Better Analysis, Wiser Decision

We have produced close to a thousand analyses, articles, commentaries, and other works over the years and many of these have been published in the news and internet media. Readership is likely to number by the tens of thousands globally. To subscribe, please go to Free Subscription.

We have included some of these analyses and articles here for reference:

A1) Technical - Real Estate Analysis

• No Need for Demand > Supply to Incur Price Rise (April 2012)
• New Real Estate Marketing Hot Button: Guilt Quashing (April 2010)
• Believe and Be Saved (December 2008)
• To Investors: Control your own Brain (August 2008)
• Why does Profit Made have to be reinvested?! (August 2008)
• Housing Demand: Can't Take Marriages at Face Value (January 2008)
• Real Estate Prices Do Not Appear Responsive Toward Taxes (January 2008)
• Real Estate Investment: Timing versus Holding Period (December 2007)
• Real Estate: Why Analyze?   (June 2007)
• Beware of the Last Straw  (February 2007)
• Testing Your Return & Risk Taking Profile  (December 2006)
• Leasehold versus Freehold and Urban Rejuvenation  (October 2006)
• Applying Relativity to Real Estate (August 2006)
• Real Estate Really Becoming “Finance, Finance, and Finance”? (June 2006)
• REITS: Differentiating between the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (June 2006)
• REIT Assets Not Necessarily Lackluster  (January 2006)
• Quality Quantification Vs Quantity Qualification  (December 2005)
• Distance to the Lake: How to Price Amenities? (November 2005)
• Seek, Select, Sit Back…   (October  2005)
• The Wrath of “Lemons”   (September 2005)
• A Gene That Makes Us Buy Real Estate? (August 2005)
• Financial Freedom: Rent Out Expensive Use Inexpensive (June 2005)
• No Brains No Gains (May 2005)
• Real Estate Bubble Types: Price, Supply, and Investment? (November 2004)
• There Is NO High Or Low Land Price Policy  (October 2004)
• Dumb Down (September 2004)
• Demand Creation (August 2004)
• Beyond Numbers: International City & Inventiveness Vs Creativeness (June 2004)
• Market Price Level and Comparative Prices (May 2004)
• CBD Is Not An International City’s Monopoly (December 2003)
• Market Gullibility (November 2003)
• Real Estate Prices May Rise Despite Unemployment (October 2003)
• Cities: Scale, Skyscrapers, Traffic, and A Likeable Character (May 2003)
• Do Not Mix Up The Degree of Progress with The Rate of Progress (February 2003)
• Average Home Price Does NOT Increase With Increased Average Floor Area (September 2002)
• Real Estate Will Always Have a Price, Even in War (May 2002)
• Don't Get Too Hung Up on GDP (March 2002)
• Home Prices Have Little to Do with House Types (February 2002)
• Erroneous Thinking: Real Estate Prices Won't Go Up Due to Land Plenty? (December 2001)
• Not All Real Estate Events Have An Implication! (June 2001)
• Land Cost (Price) is More Volatile than Real Estate Price (June 2001)
• The Analyst's Dilemma (February 2001)
• .Data Availability and Its Implications (December 2000)
• Mortgage Ceiling Won't Do Much (July, 2000)
• Language Skills and Home Prices (June, 2000)
• Price Reduction May Not Always Be Effective (June, 2000)
• Effects of Sales Tax on House Price (April, 2000)
• Air Pollution and House Price (April, 2000)

A2) Technical - Real Estate Development, Investment, and Management

• Functions of Consultants     (September 2005)
• Organic Real Estate Planning and Development (August 2005)
• Hong Kong: Basic Framework for Owners of Old Properties in Negotiations (May 2005)
• The ‘Lowest Of All’ Real Estate Tactic (March 2004)
• Passion For Real Estate Counts (February 2004)
• History, Preservation, Architecture, and Compensation by Public (February 2003)
• Trophy Buildings (December, 2002)
• Differentiating between a Real Estate Development Pro and a Wannabe (October 2002)
• Real Estate Development Does Not Always Mean Big Projects (May 2002)
• A City's Stage of Development in China: Three Simple Observations (January 2002)
• Made It Or Not? A Very Rough City Categorization Using GDP Per Capita (July 2001)
• Flexible Office and Its Implications on Office Demand (May 2001)
• Elderly Housing ?A Promising Sector (June, 2000)

B1) Market Commentary - Global

• What a Cruise May Tell (July 2011)
• EU Fighting Tsunami with more Water (May 2010)
• Boom after a Bust: Reflecting Human Tendency for Hope? (June 2009)
• Global Credit Crunch: NOT a Crisis of Confidence! (October 2008)
• LAT Couples and their Real Estate Implication (September 2008)
• Events of Note and to Note (August 2008)
• Which One to Sell, Buy, or Wait?   (March 2008)
• Decoupling? What Decoupling? (February 2008)
• The US$ Printing Press, Devaluation, Inflation, and Export of Defective Financial Products   (December 2007)
• Study on High Net Worth Individuals Reveals Interesting Math   (November 2006)
• A Dividend Economy  (July 2006)
• Global REIT: Not Price But Income Correlations  (March 2006)
• Real Estate Prices Up, Currencies Down = Up or Down? (August 2002)
• Currency Exchange Rates: Birds of a Feather 'Float' Together? (June 2002)
• Empires, World War II and Multi-Nationals (November 2001)
• Oil: Indirect Effect NOT = Potentially Little Impact (September. 2000)

B2) Market Commentary - North America / USA / Canada

• Toronto home: the pricier, the more affordable (August 2014)
• States with Higher Median House Prices Back Obama (November 2012)
• The Big Apple: Recession? What Recession? (October 2011)
• USA Real Estate: Looking Interesting Macro-wise (December 2010)
• USA Real Estate: Price Falls Not Over yet and Beware of Retail (August 2009)
• Financial Tsunami: USA Real Estate is Not to Blame (February 2009)
• Higher Home Ownership, Lower Home Price   (May 2007)
• USA REIT Regulatory Changes May Benefit REIT Outside USA  (March 2007)
• USA Home Price per Square Foot: Color Red versus Color Blue (September 2006)
• USA Home Prices: West Beats East   (May 2006)
• The Coolest US Cities   (December 2005)
• USA Real Estate Bubble IF Any Will Crash (July 2005)
• Manhattan: Crime Correlates with Income But Not Home Price (February 2005)
• What Macs & Starbucks Can Tell You (April 2004)
• Hong Kong / China Real Estate May Help Reduce USA Portfolio Risks (December 2003)
• Toronto Residential: Did Prices Recover Their Lost Ground Since Last Peak? (May 2003)
• USA Economic Recovery Via Real Estate Markets?
• Possible Hints from Dilbert (December 2000)
• US Presidential Election and Real Estate Prices (December 2000)

B3) Market Commentary - Asia

• Car Ownership Ratio Low Despite Relatively High Income (February 2004)
• Japan's Housing Conditions: 'Detached and Small' (September 2001)

B4) Market Commentary - Mainland China

• Demand for Accommodation is Rigid, Home Buying is Not (February 2013)
• Chongqing Office Sector is Worth a Bet: Looking from an Office Employment Angle (May 2009)
• China Real Estate Investment: How a City is Tiered Bears Little Meaning (February 2009)
• China Real Estate: Asymmetry (December 2008)
• Shanghai Central Neighborhoods: A Class of Their Own (November 2008)
• Severe, Sharp, Short, and Sweet (August 2008)
• Q & A on China Real Estate (June 2008)
• CREIS-China Real Estate Return: 1st Tier versus 2nd Tier (June 2008)
• CREIS-China Residential Real Estate: Seeking the Better Bargains? (June 2008)
• China Real Estate: between 100m and 200m in a 400m Dash   (November 2007)
• China Real Estate: NOT a Good Time to Speculate  (November 2007)
• Shanghai is still a Real Estate Investment Favorite  (September 2007)
• China’s Building Spree  (August 2007)
• China Luxury Residential Real Estate: Identifying the Right Reasons for Optimism
• China Home Slaves (July 2007)
• Analysis of 27 China Real Estate City-Sector Combinations (July 2007)
• CREIS-China Retail: Scouting for Comparative Bargains via Average Prices per Floor Area   (June 2007)
• CREIS-China Office: Scouting for Comparative Bargains via Average Prices per Floor Area  (June 2007)
• CREIS-China Residential: Scouting for Comparative Bargains via Average Prices per Floor Area  (June 2007)
• China: New Born To Inherit 4 Homes   (April 2007)
• China Cities: 1st tier = Blue Chips, 2nd tier = Growth Stocks   (April 2007)
• CREIS-China LESS REPORTED (3): Villa Residential Sector   (March 2007)
• CREIS-China LESS REPORTED (2): 2nd Hand Private Residential Sector   (March 2007)
• CREIS-China LESS REPORTED (1): Ordinary Residential Rental Sector   (March 2007)
• China: Beijing Construction Costs Higher Among the Big 4   (February 2007)
• CREIS-China Residential Real Estate: A Critical Return & Risk Analysis  (February 2007)
• CREIS-China Real Estate: Web Survey on Recent Land Tax  (February 2007)
• USA Population Vs China = 4, USA Home Vs China = 2   (December 2006)
• CREIS-China Residential Real Estate: More Supply Coming  (November 2006)
• CREIS-Chongqing Real Estate: Residential Stable, Office Down, Retail Up (October 2006)
• CREIS-Beijing: Residential Rental Market (October 2006)
• CREIS-Shanghai Residential Villa: Up despite Cooling Measures   (September 2006)
• CREIS-Shenzhen Residential: Which are the Better Neighborhoods to Invest?   (September 2006)
• CREIS-Investment in China Residential Real Estate Lackluster without Shanghai  (September 2006)
• Shanghai Is Relatively Bubbly (February 2006)
• China GDP per capita: Time required to catch up with the USA (January 2006)
• Shanghai Luxury House Market   (December 2004)
• China: Some Macro Residential Real Estate Numbers (June2004)
• Mainland China 117 to 100 and Hong Kong 3 to 4 (March 2004)
• China Population Distribution & Urbanization (June 2003)
• 3 To 1 And 1 To 3 = Tough Restructuring and Tougher Restructuring (November 2002)
• China Residential Real Estate: The 'Big Four' (March 2002) 
• A China Real Estate Perception (December 2001)
• Double Your Money by Investing in Beijing and Shanghai Real Estate? (August 2001)
•  Hong Kong and Shanghai Are NOT Mutually Exclusive of One Another (May 2001)

B5) Market Commentary - Hong Kong SAR

• Hong Kong Residential Real Estate versus Stocks and REITS (March 2013)
• Government Making a Statement with SSD and BSD (November 2012)
• REITs Outperform Popular Real Estate Developer Stocks (August 2012)
• Hong Kong Real Estate: Long Term Does Not Always Pay (July 2011)
• Inflated Floor Areas Part 2: Ridding Them Doesn't Lower Prices (November 2010)
• Inflated Floor Areas Part 1: Feel Taken? Just Deflate Them! (November 2010)
• Office Rents Correlate with FIRE Employment (November 2010)
• Hong Kong Residential: Another 20% Up and Pop? (August 2010)
• Speculate and Make 24 Times OR Hold Long and Make Just 8 (July 2010)
• It's the Liquidity, Stupid! (March 2010)
• High Speed Rail Won't Make or Break Hong Kong (February 2010)
• Hong Kong: Call for Home Ownership Scheme is Uncalled for (December 2009)
• Hong Kong Residential: The Fuss over US$9100/ft2, Floor Numbering, et al (November 2009)
• Hong Kong Residential: Do Speculators Push Prices Up? (August 2009)
• Hong Kong Residential: 1st and 2nd Hand are Different Markets (June 2009)
• Hong Kong Residential: Low Supply is not equal to Short Supply (February 2009)
• Vital Investment Question: What's the Catch? (November 2008)
• Hong Kong Residential, Office, Retail, and Industrial: Which is Riskier? (October 2008)
• Hong Kong Residential, Office, Retail, and Industrial: Are They Moving in Step or Are They Not? (May 2008)
• Hong Kong Stock and Residential Indexes: Back Together Again after a 6 Year Divorce   (April 2008)
• Hong Kong Residential Real Estate: Euro-Adjusted Indexes Indicate No Price Rise  (February 2008)
• Hong Kong REITS: Not Too Correlated with One Another (February 2008)
• Hong Kong Residential Real Estate: Average Prices still within Explainable Range (January 2008)
• Hong Kong Residential Real Estate from 1994 to 2006: the Best Investment Period is Post-1997   (June 2007)
• Hong Kong Residential Market: 1st & 2nd hand are NOT a Pair   (May 2007)
• Hong Kong Real Estate: Price per Floor Area GFA may Deceive  (March 2007)
• Hong Kong: Accommodation Value US$5,400 / ft2 Expensive? (January 2007)
• Hong Kong Industry Statistics: A Guide for U-Grads and RE Agents (August 2006)
• Hong Kong: A Real Estate Fund of Funds? Part 1   (May 2006)
• Hong Kong: A Real Estate Fund of Funds? Part 2   (May 2006)
• Hong Kong Residential: the More Rich People, the Higher the Price / ft2 (March 2006)
• A Long Term Hold is No Guarantee of Return: Hong Kong Residential (February 2006)
• Global Home Indexes: What 1 Hong Kong Home Can Buy   (November 2005)
• Hong Kong: No Real Estate Bubble Yet  (June 2005)
• Hong Kong: Accommodation Value May Fall If Families Start To Have 3 Kids (March 2005)
• Hong Kong: The First REIT “LINK” (December 2004)
• Hong Kong Real Estate: Consider Selling If Profit = 100% or More (September 2004)
• Inspiration from the Golden Girls (August 2004)
• Price Recoveries Since 3Q 2003: Some Are More Equal Than Others (May 2004)
• GDP / Capita 500%, Home Price 300% (November 2003)
• Hong Kong Residential Market: Nearing Bottom Does Not Equal Recovery (September 2003)
• HOS Housing As Hostels: Flawed (September 2003)
• Why Is Hong Kong Still Stuck On Building To Maximum Plot Ratio? (August 2003)
• Hong Kong Residential Prices: The Key is still NOT in Supply( August 2003)
• Readjusting Certain Macro Assumptions (June 2003)
• Real Estate Implications From Population Census (April 2003)
• Hong Kong REITS: Investment Rules Too Tight (March 2003)
• Your Relatively Well-Off Customer Profile (March 2003)
• Listed Real Estate Stock Prices and Real Estate Prices (January 2003)
• Free Homes In 2 and a 1/2 Years (December, 2002)
• Hong Kong Economy Will Recover If Real Estate Recovers? (November, 2002)
• Home Ownership Scheme & Home Price: Little Correlation (November, 2002)
• Prospects for Real Estate Funds / Investment Trusts in Hong Kong (September 2002)
• Hong Kong's New Territories: Around 3,300 ft2 of Land Per Person (July 2002)
• Hong Kong: Why Not Become the 'Los Angeles' of China? (November 2001)
• The Cream of the Crop Does Not Necessarily Fancy Hong Kong (March 2001)
• Home Prices Not Expensive, Maintaining Them Requires Effort (March 2001)
• Still Building to Maximum Allowable Plot Ratio? (February 2001)
• Hong Kong Residential Prices: Psychologically Pricey (December 2000)
• Matching Household Income to the Private Residential Sector 
  (November 2000)
• Out Goes 85,000 and In Comes 91,000 (October 2000)
• Kowloon Station Phase 5-7: A Promising Long Term Project 
  (September, 2000)
• 85,000? Barking Up the Wrong Tree (July, 2000)
• Mid-Level Properties ? A Buyers? Reminder (June, 2000)
• Better Invest in Real? Luxury Residences (June, 2000)
• Private Sector Home Price is a Middle Class Confidence Issue (June, 2000)
• Impact of (Nominal) Interest Rate Hikes may be More Psychological than Real (May, 2000)

• Judging Real Estate Market Prospect by Response to Government Land Auctions could be Misleading (May, 2000)

• Will 24-Hour Border Crossing Depress Hong Kong Real Estate Prices? (May, 2000)
• Hong Kong Real Estate Market ?A Macro View (April, 2000)

B6) Market Commentary - Others

• Europe: Currencies, Stocks, and Real Estate (March 2005)