ANT Lawyers

Vietnam Law Firm with English Speaking Lawyers

ANT Lawyers

Vietnam Law Firm with English Speaking Lawyers

ANT Lawyers

Vietnam Law Firm with English Speaking Lawyers

ANT Lawyers

Vietnam Law Firm with English Speaking Lawyers

ANT Lawyers

Vietnam Law Firm with English Speaking Lawyers

Hiển thị các bài đăng có nhãn real estate and construction. Hiển thị tất cả bài đăng
Hiển thị các bài đăng có nhãn real estate and construction. Hiển thị tất cả bài đăng

3.06.2019

Danang to call on investment in hi-tech, real estate after Tet



DANANG – The central coastal city of Danang plans to call for investment in 44 projects mostly in the fields of hi-tech and real estate after the Tet holiday, with each of them needing US$30,000 to US$400 million, according to a representative of the Danang Investment Promotion Agency.

Half of the 44 projects are in the information-technology and hi-tech sectors and will be executed in Danang Hi-Tech Park.

The city is seeking investors for a solar energy project which needs US$150 million to US$400 million, and a US$200-million project to manufacture semiconductor materials for electronic parts and circuits. A 60-hectare urban area project and Truoc Dong Lake ecological zone covering 100 hectares of land are also in need of investment capital.

Apart from that, the city plans to resume work on the delayed projects that have yet to be licensed for investment, including a No.2 software park project covering over 50 hectares. Singapore's firm Sembcorp proposed injecting over US$90 million into the project long ago, but it has been awaiting word from the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Public Security, and National Defense as it is located in a maritime boundary area.

Meanwhile, Matrix Holdings Limited from Hong Kong wants to build a racetrack and horse training and multiplication center in the city, with total capital of US$200 million. An appropriate site is still being sought for it.

Further, Danang will prioritize foreign direct investment in digital, biotechnology, hi-tech agricultural projects, meaning that projects that apply outdated technologies and harm the environment will not be accepted. Investors from Japan, South Korea and Europe are preferred.
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7.11.2018

H1 foreign investments in property exceed 2017

HCMC - Foreign direct investment (FDI) capital pledged for Vietnam’s property market in the year’s first half witnessed a big surge and was higher than total pledged capital of the entire year of 2017, according to national investment data.

Data of the Ministry of Planning and Investment’s Foreign Investment Agency shows that the property sector attracted the second highest registered FDI capital in January-June with over US$5.5 billion, or over 27% of total registered capital in the period. Meanwhile, last year recorded only US$3.05 billion pledged for the sector, equivalent to some 8.5%.

Among large-scale property investments is the smart town project worth more than US$4 billion in Hanoi’s outlying district of Dong Anh. Developed by a Japanese investor, it is the most capital-intensive FDI project in the six-month period.

Another big investment is the Lotte Mall Hanoi project by a South Korean investor. This US$600-million project is a complex comprising shopping mall, hotel, office space and apartment functions.


Amata Vietnam earlier got licensed to construct an industrial city in the northern province of Quang Ninh. The 714-hectare project is an expansion to the north by the company after successfully developing Amata City Bien Hoa in the southern province of Dong Nai, which has attracted 165 investors from over 20 countries and territories.

Commenting on the property market in the year’s first half, deputy managing director of Savills Vietnam Troy Griffiths said that the stable macro-economic development has given a boost to the domestic market and FDI attraction. Foreign investors have still showed interests in Vietnam’s property market.

Besides direct investments, foreign indirect investments have increased via mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and stake purchases at domestic businesses or developed projects.

M&A activities have been quite busy in the past time. Notably, Japan’s Nomura Real Estate has acquired a 24% stake in Sunwah Tower, a 22-level office building located right in the heart of HCMC. This is the first grade-A office building in Vietnam that Nomura has invested in.

Vingroup’s Vinhomes last April signed a deal with Singaporean investment fund GIC Private Limited, under which the latter will invest US$1.3 billion via acquisition of Vinhomes shares and provision of a debt-like instrument to implement projects.

The central bank’s measures to restrict property lending, control bad debts and maintain credit growth have made domestic investors seek other capital sources, including via M&A.

Meanwhile, in the eyes of foreign investors, the domestic property sector still holds potential for growth. High profitability has kept Vietnam appealing to investors in comparison to regional rivals.

According industry experts, this year may see a new record of M&A transactions in the property sector. This investment model is getting more popular when combining strengths of parties involved, which are financial capabilities and experience of foreign investors and domestic enterprises’ understanding of investment procedures and ownership of large land sites.

Su Ngoc Khuong, head of investment at Savills Vietnam, noted that investment and M&A activities are mainly carried out by investors from Asian countries, particularly Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia, Japan, Hong Kong and China.

Source: The Saigon Times
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4.05.2018

U.S. firms seek to invest in Danang real estate

HCMC – More than 40 enterprises from the U.S. sought investment opportunities in the real estate sector in Danang City at an investment forum held in the city on April 2. 

The Danang – U.S. Investment Forum was jointly held by the Danang Investment Promotion Agency (IPA Danang) and the Vietnamese National Association of Real Estate Professionals (VNARP) in the U.S., with an aim to help enterprises sound out investment opportunities and forge partnerships. In addition to 40 U.S. companies, the forum was attended by 25 real estate firms in Danang.

At the forum, a representative of U.S.-based Keller Williams Silicon City, a member of VNARP, asked the Danang City government to allow the company to study and invest in a 500-hectare complex providing education, leisure and healthcare services in Hoa Vang District.

Keller William Silicon City has earlier inked a cooperative agreement with Danang Construction Material and House - Building JSC to develop some components of the project.


Hilda Ramirez, CEO of Keller William Silicon City, said she was impressed by Danang’s rapid growth, especially in the resort sector. She and some overseas Vietnamese businessmen have plans to return to Vietnam in the coming time for investment in Danang.


Some U.S. companies are interested in projects that the Danang government is calling for investment in and incentives offered by the Danang Hi-Tech Park (DHTP). Jonathan George Hanhan, senior vice president of CSR Commercial Real Estate Service, said his company is interested in the Silicon Valley project in DHTP.

Huynh Duc Tho, chairman of Danang, said the city is promoting investment in tourism and information technology, which have much room for real estate investment.

IPA Danang and the Danang Department of Construction will do their best to support U.S. firms, Tho said, adding that DHTP is offering the best tax incentives in Vietnam.

In addition to learning more about the investment environment in Danang, overseas Vietnamese businessmen also called on Vietnamese businesses to penetrate the U.S. real estate market.

Evan Phong Huynh, executive director of D1 Gateway for Silicon Valley, called on Vietnamese enterprises to invest in the company’s project to develop a US$100 million complex gathering Asian businesses in the Silicon Valley.

Lieu Nguyen, member of the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors, said Virginia and Washington D.C. are the promising land for Vietnamese real estate developers.

According to Michael Q. Le, general director of Robert Mullins International, the U.S. investment policies have become more favorable for Vietnamese investors. As president of the Thua Thien-Hue Union of Friendship Organizations in the U.S., he pledged to support Vietnamese enterprises to do business in the U.S.

The Danang – U.S. Investment Forum is part of the Vietnam trip that will last until April 6 of a U.S. business delegation. After the forum, the U.S. businesses would visit Quang Nam Province.

At present, there are 52 projects invested by U.S. firms in Danang, with investment capital totaling more than US$518 million, accounting for over 16% of the city’s total foreign direct investment (FDI). U.S. firms mainly invest in real estate, finance, trade, tourism, education and hi-tech sectors.



Source: The SaigonTimes

3.28.2018

Why foreigners aren't buying houses in Vietnam

There's a wealth of expats and overseas Vietnamese interested in the real estate market, but red tape is putting them off.

“Only a few expats are able to buy houses in Vietnam because there are still so many legal barriers,” said real estate manager Nguyen Chien Thang, counting on his fingers the number of potential foreign buyers who had visited the housing developments he's in charge of in Hanoi over the past two years.

Thang said there is foreign interest in Vietnam's housing market, but it often fades due to the complicated rules and excessive paperwork.

“Expats do not have a clear understanding of the legal procedures here, while some administrative agencies are not used to dealing with foreign buyers,” he said.


Official estimates vary greatly. The Ministry of Construction was widely quoted by local media last August as saying that 750 foreigners had bought houses in Vietnam since a new housing law came into effect two years before. That’s six times more than before, the ministry said in a statement, claiming that the new procedures were “really clear and open.”

The 2015 Housing Law allows foreign investment funds, foreigners with valid visas and international firms operating in Vietnam and overseas to buy unlimited residential properties with leaseholds of 50 years.

Before that they had been only eligible to buy one apartment providing they were either married to a Vietnamese national, held a managerial position or had contributed to the country.

However, earlier this week, Ho Chi Minh City's Department of Construction said only 15 foreigners had bought houses in Vietnam since the new law came into effect.

While the data remains strikingly conflicting, industry insiders have taken the ministry’s statement with a grain of salt.

Sitting in his office overlooking Hanoi’s skyscraper-dotted West Lake, Thang’s own estimate stands in the hundreds, and that’s counting since 2009 when Vietnam first opened its real estate market to foreigners. With 80,000 expats and more than four million overseas Vietnamese, that’s virtually an untapped gold mine.

“The expat community living and working in Vietnam is large, while the number of overseas Vietnamese is huge,” he said. “Many of them have money and want to own houses in the country, but only a small number are able to do it.”

The shortage of publicized projects that foreigners are eligible to buy is one of the biggest obstacles, according to industry insiders.

According to the Housing Law, developers can sell a maximum of 30 percent of units in an apartment building to foreigners, and a maximum of 250 houses in a ward. Areas considered sensitive to national defense and security are off-limits to foreign buyers.

Given the restrictions, authorities are required to publicize housing projects eligible for sale to foreigners, but in practice they don’t.

Another barrier facing foreigners and overseas Vietnamese is the lack of property title insurance, a standard document issued in many countries, said economist Nguyen Tri Hieu, who is an overseas Vietnamese.

Because of this, Hieu, who returned home eight years ago after living in the U.S. for 30 years, has been unable to buy a house.

“Unlike Vietnamese people who buy houses with their savings, expats often need bank loans," he said. “However, foreign banks will only offer a mortgage if their customers can provide property title insurance, which is unavailable in Vietnam, so they are unable to access credit.”

Hieu said many overseas Vietnamese want to buy houses in their home country. “Many old people buy houses so they can spend the rest of their lives in their homeland, while young people want to invest in the lucrative property sector.”

Hot market

In a move aimed at attracting more foreign buyers, the Ministry of Planning and Investment tabled a draft law in August suggesting that foreigners should be offered leaseholds of 99 years in special economic zones.

Vietnam has 18 special economic zones and is developing more in Quang Ninh Province near the Chinese border, the central province of Khanh Hoa, and Phu Quoc Island in the southern province of Kien Giang.

Industry insiders believe that removing more barriers would create more interest in the local housing market.

Vietnam is becoming one of the region’s hottest property markets for Hong Kong and mainland Chinese investors, as prices continue to go through the roof at home, according to the South China Morning Post.

More than 300 potential individual investors recently attended a two-day Vietnam property investment seminar in Hong Kong .

Encouraged by fast economic growth, supportive government policies and low entry costs, housing prices in the country’s two largest cities, Saigon and Hanoi, have seen considerable growth in recent years.

In Saigon, new apartment prices grew 6.9 percent in the first quarter of 2017, and 7.3 percent in Hanoi, data from real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle shows.

It now forecasts 8 to 10 percent annual growth in residential value in the country’s major cities this year.

“On the back of its economic improvement and with a GDP target of 6.7 percent in 2017, market sentiment is very positive,” said Stephen Wyatt, the country head of JLL Vietnam.

“Foreign buyers typically like the new urban districts such as Ho Chi Minh City’s District 2 and District 7,” he said. “And many investors from mainland China are hoping to see these cities replicate the same growth as Beijing and Shanghai.”

There is also a trend to buy second homes in coastal areas such as Da Nang, he added.

Neil Jensen, a financial industrial worker from Malaysia, said Vietnam would be an ideal property market for investors if legal procedures are improved.

He is looking to buy a condominium in Saigon to lease to overseas workers there.

“I will do it only when legal procedures are clearer and opener," Jensen, 34, said. "I don’t want to take risks.”



Source: evnexpress

3.25.2018

Vietnam emerging as attractive destination for foreign property investors

Property prices in Vietnam are among the best value in Southeast Asia.

Vietnam has emerged as a favored destination among foreign firms looking to invest in property, with prices standing at among the best value in Southeast Asia.

Last year, Japanese investors Nishi Nippon Railroad and Hankyu Realty hooked up with a local property firm to develop a residential project with total investment of $350 million in Ho Chi Minh City. Half of the funding came from the two Japanese firms, while the rest was put up by their local partner.

Japan’s Mitsubishi Corp. has also diversified its portfolio in Vietnam by buying into a property development project in Hanoi, which has total investment of $1.9 billion.


The company signed a partnership deal with Vietnam’s Bitexco Group after acquiring a 45 percent stake in the first phase of the former’s The Manor Central Park project in Hoang Mai District. Bitexco holds the remaining 55 percent.

This foreign interest has been attributed to high property prices in their home markets, which makes them less attractive to investors, while prices in Vietnam are still low but rising rapidly.

Luxury flat prices in cities like Hanoi have been trending upwards since 2015 but have yet to catch up with other vibrant economic hubs in Southeast Asia, South China Morning Post quoted Kingston Lai, founder and chief executive of the Asia Banker’s Club, as saying.

Luxury flat prices in Hanoi were up 50 percent in the 10 year period to 2016, while mid-market flats were up 80 percent during the same period, Lai quoted figures from real estate firm CBRE as saying.

“Today, quality residences in Hanoi’s city center, on average, are sold at only around HK$1,500 ($191.32) per square foot (100 square feet = 9.3 square meters), half of Bangkok’s level,” Lai said.

“Prices of high-quality housing will catch up with neighboring cities amid the gradual completion of infrastructure such as railways and airport expansion, and as more foreign corporations bring investments to the market,” Lai added.

There are many other factors driving foreign investment in Vietnam’s real estate market including its fast-growing economy, rapid urbanization and expanding middle-class, which is growing at the fastest pace in Southeast Asia, according to HSBC.

The bank projects Vietnam's middle class will jump from 12 million people in 2012 to 33 million by 2020.

A loosening of restrictions in the country's regulatory environment has also helped boost sales.

Last year, Vietnam eased restrictions on foreign property ownership to improve market liquidity.

The amended law went into effect in July of last year and allowed foreign investment funds, foreigners with valid visas, international firms with operations in Vietnam and overseas Vietnamese to buy residential properties.

The Vietnam Real Estate Association (VNREA) has forecast a promising outlook for the local real estate market as demand from foreign buyers drives market growth.

The number of foreigners living in the country has reached 320,000, according to the property association.

Investors with business interests in Vietnam are the most likely to buy local properties because they are attracted by potential returns of between seven and eight percent here, according to the VNREA.

Bright prospects

Neil MacGregor, managing director of property firm Savills Vietnam, said Savills expects to see a considerable amount of inbound investment into real estate in 2018, with strong interest from Japan, Korea, Singapore and increasingly China.

He said that existing free trade agreements and the ongoing discussions regarding the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), involving China, are all important drivers for continued investment.

“We have seen that trade with countries such as Japan and Korea typically comes together with FDI, importantly fueling investment into infrastructure and real estate,” he added.

Vietnam’s actual foreign direct investment reached an estimated $17 billion in 2017, the highest annual amount ever recorded by the country, according to the Foreign Investment Agency.

South Korea was the country’s biggest investor out of more than 100 countries and territories, with registered capital worth $57.5 billion, followed by Japan and Singapore.

Sharing MacGregor's opinion, Lai said: “Apple, Samsung and Microsoft have set up major plants near Hanoi, with Samsung contributing 22.7 per cent to the country’s exports in 2016. Their employees are target renters for overseas investors.”

However, it remains challenging for foreign investors to identify quality real estate investments with clear ownership, and transactions involving operating assets will remain scarce, said Neil.

Foreign investors pledged to invest $312.1 million in Vietnam’s real estate sector in the first two months of this year, according to the Foreign Investment Agency.

The sum represented 9.3 percent of pledged foreign direct investment in the country in January and February



Source: The Saigon Times

10.05.2017

Draft law doubles foreigners' realty ownership terms in Vietnam

If passed, the new law will give foreigners a 99-year lease for properties in special economic zones.
Vietnam’s government has expressed support for a new draft law that would give foreigners 99-year leaseholds on properties they buy in key investment areas.
The Ministry of Planning and Investment presented the bill to the cabinet on Wednesday, suggesting the leasehold duration for foreigners in special economic zones should be nearly doubled from the current 50 years.
Vietnam has 18 special economic zones and is developing three more in Quang Ninh Province near the Chinese border, the central province of Khanh Hoa, and Phu Quoc Island in the southern province of Kien Giang.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said the bill had been carefully drafted but needed to stand out to draw more investment to the zones.
The bill will be reviewed by the legislative National Assembly for approval this October.
Vietnam opened up its housing market to outsiders in July 2015, allowing foreign investment funds, foreigners with valid visas, and international firms operating in Vietnam and overseas to buy unlimited residential properties with a leasehold of 50 years.


There are around 82,000 foreigners working and living in Vietnam. Before the amendments to the Housing Law, each of them were elegible to buy one apartment providing they were either married to Vietnamese nationals, held managerial positions or had contributed to the country.
Industry insiders believe that easing ownership restrictions has created more interest in the local housing market, but many people complain that regulations and paperwork are still very complicated for foreign buyers.
Meanwhile, many Vietnamese are pouring money into overseas properties, particularly in the U.S., which PM Phuc says is a sign that Vietnam’s investment environment needs to improve.
Vietnamese ranks ninth among foreign buyers of residential properties in the U.S., according to the 2017 Profile of International Activity in U.S. Residential Real Estate issued by the U.S. National Association of Realtors last month.
The report said Vietnamese people spent over $3 billion buying homes across the Pacific in the year ending March 2017.

Source: e.vnexpress

7.19.2017

Why Client Should Retain Real Estate Lawyers in Vietnam?

Due to changes in law attracting foreigners to come to live, and invest in Vietnam, foreigners have growing interest in investment and acquiring real estate.  However, as real estate is valuable assets, the law on real estate ownership and real estate transactions are complicated, especially for foreigners.
Under the land ownership regime in Vietnam, land belongs to the entire people with the State acting as the owner’s representative and uniformly managing land.  Hence, in Vietnam, the land users will have the land use right without the private ownership of the land.  Land law 2013 does not allow foreigner to have land use rights in Vietnam. It only allows foreign invested enterprises to be permitted to use land through the form of land allocation or lease.

Although foreigner do not have land use rights in Vietnam, they are allowed to own houses in Vietnam under the Law on Housing. In addition, the Law on Real Estate Business has certain limitations for foreign investors to conduct real estate business in Vietnam and must meet the legal requirements.
Foreign investors investing in Vietnam wish to use the land to conduct business activities, or intend to conduct real estate business in Vietnam, or simply a foreigner wishing to purchase and own real estate in Vietnam should be aware of the legal provisions on conditions of implementation, orders and procedures to of the transactions to minimize risks.  The assistance of the lawyers on real estate in Vietnam shall be worthwhile.
Real estate lawyers in Vietnam would have in-depth knowledge of the Land Law, Law on Housing, Law on Real Estate Business and related regulations. In addition, they would have practical experience in implementing legal procedures, handling disputes, and supporting real estate transactions in Vietnam. The real estate lawyers could explain the restrictions on land use rights of foreign organizations and individuals in Vietnam and the conditions for conducting business in real estate in Vietnam.  The lawyers at request could assist the foreigners with the process and procedures to work with state agencies to obtain land use rights for enterprise and home ownership rights for individual more effectively.
When conducting transactions related to real estate such as buying, selling, transferring, renting, leasing, real estate lawyers could also provide assistance in in legal due diligence of the real estate to minimize legal risk to clients. It is important to evaluate the legal status of the property, the owner of property, whether property is in dispute, or subject to additional requirements of government before being sold by the developer and the people eligible for entering into the transaction. In addition, the lawyers in Vietnam can advise clients to draft or review the agreements, sales contract as well as the process to legalize the process to comply with the law in Vietnam.

1.10.2017

Major realty firms to be inspected

HANOI - The Ministry of Construction is going to inspect a dozen real estate companies, including major ones, a source told the Daily.

Through the periodical checks, inspectors of the ministry will clarify some issues concerning the operations of realty firms, such as their observance of law and policies on planning, quality management and real estate business in 2011-2016.



Reportedly, among the 12 property firms to be examined are those of significant scale such as Vingroup, Sun Group, FLC, Hoa Binh Group, Novaland, Muong Thanh Group, Tan Hoang Minh Group, Bitexco Group, Empire Group, Dai Quang Minh, Phu My Hung Corporation and Nam Thang Long (Cipurtra). Each of these enterprises will undergo a month-long inspection.
In particular, the ministry will look into projects of Muong Thanh Group in Hanoi and Khanh Hoa Province, Bitexco’s projects in HCMC, Cocobay Danang project of Empire, and Dai Quang Minh’s construction of four main roads in Thu Thiem New Urban Area in HCMC.

Such inspection is a regular activity of the Ministry of Construction. Nevertheless, this inspection plan has stoked public curiosity and attention since some real estate projects have recently stirred up public concerns. Particularly, Muong Thanh Group has just been examined, with a number of irregularities detected such as violating height limits.

Speaking at a review conference for 2016 last Friday, Deputy Minister of Construction Le Quang Hung said the Government had assigned his agency to review urban planning. The ministry has already ordered inspections into controversial projects in Hanoi this week.
Source The Saigon Times

12.22.2016

Experts present three scenarios for property market next year

Experts, speaking at a conference in Hanoi on Tuesday, gave three scenarios for the 2017 domestic property market, with the most likely one being that the market will move sideways. The other two scenarios are that the market will continue growing, which are the least probable, or will go down.
The conference on prospects for the real estate market next year was held by Nha Dau Tu magazine, the Vietnam Real Estate Association (VNREA) and Dau Tu newspaper in Hanoi on Tuesday.

Tran Kim Chung, vice president of the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM), told the conference that the property market would cool in the coming time as speculation has eased.
Chung said certain housing projects with a strong financial position remain attractive to homebuyers. However, real estate credit will drop since banks are tightening short-term capital for the property sector.
He said big-ticket projects costing VND5 trillion (US$224.2 million) or VND7 trillion or VND10 trillion each will become rare next year compared to 2016.
Chung suggested three scenarios for the 2017 real estate market.
First, it will be better than in 2016, which is desired by many. The scenario will only become a reality if the global economy grows well and does not enter a recession and Vietnam’s economic growth reaches its peak. Chung said this scenario would unlikely happen.
Second, the property market will move sideways with some segments plunging and some others edging higher. Chung said this is the most likely scenario but the market structure will change.
Third, the real estate market will cool if the world economy remains unstable and Vietnam’s economy faces unfavorable developments.
Do Thu Hang of Savills Vietnam said housing supply next year will stay high in both Hanoi and HCMC. Many more social housing projects will come on stream to meet rising demand of middle-income people and workers at industrial parks.
Of some 2.6 million workers at industrial parks, 75% are migrants, 75% are under 35 years old, and they have annual income of US$2,500 on average. They are potential customers of the social housing market, Hang said.
Chung of CIEM said the social housing segment would be the spotlight of the property market next year. However, the segment needs the Government’s supporting policies to grow.
Nguyen Manh Ha, vice chairman of VNREA, said the real estate market will remain stable in 2017 with the low-end and social housing segments performing better.
He said growth in the social housing and mid- and low-end segments will be impacted by State policies. Meanwhile, the shop-house and villa segments will continue attracting clients as many homebuyers prefer an independent house to an apartment.  
Source The Saigon Times
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ANT Lawyers is a reputable law firm in Vietnam with English speaking lawyers whom understand the laws of Vietnam within the business and the local culture context.

For Vietnam legal matters or services, the clients could reach ANT Lawyers, the exclusive Vietnam law firm members via email at ant@antlawyers.vn or call the telephone at +848 35202779.

12.21.2016

Real estate credit up strongly

HCMC – Bank loans for the property sector are estimated at some VND150 trillion (US$6.7 billion) this year, a 14.2% pickup from a year earlier, according the HCMC Real Estate Association (HoREA).
The 14.2% spike is the highest in recent years, HoREA said in a report. Meanwhile, the bad debt ratio stays at some 2.6%.
The association noted that HCMC-based realty developers also invest in other central and southern localities.   
Notably, outstanding consumer loans in HCMC are expected to reach VND202 trillion at the end of this month, making up 14.7% of total outstanding loans. Of the sum, over VND70 trillion are taken out by customers to build and repair houses, meaning the amount of credit for real estate is higher than reported. These bank loans should be monitored as borrowers may use them to invest in the property sector.
According to the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV), credit had grown 14.57% by end-November with Vietnam dong credit growth staying at 15.81%.
In HCMC alone, outstanding loans had amounted to VND1,374 trillion, or roughly US$60 billion, up 16.4% and accounting for the biggest proportion of the country’s total. The bad debt ratio had stood at 3.79% and may fall to 2.03% if bad debts of Ocean Bank, Vietnam Construction Bank and Global Petroleum Bank, the three ailing banks acquired by the SBV at zero dong, are excluded.
HoREA said capital inflows in the real estate sector in southern provinces and cities would continue rising in the coming time.
The association explained that private investors have injected money into the property sector in recent years. Besides, investment funds and foreign businesses have increased investment in Vietnam’s property sector via stake acquisitions, partnerships with local firms and lending.
Real estate has been among the three biggest absorbers of foreign direct investment over the years.
Incoming remittances to Vietnam stand at some US$10-13 billion per year. This year’s incoming remittances are estimated at US$5.7 billion in HCMC with 21% going to the housing sector.
However, HoREA warned that huge bank loans and private capital have been poured in the property sector, with a focus on big firms, and the number of investors on the secondary housing market has surged.   
Market watchers expressed concerns over an increase in property credit though HoREA said a real estate bubble will unlikely occur next year.
Source The Saigon Times
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ANT Lawyers is a reputable law firm in Vietnam with English speaking lawyers whom understand the laws of Vietnam within the business and the local culture context.

For Vietnam legal matters or services, the clients could reach ANT Lawyers, the exclusive Vietnam law firm members via email at ant@antlawyers.vn or call the telephone at +848 35202779.

12.19.2016

Construction ministry warns against resort real estate glut

HANOI – Investors should be cautious in resort real estate projects as the strong growth of resort real estate this year may lead to an oversupply in the future, the Ministry of Construction advised.

Resort real estate has developed strongly since 2015 with many projects mainly in Danang, Khanh Hoa and Phu Quoc opened for sale, said Pham Van Truong, head of the real estate market management office under the ministry’s Department of House and Real Estate Market Management at a review conference on the real estate market in 2016 and market trends in 2017 held by the Vietnam Association of Property Brokers last Friday.

Many resort projects have been licensed in the coastal provinces. Particularly, there were 46 licensed projects covering more than 3,000 hectares in Khanh Hoa Province and 75 licensed projects occupying more than 2,000 hectares in Vung Tau.

If all of these projects are completed, there will be hundreds of thousands of villas, leading to an oversupply in the market, Truong said.



Nguyen Quoc Khanh, board chairman of DTJ Investment and Distribution Joint Stock Co., said at the conference that resort properties have boomed this year. The number of projects opened for sale has increased sharply this year while last year saw only one to two projects put up for sale.

There have been only two projects opened for sale in Danang and Lao Cai in the fourth quarter this year, the lowest quarterly number in 2016, but in the third quarter, there were as many as 11 projects opened up for sale in Khanh Hoa, Danang and Quang Ninh.

This year has witnessed the recovery of the resort real estate market and a boom in the sector in three major destinations namely Danang, Nha Trang, and Phu Quoc. Some 35 projects with 12,000 apartments and 2,000 villas have been offered for sale, Khanh said.
Source The Saigon Times
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ANT Lawyers is a Vietnam law firm with English speaking lawyers whom understand the laws of Vietnam within the business and the local culture context.

For Vietnam legal matters or services, the clients could reach ANT Lawyers, the exclusive Vietnam law firm members via email at ant@antlawyers.vn or call the telephone at +848 35202779.