SYDNEY: Australian property borrowers are queuing up to sell bonds, seeking to diversify their funding and spread out maturities to strengthen their balance sheets after being scarred by the global financial crisis.

KOH SAMUI: It was love at first sight for property investor Lin You when he landed in Koh Samui, southern Thailand, two years ago.

HONG KONG: Village houses may be cheaper than new luxury flats, but buyers have to be prepared to wade through complicated purchase procedures.

HONG KONG: Office rents in Asia rose 2.1%, ending seven consecutive quarters of decline, according to international property consultant CB Richard Ellis.

The growth was spurred by increased demand as the steady regional economic recovery encouraged some multinational companies to reactivate expansion plans.

HONG KONG: Property consultants have put a positive spin on the recent slowdown in sales activity, saying prices have not peaked yet and that the market is just taking a breather before continuing its upward momentum.

The first week of the month saw transaction volume in major housing estates dropping 15% compared with a week earlier.

HONG KONG: With property prices in the city rising to their highest levels since 1997, village houses may be a better option for those seeking a better of quality of life but have a limited budget.

KUALA LUMPUR: AmFIRST Real Estate Investment Trust (AmFIRST) reported a net profit of RM9.9 million for the first quarter result of its financial year ending March 31, 2011, a drop of 6% from RM10.5 million reported in the same quarter a year earlier due to due to higher provision for doubtful debts and higher interest funding costs.

KUALA LUMPUR: Harn Len Corporation Bhd is proposing to acquire properties from Nusantara Bakti Sdn Bhd, a related party, for RM2 million.

The company said on Tuesday, Aug 10 that the properties comprise five units of shop houses is situated on a freehold land in the Iskandar Development Region (IDR).

KUALA LUMPUR: Bolton Bhd’s wholly owned subsidiary, Ketapang Realty Sdn Bhd, has entered into a sales and purchase agreement with LP Heights Sdn Bhd to acquire 22.98 acres of leasehold land in Gombak, Selangor for a total cash consideration of RM72 million.

KUALA LUMPUR: SPK-Sentosa Corporation Bhd's posted a second quarter net profit of RM9.6 million compared to a net loss of RM20 million for the same period last year, driven by the share of profits by its associates involved in aviation services.