News Articles

Risk analyst says mining companies dismiss the prospect of nationalisation at their peril.
(Bloomberg) The ruling party may institute some form of mine nationalisation, a step that could throttle investments in the world’s biggest producer of platinum and chrome, according to a confi...

Scott Picken, IPS CEO will interview Dr Hannes Dreyer, the global leader in Wealth Creation. Retiring at 37 and living off his property portfolio, Dr Dreyer devised a successful strategy for analysing any property to ensure you can retire and have financial freedom as soon as p...

“Three years after the global financial crisis, the global economy remains a confusing place – and for good reasons. Should we draw comfort from gradual healing in advanced countries and solid growth in emerging economies? Or should we seek refuge against high oil prices, geopolitic...

 

 

Download the report below

Ian Fife, property editor of the Financial Mail and Scott Picken, IPS CEO have a webinar to discuss investing locally versus offshore.

 

Click here to download the video (watch in Windows Media Player) -

Dear South African

 

Open this attachment below - it is awesome!

 

I commit to continue to making South Africa proud! Lets make it the best one ever!

 

Yours sincerely

 

Scott Picken

 

Napoleon said, “Information was nine tenths of any battle.” The challenge is do you have the right information, are you choosing the right partners, making the right investments and most importantly asking ...

Where is the Rand going in the next few days, weeks, months and years?

IPS and Axis Properties have had a long and successful relationship since 2006. They are the leaders in helping British Investors invest in the UK and Internationally. When they assisted their investors invest in Cape Town in 2006, they were the only company who flew to Cape Town to make sure i...

There are significant concerns about the USA economy and also the USA property market, but in amongst all this turmoil are also some fantastic opportunities. As with any overseas investment, an investor two most vital things are Information and Partners. What Scott Picken, IPS CEO, has tried to...

Where will property be in 10 years. Scott Picken, IPS CEO takes a punt at predicting the future -

 

IPS CEO Scott Picken decided to do something dif...

According to Homes Overseas, a UK based company helping people invest internationally they believe the top 10 desitnations are:

 

1. Brazil
2. France
3. USA
4. Norway
5. Switzerland
6. Australia
7. Malaysia
8. Abu Dhabi
9. Oman

Scott Picken, IPS CEO, explains how to login into a Webinar and how to use them. Webinars are the way of the future for information dissemination.
 
He takes you through the process of logging in for the first time, downloading the software and using the seminar...

Life is all about decisions and most importantly also the timing of these decisions. Scott Picken, CEO of International Property Solutions (IPS) believes it is very important to understand the opportunities which are available offshore in countries like Australia and also why it is so important...

There are a number of factors that make the Australian property market an attractive place to invest in, says a leading property figure.

"The current global uncertainty and the lack of available credit, the Australian economy has slowed but the situation is not as dire as in the UK or...

The City Peninsula as part of the Greenwich Peninsula in London offers a lucrative development investment for SA investors, THUMESHNI MUDELIAR finds out more

 

DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHT

 

The Greenwich Peninsula is London’s exciting new commun...

South African investors snapped up 30 units yesterday at the Johannesburg launch of The City Peninsula, London's exclusive new development in the up and coming Greenwich Peninsula area.

 

The development will feature 166 luxurious one, two and three bedroomed units and...

Johannesburg - Rising manufacturing output and business morale suggested growth would pick up but an improving price outlook was expected to give the central bank scope to leave interest rates unchanged next week.
Analysts said Thursday's data, including a report showing the annual growth...

Speaking at the quarterly Nedbank Analyst Forum hosted by SAS Institute last week, Dennis Dykes, chief economist at Nedbank, focused on the light at the end of a dim economic tunnel for South Africa.

"Not wanting to focus too heavily on the current slump in our property and economic ...

South African producers face considerable challenges during 2008-2009, even though any gains and pains will be unequally distributed.

 

Agriculture has mostly been blessed with good rains, rich harvests and higher incomes this past season. However, many input costs hav...

A recent brightening in South Africa's longer-term inflation outlook means consumers can start to expect the peak in the interest rate cycle sooner rather than later, Old Mutual said on Tuesday.

"They can possibly look forward to quicker cuts in rates as well, barring unexpected shock...

While positive news on the residential property front is hard to come by in the current high interest rate environment, there is some respite for buy-to-let investors, as demand for rental property surges to new levels.

Figures released this week by property management companies, rea...

Statistics released today by the South African Reserve Bank showing a drop in mortgage advances growth by monetary institutions to its lowest level in 3 ½ years was fully expected by Richard Gahagan, MD of property portal Property24.

Commenting on the data in a media release toda...

Dubai World will invest about $1-billion (about R7,73-billion) in Africa over the next five years and the Western Cape has been earmarked for most of this investment.

This will be added to the $1,2-billion Dubai World invested in Cape Town when it bought the V&A Waterfront in 2006...

From all the news stories on house prices recently you would expect UK houses were in freefall, but they are not, far from it, just look at the chart below of average house prices in the UK:
The above chart shows the 3 month average house price from the FT, Nationwide, Halifax, DCLG and Ri...

Current economic conditions such as high interest rates and the rising costs of living have affected the property industry negatively for some time now.

"It is for this very reason that the property market finds itself relying on the 'Black Diamond' sector of the South African econom...

South Africa's ruling party has submitted the name of its deputy leader Kgalema Motlanthe, seen as a possible president, to become an MP.

Mr Motlanthe became the ANC's number two in December, at the same time as Jacob Zuma was elected party leader.

As the ANC candidate, Mr...

After globally absorbing damaging hits this past year, fundamental repair is proceeding robustly. There is rapid clearing of debris as the world economy resiliently repositions for longer term revival.

Why such optimism in the midst of so much gloom?

After all, the US bank...

Pretoria - Housing Minister Lindiwe Sisulu has reassured South Africans that electricity supply shortages will not affect new residential property developments requiring less than 100KW and low-income housing projects.

Her assurance follows concerns raised by the Banking Association o...

Capitalisation rates — the property equivalent of the forward earnings yield of shares — have remained put despite a deteriorating inflation and interest rate outlook.

This is according to the latest Rode's Report on the South African Property Market which reports on surveys conducte...

The growing buying power of South Africa's black middle class is having a dramatic effect on the shaping of South Africa's economy and society.

This effect is not just being felt in the retail sector, vehicle sales and financial services, but especially in the property sector, where ...

ALTHOUGH there is great price volatility in the listed property sector and not much hope for activity in terms of property transactions, all is not all doom and gloom in the commercial property industry.

The electricity supply crisis and fears that new developments will not go ...

With housing booms coming off the boil, spectacularly imploding in the US, where an average 25% price decline is in progress, but with the glue also undone in formerly overheated hotspots such as Spain, Ireland and UK, there has been growing anxiety about our own housing market.

Cape Town's City Bowl area remains a highly desirable location for property buyers seeking both convenience and a fashionable lifestyle, despite the current turmoil in the property market generally.

This is the view of Steve Van Schaik, co-principal for Lew Geffen Sotheby's Internatio...

South African listed property returned 27,7% last year, slightly higher than 27,1% in 2006, but yields continued to fall across all sectors, a new survey showed on Monday.

The 2007 South African Property Owners' Association/IPD SA Property Index – which surveyed 70% of the tota...

With housing booms coming off the boil, spectacularly imploding in the US, where an average 25% price decline is in progress, but with the glue also undone in formerly overheated hotspots such as Spain, Ireland and UK, there has been growing anxiety about our own housing market.

Surprise has been expressed about the Treasury decision to now, of all times, relax exchange control considerably further for financial institutions.

After all, isn't the current account deficit already very large, and set to rise to nearer 8% of GDP these next two years as our ...

The Rand has steadily weakened from 6.50:$ two years ago to 7.80:$ today (20% down). During that period the Aussie Dollar has firmed by 30%, substantially increasing the gap between Rand and Aussie.

Both countries are commodity producers and are running current account deficits,...

The 2008 budget gave notice of continuing strong revenue growth, strong spending growth, and the maintenance of a budget surplus as buffer against global risks.

The budget revised GDP growth expectations moderately lower, from 5% in 2007 to 4% this year. Household spending growth is e...

The property industry should not be deterred by the current gloom and doom press that the property sector has been experiencing.

"You have probably seen reports using phrases like 'market crash' and 'a bursting bubble' - but let's take a look at the facts," said Sean McCauley, Rawson ...

Cape Town - The government will hand over R60 billion over the next five years to the beleaguered power utility, Eskom, to help it out of its woes, but finance minister Trevor Manuel is adamant that it is not a gift but a long term investment.

"Madam Speaker, the House should record a...

Cape Town - Finance Minister Trevor Manuel said today the country's economy was better prepared for the coming global turbulence and there was no need to panic.

However, he warned South Africans of a tougher course ahead.

Manuel's 2008/9 Budget speech sought to assure the na...

About R2,2-billion will be spent on upgrading informal settlements, according to the Budget tabled by Finance Minister Trevor Manuel in parliament on Wednesday.

About 762 000 homes in these settlements would be upgraded over the next three years, the Budget Review says.

The ...

Over R10-billion will be spent on strengthening the police force and judiciary over the next three years, Finance Minister Trevor Manuel said in his Budget speech on Wednesday.

There would be more than 200 000 police officers by the end of March 2011, up 22 percent from the 163 000 po...

20 February 2008
South Africa is to set aside some R2-billion over the next three years to support programmes aimed at encouraging more efficient use of electricity, generation from renewable resources, installation of electricity-saving devices and co-generation projects, says Finance Mi...

Landowners who opt to preserve habitats and biodiversity on their land are set to receive an income-tax deduction for their efforts, according to the Budget Review tabled by Finance Minister Trevor Manuel on Wednesday.
"Tax reforms to encourage biodiversity conservation by private landown...

South African companies now need to plan their futures taking global factors into account.

Marna van der Walt, CEO of property services company, JHI and president of the South African Property Owners Association (SAPOA), warns it's time to take the blinkers off.

"The future...

Construction of a R39bn crude oil refinery at Coega will help national oil company PetroSA deliver on a Department of Minerals and Energy (DME) mandate that will see PetroSA procure at least 30% of all crude oil consumed in South Africa.

Last week the Coega Development Corporation con...

Never mind Gautrain's impact on property prices in Johannesburg. Stand by instead for the even greater, mainly positive impact of the metro's updated Integrated Transport Plan (ITP).

This plan is basically about providing 300km of public bus transport as well as improving the city's e...

While the economy, aided by its fixed investment boom, may stop short of recession during the currently adverse period, the same can probably not be said for SA’s household sector, the major driver of demand in the residential property sector.

Indeed, it is possible that we (th...

Be wary: renting instead of buying may soon turn out to be a painful decision – experts.

Be warned: renting instead of buying property may soon turn out to be a painful decision.

That's the message from experts interviewed by Realestateweb this week, after it em...

The damaging effects of the credit crunch on the buy-to-let market were finally brought clearly into focus yesterday, as the sector's third-largest lender, Paragon, revealed it had been forced to draw up provisional plans for an emergency rights issue.

Its story is a very simila...

Our economy has acquired an impressive growth momentum, as much in spending as in production.

 

 

GDP growth has been steady for eight years, the last four at 5%. Household spending has grown steadily at 7% for three years. Fixed investment has been...

The Bank of England's leading property expert has warned that problems in the buy-to-let sector could provide the trigger for a housing market correction.

Kate Barker, one of the Monetary Policy Committee's longest-serving members and an adviser to Gordon Brown on the property market,...

You can't really say the cycle is back by looking at real underlying interest rates for these remain pretty stable.

This suggests the SARB hasn't really suppressed growth so far. Only a sustained change in real interest rates and/or in the real trade-weighted Rand might change o...

Property is suffering its worst activity levels since 2004... first-time buyers now only make up 16 percent of the market and 75 percent of properties are selling below their asking prices. All of this sounds like the property cycle has turned, with SA home owners to be hit by a country-wide pr...

The least doubt needs to exist about the direction of GDP growth in 2008.

The 1H2007 saw peak performance at 5.2%, possibly even a tad faster when allowing for upward revisions.

But thereafter it will be downhill, as the higher nominal interest rates and Nationa...

A few weeks ago I was mugged. Granted, we probably shouldn't have been walking to our car two blocks away, but at the same time, there were many people around us, and cars had ground to a standstill in bumper-to-bumper traffic. In hindsight, a cold barrel to the temple is enough to make you coo...

A report presented recently to Cabinet on the development of policy on foreign land ownership is sure to draw much public debate, once it is updated with international comparatives and thrown open for comment.

Following the recent, long-awaited presentation to Cabinet of a report on t...

Up till early this year I had never heard of US subprime lending. On hearing the detail, it left me with a sense of wonderment.

You mean, the borrower lies about his income (no job, no income, no hope) and the lender offers exceptionally low 'teaser' interest rates, with the pr...

Inflation is higher, interest rates are up, and the National Credit Act is wrecking havoc. Growth will invariably suffer. Right?

Not so fast. Inflation is up, but so is wage and salary growth. It is a moot point which has risen faster these past twelve months. One senses that in...