2011年12月8日 星期四
Asian Stocks Fall on Economic Data, Before European Debt Summit
Dec. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Asian stocks dropped ahead of a European summit on the region’s sovereign debt crisis, and after economic data from Japan and Australia signaled the global economy is slowing.
Tokyo Electric Power Co., the operator of the power plant at the center of the biggest nuclear disaster in 25 years, sank 11 percent after the Mainichi newspaper reported it may be effectively nationalized. LG Electronics Inc., a home appliances maker that gets more than a fifth of its revenue from Europe, fell 1.3 percent in Seoul. City Developments Ltd., Singapore’s second-biggest real-estate company, led declines among the city’s property developers after the government imposed extra taxes on purchases of residential property.“As the European meetings get closer investors have turned cautious,” said Masaru Hamasaki, who helps oversee the equivalent of $24 billion as chief strategist at Toyota Asset Management Co. in Tokyo. “There’s been a switch from a feeling that we were going to get some visibility on the situation to a cooler stance, where people are in a wait-and-see mood.”The MSCI Asia Pacific Index slid 0.5 percent to 117.56 as of 8:28 p.m. in Tokyo. All but one of 10 industry groups on the measure dropped, with more than twice as many stocks falling as rising.Japan’s Nikkei 225 Stock Average retreated 0.7 percent after machinery orders fell 6.9 percent in October from September, missing the median forecast of a 0.5 percent gain by 27 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News.Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 index fell 0.3 percent as the nation’s employers cut 6,300 workers in November from the previous month, missing the 10,000 extra jobs forecast in a Bloomberg survey of 22 economists.Interest RatesNew Zealand’s NZX 50 Index dropped 0.4 percent after the central bank left interest rates at a record low of 2.5 percent today and cut its economic growth predictions. South Korea’s Kospi Index declined 0.4 percent as the central bank refrained from raising borrowing costs for a sixth straight month amid a global slowdown. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 0.7 percent, while Singapore’s Straits Times Index lost 2 percent.The MSCI Asia Pacific Index declined 14 percent this year through yesterday, compared with a gain of 0.3 percent by the Standard & Poor’s 500 and a 12 percent slump by the Stoxx Europe 600 Index. Stocks in the Asian benchmark are valued at 12.9 times estimated earnings on average, compared with 12.7 times for the S&P 500 and 10.6 times for the Stoxx 600.Pressure IntensifiesLG Electronics fell 1.3 percent to 74,000 won in Seoul, while Hutchison Whampoa Ltd., an owner of ports in Germany, Italy and Spain, retreated 0.4 percent to HK$68 in Hong Kong.Pressure on Europe’s leaders to halt the spread of the region’s debt crisis at a summit in Brussels this week intensified as the European Union had its AAA long-term rating put on “creditwatch negative” by S&P following a similar action on 15 euro-area governments.German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy are expected to argue for rewriting European Union treaties to tighten control of national budgets at the meeting of euro zone leaders tonight and tomorrow.“Investors can’t buy or sell until they see the results of the European meetings,” said Mitsushige Akino, who oversees about $600 million in Tokyo at Ichiyoshi Investment Management Co. “Stocks have been rising on expectations the European Union and the European Central Bank may take some action, but now investors need to see whether the results meet or beat expectations.”Tepco ActionTokyo Electric Power, known as Tepco, dropped 11 percent to 244 yen after the Mainichi newspaper said the government’s Nuclear Damage Liability Facilitation Fund may buy preferred shares worth at least 1 trillion yen ($12.9 billion) from the utility by next summer, without saying where the information came from. Most of Tokyo Electric’s management will be replaced, the report said.City Developments sank 8.3 percent to S$9.19 in Singapore, the second-biggest drop in the MSCI Asia Pacific Index after Tepco. CapitaLand Ltd., an operator in residential and commercial properties, dropped 7.3 percent to S$2.42. Keppel Land Ltd., the real-estate unit of Keppel Corp., retreated 8 percent to S$2.42.Singapore developers declined after the government required foreigners and corporate entities to pay an additional 10 percent stamp duty when they buy homes in the city. Permanent residents purchasing a second home as well as citizens buying their third residential property also need to pay an additional tax of 3 percent, the government said in a statement yesterday.--With assistance from Jonathan Burgos in Singapore and Toshiro Hasegawa in Tokyo. Editors: Nick Gentle, John McCluskey
To contact the reporters on this story: Kana Nishizawa in Hong Kong at knishizawa5@bloomberg.net; Norie Kuboyama in Tokyo at nkuboyama@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Nick Gentle at ngentle2@bloomberg.net
2011年6月18日 星期六
2011年5月19日 星期四
Florida Investment Real Estate and What Are Considerations Before Buying
Investment Real Estate, First Things First
Considering investing in property? What are some pertinent things to consider before taking this leap? Of all the investment possibilities, investment in land generally produces the most positive results. It is vital, however, to carefully investigate the pros and cons, benefits and deficits of real estate investment. Most people look at investment real estate as risky and feel woefully inadequate to tackle this form of investing. They feel lost, not knowing where to even begin!
A multitude of information is available and knowing how to search can seem daunting. A web site search will produce boatloads of information, some valuable and some not. Some key words to search are real estate investment, investment property, and investing in real estate. This will begin the process for you. Not all available information is worth your time, however. Beware when the site promises high return for little down. Also beware of sites whose main goal is to solicit your money. Web searching is one form of research. Another is talking to a reputable real estate broker or real estate lawyer. One of the best sources of information is a friend you trust who has done real estate investing. A trustworthy friend who started as a novice and progressed to real investing is probably your best source of reliable information. Their voice of experience rings the loudest since they are a layman like you who had to discover for themselves each step of the way how to make successful investments.
Investment Real Estate, Rental Units
Let's look at some sound reasons for investing in real estate. Real estate generally appreciates at a greater rate than the rate of inflation and offers great tax benefits. Selecting real estate in a desirable location will prove to be profitable especially in burgeoning areas, usually in suburbs which are a reasonable commute to city jobs. Of course the old adage, location, location, location is a very pertinent piece of advice to take to heart. Think of the most expensive housing markets today. If you have lived in an expensive housing market, or have visited there, you will notice that along with exquisite homes offered for sale at exorbitant rates, small, older homes you would never consider buying in another market are being offered for huge dollars. Why? Location, of course. When a housing area becomes desirable, even those small dumpy homes will sell for a considerable amount of money. Let's stop for a moment and look at the advantages of investing in rental units as opposed to purchasing property for resale. One of the largest factors to consider in purchasing property for resale is finding properties that will resell at a higher rate than purchase, of course. Finding these properties is not as easy today as it may have been in the past. It used to be that fixer-uppers and foreclosures were avoided by homeowners and investors alike. Not so today, those same homes are being feverishly snatched up in the current booming housing markets.
Florida Investment Real Estate - Why Florida Is a Good Choice
Finding homes to purchase and turn over quickly for cash is becoming more and more difficult, leading many to consider purchasing property for the purpose of renting. What are some advantages to renting and what locations would be most desirable for purchase with a rental goal in mind? Owning rental property provides some unique advantages. If you have the time as well as the finances to invest, rental property could end up paying for itself in the long term. In order for this to be true, the most important thing to search for is property in a great location for renters. You don't want to be searching for renters for months on end while you are being drained of capital. Those mortgage payments never stop, even when the list of renters has been exhausted. Buying rental investment property in a college town is a good bet for the possibility of continual renters and also buying in transient areas and tourist areas. Of all the above, tourist areas tend to be your surest source of consistent renters. Numerous high density tourist areas exist across the nation, but one of your best bets for purchase and consistent renters would be a sun-drenched spot with a year-round temperate climate. California and Texas would fit the bill, but as we all know, the most desirable locations in California may be out of reach due to the high cost. Texas may be considered a good choice, but only one state ranks as the premier tourist destination in the world and that would be Florida, the sunshine state.
Florida Investment Real Estate - The Orlando Area
With Florida's burgeoning population, Florida investment real estate is a great option. Florida ranks 4th in population behind California, Texas and New York. Florida has one of the fastest rates of growth in the nation, making Florida investment real estate a very attractive option for investors. In the 1990's, Florida grew by 23.5 percent with five counties increasing by more than 60 percent. Projected state growth would bring the population to over 19 million by 2010. An increasingly higher population obviously increases the need for housing. The increasing resident population being a great reason to pursue Florida investment real estate; let's not neglect another face of increasing housing need. Florida has a tourism rate of almost 77 million visitors in 2004, making it the top travel destination in the world and producing $57 billion of income. Tourists flock to all parts of Florida, the beaches being one of the most attractive destinations. However, Orlando pulls in the most visitors, with 2.6 million international travelers, not including the steady stream of domestic tourists. This alone would offer sufficient reason to purchase rental property. But considering that the grand total of tourists visiting Orlando in 2004 was 48 million people, what great housing investment potential for investors! The biggest drawing card in the Orlando area is, of course, Walt Disney World. The area surrounding Disney has a hotel rate occupancy of about 80 percent. It's obvious why the Orlando area is considered one of the most desirable tourist destinations in the world.
Florida Investment Real Estate - What are Reasons Tourists Come to the Orlando Area
Owning Florida investment real estate will give vacationers who visit the Orlando area a place to stay while you collect the rent. Theme park attractions are one of the biggest reasons Orlando has become a #1 tourist destination. The three most popular are Disney, which includes Disney World, Epcot, Animal Kingdom and MGM Studios, Sea World and Universal. Each attraction holds an appeal for people of all ages with families and singles alike enjoying each. Kissimmee is the town closest to Disney where families especially enjoy a few of the more laid back sights including Green Meadows Farm. Green Meadows is in an idyllic country setting with tours of the farm and more than 300 farm animals to touch and see. Also in the Kissimmee area is Horse World Riding Stables. The 750 acres of open pasture beckons horse lovers to enjoy a ride beneath the open sky. The Orlando Science Center beckons science buffs both young and old. Learning happens as a by-product here through the realistic, interactive and just plain fun exhibits. Fabulous night life is to be found both in Kissimmee which boasts two very popular dinner attractions, Medieval Times and Arabian Nights. Both serve delectable large portions of food with fabulous jousting and medieval type entertainment. For the shopper, Shopping and dining abound in the Orlando area also as do all sorts of natural environmental experiences.
Real Estate Investment in Florida - Bimini Bay Resort Florida
A well-kept secret but one located just 5 miles from Disney, in the center of Florida is Davenport, a treasure of a town close to the major attractions, yet a world away. On 80 acres of land in the Davenport area, you will find Bimini Bay Resort, Florida. A grand investment opportunity awaits you at Bimini Bay Resort, Florida where the investor participates in property appreciation but is not affected by negative cash flow during the off season. At Bimini Bay Resort, Florida you will find a planned community of luxurious town homes, offering 3 bedroom two baths that are fully furnished and equipped. Bimini Bay Resort, Florida is unique in that the investor can stay in the purchased unit while on vacation for a minimum fee while renting the unit the rest of the year. Management staff at Bimini Bay Resort finds the renters while you enjoy a guaranteed rental income each month. Planned amenities at Bimini Bay Resort include two major restaurants, a grocery, deli and food court and a sports bar restaurant. Bimini Bay Resort will also include a spa and exercise facility. A large business conference center and twin theaters are also planned at Bimini Bay Resort. Peace of mind will be yours at Bimini Bay Resort with its gated access with security cards. A fantastic real estate investment in Florida at Bimini Bay Resort awaits the investor who desires a consistent income without the headaches of day-to-day management. Bimini Bay Resort is worth investigating.
Our Featured Orlando Properties: You have an opportunity to join one of the fastest growing trends in the United States and the world. Orlando is one of the most explosive markets in the country and the Disney resort area has an average hotel occupancy of around 80%. Orlando is known as the vacation capital of the world and the top rated short term rental market, one that shows tremendous potential for real investors.
Tourism - with 76.8 million visitors in 2004 (a record number), Florida is the top travel destination in the world. The tourism industry has an economic impact of $57 billion on Florida's economy. Click here for additional tourism facts and statistics.
City Population Rank (2000):
(Rounded to the Nearest Thousand)
1. Jacksonville - 736,000
2. Miami - 362,000
3. Tampa - 303,000
4. St. Petersburg - 248,000
5. Hialeah - 226,000
6. Orlando - 186,000
7. Ft. Lauderdale - 152,000
8. Tallahassee - 151,000
9. Hollywood - 139,000
10. Pembroke Pines - 137,000
11. Coral Springs - 118,000
12. Clearwater - 109,000
13. Cape Coral - 102,000
14. Gainesville - 95,000
15. Port St. Lucie - 89,000
16. Miami Beach - 88,000
17. Sunrise - 86,000
18. Plantation - 83,000
19. West Palm Beach - 82,000
20. Palm Bay - 79,000
21. Lakeland - 78,000
22. Pompano Beach - 78,000
23. Davie - 76,000
24. Boca Raton - 75,000
25. Miramar - 73,000
Most Populous Metro Areas (2000):
(Rounded to the Nearest Thousand)
1. Tampa/St. Petersburg/Clearwater - 2,396,000
2. Miami - 2,253,000
3. Orlando - 1,645,000
4. Ft. Lauderdale - 1,623,000
5. Jacksonville - 1,100,000
6. West Palm Beach/Boca Raton - 1,131,000
7. Sarasota/Bradenton - 590,000
8. Daytona Beach - 493,000
9. Lakeland/Winter Haven - 484,000
10. Melbourne/Titusville/Palm Bay - 476,000
11. Fort Myers/Cape Coral - 441,000
12. Pensacola - 412,000
13. Fort Pierce/Port St. Lucie - 319,000
14. Tallahassee - 285,000
15. Ocala - 259,000
16. Naples - 251,000
17. Gainesville - 218,000
18. Fort Walton Beach - 170,000
19. Panama City - 148,000
Home to 11 of the country's 100 fastest-growing counties, a Florida investment property has high potential as a profit-maker, unlike most other areas. Port St. Lucie, Miramar and Cape Coral are the fastest growing cities in Florida. It's unlikely you will make a mistake investing in Florida real estate considering the vast number of tourists and new residents flocking to the land of sun and surf. The most difficult decision to make will be which location in Florida to purchase. Good investments abound in each area of the state, from Miami in the south to Clearwater on the gulf coast, going east to Daytona Beach and north to the panhandle. Selecting a location depends on your goals for purchasing Florida investment property. Carefully consider what you intend to do with your Florida investment property. Will your purchase be used mainly as a rental property for vacationers? Do you intend to have access to the property during certain seasons? Or is your goal rental of the property to local tenants? Some of these questions will help you in narrowing down your search. Once you have determined whether your Florida investment property will be used primarily for vacationers or for local renters, and whether you intend on using it as a vacation resort yourself, it is easier to choose the location.
"Each year is better than the previous one," said Abe Pizam, dean of the University of Central Florida's hospitality management college. "But it's not yet where it should be, or where it was."
Pizam said that, while a weak dollar has helped renew interest in Orlando among some foreign visitors, many are continuing to stay away because of heightened security measures in the United States and the hassles that accompany them, as well as increased opposition to the war in Iraq.
"It's a miracle that, despite that, we have improved our visitor counts," Pizam said. "We cannot deny there is still animosity toward the United States in many parts of the world."
Struggling economies in South America also put the brakes on many potential tourists' travel plans in what historically has been a strong market for Orlando.
According to the bureau's figures, the number of South American visitors have dropped substantially in recent years, from 659,000 in 2000 to fewer than 300,000 last year.
Other signs point to a recent upswing in international traffic, however. Orlando International Airport officials said in June that the airport recorded a 20 percent increase in international passengers compared with the same month last year.
On International Drive, a tourism corridor that benefits heavily from overseas travelers, merchants are noticing the difference.
"It's maybe picked up," said Zach Marino, manager of Texas de Brazil restaurant on International Drive. "In this area it's hard to tell because this is the spot to be. We have a strong international clientele."
Asian visitors increased by nearly 40,000 in 2004, and about 100,000 more Canadians traveled to Orlando last year than in 2003.
The visitors bureau noted that it has stepped up its national and international marketing of Orlando, having pulled back on such advertisements after 9-11.
"Our plan is more back-to-normal in terms of marketing thrust," Peeper said.
New York remained the No. 1 source of domestic out-of-state vacationers to Orlando last year. The Tampa Bay area held on as the top source of in-state visitors.
Experts are predicting that 2005 will exceed last year in terms of both international and domestic visitors.
Earlier this month, Walt Disney World reported percentage growth in the low double digits among international tourists, while the number of domestic customers remained relatively flat during one of the rainiest Junes on record.
"If everything stays stable, we should come out on the international side real well" in 2005, Peeper said.
Sharona Murvin
Florida Investment Real Estate Expert
http://www.biminibayresortinvestment.com