Thursday marks the 60th anniversary of the foundation of the People’s Republic of China, and is an opportune time to reflect on where China is going. There is a widespread belief that China is on course for global domination, and this is best captured in the title of a recent book, When China Rules The… [Read more]
The fundamental factors supporting the Hong Kong property market, from a shortage of houses to record low mortgage costs, are well known. However, similar arguments were used to justify the residential property market in the US in 2006, and in Hong Kong itself in 1997. In the latter, when the bubble popped, real estate prices… [Read more]
It’s hard not to conclude that China’s economy is showing the hallmarks of a massive bubble, which, if burst, could lead to painful readjustments at a later date. The root of this bubble is all the money that is being pumped into the economy to boost economic growth. It seems that the mantra of Chinese… [Read more]
Due to popular demand following my blog piece on skyscrapers and recessions last week, I have humbly agreed to take a closer look at one of Latin America’s outstanding success stories in recent years: the Panamanian property market. Back in the liquidity-drenched days of early 2007 (remember them?!), my colleagues at Business Monitor crowned Panama… [Read more]