Beneath the Peak

The August 2010 edition of Benchmark magazine has an article by me about buying Japanese real estate. While Benchmark isn’t available online, the publisher has made a PDF available. (Thanks, Elsa!) You can read the story, which is in English and traditional Chinese, here. Share/Save

There’s a batch of new coverage and reviews of Landed: Japan in English, Chinese and  — for the first time — German. Share/Save

Last week’s presentation at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club in Hong Kong is now available online, thanks to the nice people at Vimeo. Click here to watch the video. Share/Save

Via the always stimulating TED, here’s a presentation by Ellen Durham-Jones about converting “dead” suburban shopping malls in the United States into city centers, and the environmental benefits that the process brings. Economic necessity is sparking some very creative solutions, some of which could be applied to the disused factories and warehouses here in Hong Kong. [...]

Yesterday, NHK World ran a story about Mainland Chinese buying real estate in Japan. One of the most interesting parts of the piece is about three-quarters of the way through, when a Chinese developer rejects a home design as being too downmarket for Mainland customers who — unlike their Japanese counterparts — want their success [...]

Thanks to everyone who turned up for yesterday’s speech at the Foreign Correspondent’s Club in Hong Kong. The luncheon drew a crowd of 70 — including local and international journalists, developers, bankers and institutional and individual investors — and was followed by a lively Q&A session. Click here to listen to an MP3 stream of [...]

On Tuesday, July 13, I’ll be delivering a luncheon speech  at the Foreign Correspondent’s Club in Hong Kong. Japanese Real Estate: Bargain or black hole? looks at the opportunities and pitfalls of buying a home, a recreational property or an investment property. The presentation is open to non-members.  Click here for reservations and details. Share/Save

On June 5, I delivered a presentation about the joys (and frustations) of owning a home in Hong Kong at the Smart Investment & International Property Expo. The presentation — plus 15 minutes of Q&A — is now available online. Share/Save