Naveen Marasinghe asked:


Once part of the old Port of Singapore, during the 1860s it handled three quarters of all shipping business of the port. The Chinese swarmed to this area because the shape of the south bank of the river resembles the belly of a carp, and according to Chinese belief, it signaled concentration of wealth and prosperity. They built many shop-houses along the Quay.

The primary role of Boat Quay has changed, it no longer is part of aquatic trade and maritime commerce. Instead it is a tourist hub with the Chinese shop-houses having been conserved and transformed into bars, pubs and restaurants. It has enormous aesthetic appeal for the commercial zone lying across the Singapore River, and a gentle front for the financial and banking offices lying behind it.

Boat Quay is also part of the plans of the Urban Redevelopment Authority to conserve the Singapore River and its surrounding areas according to a master plan drafted in 1986.

On 7th July 1989, the government declared the area encompassing South Bridge Road, Circular Road, Lorong Telok and North Canal road, as a gazetted area. Consequently, the two- and three-level shop-houses in these areas, with their typical five-foot stretch beneath projecting upper floors were transformed to house new businesses while preserving their original design. The 1990s saw the restoration of the shop-houses and godowns along the river bank into bustling centers of business as bars, pubs shops and restaurants.

The many Singapore hotels around the Boat Quay will provide you with easy-access accommodation. If luxury is what you prefer, reserve your room at any of the Millenium Hotels Singapore.



Department Stores

Causeway Mall asked:


Do you want to have an easy access to various fashion styles? Visit the online site of Causeway Mall. They provide Korea fashion clothing; marketing dresses, blouses, pants, skirts and accessories. This wholesale online shopping mall is licensed to conduct business within Hong Kong. It’s Japan & Korea fashion clothing is different from most of the apparel items which are sold at some fashion stores. The main difference would be the price for these wholesale dresses. When you shop from this cute trendy clothes wholesaler, you will be able to avail of off price clothing label from a wide selection. On the other hand, the collection of Causeway Mall is not limited to wholesale Korea style clothing. They also have several trends coming from LA and Japan, which are sold at the most affordable amount.

This Korea fashion online store offers various styles of fashion wear to international locations. Providing Korean clothing internationally, CausewayMall.com exports its wholesale women’s apparel to countries like Thailand, Singapore, USA, and Canada. Their offers include off-shoulder T-shirts, wholesale cheap party dresses, chic halter tops, and several other fashionable ladies wear. You can shop for ladies apparel wholesale at Causeway when you want to put up your own clothing boutique. You have the liberty to fill it with the smart and stylish junior ladies party dresses of CausewayMall. Or else, you can equip it with charming blouses or hip elastic pants.

In general, CausewayMall offers the following: designer clothes wholesale, party dress wholesale, cute dress wholesale, and other items as well. You may opt for its accessories which consist mostly of cotton socks, elastic socks, and winter hats. On the other hand, you can also purchase Love Pearls. This online fashion store also sells cocktail dresses and party dresses. If you are planning to attend a party and you want an outstanding and sexy party dress, you might want to search on their website. This is very suitable for you when you want to charm all the guys at the party.

There are many Hong Kong fashion wholesalers and CausewayMall is one of them. But you will be able to distinguish it from other clothing suppliers from the Korean clothing wholesale that it sells. If you ask other customers, they would say that CausewayMall is one of the best Asian fashion wholesale suppliers within the industry. There are many Japan fashion suppliers supplying goods with the same pictures in CausewayMall.com and at lower prices, but the outfit and styles these Hong Kong and China suppliers provided are totally different from the original photos. Moreover, they are producing in cheap fabrics that even could not be sold at our stores at discounted prices.

CausewayMall, this fashion wholesale company is regarded as a real Japan & Korea fashion online store. This is due to the styles of the apparel that it sells are in better quality in the low wholesale prices products market. Most of the wholesale dresses and clothing of Causeway Mall are derived from the fashion style of the Koreans, Japanese, and the fashion addicts of LA. You can see this from knitted dresses and blouses, big bows or ribbons on the front of the apparel, checkered cotton knee socks, checkered designs, and 2-in-1 blouses. You can also notice a hint of Hong Kong fashion from the clothing wholesale line of Causeway Mall. If you want to shop for women clothes wholesale, sign up for free membership online.



Singapore Shopping

Naveen Marasinghe asked:


 

Singapore is a vacationer’s haven, offering everything from sightseeing and relaxation to fun and frolic. While other tourist attractions are spread out over the whole city-country, the NTUC Downtown East on Pasir Ris Road is a complete self-contained entertainment district. It offers food and beverages, shopping bonanzas and entertainment at over 40 retail outlets. The star attraction is the Escape Theme Park, Singapore’s largest outdoor entertainment park that opened its doors to the public in May 2000.

 

The park’s 16 rides include a pirate ship, 2 go-cart tracks with the Daytona Go-cart, a thrilling experience, fairground style rides, a haunted house experience and the highest log-flume in Asia. A mishap at the indoor roller coaster led to its closure in 2005, and the place was made a non-smoking park.

 

Fans of water sports and water-related activities have lots in store, with rides such as the Flume Ride, which is the highest water ride in Asia, and the breath-taking 360 degree Cadbury Inverter.

 

Adjacent to the Escape Theme Park, is the 4 year old Wild Wild Wet, Singapore’s biggest water theme park that was inaugurated in June 2004. Fun-filled attractions include raft slides, an artificial wave pool, Jacuzzi and Slide-up. Wild Wild Wet won the 2004 World Water Park Association Innovation Award.

 

Food options include fast food, bubble tea and snack items for a quick bite between action packed activities, and the gourmet would also be spoiled for choice with delicacies from all international cuisines. Choose Asian favorites like Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Malay, Indian or opt for Western and Italian delights. Seafood lovers would be amazed at what lies in store.

 

Mementos of a memorable holiday, gifts for family back home, can all be picked up at the mini lifestyle arcade. All these attractions make the Escape Theme Park a great place for a family outing.

 

Before you arrive, ensure you have made arrangements to stay at a luxury hotel in Singapore. Singapore offers everything that’s modern and convenient, so most luxury hotels add a touch of tradition and culture to provide a unique hotel-stay experience for their guests.



Singapore Shopping

Nancy Eben asked:


The word Singapore is derived from a Malay word ‘Singa’ and ‘pura’ which means lion and city respectively. So, the city is also referred as lion city. Singapore has proved the worth of its name and these things impresses a many people several times. This island state has significantly changes its status from sleeping fishing village to important financial centre. It has become a prominent tourist destination and a gateway for all kinds of travelers’ right from an adventure holiday, leisure trip, business destination or even a stop-off destination. Whatever is your trip purpose but accommodation always remains your prime concern. Singapore Luxury Hotels are available in wide verities and the most alluring fact is its proximity with the prime tourist centers like Singapore zoo, Orchard Road, Jurong town and Sentosa Island. All these areas are prominent tourism centre in the Singapore. Sentosa Island is a wonderful amusement park spread in 390 hectare area. One can easily access several luxury Singapore hotels all around the park. The centre of Singapore industry is Jurong town and it is very popular amongst the tourist due to few beautiful sites like Chinese garden, Singapore discovery centre and Jurong Bird Park. Similarly, Orchard Road is a leading shopping area. One can easily find here luxury hotel Singapore, with excellent restaurants, international malls, coffee bars, wine bars and much more. Apart from shopping extravaganzas; Singapore festivals also attracts numerous tourists every year. Top crews of 24 men from all over world compete in Singapore Dragon Boat Festival. They speed through the water to the invigorating beat of drums and gongs. This event is very popular in all over South-East Asia wherever Chinese influence has been pervasive. Singapore Fireworks celebration is an annual festival to celebrate the independence from Malaysia. This awesome event includes jaw-dropping pyromusicals which illuminate the city skyline. This carnival opens in the evening with lively street performances and people from all over world participate in different live shows. Festival of the hungry ghosts is a very special event as it holds enormous faith and blindly follows the era old tradition. Birthday of Monkey God is another auspicious occasion for the locals as well as tourist to explore the real Singapore. On the ninth day of Nine Emperor Gods Festival; the images of gods are paraded from the temple onto the street carried on an elaborate sedan. Thus these few occasions provide nice view of the stunning Singapore.



Shopping Directory

Lee Keng Wei asked:


Online shopping is the process consumers go through to purchase products or services over the Internet. An e-shop, e-store, internet shop, webshop or web store evokes the physical analogy of buying products or services at a bricks and mortar business or in a mall. It is an electronic commerce application used for business-to-business electronic commerce (B2B) or business-to-consumer electronic commerce (B2C). It is popular mainly because of its speed and ease of use. Some issues of concern can include fluctuating exchange rates for foreign currencies, local and international laws and delivery methods.

In fact, internet mall online shopping is a convenient means of having all your shopping done. Considering that life has become so hectic these days, the ability to find anything and everything you need without even leaving your home is a great time saver. No longer do you have to make the trek to the grocery or discounted store with your kids in tow, screaming because they want everything in sight. With internet mall you can order anything you want with the click of your mouse. Order it online and have it delivered to your door step.

ReadyShoppingMall.com is a marketplace designed to help consumers more efficiently shop on the Web. They organize many type of products from our trusted manufacturers and merchants in a single location, allowing consumers to shop across them all. Successful marketplaces bring consumers and merchants together in an environment that is convenient for consumers and efficient for merchants. They are committed to providing all customers the best value, quality, service and selection of all the products in the world. The mission is to make your life easier by providing the latest products from their established links with all the trusted manufacturers and merchants that dedicated to serving you in a single location - with one personal secured password-protected account.

For more information about Online Shopping Singapore - ReadyShoppingMall.com



Shopping Directory

Fashion Reviewer asked:


If you are thinking of opening up your own clothing retail shop, you can either sell men’s clothes or women’s clothes. However, the wisest decision would be to market apparel for the females. If you want to generate more sales, you should cater to the needs of top consumers which are the latter. The women are considered as shopaholics when it comes to fashionable clothes. They love to browse the long sections of clothing stores, hoping to find the best outfit. There are some ladies who do not mind the high prices of chic clothes. On the other hand, a greater portion of the female population is always on the lookout for cheap apparel.

 

You can earn a huge income when you provide these women with cheap alternatives. There is one way for you not to spend too much if you want to replenish the clothing supplies of your retail shop. This is possible through shopping for wholesale fashion clothing. There are several clothing suppliers which sell cheap ladies wholesale clothing. One of these is CausewayMall, which is a fashion wholesale company operating in Hong Kong. This Hong Kong clothing wholesaler sells its garments internationally. It exports wholesale women’s apparel to countries like the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Thailand, and Singapore. Since it is a clothing exporter, you will be able to shop for its clothes anywhere you are in the world.

 

To make your shopping experience easier and more convenient, CausewayMall allows you to buy clothing supplies wholesale over its online site www.causewaymall.com. This wholesale online shopping mall offers you with images of its huge selection of wholesale women clothing. All you have to do is browse through the selection and click on your preferred items. Compared to purchasing clothes the traditional way, online shopping does not give you a headache like the latter does. The ladies apparel wholesale of CausewayMall are sold at affordable prices. Avail of the store’s discount prices when you buy clothes in bulk order. Despite the fact that the clothing items of this fashion wholesale manufacturer are cheap, the quality of the clothes can still be depended on. Most importantly, the designs of their clothes are fashionable and stylish.

 

CausewayMall is a Korea fashion online store which provides clothing retailers and wholesalers chic and trendy clothes. It sells Japan & Korea fashion clothing. It also offers apparel whose designs are derived from magazines. On the other hand, some of the styles are taken from the fashion of popular places like Los Angeles and Florida. Your choices are comprised of charming blouses, cute and elegant dresses, girly skirts, and unique pants. When it comes to the accessories of CausewayMall, you are provided with funky designs such as checkered cotton socks and winter hats. Or else, you can go for its elastic knee socks and pair it with your skirt. The wholesale Korea style fashion of this manufacturer is diverse, offering you thousands of possibilities.



Visit Singapore!

Sivakorn Siricharoensataporn asked:


ope will always be a popular tourist destination as well as the beaches of Hawaii and Australia, why not try out Asia travel the next time you plan a vacation?

Take for example, the country of China, which has always been one of the places that easily come to mind when you think of Asia travel. Must-sees while you’re in China are the Forbidden City, Terracotta Warriors, Great Wall of China, Tiannamen Square, however, these are all just from the Northern part of China, there’s still so much to see in the other parts of this huge country, like the futuristic city of Shanghai and the cuddly pandas that abound in the city of Cheng and the wholesale markets in Guangdong where a lot of the fashion accessories that you see in malls may have come from. Visiting China may be fairly cheap - but it does depend on which city you go to, small cities like Dongguan may have a low cost of living as opposed to the bustling city of Shanghai, which is very similar to the very cosmopolitan city of Hong Kong.

Of course, engaging in some Asia travel practically requires you to immerse yourself with the local culture. One great example is China’s local food culture, which is definitely a lot different from what people are used to in Chinese restaurants abroad. Some people say that enjoying Chinese cuisine is an acquired taste, especially when it comes to the street food. Expect to see all sorts of animal parts and insects, cut up into little pieces and skewered on sticks - as snacks. Unique treats like fermented tofu and mung bean soup are also something for the more adventurous.

But what about other countries to explore for Asia Travel? Well, if you are the beach bunny type then you might want to check out the lovely beaches of Bali in Indonesia or the relaxing waters of Phuket in Thailand. Both are very budget-friendly Asia travel destinations by the way, from the accommodations down to the food, you will surely get more bang for your buck at these places.

For city slickers however, there is the lovely city of Singapore which is just beside the equally charming Malaysia where tourists can find the city of Kuala Lumpur. It is interesting to note that as neighbors, there are a lot of similarities between these two countries like the huge ferris wheel. As for hotels though, expect Singapore to offer higher rates - even for backpacker hostels. In order to make the most of the great shopping opportunities in both Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, schedule your trip starting from May to August wherein there are myriad of shopping sales available.

Of course, there are definitely a lot more places to explore while you are in Asia, like the tropical country of the Philippines and the ever-vibrant city of Tokyo in Japan, among others. While Asia is a continent which is fairly safe to travel to, do keep in mind that you should always be aware of your surroundings and take caution in whatever you do. Do not keep your money in just one place, make sure that you keep your passport in a secure place, and don’t just trust strangers - especially the ones who are very eager to take you someplace. Don’t forget to bring your credit card in case of emergencies, an updated guide book and map, as well as list of the local emergency numbers - just in case.



Singapore Shopping

Wantanee Khamkongkaew asked:


Singapore is situated in southeastern Asia, between Malaysia and Indonesia. It has a total area of 692.7 sq km, including 10 sq km water area. The country has a coastline of 193 km and it is about 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC.

Singapore became a British trading colony in 1819 and eventually developed into one of the empire’s most important trading centers. Singapore joined the Malaysian Federation in 1963 and remained part of the federation for two years. The country became independent on August 9, 1965. Now Singapore is one of the world’s wealthiest countries with strong international trade. Singapore’s seaport is one of the world’s busiest ports in terms of volume handled. The country has a per capita income equal to that of the leading nations of the world.

Singapore has a population of 4,553,009, and a population growth rate of 1.275%, according to latest statistics available. The population consists of 76.8% Chinese, 13.9% Malaysians, 7.9% Indians and 1.4% others, according to 2000 census.

A number of commercial and industrial property services and agents are available in Singapore. Most of them offer comprehensive real estate property listings of office, factory, land, shop, warehouse, retail space, building, hotel, restaurant, coffee shop and food court available for sale or rent. If you are buying, selling or renting your commercial property, it is advisable that you hire the services of a reliable real estate agent. Owners very often list their real estate properties with these agents for sale, rent and lease. They help owners market their property with maximum exposure and commitment. You can also resort to online search.

If you are buying a private property or housing development board (HDB) unit in Singapore, ensure that you understand all the pitfalls before you sign the deal. That would help you avoid getting into legal or financial tangles during and after the transaction. Find an agent who is familiar with your preferred location and the nature of property you have in mind. It is highly recommended that you hire the services of an agent from a listed real estate agency. Also ensure that he is a member of the Institute of Estate Agents (IEA). Discuss your requirements with the agent and let him know your preferences in detail. This will help him take the right decisions and serve you in a professional manner.

It is also highly recommended that you ascertain that the seller is the actual owner of the property. You can also request for proof of ownership before signing the documents. Also, verify if the seller is legally eligible to sell the property. In the case of a mortgaged private property, the bank may not allow an owner who is unable to top up the shortfall on his bank loan to go through with the transaction.

Remember that HDB development units have several restrictions for resale. The government has fixed a minimum period of occupancy for the seller before he would be eligible to sell the unit. In the case of a flat bought directly from the housing development board or bought with a Central Provident Fund grant, the owner must have physically occupied the flat for at least five years before it can be sold.

The owner of a resale unit must have physically occupied it for a period of 30 months before he can sell it. Remember that real estate transaction is a legally binding contract. You must first ensure your eligibility to purchase a property. Foreigners have certain restrictions to buy Singapore properties. Only an experienced real estate agent can help you avoid legal complications.

Once you have finally decided on the location and size of the commercial property that you would buy, consider the amount of money you are able to invest. A number of software exists to help your agent accurately calculate the cost of buying a property. It is important that you provide your agent with accurate data regarding your financial position. That will help him chalk out a proper financial plan for you. If you are going for a bank loan, it is a good idea to talk to two or three banks and find out a financial plan that suits you most.



Singapore Shopping

Dennis Ng asked:


Copyright (c) 2007 Dennis Ng

There are more than 112 different Housing Loan packages in the market. What are the things you should watch out for in shopping for the Best and most suitable Home Loan for yourself? Fret not, below we share with you some Useful Tips on Home Loan Shopping

What is the penalty period of the loan package? For instance if you’re likely to sell this property within the next 2 years, you might want to choose a Housing Loan package with a short lock-in period of say, 1 year or no lock-in period at all.

What is the chance of selling the property before the property receives Temporary Occupation Permit (TOP) or before the loan is fully disbursed? If you may sell off the property before the loan is fully disbursed, you might want to look for a Housing Loan package with a lower cancellation fee. Low cancellation fee is a especially important feature to property speculators who typically sell the property within a short holding period.

What is your view on Interest Rate trend in the next 2 years?

If you’re of the view that interest rates have peaked and are unlikely to go up in the next 2 years and may even drop, you may want to choose a Floating Rate Housing Loan package rather than a Fixed Rate Housing Loan package. You can also consider choosing a package whereby interest rates are tied to Swap Offer rate or Inter-bank Offer Rate, whereby any drop in interest rates would be translated into lower interest rates on your Housing Loan. Because sometimes even when inter-bank offer rates drop, bank might not adjust the interest rates on their Housing Loan downwards.

Any flexibility on partial repayment?

Some packages impose penalty charges on any partial repayment within the lock-in period. If you’re likely to make partial repayment in the next 2 years, you may want to choose a package that allows partial repayment without penalty fee.

What is the best duration for home loan?

Typically, the longer the loan period, the more interest you end up paying. As a general guide, do not stretch loan period to more than 25 years. For loan period that stretches beyond 25 years, say 35 years, you would end up paying much more interest compared to a loan of 25 years.

Let us illustrate with an example, whereby loan amount is S$300,000 and average annual interest rate of 4% on the Housing Loan:

In this example, if the loan period is 20 years, monthly instalment is S$1,817.94. On the other hand, if the loan period is stretched to 25 years, monthly instalment is reduced by $234.43 to $1,583.51, and total interest paid increased by about $42,240.93. However, when loan period is stretched a further 10 years to 35 years, loan instalment is only reduced by S$255.19 only, while total interest paid increased by $75,600.27.

Loan Period 20 25 30 35

Monthly instalment $1,817.94 $1,583.51 $1,432.25 $1,328.32

Total interest over loan period $138,529.77 $177,770.70 $218,895.28 $253,370.97

Another way to plan the duration of a Home Loan is not to stretch loan period beyond your retirement age. For instance, if you plan to retire at age 60, you should not be taking a loan period that stretches till you’re age 65 or 70.

What is the difference in interest rates for mortgages for property under construction vs completed property?

Currently, there is not much difference in interest rates for Housing Loans whether for completed property vis-a-vis property under construction. In fact, some banks offer the same packages whether for completed or properties under construction.

What are the refinancing penalities and costs, and under what circumstances should a borrower consider refinancing?

If your Home Loan is out of the lock-in period, the only cost of refinancing is only possibly legal cost of refinancing. Typically, Banks provide legal subsidy. Thus, depending on the loan amount outstanding, the full legal cost of refinancing maybe fully subsidized by bank and cost of refinancing can be zero!

If your Home Loan is still within the lock-in period, we will help you to calculate whether the interest savings by refinancing into another Housing Loan package which offers lower interest rates is more than enough to offset cost of refinancing, which may include repayment penalty and refund of legal subsidy.

The interest savings you enjoy on refinancing can work out to a tidy sum of tens of thousands of dollars. Thus, it really pays to choose a Home Loan right. With the above tips we share on choosing a Home Loan, you are almost assured of choosing the right Housing Loan package that suits your needs and helps you save money.



Singapore Shopping

Wantanee Khamkongkaew asked:


The Singapore property investment sales market went through an extraordinary year in 2007, experiencing the highest volume of annual transaction in the past decade. Property market fundamentals remained strong throughout the whole year, with total investment sales recorded at $50.78 billion to-date, setting a new benchmark. This was 66.0% higher than the historical high of $30.57 billion recorded in 2006. The robust momentum in the investment market was largely driven by active acquisitions of development sites by developers in both the private and public sectors.

The private investment sales market took the lead in 2007 to-date, accounting for 78% of total investment sales or $39.63 billion. Public sector land sales were also brisk, contributing the remaining 22% or $11.15 billion. This comprised purchases of government land sale sites (GLS) and the tender awards of luxurious waterfront residential land parcels. The most significant transaction in the fourth quarter so far was the award of a prime “white” site at Marina View (Land Parcel B) to Macquarie Global Property Advisors (MGPA) for $952.89 million ($779 per square foot per plot ratio).

Other notable public sector sales in the fourth quarter (todate) included two hotel sites at Upper Pickering Street and New Market Road/Merchant Road, which were awarded to Hotel Plaza Ltd for $253.20 million ($805 psf/plot ratio) and Park Regis Investments Pte Ltd for $100.70 million ($762 psf/plot ratio) respectively. The government also sold four residential sites in the fourth quarter (to-date) for a total of $760.62 million. Altogether, 36 government sites were bought by developers during the year so far, consisting of three “white” sites, nine residential sites, eight commercial sites, six hotel sites and 10 industrial sites. In addition, five residential sites at Sentosa Cove were sold for a total of $1.11 billion in 2007 year to-date. This included the recent award of the Pearl Island to Ximeng Asset Holdings, a China developer for $215.65 million ($1,350 psf).

In terms of sectoral performance, the residential sector took the lead in investment sales, both in the final quarter of 2007 and for the whole year, where development sites sold through collective sales made up the bulk. Total residential investment sales including Good Class Bungalow (GCB) sales amounted to $30.59 billion in 2007 (to-date), representing 60% of total investment sales and an increase of 94% y-o-y.

A total of 109 collective sales were transacted in 2007 todate, generating investment sales of $13.30 billion, exceeding the $8.20 billion concluded in 2006 and the highest in the past decade. The collective sale of Westwood Apartments set a new benchmark in the fourth quarter when it was sold to YTL Corporation Berhad for $435 million ($2,525 per square foot per plot ratio).

Other notable en bloc transactions in the fourth quarter included The Aspine which was sold to a joint venture between Hiap Hoe and Superbowl for $138 million ($1,870 psf/plot ratio), Makeway View which was sold to Bravo Building Construction for $162.80 million ($1,583 psf/plot ratio) and 15 terrace houses at Jalan Bunga Raya which were sold to a consortium comprising China and local developers. Apart from landbanking activities, there was the purchase of 44 units at Cliveden at Grange by a joint venture between US-based Wachovia Group and City Developments Ltd for a total of $432.40 million ($3,750 psf).

Investment activity in the office sector remained strong throughout the year, supported by strong economic fundamentals. In 2007 so far, office investment sales have generated $14.89 billion worth of sales or 29% of the year’s total investment sales. This was about triple the $4.79 billion recorded in 2006.

The most significant transaction of the year was the acquisition of Temasek Tower by Macquarie Global Property Advisors for $1.04 billion, representing the highest price for any private office investment transaction this year and in the last decade. Notable office sales in the fourth quarter included the Keypoint which was acquired by Allco Commercial Trust for $370 million ($1,186 psf) and Dapenso Building which was sold to KOP Capital for $120 million ($2,023 psf). In addition, 78 Shenton Way was sold to a German fund, Commerz Grundbesitz Investmentgesellschaft (CGI) for $650 million ($1,857 psf).

The industrial sector continued to enjoy good sales momentum in 2007, largely driven by REIT-related purchases and contributed $1.95 billion or 4% to total investment sales. MacarthurCook Industrial REIT (MI-REIT) contributed the bulk of industrial investment sales by acquiring 11 properties for a total of $300.5 million while Cambridge Industrial Trust (CIT) bought 12 properties for $242.8 million in all. Both A-REIT and MapletreeLog also continued to expand their portfolio size and value in the year by acquiring properties for a total of $81.7 million and $62.4 million respectively.

A total of $4.27 billion worth of properties was acquired by S-REITs in 2007 to-date, representing 8% of the year’s total investment sales. Two new REITs were listed on the SGX in the fourth quarter - Saizen REIT and Lippo-Mapletree Indonesia Retail Trust (LMIR). Saizen REIT had an initial portfolio comprising 148 residential buildings located in 12 cities across Japan, valued at a total of $605.80 million.

LMIR Trust’s initial portfolio of seven shopping malls and seven retail spaces found in other malls, all of which are located in Indonesia, were worth a total of $1.0 billion. The number of S-REITs has increased steadily, from seven in 2005 to 20 by end-2007 with a total market capitalization of more than $25 billion. The outlook for the SREIT market will remain favourable with the entry of more overseas REIT issuers. With the support of proactive initiatives of the Monetary Authority of Singapore, the number of S-REITs might rise to 30 by end-2008.

Despite some volatility resulting from the global credit crunch, investment sentiment would continue to remain positive in 2008, coupled with healthy economic development in Singapore. Investment activity in the office and residential markets are likely to continue to outperform other property sectors given the limited supply coming on stream in the short to-medium term. REIT related parties will also continue to lend support to the investment market, showing keen interest particularly in commercial and industrial assets.



Visit Singapore!