REAL ESTATE

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?

Authorities in the city of Shanghai have imposed a new rule on property ownership that had so far drawn criticism as it defies even the tradition of home ownership in China.

The chairman and CEO of game developer Zynga Corp, Mark Pincus, has unloaded two of his properties in the San Francisco Bay Area worth $10.17 million not because of a lifestyle downgrade due to a recent stock plunge.

Following government measures to slow speculation, Hong Kong residential property prices rose only 6.7% (2.39% in real terms) during the year to May 2012, according to the Ratings and Valuation Department (RVD). In June 2012, home sales volumes were 34.9% down on the same period last year.

During the year to March 2012, the average price of apartments in Riga, the capital, dropped by 1.5%, according to Arco Real Estate (although during the latest quarterly, residential property prices were up by 1.54%).

In Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, the average price of dwellings was up 10.4% on the year ending in Q2 2011, to €1,033 per square metre (sq. m.) (up 4.9% inflation-adjusted), according to the Statistical Office of Estonia.

Canada's housing market remains strong, despite moderate economic growth in the first quarter of 2012. But the housing market is expected to slow during the rest of 2012.

"France is rotten," said a friend yesterday. "I don't know why you came back. Half the people are broke. The other half are crazy...

NAB has said it will continue to drive volumes through third party brokers as it grows above system levels and seeks a greater share of the mortgage market.

Buying a rental property is a big move. You want to make passive income, but you don't want to take a lot of risks doing so. Passive income has a certain kind of allure to it, but it also takes a lot of work to set up.

The Hollywood Palladium is making its way on to the commercial market where it is expected to sell for up to $60mn, says the Hollywood Reporter.

Brokers have flocked to the Austaralian Broker Online forum to detail numerous experiences of older borrowers being knocked back by the banks.

Mortgage House franchisee Tom Mak believes that steps should be taken to initiate a campaign that explains the role of a mortgage broker to prospective Asian borrowers.

Broking businesses will come under increasing pressure on commission income as national hold periods for housing stretch out longer in coming years, according to RP Data.

One crisp fall Sunday afternoon under bright blue skies, my wife and I visited five homes up for sale. We remembered them by their street names: Big Acre, Blue Silo, Pontiac, Prairie Rose and Lamont.

Property owners and those looking to buy property are encouraged to take steps now to maximise their tax refund, according to Australia's largest independently-operated mortgage broker, Mortgage Choice.

You gotta love this Great Correction. It's gotten so much bad press. And so many people trying to stop it. But it just keeps going...doing its work in the US housing and mortgage market. From Barry Ritholtz.

Thank you to readers for their feedback to Monday's Daily Reckoning. We were expecting some outraged hate mail at our scepticism. Instead it was only thoughtful and often sad stories from people who had to personally experience the issues we raved about.

After three years of house price falls, the Bulgarian housing market remains in the doldrums.

Peru’s housing market has been sizzling hot the past two years, making a strong comeback in 2010. Not surprisingly, as there was 8.8% GDP growth in 2010, followed by 6.9% economic growth in 2011 (figures from Central Reserve Bank of Peru (BCRP)).

Country music star will give away a house on each stop on his upcoming 'Brothers of the Sun' tour with Kenny Chesney.

Homesales.com.au has launched 'Investment Property Search', a new free service specifically aimed at property investors.

House prices in Kiev, Ukraine’s capital, rose sharply during the year to April 2012. But market experts doubt this can be sustained, with the economy slowing, and a political crisis over the incarceration of former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

After four years of housing market slump, in early-2012 house prices in the Netherlands continue to fall.

Nothing excites Australians like house prices and mortgage rates. It is no surprise, therefore, that the recent decision by major banks to increase interest rates 'outside the cycle' - that is independently of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) - has led to hyperventilation among consumers and politicians.

The submission deadline for comment on NCCP amendments has passed, and Gadens Lawyers' Jon Denovan has blasted the unintended consequences of the legislation.

Swedish house prices have fallen slightly since the peak in Q1 2010. During 2011 they fell by 2.7% (4.89% in real terms) to an average price of SEK 1,969,000 (€221,316), according to Statistics Sweden.

Retirement was something you were supposed to have sorted out by now. Superannuation was something that was going to help you do it. And the age you tell your boss, or your employees, 'I quit' was something you were supposed to have your eye on.

Westfield Group has announced its second big disposal of US shopping centres in two months.