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Severe Rain and Hail Storms Cause Property Damage Across Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai, a serene haven nestled in northern Thailand, recently faced an unexpected onslaught of heavy rain and ice, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. Despite the resilience of its residents, the region grappled with the aftermath of nature’s fury. Nature’s Fury Unleashed: On a seemingly ordinary Saturday, Chiang Mai was thrust into chaos as heavy rain and ice wreaked havoc across the landscape. Homes, utility lines, trees, and signs bore the brunt of the onslaught, showcasing the raw power of nature. Despite the intensity of the storm, the community rallied together, displaying remarkable resilience in the face

March 20, 2023 No Comments

Australia News

Australian Homeowners Feel the Pinch as Interest Rates Bite Hard

Sydney has one of the most costly real estate marketplaces in the world. Still, Singaporean Julian Choo, who relocated to Australia in 2010, and his Australian-Malaysian wife Joanne Chai were able to purchase their first house there four years ago. Shortly after their acquisition, the Covid-19 epidemic broke out, and their property’s worth skyrocketed as interest rates hit a new low of 0.1 percent. The central bank’s promise that interest rates wouldn’t increase until at least 2024 encouraged the pair to make another real estate investment. At the end of 2021, they made a wise investment by purchasing a home

March 17, 2023 No Comments

UK News

London’s Property Market Sees Surge in Million-Pound Homes

There was a period when having a house worth more than £1 million (currently about $1.186 million) in the British city signified something. Not any longer, though. According to official government statistics from the United Kingdom, the typical price of selling property in London is £537,510 (about $637,200). However, owning a seven-figure home in the nation’s capital is becoming increasingly standard. The average selling price of a home in 41% of London’s 283 postcode areas was £1 million or more as of November 2022, according to data from the estate agency Hamptons. In the two years between 2021 and 2022,

March 13, 2023 No Comments

New Zealand News

New Zealand Housing Market Predicted to Plummet to Great Recession Lows, says ASB.

New Zealanders’ hopes for home prices have dropped to levels not seen since the Great Recession. Compared to last year at this time, when 49% of respondents expected prices to rise, this year’s ASB home optimism poll found that 43% expected prices to decline. At the height of the GFC, 55% of respondents in July 2008 predicted lower costs in the coming year. ASB senior economist Kim Mundy predicts housing mood will decline even further, even though forecasts haven’t yet reached rock bottom. “The housing market has been weak of late, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to turn

March 10, 2023 No Comments

Australia News

Rising Mortgage Rates Take Toll on Young Australians, but First-Time Buyers Remain Optimistic

Despite falling home costs due to higher interest rates, youthful Australians are being shut out of the market. According to the latest statistics from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the number of people purchasing their first house in January fell by 8.1%, reaching its lowest since February 2017. Six years ago, in that very same month, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority declared an assault on interest-only and investment loans, which triggered a decline in the housing market. In January 2021, two months after the Reserve Bank of Australia reduced interest rates to a record low of 0.1 percent, there was

March 6, 2023 No Comments

Australia News

Sydney Housing Crisis: 35% Increase to Renters

Millie Bannister was already worried about the rising cost of living in Sydney when she got a note from her landlady proposing a 35% rent rise. The 26-year-old executive director of the mental health organization Allknd says the rent rise will alter her lifestyle and career goals, prompting some to suggest that the state government should set price limits. Moreover, she said it was raised by $60; the new rise is $270 per week, or 35%, or roughly $12,000 annually. The situation is depressing and disheartening, and almost devastating. Allknd did not think that a typical individual can afford a

February 10, 2023 No Comments

Featured

Global Britain ready for the world stage

There has been much speculation around the ‘Global Britain’ slogan adopted by the UK, but the vision is now clearer with the recent publication of the Integrated Review of UK’s Defence, Security, Development and Foreign Policy. More than just branding, ‘Global Britain’ is a forward-thinking and tech-driven roadmap towards domestic and international resilience. Britain’s declaration of its international ambitions comes at a time when liberal alliances are fraught, nations struggle from societal polarisation, and democracy is being undermined. Thus, it is heartening to see the Review underscore the UK’s unique strengths and why the world welcomes this incarnation of Global Britain. The

March 25, 2021 No Comments