Sector: Real Estate

Office rents in Beijing have soared over the past two years, making it more expensive to lease prime work space in China’s capital than in New York, according to an industry survey.  The FT reports.

A look at the 10 biggest volume decliners on New York Stock Exchange at the close of trading:

A look at the 10 biggest percentage gainers on New York Stock Exchange at the close of trading:

Banks must provide loans to first-home buyers, the People's Bank of China (PBOC) said in a statement on Tuesday, the first clear call to support mortgage lending since starting a policy tightening cycle to calm the property market two years ago. 

More than half of Chinese farmers are unsatisfied with rural policies, according to a survey published on Tuesday that showed rising cases of agricultural land seizures by the state and a trend towards bigger farms as millions leave villages for work in cities.

Peeling paint flakes from Athens' Olympic park. Its entrances locked, this once sparkling edifice to sporting greatness lies rotting and largely unused -- maintenance costs too high for near-bankrupt Greece to operate.

When home prices were flying high, one sports marketing executive compiled a dossier of improprieties on one of the giants of the business, Fannie Mae, and share it with the mortgage giant. But there is little evidence that Fannie Mae’s management or board ever took serious action, the New York Times reports.

China has failed to give farmers adequate protection from arbitrary seizures of land, Premier Wen Jiabao said in comments published on Sunday in which he acknowledged that the resulting discontent is fanning protests.

A look at the 10 biggest percentage gainers on New York Stock Exchange at the close of trading:

London is home to some of the world's most opulent hotels, but with five-star rooms in short supply during the Olympic Games this summer; wealthy visitors are increasingly turning to private homes to meet their accommodation needs.

China's fledgling services sector weakened in January as property tightening measures weighed on demand, the official purchasing managers' survey showed on Friday, reinforcing the case for policy easing to bolster economic growth.

Spain is forcing its banks to recognize and deal with an additional 50 billion euros ($66 billion) in losses on assets left over from the country's property crash, renewing efforts to cleanse its sickly lenders' balance sheets.

Luxury home aficionados and voyeurs know that walk-in closets are a given in any modern or updated high-end property. Many mansions and penthouses have closets larger than the footprint of entire apartments rented  by the non-rich-and-famous. The following collection of extreme closets have a marvelous urban example and several remarkable closets from other continents.

India's Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the government to revoke all 122 telecoms licenses issued under a scandal-tainted 2008 sale.