centres in order to minimize the impact from any future crisis.
Pattaya’s largest resort condominium project – the Atlantis Resort - has been launched.







