CONSTRUCTION & PROPERTY

Japan economy grows at fastest rate in year

GDP rise beats analyst expectations as central bank continues to stoke economy. Read More | View Original Article

China's fledgling brokerage juggernauts

A Chinese version of Goldman Sachs may be about to burst through the pack. But where the Wall Street giant took 150 years to build, China's 114 brokerage firms are turbocharging their growth. Read More | View Original Article

The bad, the good and the great

While trade battles continue to brew in solar, there's some good news seen in US wind linked to Warren Buffett and great news in the form of clean energy stocks soaring to heights not seen for a couple of years. Read More | View Original Article

Budget misses the point of IT investment: AIIA

Body praises NBN spend, but questions the lack of other initiatives. Read More | View Original Article

Gold falls below $US1400

Precious metal falls after tame US inflation data. Read More | View Original Article

Dubai's SKAI Holdings to open USD1b Viceroy Palm Jumeirah hotel in 2016

(MENAFN) SKAI Holdings CEO, Kabir Mulchandani, announced that the property investment company will open the USD1-billion Viceroy Palm Jumeirah hotel during the fourth quarter of 2016, reported ... Read More | View Original Article

Gulf Prime Services upbeat on KSA residential projects

(MENAFN - Arab News) The recent passage of real estate finance regulations by the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency seeks to ease the pent-up demand within Saudi Arabia's residential sector. ... Read More | View Original Article

Egypt's Palm Hills swings to profit

Egypts second-largest listed developer, Palm Hills Development (PHD) has reported a consolidated net income of EGP45.3m ($6.5m) in the first quarter of 2013, compared with a net loss of EGP16.3m in the same period last year, Ahram has reported. PHD was battered by legal troubles over its land bank and client cancellations following the countrys 2011 revolution. In March, the developer won a $59m contract with Orascom Construction Industries (OCI) to implement the Golf View luxury housing project in West Cairo. Read More | View Original Article

Union Properties' quarterly net income down 2.2%

Dubai developer Union Properties has blamed a slump in housing sales for a 2.2% decline in first-quarter net profit, Reuters has reported. The firm made a first quarter net profit of Dhs21.9m ($5.96m), slightly lower than Dhs22.4m it posted in the corresponding period last year. Revenue from sales of homes and property management plunged to Dhs25.8m from Dhs159.8m in the prior-year period, Union Properties said. Read More | View Original Article

Talaat Moustafa posts 19.8% drop in Q1 net profit

Egyptian real estate developer Talaat Moustafa Group (TMG) has reported a 19.8% drop in net profit in the first quarter of 2013 to EGP139.4m ($20m), Reuters has reported. TMG's profit for the first quarter of 2012 was EGP173.7m, the firm said. Read More | View Original Article

Party Time in Phuket

This Thai villa is designed for entertaining, with a pool, rooftop bar, poker table and a soundproofed disco. Read More | View Original Article

Commercial Complex available for sale at Kankanady mangalore

RENT EARNING PROPERTY FOR SALE AT KANKANADYBuiltup Area: 747 Plot Area: kankanady Rs 4855000 Total Property Read More | View Original Article

Currents | Furniture: Furnishings by Paola Navone for Anthropologie

The Milanese designer Paola Navone introduces a 20-piece bedroom collection at Anthropologie.  Read More | View Original Article

Comments: In Defense of an Impatiens Abuser

A selection of comments from readers on Anne Raver’s article, “A Mold Devastates Impatiens.”   Read More | View Original Article

Currents | Open: Fish & Game, A New Restaurant From Zakary Pelaccio, Where Basic Ingredients Rule

In Hudson, N.Y., the restaurant Fish & Game opens in an old blacksmith shop.  Read More | View Original Article

Market Ready: What to Do With a Vinyl Collection

I have a turntable and a large collection of records. Read More | View Original Article

Shopping With Kara Mann: Heavy Metal Accessories

Kara Mann, who overcame a reputation as a “Goth designer”’ mixes in the playful with her dark, leathery and metallic themes.  Read More | View Original Article

An Allergy Sufferer Tests Six Air Purifiers

A veteran sneezer challenges several air purifiers to live up to their promises of eliminating pollen, mold and even pet odors.  Read More | View Original Article

On Location | San Francisco: The Houseboat of Their Dreams

A couple build the home of their dreams, a modern houseboat amid the gulls and seals.  Read More | View Original Article

Currents | Q&A: Making Furniture With the Wind

The Dutch designer Merel Karhof on using the power of the wind to make furniture.   Read More | View Original Article

And the Best Part Is, No Grass to Mow

A houseboat in San Francisco sits in a small marina with 20 floating homes.   Read More | View Original Article

Horses as Farm Equipment

Once a mainstay of farming, horses are back, as clean and organic as the crops they plow.   Read More | View Original Article

Home for Water Toys in Austin

A home on Lake Austin is surrounded by natural beauty, but it's also a short kayak ride to the local coffee shop. Read More | View Original Article

Homes for $1 Million

An 1883 house in Philadelphia, an adobe in New Mexico and a cottage in Seattle.   Read More | View Original Article

Property Values: Real Estate for $1 Million

An 1883 house in Philadelphia, an adobe in New Mexico and a cottage in Seattle. < Read More | View Original Article

International Real Estate: Real Estate in Argentina

The market, which traditionally relies on American dollars, is stagnant, in part because the government recently restricted real estate transactions in foreign currencies.  Read More | View Original Article

House Hunting Outside Buenos Aires

A three-bedroom with a geometric theme is on the market for $1.35 million.   Read More | View Original Article

SKAI Holdings announces US$1 billion Viceroy Hotels and Resorts on Palm Jumeirah

UAE. The development will offer its guests 481 large rooms and suites, and 221 signature Viceroy Residences all with breathtaking views of the Arabian Sea made possible by innovative architecture and design. Read More | View Original Article

Sarasin Group: Dangerous game with property and responsibility

INTERNATIONAL. The reckless monetary and fiscal policies of the West are undermining private property and responsibility for individuals. Yet both need each other and bring obligations with them in many respects. Read More | View Original Article

Forbes Middle East presents Top 500 Companies in the Arab World and Top 100 Making an Impact

UAE. The awards evening was a inspirational gathering, stirring budding entrepreneurs to aspire to brilliance and well-established businesses to expand their horizons, collaborate with the best in the region, and win. Read More | View Original Article