Chinese property prices rising again despite slowing measures

Average residential property prices in China edged upwards in July, the second consecutive month in a row since prices began falling due to government curbing policies.
The average home price in China’s 100 major cities increased by 0.33% compared with June, coming on top of June’s month on month rise of 0.05%, the data from the China Real Estate Index System (CREIS) shows.
Analysts have different views on whether stricter curbs will be imposed. ‘The investigators mainly enquired about the sales situation of existing and new apartments and the working procedures of financial departments, and read related files and data, but didn't give any instructions to us,’ said Chen Zhi, secretary general of the Beijing Real Estate Association.
‘In general the investigators are satisfied with the investigation results, according to my colleagues who were invited to attend an enquiry meeting in Beijing,’ said Liu Yuan, research director at Shanghai branch of Centaline China Real Estate.
The rises come despite government curbs as at a local government level officials try to get around the policies. It is reported that inspection teams have been sent to some cities to check whether local governments are enforcing property curbs.
On a year on year basis prices are still down by 1.77%, the fourth year on year fall since June last year when CREIS first began calculating the year on year change.
Analysts said the move by the central government is intended to find out major causes of the recent recovery of the property market, especially in the big cities like Beijing and Shanghai.
Increased demand for apartments, which has accumulated for around two years since the launch of the government curbs, could be the major cause of the recent market recovery, Liu believes.
He added that the credit policy easing, aimed at stimulating the economy, has also boosted confidence of the property sector.

Why You Should Now Invest in Silver vs. Gold

The price of silver is going to go much, much higher – much higher – over the next decade [relative to gold according to Jim Rogers and I concur. Below are 5 solid reasons why I believe that is the case.
1. Greater Upside Potential: 
Central banks do not own silver, they own gold, so silver is more volatile. When markets for silver/gold go down, silver generally goes more down than gold. However, for the same reason, when inflations occur or with rising industrial demand, silver, since it is more volatile, has potentially more short term upside than gold so if you are a risk-taker at heart, silver is a good choice. Its highs are very high, its lows are very low. If you can buy at a low and sell at a high, you win a lot. Gold, on the other hand, seems more stable, and it is an excellent hedge in troubled times.

2. Growing Industrial Demand:
silver is an industrially useful metal. It does have a volume of industry demand. It is used in plastic design, batteries, mirror coatings, electronics components, medical instruments, water purifiers, solar panels, to say nothing of making silver bullets to fight against the impending werewolf invasion. According to this Kitco report:

The amount of silver used for industrial purposes is forecast to rise to 665.9 million troy ounces by 2015, which would be a 36% increase from the 487 million used in 2010, according to a report from the Silver Institute.
The report identifies 11 still-new applications for silver, ranging from food packaging to radio identification tags to auto catalysts, which collectively could exceed 40 million ounces of industrial demand by 2015, said the Silver Institute.
The report also said that stronger silver industrial demand in the U.S. and Asia will be a key factor driving growth through 2015, with healthy developing-country demand especially in markets such as China and India.

Since silver has a substitution problem just like any precious metal – its available quantity is not unlimited – industry demand will put a premium on silver, unlike gold which has no industry demand worth noting and is priced on pure, ultimate human hype.
3. Lesser Supply:
In the last ten thousand years, huge amounts of both gold and silver have been mined [but] almost all of the gold is still in the market in a purchasable condition [while that is not the case with] silver…Silver’s industrial refuse (silver scrap) is not usually recycled because costs are high compared to the price of the silver recovered. This makes silver more scarce than gold, and that scarcity is increasing.
4. Less Potential Counterfeiting:
Millions can be made by counterfeiting gold but since silver is much less costly than gold, counterfeiting silver is not lucrative. Hence, when you buy silver, there is less risk of getting counterfeit bars and coins than there is for gold.
5. Depressed Silver/Gold Ratio:
 The so-called silver/gold ratio has historically… been roughly 15:1; that is, one ounce of gold trades for 15 ounces of silver. Right now, however, that ratio is well above 50:1; in other words, gold is trading at over three times the price it used to trade before with respect to silver’s price. [Interestingly], however, mints report that they sell almost equal dollar amounts of gold and silver which means that they sell 50 times more silver than gold. [As such, given that] demand for silver is larger by a big margin and that silver is undervalued right now from a historical perspective, [should the silver/gold ratio strengthen]…even by a small factor, silver’s price would increase substantially from current levels

Three Ways to Invest in Silver Before Prices Take Off

It's been a volatile week, but silver prices are expected to rise in U.S. President Barack Obama's second term. Silver futures prices ended the week with a 5.7% gain. Silver for December delivery rose 36 cents, or 1.1%, on Friday to settle at $32.60 an ounce. With the fiscal cliff the next major topic for Washington to tackle, investors are pushing into safe havens like silver and gold to balance market uncertainty.
With that in mind, here are three ways to invest in silver with prices on the rise.  

Invest in Silver with Pan American Silver Corp.

Pan American Silver Corp. (Nasdaq: PAAS), a silver-mining company, reported a 13% increase in third-quarter silver output with 6.3 million from the previous year on Thursday thanks to its recently-acquired Mexico Dolores mine. For the year's first nine months, silver output hit 18.2 million ounces and the company said it's still on track to meet its 2012 full-year guidance of 24.25 million to 25.5 million ounces. Pan American's quarterly adjusted net earnings were $37.6 million ($0.25 per share) on $251.8 million in record revenues but this is a decline from the previous year's $51.5 million ($0.48 per share). The company also announced a fourth-quarter dividend of 5 cents per common share to be distributed in early December.

Invest in Silver with Silver Wheaton

Silver Wheaton Corp.(NYSE: SLW) released its third quarter earnings report on Nov. 5, posting a 26% increase in its attributable silver equivalent production to 7.7 million ounces in the quarter.

But its profit fell 11% to $119.7 million (34 cents per share) and revenue dropped 13% to $185.2 million thanks to a 14% dip in silver prices from the previous year.

Invest in Silver with iShares Silver Trust

iShares Silver Trust ETF (NYSE: SLV), which tracks physical silver, recently hit the $10 billion mark in assets as it trades more than 10 million times daily, reported ETF Daily.

What's interesting about SLV is the fund will take its managed money and purchase silver bars kept in London vaults.

It also appeals to options traders.

Recently as silver prices declined after reaching highs in September, SLV is at its $30 support mark, and this means buyers.

With buying comes higher prices. In the last five trading days, the ETF is up 5.28% and year-to-date, it has increased 17.04%.

These numbers are higher than silver futures and with this ETF, you can have a sense of physically owning silver while still having liquidity.

Look for silver prices to remain volatile but the outlook is good with lots of opportunities to participate in the ride.

Where to buy East European real estate

Now is proving to be an ideal time to buy real estate in Eastern Europe. The current East European real estate prices are affordable, yet home values are increasing at a pace that makes a house or apartment a legitimate investment property.


Whether you're looking for a permanent home, a vacation getaway or a revenue-producing rental property, now is a great time to buy property in Russia, Turkey or Romania. East European real estate can be found for as little as 40,000 euros and industry experts expect market values to increase dramatically in the next 20 years.
Buying Turkish villasTurkey villas are quickly becoming the newest hot spot for Mediterranean vacationers. Turkey is usually less expensive, than the better known vacation destinations like Spain, France or Italy. Turkey is known as having some of the most beautiful coastline where the Mediterranean and Aegean seas come together, making a beach-front Turkey villa an ideal place to live or vacation.
The cost of living in Turkey is between 40-60% less than the rest of continental Europe. Paired with the rising appreciation of 10-15% in the large cities like Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir and 20% or more in the suburban areas, Turkey villas are proving to be an excellent investment. 
Buying Turkish villasTurkey villas are quickly becoming the newest hot spot for Mediterranean vacationers. Turkey is usually less expensive, than the better known vacation destinations like Spain, France or Italy. Turkey is known as having some of the most beautiful coastline where the Mediterranean and Aegean seas come together, making a beach-front Turkey villa an ideal place to live or vacation.
The cost of living in Turkey is between 40-60% less than the rest of continental Europe. Paired with the rising appreciation of 10-15% in the large cities like Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir and 20% or more in the suburban areas, Turkey villas are proving to be an excellent investment. 

Looking for property in RomaniaProperty in Romania isn't being built fast enough to keep up with the high demand for homes. Now is the best time to get into a home or apartment because the value of property in Romania is expected to quadruple in the next 10 years. Some have increased by 25% in just the past four years.
Still, property in Romania is known as being relatively inexpensive when compared to American prices. Couple this with the fact that many Romanian banks now offer a 100% mortgage and property in Romania is well within the reach of many Americans looking for real estate in Eastern Europe.
Buying East European real estate can be easily found to use as a permanent home, vacation spot or even a rental property. Whether you're looking at homes in Russia, Turkey villas or property in Romania, real estate in Eastern Europe is well within your reach.

You can't afford not to invest in China, despite the country's problems

The dramatic fall from grace of former political high-flier Bo Xilai, the two-week walkabout of leader-in-waiting Xi Jinping, rising tension with Japan and the launch of the country’s first aircraft carrier mean the run-up to November’s leadership transition could hardly be more fascinating – or worryingly uncertain.

Meanwhile, for investors in the Chinese stock market, 2012 has been yet another extremely disappointing year. The Shanghai Composite index stands around 12pc lower than a year ago, has lost a third of its value in three years and two-thirds against its pre-crisis peak.

It is all a marked contrast to the feeling in the immediate aftermath of 2008’s financial crisis that China could single-handedly pull the developed world back from the abyss. And it begs the question of whether economists and investors are being as irrationally gloomy as perhaps they were overly optimistic before. It matters because no one wants to be the dumb foreigner backing the China miracle even as the country’s own residents are heading for the hills.

One reason to believe the pessimism may have been overdone is the traditional investment splurge that has followed leadership transitions ever since the new market-oriented regime began following the death of Mao in 1976.
The shift in sentiment has been dramatic. Some of those attending the recent World Economic Forum meeting in Tianjin, a fast-growing port city half an hour by high-speed train from Beijing, were struck by the note of pessimism and cynicism about China’s prospects. 

Top Investments 2013 For The Innovative Investor

At the end of every year, investment analysts come up with predictions for the New Year. All of these predictions may or may not come to pass. Now, the investment analyst is not exactly a prophet. When people make investment predictions, they are simply trying to draw conclusions based the data and information available to them. Sometimes, these predictions and investment recommendations are based on a bit of history because, as the saying goes, history has a way of repeating itself.
These are hot investment ideas because 2013 is the right time to invest in these areas. Oil and gas is an obvious choice and the investor needs to invest very early in the year for best results. This is because every year, the price of crude oil rises during the winter months. This is simple demand and supply at work. The demand for crude oil rises during the winter months and naturally, the price goes up. The same thing applies to natural gas, heating oil and low power fuel. Investors who put their money into oil and gas are likely to make money very early in 2013.
Another great investment idea for 2013 is silver. This metal is called the poor man’s gold but the truth is that silver is a more valuable metal than gold when it comes to the industrial uses of both metals. Silver is needed in cell phones, TVs, computers, cameras, iPads and MP3 players. These electronic devices have a booming market already.  This means that there will be a higher demand for silver in 2013, which makes it a great investment idea. Investors also would do well to invest in lithium. This metal is used in the automobile industry and it is used to manufacture batteries. The metal is relatively scarce and makes it a great investment idea. Remember, 2013 is just around the corner. Be prepared to make some money in the new year.

The 3 Best Real Estate Investing Techniques for 2012

What are the three best real estate investing techniques for 2012? After carefully analyzing market reports, studying recent trends, and looking at where we are making the most money in the business right now, three investment strategies emerged as the most accessible and the most profitable for the new year. By focusing your efforts on these three real estate investing techniques, you can make 2012 your best year ever! That's right, even in this down market, there is tremendous opportunity for you to make big money investing in real estate.

Technique #1- Foreclosures

Industry insiders predict another wave of foreclosures will hit the market in 2012. Improper handling of foreclosures over the past several years led to Federal investigators to review banks' foreclosure practices and in many cases, they found problems. This created tremendous delays and stopped many foreclosures from going through in 2010 and 2011. Banks and the Feds are settling on a solution right now in Washington, and it should be completed very shortly. When this happens, expect a new flood of foreclosures on top of the massive amount of foreclosures already. What's the secret to finding the select few extremely profitable foreclosure deals? Top producing REO (real estate owned) agents.  They are the fountain of youth for foreclosures.  In any market, there are a select few REO/Foreclosure agents who rise above the rest.  They close 300, 600, 900, or more transactions per year. From time to time, these REO agents have foreclosures listings that require a fast cash investor buyer to purchase quickly. If you are on their speed dial for such situations, you're in for a big money-making deal.

Foreclosures can be a mine field. Just because a property is a foreclosure does not automatically make it a deal. In fact, if you pay too much in this market, you can really lose your shirt! Savvy foreclosure investors know that great foreclosure deals are the needles in the haystack. They exist and may be all around you, but they are a small percentage of the overall foreclosure population.

Technique #1 - Assign Lease Purchase Options to Rent-to-Own Tenant Buyers

That's a mouthful, isn't it? Assigning lease purchase options to rent-to-own tenant buyers is a little-known real estate investing technique that is very profitable and the absolute fastest way to put quick cash in your pocket.  Literally, within a few weeks, you could have $3,000, $4,000, even $6,000 extra money in your bank account.
Here's how it works: There is a large number of prospective home buyers who can't qualify for a mortgage. Lenders have tightened up, creating a huge backlog of people who want to stop renting and own their own home, but simply can't because they can't qualify for a loan.  Enter the "Rent to Own."
At the exact same time, there are hundreds of thousands of properties on the market right now that are not selling. In many cases, the reason why the home is not selling is that the homeowner is unwilling to drop the price low enough to compete with the short sales and foreclosures in their neighborhood. Month after month, these listings sit with no showings and no offers.
A rent-to-own home (or lease purchase option) gives the person the option to purchase the property while they are renting, and in some cases, allows a portion of each payment to go towards the purchase price.  For those unable to qualify for a mortgage, it is the ideal scenario. Therefore, the rent-to-own is in very high demand right now.  
Overtime, these property sellers get tired of making payments on a home that won't sell. If offered, they actually would be quite open to a lease purchase option, whereby the person agrees to lease the property with the option to buy it in the future. The problem is, no one is offering to do a lease purchase option on their home. Buyers' agents rarely bring rent-to-own tenant buyers to listings. Homeowners do not know how to find and handle the details of a rent-to-own transaction.

So...

1. If rent to owns are in demand, and


2. Homeowners across this country would be open to a lease purchase option,


3. How do you turn these two factors into money? 

Since tenant buyers and property sellers are both motivated to move quickly, these transactions can be completed--start to finish, in a matter of weeks. If you are short on cash right now and need a quick boost to your bank account, use the real estate investing strategy of assigning a lease purchase options to rent-to-own tenant buyers; it'll probably be the fastest money you've ever made in real estate.
In simple terms, you bring the two parties together. For most rent-to-own deals, the option to buy the property requires an upfront payment from the tenant buyer of $4,000 to as much as $10,000 or more, depending on the property. By getting the property seller to agree to a lease purchase option in writing, you then assign your interests in that agreement to the tenant buyer for a fee; an amount that could be as much as their upfront payment or a portion thereof.

Technique #3 - Short Sales

This report would not be complete without mentioning short sales.  More than 1 in 4 mortgage loans in this country are underwater.  For borrowers in this situation, many will require a short sale.  The sheer amount of prospective short sales is gigantic.  Plus, there is terrific money to be made in short sales if you have taken the time to properly educate yourself on how to approach them.
Others get their real estate license, so that they can list the short sales they don't buy and still collect 3% commission as the listing agent.  On a $500,000 home, a 3% commission is a very respectable $15,000 payday. The beauty of the short sale is that the property is still owned and controlled by the homeowner. This creates tremendous flexibility for the savvy real estate investor.  Some investors negotiate the best deal they can with the short sale lender, buy the property and resell it for a profit.
Short sales have undergone dramatic changes over the past several years. Those investors who are on top of their game have adjusted accordingly and are making big money with short sales, both as investors buying and reselling them as well as collecting fast commissions as the listing agent.