Property Sales & Investments

Peace brings property hunters to Sri Lanka

“Sri Lanka is staking its claim as an investment destination and building on a strong tradition of foreign property ownership to offer international buyers a range of appealing options.”

Domestic buyers stimulating Bali real estate market, report suggests

“There are well over 1,000 upscale villas on the island where annual occupancy figures rival those of upscale hotels. Companies such as Elite Havens and the new upstart Marketing Villas Limited headed by former AsiaHotels.com co-founder Jon Stonham are gaining a significant share of luxury rentals,’ he added.”

That overseas villa looks cheap

“Matthew Georgeson, the director of Bali accommodation specialist Elite Havens, says that in the past there has been some resistance from Australians towards the property market in Bali, with the listed US dollar pricing. “But the strength of the Australian dollar has now greatly improved confidence and buying power,” he says. "Australians have made up more than 50 per cent of our property inquiries at Elite Havens over the past six months…”

Special Report: Villa Fever

“The demand for private villas on Bali is off the charts, but still represents a fraction of the accommodation available when compared to the number of hotel rooms,” said Miles Taylor, group marketing manager for Elite Havens…”

Bold buyers venture into Indonesian market

“Australian-born Matthew Georgeson, a partner with Indonesian real estate and holiday letting firm Elite Havens, has spent many years living and working in the archipelago… According to Georgeson, Australian expats living in Jakarta are better off buying an apartment if they have an Indonesian partner because they are often required to pay significant amounts of rent up front…”

Even without an ocean view, homes in Bali draw interest

“Demand for inland properties has increased dramatically in recent years, primarily driven by foreigners from Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore…”

Your Own Piece of Paradise

“Bali’s real estate values, which saw no pause in the past few years, continue to grow steadily, producing annual double-digit growth… The strength of Indonesia’s powerhouse domestic economy… coupled with a banking industry heavily restrained from exotic business practices post the Asian financial crisis of 1997, have largely immunized the country from the financial meltdown experienced elsewhere…”

High Time for Builders in Bali

“Trust is the ultimate thing here...You have to have cultural awareness and government awareness…there’s so many dimensions…”

House Hunting in Indonesia

“Matthew Georgeson… said the lack of financing for foreigners in Bali’s property market had helped insulate it from the credit crunch… Bali’s foreign buyers are more likely to be expatriates.... Such buyers come from other Asian countries, as well as Australia, France and England. “It really is the United Nations of buyers,…”

Wealthy Indonesians lift Bali property

“People invest for various reasons. The island offers a superb lifestyle. Prices are reasonable. A return on investment of between 5 and 10 per cent per annum is usually possible if you factor in capital appreciation. Transactions for non-residents usually have to be in cash as mortgages are not generally available…”

Peaks and Troughs

“I’m quite staggered by the resilience of the market,” adds Matthew Georgeson, a former Hong Kong resident who set up a real estate company, Elite Havens, on the island. He recently heard of two “brilliant” properties, one worth more than Rp31.bn and the other just under Rp20.5bn, coming on to the market. “And offers of about 70 per cent of the asking price were rejected straight away…”

For Sale in Indonesia

“Many buyers come from Australia, France and Italy, as well as the Middle East, according to Matthew Georgeson, partner and director of sales with Elite Havens Group, a real estate firm specializing in sales and rentals of luxury villa. In the past several months, Mr. Georgeson said, the United States lifted its travel advisory, which had cautioned Americans about the dangers of traveling in Indonesia. As a result, he has seen increased interest from American developers and buyers…”

Bali villa a luxurious spot for shared family vacation

“The in-house cook and attentive villa staff is what sets a villa apart from a hotel vacation. The cost of a Balinese villa is more than a hotel, but that is easily outweighed by the benefits and the ability to share the cost. The villa experience is ideal for families with young children.”

“I have stayed at backpacker hostels and posh hotels in Bali and the villa by far is my best experience, said Priscilla Hon, one of our friends along on the trip…”

Bargains fade into the sunset on reborn Bali

“Non-beachfront property in the Seminyak area has risen 325 per cent in five years and doubled over the past two. There’s been a huge land grab going on. In this area, it’s almost impossible to find beachfront land…”

Making the House Party a Movable Feast

“The year before he turned 40, Anthony Chaumont, the owner of a furniture import company in Texas, told friends that for his landmark birthday, he planned to give away many of his possessions, go to a Buddhist monastery in northern Thailand and shave his head. Instead, he and his wife, Kim, organized a week-long party for 22 friends and family members that began with a cruise on a Chinese junk in Hong Kong and continued later in the week to an all-night celebration at a Balinese seaside villa with the honoree cast as Hugh Hefner…”

Heavy traffic on the road to Bali

“Expats from around Asia are fuelling a surge in the luxury villa market and driving land prices to historical highs. Property prices were rising about 25 percent per year in prime locations and are expected to double over the next three to five years…”

The only danger is we’ll become just far too lazy

“Staffed-villa living is particularly suitable for families. There is nothing likely to soothe a harassed parent quicker than suddenly not having to do the cooking and clearing up, washing clothes and cleaning floors. It is possible for both of you to enjoy a lie-in…

Furthermore, every villa we stayed in would comfortably house two or more families and therefore mean your stay would be considerably cheaper than if you booked into a comparable hotel…”

A Bali beach you’ll never want to leave

“Now companies like Elite Havens match villa owners with tenants. They are gaining such popularity that many businesses around Asia have begun renting villas for exclusive retreats rather than hotels. Not surprisingly, some rival the fanciest luxury resorts…”

“Most of the people who stay in the area, however, wouldn't be caught dead in a hotel, no matter how luxurious. Renting villas is the thing here, which affords distance from crowds but proximity to the scene. Many villas are a short drive away”

In Bali, Villas Lure Business Clients

“Hotels lure people in with cheap room rates and then nail them on the food' and 'beverage and event costs- corkage fees, must-use hotel catering, event fees, First World pricing for food and drinks, and so on,' says Ian Macaulay, managing director of Elite Havens, a villa rental and sales agency.”

“Villas, in contrast, include the staff in the price, which means it will cost nothing extra to have staffers run down to the local market for vodka and tonic and serve drinks all night…”

Bali good time to be had

“Each villa is like a private mini five-star resort enclosed in its own stone-walled compound either in town, on the beach or up in the verdant rice terraces… For examples check out Elite Havens Bali, a highly respected villa management company…”

Aint no 5 dollar cola

“Ian Macaulay and Jon Stonham bring together years of experience to form marketing Villas Limited, an online luxury villa outfit with a pedigree to match…”

Fine Restaurants and Villas

“New association with Knight Frank brings global exposure to Bali real estate…”

No Place Like Home

“Why are those mutually exclusive in your point of view? From our perspective one can be an investor and a homeowner. Anyone who purchases a home in a country that does not offer any form of credit to overseas buyers is making a significant investment decision…”

How to Do Seminyak

“Planning a weekend in Bali? Then look further than the tourist magnet of Kuta Beach, which has suffered from the easy access that its location near the airport affords. Instead, spend a few more minutes in the taxi and head for Seminyak. This seafront town easily charms with its laid-back vibe and great restaurants. Here’s our itinerary for the perfect Seminyak break…”

Ultimate Villa Vacation

“If a good vacation gets you away from it all, an ultimate vacation should deliver you to another realm. The luxuries of private travel – villa rentals, yacht charters, private jets – increase your odds of attaining that blissful state, but the process is by no means foolproof. Reserving a villa or chartering a megayacht or plane can be a complicated endeavor, best left to the experts.”…

Bali, From Red to White Hot

“Bali”s high-end villa market is on such a roll that industry experts believe that it will overtake Phuket in the next two years…”

Top 10 island villas

“Don't get us wrong: we love a good resort hotel as much as the next person, particularly given the stunning selection of properties available in Asia. But there are times when one wants a holiday experience scaled down to a more intimate level, a place that offers privacy in comfort and the freedom to explore new horizons on one's own terms. And where is better than a private villa?…”

Checking in Bali’s Villas

“Private villas have become the unofficial vacation symbol of Bali. As CNBC's Saijal Patel reports, there is a little something for everyone in Bali -- whether it is for a visit, investment or creating a retirement home…”

Villas

“For LUXE, Bali is all about villas – 24 hr hot and cold staff, privacy, luxury, and value – just add towel turban… Elite Havens offer a great range on rentals and if you fall for Bali big time, they sell property too…”