Category: Money & Finance

Investing in Malaysia REITs: The Ultimate Guide

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Malaysia has one of the most developed REIT markets in Asia where most are centered around Kuala Lumpur.

At the moment, there are 18 REITs listed on the stock exchange in Malaysia that have attracted many local and foreign investors in the past years.

In this article, we review how you can invest in Malaysian REITs and why this type of asset has become increasingly popular. This is not only the case in Malaysia but in Thailand, Australia, and Vietnam.

Topics covered in this article:

  • Can foreigners buy REITs in Malaysia?
  • The Process to Buy REITs in Malaysia
  • What are the benefits of buying REITs in Malaysia?
  • List of REITs in Malaysia

Can foreigners buy REITs in Malaysia?

Foreigners have no particular restrictions on buying REITs or other securities in Malaysia. Continue reading Investing in Malaysia REITs: The Ultimate Guide

Investing in Japan REITs: The Ultimate Guide

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Japan introduced its REIT market in 2001 which is now the second-biggest in the world, worth around USD 120 billion.

In 2019, Japan’s REIT market reached a 12-year high but was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) REIT Index saw a decline of almost 50% as investors pulled out.

With that said, many trusts have performed well in the past years and until the beginning of 2020. As the Japan REIT market has gained increasingly more interest in previous years, I decided to write this article.

Topics covered:

  • Can foreigners buy REITs in Japan?
  • How can I invest in REITs in Japan?
  • Trading Japanese REITs Through an International Broker
  • What are the benefits of buying Japan REITs?
  • List of REITs in Japan

Can foreigners buy REITs in Japan?

Foreigners have no particular issues to invest in REITs or stocks and participate in the Japanese stock market. Continue reading Investing in Japan REITs: The Ultimate Guide

Investing in Thailand REITs: A Complete Guide

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Thailand has a comparatively developed REIT market and introduced its first REIT in 2014. Here, you’ll not only find REITs that solely invest in domestic real estate but also REITs with properties overseas.

If you invested in property in Thailand or other Southeast Asian countries, you’re probably aware of the obstacles that foreigners come across.

Not only are there restrictions to foreign ownership, but sometimes to the value of the unit, your residential status, and the list goes on.

Even if it’s fairly straight-forward to buy condominiums and you can get hold of freehold property in Thailand, you should not overlook the benefits of investing in REITs.

Topics covered in this article:

  • Can foreigners buy REITs in Thailand?
  • How can I start buying REIT units in Thailand?
  • Requirements to set up and run a REIT
  • What are the benefits of buying REITs in Thailand?
  • List of REITs in Thailand

Can foreigners buy REITs in Thailand?

Investing in REITs in Thailand is similar to other Asian countries, like Vietnam. The first thing you need is a brokerage account and it’s preferable to work with a local broker. Continue reading Investing in Thailand REITs: A Complete Guide

Investing in Australia REITs: A Complete Guide

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Australia has one of the most transparent, developed, and refined REITs markets in the world. With its first REIT introduced in 1971, it was only behind the US, Taiwan ROC, and New Zealand to introduce REITs.

Nowadays, around two-thirds of all institutional-grade properties are publicly offered on the stock exchange and securitized, the highest rate in the world.

Some of the REITs are known for performing significantly well and a few years back investors could enjoy increases of 10% annually.

Even if A-REITs are frequently mentioned in the media and can be lucrative investments, there’s limited information online on how you can start investing in the trusts as a foreigner.

Topics covered in this article:

  • Can foreigners buy REITs in Australia?
  • Foreign Institutional Investments in REITs
  • How can I invest in REITs in Australia?
  • What are the benefits of buying Australian REITs?
  • List of Australian REITs

Can foreigners buy REITs in Australia?

Publicly traded A-REITs are often listed on major stock exchanges and can be bought with the help of brokers. It’s as simple as that. Continue reading Investing in Australia REITs: A Complete Guide

Investing in Vietnam REITs: A Complete Guide

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Even if Vietnam has emerged as one of the most interesting countries for real estate investments, the buying process can be tedious and complex.

In 2019, projects were put on hold for almost a year and foreigners decided to pull out, being refunded their deposits.

Also, did you know for example that foreigners sometimes pay higher prices than locals, due to the quota of 30% imposed on foreign ownership?

Naturally, if you pay a higher price than a local, you’ll generally suffer from a lower yield and capital gain. That’s simple logic. Fortunately, there’s another way of investing in Vietnam’s real estate market, namely through so-called Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs).

In this article, we review the REITs available in Vietnam, and if there are any foreign REITs with Vietnam real estate under their portfolio.

Topics covered in this article:

  • Can foreigners buy REITs in Vietnam?
  • How can I invest in REITs in Vietnam?
  • What is REIF?
  • What are the benefits of buying REITs in Vietnam?
  • REITs Available in Vietnam
  • Are there any foreign REITs that own Vietnam real estate?

Continue reading Investing in Vietnam REITs: A Complete Guide

Vietnam Real Estate Prices 2020

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Writing about real estate prices is not an easy task during a pandemic as no one knows for how long it will last and what the impact will be. We get contacted by many readers who want to understand how real estate prices have changed in various cities in Vietnam.

It’s crucial to understand what has happened in the past and what one can expect in the short and long-term. In this article, we review real estate prices in the most popular cities in Vietnam.

Ho Chi Minh City Real Estate Prices

Ho Chi Minh City has by no doubt the highest real estate prices in Vietnam. It’s no strange as it serves as the country’s business hub and were most investors and expats look for investment opportunities.

In the past years, real estate prices have increased with double digits in Ho Chi Minh. For example in the second quarter of 2019, the average price for apartments was USD 2,009 per square meter, equal to an increase of 21.6% compared to the previous year.

With that said, you can still find upcoming areas where we will see much appreciations in the coming years, like District 9, District 4, District 5, and District 10, even if these districts have fewer projects in general. Continue reading Vietnam Real Estate Prices 2020

How much does it cost to buy property in Vietnam?

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Vietnam has one of the hottest real estate markets and attracts foreign investors in vast numbers. The country has some of the most promising real estate markets in Asia and prices are still comparatively affordable, depending on where you buy.

In this article, we compare Vietnam’s property prices with other countries in the region, the prices in the most popular cities, and more.

How does Vietnam’s property prices compare with other Asian countries?

Vietnam has some of the lowest property prices in Asia and is only behind Indonesia and Cambodia. Looking at Ho Chi Minh City cities, property can be bought for as little as USD 2,269 per square meter on average in the central areas of Ho Chi Minh City.

Apartment prices surged by 22.7% (!) during the first quarter of 2019 in Ho Chi Minh, to an average of USD 2,028 per square meter in that year, according to JLL Vietnam. During the same period, the average price of apartments rose by 6.8% in Hanoi to USD 1,407 per square meter in Q1 2019.

Property costs a fraction compared to places like Hong Kong, Singapore, and mainland China. Prices in Ho Chi Minh City are around 14% of that in Hong Kong and 18% in Singapore.

That said, luxury property costs only 8% of that in Hong Kong on average, which is kind of amazing. Continue reading How much does it cost to buy property in Vietnam?

How to Invest in the Vietnam Stock Market: The Definitive Guide

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Vietnam has been Southeast Asia’s strongest performing market in the past years.

Naturally, we see increased interest from foreigners who want to capitalize on its growth and invest in stocks. With that in mind, Vietnam opened up to foreign investors in 2015 and remains bureaucratic.

Before you start trading stocks, you need to learn the fundamentals and work with a brokerage firm that can help you get started.

In this article, we review the following:

  • Can foreigners buy stocks in Vietnam?
  • Vietnam Stock Market Overview
  • Stock Exchanges in Vietnam
  • Why You Should Invest in Vietnam’s Stock Market
  • Regulations when Buying Vietnam Stocks
  • Process when Buying Vietnam Stocks
  • Case Studies in Vietnam’s Stock Market
  • FAQ

Continue reading How to Invest in the Vietnam Stock Market: The Definitive Guide

Sending Money To & Out of Vietnam: A Foreign Investor’s Guide

Posted on by Marcus Sohlberg — 4 Comments

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Buying overseas property in developing countries like Vietnam requires due diligence and that you understand the buy and sell procedures in advance.

A commonly asked question is how foreigners can transfer money into and out of Vietnam when buying real estate. This is essential to understand to make sure that your money don’t get ‘stuck’.

After all, you probably want to exit the market sometime in the future.

In this article, I explain some key information you need to know when transferring money cross border in Vietnam.

Remark

This article is written for investors who wish to buy real estate in Vietnam.

General information about Vietnam currency controls

Vietnam’s foreign exchange controls are regulated by the State Bank of Vietnam.

Some of their responsibilities are:

Continue reading Sending Money To & Out of Vietnam: A Foreign Investor’s Guide

A Foreigner’s Guide to Property Loans & Financing in the Philippines

Posted on by Marcus Sohlberg — 4 Comments

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Philippines is one of the favorite spots among foreign retirees and investors who wish to buy property in Southeast Asia. It’s one of the fastest-growing countries with a young population, we’ve seen many foreign corporations move in over the years.

When many investors look for property, they also want to know what financing options they have. Even if some are able to afford to buy a property with cash, it can be a better option to leverage some of the money by applying for a loan.

In this guide, I explain what it takes to get a property loan in the Philippines as a foreigner.

Can foreigners get property loans in the Philippines?

It was virtually impossible for foreigners to get property loans in the Philippines previously. Similar stories have heard of in other developing countries like Vietnam and Cambodia, just to mention a few.

With an economy that’s growing with 7% yearly, and a property market that’s hot among foreign investors, banks have become a bit more relaxed and you have a handful of options to choose among in the Philippines. Unfortunately, many of the banks require that you have a visa status, where a tourist visa is not accepted.

Common visas (or residential status) accepted when applying for loans often include:

Continue reading A Foreigner’s Guide to Property Loans & Financing in the Philippines