MLS fantastic promotion

Try out the fantastic promotion being offered by MLS North America, USA, Mexico and Canada

Advertising properties for sale is always an expensive business. If you, as a professional realtor or as a private seller wish to advertise your property in the newspapers and local magazines the cost of the insertions mount up. Furthermore they only reach a limited, local readership. To advertise further afield, in nationwide publications for example, is hugely expensive and the cost benefit ration becomes questionable. 

Of course most professionals will have their own websites and the properties on their books will be listed there. But those are rather hit and miss affairs as the browser needs to find the keywords to display the property concerned. 

But now there is the Multi listing Service United States which is part of the MLS Global network of properties. MLS Global is an organization which allows individuals as well as professionals to list their properties on a website which has over a million viewers every month from all over the world. Thus 1 listing in the USA has the potential to be seen by buyers from Germany, Japan, Italy, Israel, the United Kingdom or anywhere else where there are people who are looking to purchase property in your area. 

Furthermore they are now promoting the service of allowing a property owner or agent to list the property not only on the one website but on multiple MLS websites around the world while only paying the regular low single listing fee. 

What this means is that your desirable property, be it a farm in Wyoming, A condo on the beach in Cancun, and apartment in Ottawa or a house in Houston will appear on the regular listings in MLS Germany, MLS UK, MLS Hong Kong and so on. It matters not where or what the property details are, The photographs, the 360 degree virtual tour, the Video, the street map and the descriptions will automatically appear with the necessary bandwidth given at no extra charge on www.multilistingserviceusa.com, MLS Mexico, MLS Canada and on MLS Global for FREE!. 

So if you are an individual with a desirable property which you wish to sell then this is your chance to get a fantastic global coverage for the cost of a local listing. The advantages can't be emphasized enough as with all advertising the wider the audience the greater the probability of a sale. There is the option of paying a little extra to ensure the property is "featured". It is known that featured items sell faster as more buyers will look at the featured listings as a matter of course. 

For professionals there are some additional perks being offered. Selected professionals in Mexico, Canada and the United States are being given the opportunity to list up to five properties on all these sites for free. All listing are complete with all the tools and gadgets that are normal withal MLS listings and are available in 4 languages. 

So go at once to http://www.multilistingserviceusa.com/index.php?action=addon_signup_promo. Enter the code mlspromo and get you property seen by a world wide list of buyes who just may be looking for what you have to offer.

Multi Listing Services just got better

The first thing to say about the MLS brand is that it is forever changing the traditional way that selling property happens. Normally when a property owner decides to put his property on the market he will do a quick survey of his local area and decide what he needs to do to maximize the possible selling price. This will normally involve some repainting, maybe a quick upgrading of the kitchen and bathroom (2 areas that always increase the value of a property by more than they cost), and always making sure the place is clean and if there is a garden that it is neat and tidy with the lawn mowed and flower beds clear of weeds. 

Then they solicit the interest of the local realtors who will all advise on the possible selling price and, provided and agreement is reached will take their own photos and list the property on their books, websites and so on. Hopefully a client will come along and view the house, by arrangement, and make an acceptable offer and a sale agreement will be concluded. After that it all goes to notaries and mortgage companies and once it is all settled the sellers mortgage will be settled and a new Mortgage registered on the site. Out of the balance between the mortgage settlement fee and the amount the seller actually receives will be a number of fees by far the largest of which will be the commission due to the realtor. 

Well MLS is changing all that. 

For a start an individual with a property to sell is at liberty to list his own property on the MLS site for a small fee and then enjoy all the benefits available to normal members . These include unlimited text, Photographs including the 360 degree panoramas and virtual tours. 

Google Maps and Street views, Optimizers so the ads will show on mobile devices and connections to the social media such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Then inclusion in the top international directories and all other of these benefits. 

Next and most importantly then is the fact that MLS Websites get over 1 million visitors every month and so there is a very good chance that the property will be viewed numerous times by the many buyers who are searching for properties such as yours and in your location. 

Now the benefits are manifold . Firstly MLS does not charge commission on its own. It allows the professional members to earn commission from the seller directly. Furthermore it allows a non professional to find a job as a realtor as anyone who believes they can find a buyer for any of the properties listed on any of the MLS Websites to agree to share the commission due to the whoever listed the property in the first place. 

So there are a great number of advantages to listing your property on the MLS Global Websites wherever it happens to be. Join the growing number of people using this new and effective way of buying and selling property.

Whats happening with MLS Global multi listing property websites

Why should YOU join as an MLS Member, what level of membership should I apply for and what are the benefits of each grade. 

Why should you take out MLS Membership

In the niche of real estate sales and trading there is a new and effective force that is totally revolutionizing the way it works. 

Traditionally those who wished to sell or let their property out contacted a local realtor (or a number of local, regional & nationwide realtors). These agencies would assess the property, take photographs etc and agree a realistic selling price and conclude an agency agreement. They would then list the property both in hard copy in their books and displays and well as possibly in the other branches of their agency as well as in the local media. Latterly of course all realtors have their own websites so the property would get listed there as well. 

If granted an exclusive mandate the realtor may well arrange an open viewing day. This of course involves some expense for the agent who would take out a costly display ad in the media as well as have to devote the day to being on site. 

Well MLS is adding a new dimension to the market. Multi Listing Service is a global website which is dedicated to the property sector but is NOT, and does not pretend to be, a real estate agent. What it does is allow anyone to list any property on their website and allows would be buyers to contact the advertiser directly. But it is MULTI Listing. Which means that any listing on one site is viewable on all its sites globally. 

This means that a property up for sale in Florida or Quitana Roo or in Berlin is viewable by anyone who is logged into an MLS site anywhere. 

So this is a fabulous boon to an individual wishing to sell his property as it allows him or her to be contacted directly by a buyer and a sale agreement reached with no commission payable. But this is the exception. The simple fact is that professional sales people in this niche are required to get the sales moving and as such they are worth the commission they get paid. As such MLS actively encourages professionals to join their site and real the myriad benefits on offer. 

What are the various membership grades?

Effectively there are 4 levels of membership

The first is individual membership. Available at no charge to individuals who wish to sell their property. They will be charged a listing fee subject to special offers and will be sent all answers to their listing directly. It is also available to buyers or would be purchasers. Anyone is entitled to send a message or enquiry to any advertiser who has listed a property on the site. In addition they can also create a "wanted" ad listing their requirements for a property the wish to find. 

Individuals get large number of the benefits that come automatically with listing your property on MLS. These include as part of a listing all of the following: 8 Photos, a video and panorama 360 degree virtual tour. There are many other options granted for belonging to MLS which include the additional features should you decide to deploy them; such as swapping your property for another or finding an on line agent to introduce a potential buyer. Access to Social Media such as You Tube, Twitter and Facebook. You get Google Adwords and Satellite Maps with directions. Promotion is across the world with promotion in 220 countries world wide. In addition all of the above are available on Tablet and Smart Phone Apps. There is also help desk support 

All these and many more are all free and included in Individual membership. If you are an individual property owner and the property is desirable you can obtain these for only $49 per month. Why waste further time fretting about it. Sign up for Individual Membership and list your property today. 

The next level is for Realtors or other professionals who have more than one property to list but haven't yet decided to commit to the upper levels of membership. Known as MLS Pro membership. 

Here one gets to get an allocation for 10 Listings of different properties with 12 photos per listing, Unlimited descriptive text and well as all the features mentioned above, including the social media and google adwords and street views and Satellite maps with a couple of enhancements. 

These enhancements are to do with the commission. It is possible that another individual or private individual may have a buyer for one of the properties listed and with MLS Pro membership you get the opportunity to share the commission. (Of course this works the other way where you may find a client for someone else's listing and can ask them to share commission with you). 

You also get an Agents extended profile. And all this only $79 per month which is about 50% of the normal price. 

But at this level you still don't get those options which really make MLS Listings stand out and which are only available on the next level up and which include the Ebay style auctions enhanced maps and direct mailing and monthly newsletters to over a quarter of a million members as well as active marketing to clients in 220 countries. 

Now the next level up Global MLS Membership which offers listing for 30 listings with no restrictions on the number of photos videos and panoramas that may be posted on each listing. Swap and Auctions are available on the system as well as all the other benefits detailed in the above descriptions. All this for only $115 per month. 

But you are still not getting the wanted lists and the ability to have your ads highlighted as featured listings, nor are you getting the access to the Legal Documents Library and Live Help desk support nor the banners ads available on the MLS Mexico site. 

So the ultimate membership level is Global Professional MLS Membership which is basically every possible option so let us dwell on these in a list. 

• No restrictions on the number of properties or the promotion materials such as photographs Videos and virtual tours on those properties listed. 

• Access to the Wanted list which is unlimited

• Ability to get the properties up for Swapping or to go to the new EBay style Auctions 

• The right to allow other agents or individuals to actively market your property listings for a share of the commission. 

• Any special properties could be made featured listing which we all know increases the visibility and speeds up the sales, 

• Unlimited access to the Legal Documents Library

• All listings are included in the mls-global.com site which has millions of visitors every month as well as the active marketing of the properties in 220 different countries. 

• The active participation in the "Find a Job" service whereby anyone who introduces a buyer of one of your listed properties can negotiate for a share of the commission. 

• Social Media Marketing

• Google Adwords, Earth and street view as well as the maps and directions to the location. 

• Additions and entries in the monthly newsletters and direct marketing emails

• Everything above is also available for tablets and smartphones.

• Featured Agents profile and do on

All this fantastic service for only $159 per month.

There is little doubt that membership at this level is a great boon and can assist move a number of properties because of the advantages it gives for the world wide promotion and visibility of the properties that you as a professional realtor have listed on your books. 

This article has gone out to convince you that if you are serious about selling your real estate MLS membership is one of the tools that you should definitely not ignore. 

If you are an individual you get the advantage of advertising to the whole world at minimal cost. It will get your property seen by many potential buyers from all over the world. And the cost is minimal. In addition if you manage to conclude a sales agreement through the site you are relieved of the need to pay commission. 

For professional realtors there are huge benefits to membership at some level. And these benefits increase exponentially as one upgrades one's membership. From MLS Professional to MLS Global membership there are some limits on the availability of the features and the number of properties that one can list. Those MLS Global Professional Members enjoy all the advantages of absolutely unlimited listings with every modern feature that it is available and which have shown themselves to be very effective in getting the listing looked at and offers made on the properties noticeably quicker than those which are not featured. 

There is little doubt that Becoming a member of MLS is an intelligent thing to do and right now there are a number of promotional discounts available on membership. 

Join Today.

MLS USA on Facebook

MLS USA Facebook

Lo que nos hace diferentes de los demás sitios de MLS en la internet, es que nosotros usamos múltiples sitios para anunciar tu propiedad, los cuales son de nuestra propiedad y son controlados por nosotros mismos.
Por ejemplo. Si tu enlistas una propiedad en MLS USA enwww.multilistingserviceusa.com con todos sus beneficios que obtienes de ese sitio web, será automáticamente enlistado y disponible en el buscador de MLS Norte América enwww.multilistingservicenorthamerica.com, el cual será también enviado a nuestro sitio principal www.mls-global.com.
Tenemos muchos servicios que ofrecer cuando enlistas una propiedad, tambien tenemos secciones para publicar anuncios. Una gran seccion de administración para tus guías y estadísticas. Por favor sientete libre de usarlo y date la oportunidad usando el código de promoción "mlspromo" y enlista gratis tu mismo enhttp://www.multilistingserviceusa.com/en/index.php?action=addon_signup_promo

Derick Scott CEO
Tu opinión es agradecida.

MLS USA Promotion

What makes our sites different from the rest of the MLS websites on the internet, is that we use multiple site to advertise your property's which are owned and control by ourselves.


For example.
If you place a property listing on MLS USA atwww.multilistingserviceusa.com with all its benefits you get from that that website, it is automatically listed and searchable on MLS North America at www.multilistingservicenorthamerica.com which is then sent to our main site www.mls-global.com.

We have many services to offer when you list your property's , we also have a sections for wanted adds. A great admin section for your leads and stats. Please fell free to try it out use promotion code mlspromo and try for your self at http://www.multilistingserviceusa.com/en/index.php?action=addon_signup_promo

Derick Scott
CEO

Your feedback would be nice.

What is MLS Multi Listing Service

MLS stands for multiple listing service. Every home for sale listed by a real estate agent, unless it is specifically exempted from MLS, will be listed in MLS. However, only real estate agents and other professional affiliates can access MLS, but that doesn't mean a home buyer or home seller can't get the same information -- just not directly.
 Back in the old days, like the 1970s, MLS information was available in print format. Books were published monthly; updates weekly. It was quite heavy and cumbersome to haul around! Fortunately, today it's online.

 What is MLS?

 MLS is a sharing of comprehensive home information among real estate professionals. Listings brokers enter the data about a home for sale and offer to share the commission with a broker who brings a buyer. It's an online software that contains all the specifics about a home, from the address, age, square footage, number of bedrooms, baths, upgrades and schools districts to types of financing the seller will consider, and more. There is generally at least one to a dozen photographs of the home, plus a link to a virtual tour, if one exists.

 Home buyers make the mistake of believing they can access this information through online feeds to other services, but the data the public can receive is:

 Limited in scope
 Can be outdated
 Often inaccurate
 For Sale By Owners in MLS

 While there is no separate category for a For Sale by Owner (or FSBO) listing, the MLS can contain listings from sellers who are unrepresented.

 The way FSBOs circumvent some MLS restrictions is to pay a flat fee to a discount real estate broker to enter the information, but the seller is not really represented.
 Instructions to present all offers directly to the seller is often frowned upon or prohibited by MLS authorities.
 Sometimes the selling commission is less than the fee agents are offered by traditional brokers -- which does not motivate agents to show these listings, even though they cannot legally refuse to do so.
 Who Owns the MLS?

 The trend is leaning toward local MLS companies joining or merging with other local MLS companies to create regional MLS services. MLS can be privately owned and operated or it can be an affiliate of a local board of Realtors, among other forms of ownership, but most are subject to regulations set forth by the National Association of Realtors.

 Back in the '80s, many MLS were owned by boards of Realtors, but conflict of interests and lawsuits caused many association groups to form a separate entity for MLS. In my area of Sacramento, for example, members of MLS are not required to be a member of the Sacramento Board of Realtors, nor the California Association of Realtors, nor the National Association of Realtors.

 Finding MLS Listings

 Many services offer to provide home buyers with a list of available homes on the market, but few provide comprehensive data. To get that information, you need to ask your real estate agent to set you up on a home search. Typically, there are many types of reports a buyer can receive, so ask your agent for the most comprehensive report, the name of which varies by locale. What you don't want is a customer copy. It's not enough information.

 An agent can enter your name, e-mail and home search preferences into a search engine on MLS that will send you automatic e-mails of new listings. This way you will receive up-to-the-minute information that you can't really get anywhere else.

 MLS Searches

 If you're beginning a home search, lucky you! You can ask your agent to customize a search for you that will automatically send you updated listings. Not all agents will set up a search for you based on anything other active listings, so if you want to receive price reductions, pending or sold sales data, ask for it.

 Here are a few ways (among many) that you can request to have your report customized:

 ZIP Code
 Radius Search, within a specified distance from a target address
 Street or Subdivision
 Within those parameters, you can further define your search to:

 Price range from low to high
 Number of bedrooms and baths
 Garages
 Pools and spas
 Square footage
 Your requirements can be even more clearly defined, depending on your priorities. But be aware that as the number of exceptions climb, you might be missing out on opportunities. It's wise to keep the list somewhat limited, especially for those cases where a data field might not contain data due to human error.

UK’s most expensive residential property demolition project unveiled

Mews houses are popular in London and known for their traditional architecture but now one is to be knocked down and rebuilt in what is being described as the UK’s most expensive demolition project.

The carriage house in question in the heart of London’s Mayfair is on sale for £35 million and looks exceptionally pretty with a pink façade and a traditional private garden but has permission to be razed to the ground and replaced with an ultra modern mansion that could be worth £65 million.

Apparently the property in Mount Row, just a few minutes from the famous Connaught Hotel, is too outdated for today’s wealthy buyers and there is planning permission for a 16,000 square foot villa over six floors, including two basement levels, a landscaped garden and a guest villa at the end of the plot.

At £35 million for the land, plus builders costs, this represents the most expensive house demolition project ever undertaken in the country and agents Wetherell claim that once completed the property could be worth around £65 million, generating the new owner a £20million to £28million profit.

Mount Row was originally occupied by stable yards and cabinet making and upholstery workshops which served Mayfair’s grandest mansions. The house at 30 Mount Row was originally a carriage house, built to accommodate horse drawn carriages and related tack, with the coachmen sleeping in the eaves. Behind the carriage house was a large stable yard.

The coachmen of Mount Row were known as the whips or Mayfair whips, and are believed to be the inspiration for the famous phrase ‘crack the whip’. In 1886 the birth of the motorcar led to upheaval between the 1890s and 1930s with the carriage houses in Mount Row converted into houses and garages and the stable yards transformed into gardens.

The new mansion would have a 50 foot south facing frontage spanning four windows across. The ground and first floor would provide for grand entertaining rooms including an entrance lobby, library, three reception rooms, family kitchen/breakfast room and 26 seat formal dining room.

The 2,000 square foot master bedroom suite, with walk in dressing room, shoe room and two ensuite bathrooms would occupy the entire second floor, with a further five bedroom suites on the two uppermost floors. The lower ground floors of the new mansion are currently designed to provide a bowling alley, swimming pool and Jacuzzi pool room surmounted by skylights, cocktail bar, gymnasium, beauty salon, sauna, steam room, changing facilities and wine cellars. The mansion has a grand main staircase and lift to all floors.

The residence will open onto a landscaped garden leading onto the guest villa which is designed to provide a guest living room, kitchen and bedroom suite. The villa directly connects under the garden with the main house via a staircase to the lower ground floors.

‘The site is for sale for £35 million with consent to knock down and replace the exiting property. Therefore some have called this site the most expensive house knock down in the UK,’ said Peter Wetherell, managing director of Wetherell.

However, this is only half the story. Firstly the site is for sale on a freehold basis, which is extremely sought after in Mayfair. Secondly, the planning allows the buyer to create a bespoke new mansion of outstanding luxury and quality. Finally, the completed residence could be worth circa £65 million, effectively doubling the value of site,’ he explained.

‘For a discerning buyer this is an outstanding investment opportunity with the potential for huge capital value uplift. The Mount Row location is outstanding, in the heart of Mayfair and just moments from the Connaught Hotel and Mount Street,’ he added.

View more property in the United kingdom

Hong Kong leads global house prices higher

2 October 2013

Knight Frank’s global house price index confirms that average prices rose 6.6% in the year to March, the highest rate of growth since Q2 2010. Kate Everett-Allen assesses the potential for future growth.

Results for Q1 2013:

 

• The Knight Frank Global House Price Index rose by 2.0% in the first quarter of 2013 and by 6.6% over a 12 month period
• Hong Kong recorded the largest rise on an annual basis (up by 28%) while prices in China rose the most on a quarterly basis (up by 10.7%)
• Greece recorded the largest annual fall in mainstream prices for the third consecutive quarter, declining by 11.8%
• The US saw prices rise by 10.2%, its highest rate of annual growth since 2006
• Australia saw prices rise by 2.6% during the last 12 months 
• Europe is the weakest-performing region, mainstream prices fell by 0.3% on average during the last 12 months

 

Thirty five of the 55 housing markets (63%) tracked by Knight Frank’s Global House Price Index recorded an increase in mainstream property prices in the year to March.

 

The index now stands 14.7% above its recessional low in Q1 2009. 

 

Property prices in all world regions, except Europe, increased in the year to March (figure 3) with the Middle East performing best, rising by 10.6% on average.

 

Mainstream property prices in Hong Kong and China look to be flouting the efforts of policymakers to cool their property markets; both recorded price rises in the first quarter despite a raft of measures to kerb escalating prices.

 

Prices in Hong Kong are, on average, 28% higher than they were a year ago and in mainland China* prices are up by 23.8% in the last 12 months (and by 10.7% in the first quarter alone).

 

Greece, Hungary and the Netherlands occupy the bottom three rankings this quarter having seen prices fall by 11.8%, 9% and 8.3% respectively. But Europe’s difficulties don’t end there – aside from Japan and South Korea all the countries that recorded negative growth in the 12 months to March were based in Europe.

 

The Dutch market, which proved resilient in the aftermath of the financial crisis, is now starting to flag. Prices fell by 8.3% in the year to March driven by rising household debt and growing unemployment.

 

That said, there is some good news in Europe. Ireland has rid itself of double-digit price falls. Prices fell by 3% in the year to March, compared to a 16% decline a year earlier.

 

The UK’s property market is also improving. Here, prices rose by 0.2% in the year to March and stand 8.9% above their low in Q1 2009.

 

Beyond Europe’s shores, the South Africa and the US are performing strongly. Prices rose by 11.3% and 10.2% respectively in the year to March, up from -3.2% and -1.9% a year ago.

 

South Africa’s momentum is linked to an increasingly wealthy middle class who are tapping into the rising confidence of the wider African continent, keen to get on the property ladder.

 

In the US, prices have now risen for 12 consecutive months boosting consumer confidence which hit a five year high in May.

 

 

For further information, please contact:

Alexandra Austin, National PR & Communications Manager, 02 9036 6794 or 0413 993 221

View Property for sale in Hong Kong

Real Estate News | Latin America Vacation News

JLL Predicts Increase in Mexico Hotel Investments

By Kevin Brass | June 20, 2013 7:58 AM ET

 8 5 1 0

Hotel investment in Mexico is expected to increase in the next two years, thanks to new financial vehicles, consultancy Jones Lang LaSalle predicts.

Traditionally, the Mexican hotel market is dominated by local investors. But the development of Fideicomiso de Inversión en Bienes Raíces (FIBRAs) should help spur more foreign interest, JLL forecasts.

FIBRA operate similarly to real estate investment trusts (REITs), offering an easy financial vehicle and specific tax advantages to investors. Two FIBRA focused on Mexico hotels were formed last year--FIBRA Hotelera Mexicana and Fibra Inn--and more FIBRAs are expected this year, JLL reports.

"FIBRAs offer a strong investment play for the hotel investment market in Mexico," said Clay Dickinson, executive vice president of JLL's hotels & hospitality group. "More capital means hotel asset prices will likely increase fueling more transaction activity through FIBRAs, while freeing up banks to redeploy capital as these loans are repaid."

(Note: FIBRAs are different than the fideicomiso used by foreign buyers to purchase residential property along the coast.)
Hyper Smash

The emergence of Certificados de Capital de Desarrollo (CKDs) should also fuel more hotel activity. The CKDs are "comprised of securities that allow investors to participate in private equity projects through long-term public funds," which will be used for both investing in existing hotels and developing new ones, JLL reports.

Mexico City's hotel market is expected to see the largest initial impact from the new liquidity, followed by Cancun and the Riviera Maya. The Cancun and Riviera Maya region has traditionally attracted the most investor interest, generating $900 billion in transactions in the last decade.

Mexico hotels are reporting steady growth in revenue per room and average daily rates, JLL reports. In Cancun the revenue per average room increased 12 percent in 2012 and is up 15 percent in 2013.

See more Property for sale in Mexico click here

Brazilian property developer sees 30% growth in profit

Date added: 22th July, 2013 at 10:42

Categories: Property News

The largest Brazilian property developer PDG Realty has announced a 30 per cent increase in net revenue over the year to June.

Profit during the second quarter of 2011 stood at 1.71 billion reais (£657.66 million), with a net income up 12 per cent at 247.51 reais and adjusted earnings before interest, tax, deductions and amortisation up 19 per cent at 442.16 million reais.

In the year to June, launches grew 14 per cent to 2.05 billion reais and contracted sales expanded by 17 per cent to 1.82 billion reais.

As many as 42 per cent of the units built in this time were part of affordable housing projects, many of which were eligible for the government's Minha Casa, Minha Vida (My House, My Life) programme.

In the second quarter of 2010, 68 per cent of low income units built by PDG qualified for the social housing scheme, while 23 per cent of domiciles were suitable in the three months to June 2011.

Affordable housing projects have been very profitable for one Brazilian propertydeveloper, with Rubens Menin Teixeira de Souza, owner of Belo Horizonte-based homebuilder MRV Engenharia & Participacoes, telling Bloomberg that constructing abodes for the less wealthy in the population was one of the factors that led to him becoming a billionaire.

Property in Brasil  for Brazilian Property Investments - Connecting you DIRECTLY to the Property Seller; Brazilian Developer | Owner or the Selling Agent!!

Real Estate News | Latin America Vacation News

Hotel Developers Returning to Mexico and Caribbean

By Francys Vallecillo | July 19, 2013 10:54 AM ET

 8 7 5 0

As investor interest returns to the Caribbean and Mexico, the region's total active hotel pipeline has more than doubled in the last six months, according to STR Global.

The research firm's active pipeline for June includes 131 hotels totaling 21,957 rooms, compared to only 50 hotels with 9,495 rooms in the region's active pipeline last December.

Only five hotels with 354 rooms opened in the region in 2012, STR reports.

"Banks are slowing coming back to feeling comfortable to lending on hotels," Jan Freitag, senior vice president, strategic development for STR, told WPC News. "There a lot of people trying to create projects but what they are needing is the money." 

The region's total active pipeline includes projects in the construction, final planning and planning stages. More than 10,000 hotel rooms are currently under construction, led by 4,025 rooms under construction in Mexico, STR reports.  

Five other countries reported more than 200 rooms under construction: Dominican Republic (2,475 rooms), Bahamas (2,271 rooms), Puerto Rico (709 rooms), Aruba (320 rooms), and Jamaica (238 rooms).

"Bankers and owners are again interested in this area and they [developers] feel the current existing properties aren't serving the needs well and they can make money by providing a better property," Mr. Freitag told WPC. "There's always a local developer who says 'hey I can make this work.'"

Out of all rooms under construction for the Caribbean and Mexico, 4,000 rooms are in the luxury segment. Including all phases, the region's pipeline includes over 7,000 rooms in the luxury market. 

"We expect in the future, 2014 and beyond there will be an uptick in construction because there will be more interest and more financing for new properties," Mr. Freitag said.  

New construction will mostly affect specific markets or submarkets, "when you suddenly have two or three more properties, that can certainly impact the local competition," he said. 

The Caribbean is in an increasingly competitive global market. A recent Caribbean report by TravelSat showed Caribbean destinations need to analyze their competitiveness compared to other global destinations.

See more property's at www.multilistingservicemexico.com

Chinese Property Developers Go West

BY: FINANCIALIST STAFF

PUBLISHED: MAY 3, 2013

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What are upscale Chinese homebuyers looking for in the United States?

Great locations in New York, Los Angeles or San Francisco. Properties in shiny new developments. Crash pads for kids to use during college – even if those kids are currently in preschool.

It also helps if property developers reach out to Chinese customers with staff who speak Mandarin and information in their language. So it’s natural that residential developers from China are starting to tap into the growing Chinese market in the United States. But the strategy also provides an opportunity for diversifying developers’ investments amid fears of a property bubble back home.

“Chinese developers are losing confidence in the domestic market and are now seeking to find more secure returns in a place like the U.S.,” said Ben Carlos Thypin, director of market analysis for research and consulting firm Real Capital Analytics Inc.

A deal in San Francisco may offer a taste of what’s to come, analysts say. China Vanke, the mainland’s biggest developer of residential properties, said in February that it is partnering with American property developer Tishman Speyer on a project for two luxury condo towers in San Francisco that will have 655 residences and bay views.

China Vanke will own a 70 percent stake in the $620 million project, which will be marketed to mainland Chinese buyers, according to a Credit Suisse research note entitled “First Project in the US: Reconfirming a Trend.” In April, as part of its expansion, the company also took a stake in a condo project in Singapore.

Such international deals are still an experiment for China Vanke.

“We still don’t know what price they’ll be selling at, what the margin will be, what the profitability is,” said Jinsong Du, Head of Asian Real Estate Research at Credit Suisse. If such properties prove lucrative, Chinese developers may pursue their geographical diversification on a bigger scale, he says.

After years of red-hot growth in China’s property market, the Chinese government is trying to cool things down and curb speculation, partly by forcing buyers to make higher down payments and limiting how many properties they can own in China.

That’s one reason more Chinese are buying homes abroad, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne in Australia and New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco in the United States. Adding to the appeal, the U.S. home market is still discounted from its 2006 peak, the yuan is strong, and owning a U.S. home is viewed in China as both a solid investment and a point of pride.

Chinese buyers spent some $9 billion buying U.S. homes in the year up to March 2012, according to figures from the National Association of Realtors. Among foreign buyers, only Canadians buy more U.S. homes than the Chinese.

Meanwhile, Chinese developers interested in opportunities abroad are finding they need a competitive advantage to differentiate themselves from local players. That’s where their knowledge of Chinese homebuyers comes in, said Chris Brooke, chairman and CEO for China at CBRE Group Inc., the world’s biggest commercial real estate services firm.

“Targeting Chinese consumers is probably something that will be replicated by others or replicated by Vanke – they can target the product toward a consumer they really understand,” Brooke said.

Vanke’s model of teaming with a local partner also makes sense, especially for residential developments being built from the ground up, where local knowledge is especially important, he said.

The China Vanke deal drew attention for its size, though it was not the first of its kind. China’s Xinyuan Real Estate Co. Ltd. last year purchased a site in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, for $54.2 million. It plans to build housing there, partly to “capture a large demand from China for quality residential product in the United States,” Chairman and CEO Yong Zhang said at the time.

Like New York and San Francisco, Los Angeles County also has a large Chinese community. May Hsu, a Sotheby’s International realtor in the area, thinks a Chinese-targeted community in affluent areas like San Marino or Arcadia “would definitely be a seller.”

Chinese buyers often have specific desires when it comes to U.S. property.

Patrick ONeill, founder of Hong Kong-based O’Neill Group, which helps
Chinese buyers find U.S. properties, says some clients look for inexpensive investment properties to rent out, while others typically spend between $1 million and $3 million for a place to use for themselves or their families.

Buyers from the mainland often prefer newly built properties to older ones. Sometimes they’re looking for a prestigious brand name, like Ritz Carlton or Mandarin Oriental, or what O’Neill calls “A+” locations.

“They all say, ‘I want Upper East Side, Fifth Avenue,’” O’Neill said. “Everyone knows these sorts of marquee locations, though budget constraints will often shift them into something else.”

Many purchases are tied to children’s education – parents might plan for their child to live there during college or after graduation. Often, they’re thinking way ahead.

“Chinese families will say, ‘I think my children might go to school there,’ and I’ll say, ‘Oh, how old are your children?’ and they’ll say, ‘4-years-old,’” O’Neill said. “We hear that quite often.”

Photo of Williamsburg Bridge courtesy of Shutterstock and photo of 201 Folsom Street project with China Vanke courtesy of Tishman Speyer.

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