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The Cyprus Citizenship Investment Program offers the most simple and efficient means of obtaining EU citizenship. With a property investment of only €2.5 million, investors and their families can obtain full EU rights, including health and education benefits, and the ability to live and work in any EU country.

This program is limited and will cease after the quota has been exhausted. Contact us to find out more.

Advantages of a Cyprus EU Citizenship

• Unrestricted right to live, work, travel, and study anywhere in the EU
• Visa-free travel to 158 countries
• Free trade within the EU, business access to 500 million EU citizens
• Consular protection at EU embassies
• Education benefits – lower tuition fee, easier admission under the allocation quota for EU citizens
• Access to EU healthcare and welfare benefits

Above: University of Cambridge – EU citizens have access to world-class education options

Requirements for Application

• Purchase a residential real estate with a value of €2.5 million (single property or a portfolio of properties)
• Maintain the property for 3 years
• The property may be sold after 3 years, but the investor must always maintain or purchase a property with a value of at least €500,000

Features of the Investment Program

• Passports issued within three months, provided no criminal record
• No physical residency required
• Passports issued to the investor, their spouse and dependent children up to age 28, provided they are in full-time education
• Dual citizenship permitted
• No language test, medical test, or interview required

Our Featured Project – Minthis Hills

Combining the virtues of sophisticated living, exquisite design and mesmerising views, Minthis Hills offers residents the chance to truly unwind and indulge in the pleasures of contemporary living. A championship golf course, tennis courts, and nature trails are a sample of the on-site activities, or residents may simply relax and rejuvenate in the resort’s luxurious spa.

Our Featured Project – ONE at Limassol, Cyprus

Situated on the south coast of Cyprus along the shores of the Mediterranean, ONE is designed by leading architects, Atkins, and is the most prestigious real estate project in Cyprus. With 36 floors, twice as many as any other building in Cyprus, ONE is the tallest seafront residential tower in Europe. The tower offers luxury homes, retail spaces, and offices.

With a slew of mega projects scheduled to transform the Kuala Lumpur skyline, the capital city will soon be in a construction boom. Cranes and cement mixers will be a common sight around KL.

Sizeable infrastructure projects could have a cumulative gross development value (GDV) of over RM200 billion in the long term, and that is not including those further from the city centre.

To companies like IJM Corp Bhd, Sunway Bhd, WCT Holdings Bhd and Gadang Holdings Bhd, this means jobs in the pipeline are up for grabs.

These are familiar names to investors who have been watching the construction sector in the last few years, as they have the requisite experience and track record.

But subcontract packages are also expected to trickle down to smaller, specialist players.

Looking at the mega projects, 1Malaysia Development Bhd’s Bandar Malaysia is likely to draw global attention because it has invited international bidders.

The Sungei Besi airbase redevelopment will see a mixed-use project occupy 486 acres along the Smart Tunnel, where the Royal Malaysian Air Force Base used to sit.

Bandar Malaysia is touted as a sustainable urban township designed to be a transport hub. It will house the terminals for the
Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail (HSR), Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Lines 2 and 3, KTM Komuter and Express Rail Link, and offer future access to major highway networks.

Less than 10km away, towards the heart of the city centre, is where its twin project — Tun Razak Exchange (TRX) — is located. This is set to become Kuala Lumpur’s iconic financial district on a 70-acre tract in Jalan Tun Razak.

While about half of TRX will be commercial office space, the integrated development will also have residential, hospitality and retail components.

Moving towards the older part of the city, on the hilltop where Stadium Negara is located, Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) intends to build a skyscraper called KL118 Tower, formerly known as Menara Warisan Merdeka. Envisioned to be over 500m high, it will be taller than the Petronas Twin Towers, which stand at 452m.

The tower is expected to be ready in 2019. It will be owned by PNB through its wholly owned subsidiary PNB Merdeka Ventures Sdn Bhd.

Just last month, news broke that the US$505 million contract for the construction work was awarded to Samsung C&T Corp and its local partner UEM Group Bhd.

Samsung C&T is experienced in the specialised field of building skyscrapers, having previously been involved with the construction of the Petronas Twin Towers and Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world at 828m.

Next year, work on Pavilion Damansara Heights is expected to begin in the second quarter and is slated for completion in 2021. The mixed-use development will sit on 15.84 acres in Pusat Bandar Damansara, comprising 13 office blocks and four towers for hotels, serviced apartments and retail space.

This development is the brainchild of Tan Sri Desmond Lim Siew Choon with partner the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board.

The Edge had reported earlier that 9.5 acres under Phase 1 will be undertaken by Impian Ekspresi Sdn Bhd and 6.34 acres under Phase 2 by Jendela Mayang Sdn Bhd. Impian Ekspresi has already awarded a RM703 million contract to Malton Bhd’s (fundamental: 1.10; valuation: 2) subsidiary Domain Resources Sdn Bhd.

Apart from these high-profile structures, the government is expanding the public rail transit networks.

MRT2 — the Sungai Buloh-Serdang-Putrajaya route — is expected to cost RM28 billion while the cost of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 3 from Bandar Utama to Klang is estimated at RM9 billion.

The government has already announced the project delivery partners for both these jobs, with the consortium of MMC Corp Bhd (fundamental: 1.10; valuation: 2.40) and Gamuda Bhd (fundamental: 1.30; valuation: 1.40) taking up MRT2.

LRT3 was awarded to the consortium of Malaysian Resources Corp Bhd (fundamental: 1.30; valuation: 1.40) and George Kent (M) Bhd (fundamental: 2.10; valuation: 1.40).

Another large-scale project is potentially the HSR linking Kuala Lumpur with Singapore, for which both Gamuda and MMC are direct bidders.

The latest news reports say the project could commence as early as 2018 and cost RM65 billion. The journey between the two cities will be cut down to 90 minutes from about five hours now.

The Malaysian terminal is to be located in Bandar Malaysia while previous reports say other stations will be located in Putrajaya, Seremban, Melaka, Batu Pahat, Muar and Nusajaya. In Singapore, the train will terminate in Jurong East where the Jurong Country Club is located. That said, there has still been no official announcement or any updates on the HSR project.

With a large portion of work packages yet to be doled out, investors still have time to hand-pick potential beneficiaries.

Source: THE EDGE

The Escape Sansiri Hotel Collection expects to raise the room rates at its hotels in Hua Hin and Khao Yai next year.The hotel arm of SET-listed developer Sansiri Plc (SIRI) is optimistic about the overall hotel business outlook, and major hotels at both resort destinations will see rates rise by at least 5% next year.

After introducing the Escape hotel brand two years ago, word of mouth and the right business strategy have raised the profile of the hotels among travellers.Their revenue will grow significantly this year.Senior executive vice-president Uthai Uthaisangsuk said hotel revenue would grow by 10-15% next year thanks to the expansion of function rooms at Escape Khao Yai and Escape Hua Hin.

Above:The Escape Sansiri Hotel Collection expects to raise the room rates at its hotels in Hua Hin and Khao Yai next year.

The serious focus on the meetings and incentives market will help the hotels outperform and raise their room rates more than other hotels in the same locations.In the first nine months of this year, both hotels exceeded their revenue targets.Escape Hua Hin generated 16.8 million baht in revenue, 17% higher than projected, while Escape Khao Yai took in 27.8 million, 26% above target.

In Khao Yai, the capacity of function rooms increased to 150 guests, up from 100, while the Hua Hin hotel serves small events for 10-20 guests.Mr Uthai said the expansion of function rooms would help to boost accommodation and food and beverage (F&B) revenue.The meetings and incentives market also helps to fill vacancies on weekdays.

Sansiri is confident the average occupancy rate during weekdays will increase by 10-15% in 2016, up from the current average of 25-30%.It also expects the revenue contribution of F&B and accommodation at the Khao Yai hotel will change to 50:50 from 40:60 at present.At Hua Hin, the revenue contribution will change to 35:65 next year from 24:76.

Mr Uthai said the goal of the hotels was to serve its main property business of condominium and single-house projects.Escape Khao Yai is a good example — the company decided on the location of the 23-Degree Condo Khaoyai by Sansiri after launching the Escape Khao Yai.The hotel’s F&B also serves demand from project residents.In Hua Hin, Sansiri has 16 projects with 3,000 units combined.

“The potential to open more hotels in the future depends on business opportunities, which rely mostly on the core property business,” Mr Uthai said.

Source: Bangkok Post

Golden Emperor Properties hosted a luncheon for Malaysians and foodies to enjoy the best of Malaysian cuisine. Classic Malaysian dishes such as Bak Kut Teh, Penang Rojak, Satay, and Char Koay Teow were served. ARIA, a luxury residence in Kuala Lumpur, was featured and we provided a presentation on investing in KL properties.

Above: Our Director, Kingston Lai, provided a presentation on the KL property market.

Above:Phuket continues to attract its fair share of extremely wealthy foreigners and property investors.

Phuket’s residential property market is showing signs of recovery following two years of decline, according to research by real-estate agencies.

The latest survey by Plus Property, an agency subsidiary of residential developer Sansiri, shows sales of high-end condominium units priced at about 100,000 baht per square meter or more are continuing to grow.

Completed unit prices have risen 5 per cent to an average of 89,548 baht per square meter thanks to positive factors, such as government policies on transportation and tourism, as well as the recently announced stimulus package for the property market.

Meanwhile, demand to buy luxury villas priced above 35 million baht with hotel branding has continued to recover from the decline of the last two years, said CBRE Thailand, the local unit of international property agency CB Richard Ellis.

Phuket continues to attract its fair share of extremely wealthy foreigners and property investors, but the number of foreigners willing to spend 100mn baht or more for a luxury villa has been dwindling, according to research by Knight Frank Thailand.

Above:Poomipak Julmanichoti, managing director of Plus Property, said the company’s survey of the Phuket residential market found that while the overall market had experienced slow growth.

Poomipak Julmanichoti, managing director of Plus Property, said the company’s survey of the Phuket residential market found that while the overall market had experienced slow growth, high-end beachfront condominium units priced at 100,000 baht per square meter or more were still performing well, as they were attracting interest from buyers with high purchasing power who are largely unaffected by the economic downturn.

Top Phuket investment developers have a monthly absorption rate of 6.47 condominium units, compared to the market’s 5.09-unit average – a fact that highlights the strong purchasing power held back only by a lack of confidence, he said.

Based on this data, the market slowdown can be seen as a temporary trend that will quickly be reversed once the economy improves, he added.

Phuket is an interesting destination for seaside vacations, with 16,241 condo units available in the market. This includes 10,452 completed units in 53 projects, or 64 per cent of the supply.

Demand for completed units has risen by 38 per cent from Plus Property’s previous survey to 7,166 units, representing an average take-up rate of 69 per cent, according to the company’s latest findings.

Above: The limited number of new luxury villas in Phuket has doubled the price of resale units.

“This is a very good time for consumers to purchase a unit, thanks to this stimulus and various promotional campaigns from developers,” Mr Poomipak explained.

Meanwhile, the limited number of new luxury villas in Phuket has doubled the price of resale units, as demand is relatively strong in this niche market, said Aliwassa Pathnadabutr, managing director of CBRE Thailand.

“Top-end villas on the island were part of an exclusive market characterized by a limited number of high-value transactions,” she said, adding that major players used to be small foreign developers with limited financial backing, but they have been replaced by large operators.

This is positive for the market in terms of reduced risks for buyers and an improvement in the quality of villas and designs.

Most villa sales are in the entry-level segment, with prices below 15mn baht.

Despite ongoing demand in the luxury segment, buyers face a limited supply, said the managing director.

“In recent years, buyers’ preferences in the luxury sector have shifted towards hotel-branded products that offer quality management, five-star services and facilities, as well as the ability to generate rental income,” said Ms Aliwassa.

However, the proportion of completed luxury villas priced above 35mn baht with hotel branding remains limited and accounts for less than 10 per cent of the villa market.

Above:The completion of Phuket airport’s expansion next year, CBRE expects to see further growth in tourist arrivals having a positive effect on resort property sales.

With the completion of Phuket airport’s expansion next year, CBRE expects to see further growth in tourist arrivals having a positive effect on resort property sales.

In 2005, the first phase of Andara Resort & Villas was launched with units ranging in price from US$3 million to US$4mn. Today, resales at Andara range in price from US$6mn to US$8mn (216mn-288mn baht), with some transactions achieving a 100-per-cent capital gain.

Launch prices of some luxury projects have also hit the US$10mn mark.

“Investment in property in Thailand’s popular resort areas continues to attract interest from local and foreign buyers,” said Risinee Sarikaputra, research and consultancy director of Knight Frank Thailand.

The company’s report states: “The Phuket condominium market has transformed itself to accommodate the change in buyers’ preferences, as well as reflect the scarcity of land.

“Before 2008, the condominium supply in Phuket tended to include larger-sized units of over 100 square meters – 84 per cent of supply was units larger than 70 square meters and only 16 per cent of the supply was units smaller than that. From 2008 to 2014, 82 per cent of the supply included units smaller than 70 square meters, with 18 per cent of units being larger than 70 square meters.”

This year, Phuket has been attracting more mass-market travellers, notably Asian and Chinese nationals whose numbers help offset the drop in jetsetters.

Villas are still selling, but the number has been more modest, though still priced beyond the means of most buyers, said Ms Risinee.

Previously, demand on the island was for large lifestyle villas, with usable areas of at least 1,600 square meters and a price point of 100mn baht or more, she added.

Source: Phuket Gazette