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Every once in a while we read in the travel or lifestyle press that such and such an island or destination is going to be the "New St Barts" Bluntly, it can't be done, and here's why not.

What we have is a sophisticated, cultured and luxurious island in the middle of the Caribbean that is a gourmet's delight and features some of the best hotels, high end restaurants and most fashionable clubs in the Americas sprinkled between twenty one pristine beaches surrounded by the cleanest seas there are.

In brief, St Barts is a haven for the connoisseur, seriously looking for the best things in life. There are no fast food chains, no high rises, no casinos, no strip clubs, no all-inclusive resorts and while cruise ships do visit, they are kept at a discrete distance.

So how would one go about creating a "New St Barts"? On the one hand recreating the geographical and historical circumstances that gave rise to St Barts would be a tricky task.

For those of you who don't know the island, a brief outline: 8 square miles of island about 17 degrees north of luxury the equator, colonized by French pioneers in the 17th century displacing the Arawaks, the indigenous Amerindian population.

There is no natural source of fresh water on St Barts, therefore no effective agriculture, and while the island was indeed a slave trading port back days and there were slaves in those dark, there were no sizeable slave based industries, such as sugar or tobacco. The attempts at agriculture that were tried were doubly foiled by hurricanes and drought.

As such, what you end up with is not the typical Caribbean notion of plantations and manor houses with the population split according to their race. Instead you have a predominately French people farming as best they can in the countryside, with the English speaking Afro-Caribbean population concentrated in Gustavia, the capital city. That there was fishing goes without saying, and even an amount of piracy, Gustavia being a free port and a convenient place to sell your booty.

St Barts became Sweden's only colony between 1784 and 1878 and this has left its mark on the architecture and street names in Gustavia as well as continuing cultural links. Because of the link with Sweden, St Barts remains a free port to this day.

From pretty much that time until the 1950s St Barts was pretty much forgotten about. Becoming officially fully part of the French Republic in 1946, the island was dependent on Guadeloupe and passed unnoticed until the arrival of the Rockefellers and Rothschilds in the 1950s and became a famed and inaccessible retreat for American high society. This is not a typical history for a Caribbean island.

Since then the island has purposefully courted the upper end of the tourism market, the reasoning being pure logic: the island is tiny.

The bulk of the island remains in the hands of the descendants of the French settlers, simply known as Saint-Barths. At a rough estimate the Saint-Barths make up around half of the population, the other half being mainly metropolitan French with a sprinkling of other Europeans and surprisingly few year round American residents.

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2. Lock through an Erie Canal lock. Sitting at the bottom of a lock chamber in a kayak makes you feel mighty small. The noises of the lock tender shifting gears and the lock doors clanking and grinding as they open and close is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, not to be missed. Just be sure to take a pair of gloves to protect your hands as you hold onto the cable that runs from top to bottom in the lock. Locks can be found in Macedon, Palmyra, Newark, Lyons, Clyde, Galen, Montezuma, Seneca Falls, and Clay. 3. Chimney Bluffs is a glacial moraine that has been cut into artistic peaks and spires along the shore of Lake Ontario by the forces of wind and water. On a calm day, paddle along the shore of Lake Ontario and gaze up in wonder at this work of natural art. 4. Sand dunes in New York State? You bet! Paddle Deer Creek to Lake Ontario and near the shore you'll pass through a series of sand dunes. 5. Paddle under the Erie Canal. Nine Mile Creek flows under the Erie Canal which is carried high overhead in an arched aqueduct. Now, where else can you do that? 6. Paddle through Ninemile Swamp on the Sangerfield River where wildlife and wildflowers will be your escort. This is a true escape into nature.

Maps and details for each of these special experiences and others can be found in the guidebook "Take A Paddle - luxury  Finger Lakes New York Quiet Water for Canoes & Kayaks."

Docile Streams of the Finger Lakes Region

"Flat water" is the technical lingo for docile streams that drift along with a gentle or nonexistent current. Without major drops in elevation, they don't plummet over waterfalls or roil in rapids. You can drift down them with a leisurely paddle and not worry too much about sharp turns or impediments along the way. Of course, even the most docile stream can get a blown down tree from a storm or become an angry torrent with enough rain or snow melt. Generally, if you're looking for a docile stream you should limit your paddling to summer and fall.

Docile streams also lend themselves to two-way travel. Without a strong current you can paddle both upstream and downstream. This means you don't have to hassle with spotting a car or arranging for a shuttle.

The Finger Lakes region teems with docile streams that wander through gorgeous countryside. Here are a few of my favorites:

1. Circumnavigate an island. Using a section of the Erie Canal and a remote loop of the Seneca River you can paddle 10.7 miles around Howland Island. This is part of the Northern Montezuma Wildlife Management Area so be sure to take your binoculars for the excellent bird watching opportunities. 2. The Erie Canal today is wide and deep - dredged years ago to allow passage of barges. But remnants of the old, smaller canal still exist. One such segment runs between Dewitt and Canastota and is called the Old Erie Canal. You can paddle all 17 miles or choose a smaller segment. Along the way you will traverse through aqueducts over creeks and have to duck under bridges. Just like the famous Erie Canal song says, it's "low bridge everybody down." 3. Rent boats at Puddledockers in Ithaca and paddle the Cayuga Lake Inlet. There's much to look at along the way and you can even stop at the docks enroute to enjoy a meal, a drink, or ice cream. 4. West River Marsh at the south end of Canandaigua Lake is a lazy stream that can be paddled year-round, except when frozen. Enjoy the peace and quiet tucked below the towering hills that surround Canandaigua Lake.

Maps and details for each of these docile streams and others can be found in the guidebook "Take A Paddle - Finger Lakes New York Quiet Water for Canoes & Kayaks."

Kayaking & Camping In the Finger Lakes / Central Region of NY State

One of the things I love about kayaking is the opportunity it affords me to escape into nature, away from motorboats, away from throngs of people, and away from man-made noise. By combining camping and kayaking you can extend the escape and submerse yourself in nature. Some wonderful opportunities for these escapes exist in the Finger Lakes region. But first, camping needs to be sub-divided into two distinct experiences. The first is the use of campgrounds where you can set up a tent or use a camper and enjoy the luxury of a shower after a day of paddling. As drawbacks, you won't escape the noise and throngs of people and there is a cost involved. Primitive camping, on the other hand, is free and offers solitude and quiet, but you have to be willing to forego showers and flush toilets. You choose.

Campgrounds:

1. Stay at Fairhaven Beach State Park and paddle Sterling Creek. Fairhaven Beach State Park is a spectacular 1,400-acre site with nearly two miles of Lake Ontario shoreline. A stay here can combine shoreline walks, hikes on trails, and paddling on Sterling Pond and Sterling Creek. The creek is easy to paddle both upstream and down so you won't need to hassle with a shuttle. Be sure to take along binoculars. A swamp called "The Moat" abuts the creek and is teeming with hawks, herons, ducks, geese, turtles and frogs.

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Unless you've hidden under a rock for the past few years you know that we've gone through one heck of an economic trauma. Now that the "experts" are pointing to recovery, we have the dubious luxury of looking back over our collective business shoulders to assess what was lost and perhaps more importantly, what we have learned.

In some respects, there has been a silver lining to the economic shakeout. One positive result of the downturn has been that it has forced companies to truly scrutinize their operations and P&L's to eliminate waste, redundancy, fat, etc., while looking for ways to be more efficient at lowing overall expense. So if the first half of the crisis was panic, shock, large paper and real losses, etc., the second half of the down cycle has been characterized by companies systematically tightening their economic belts. These actions collectively are described by such terms as "downsizing", "right-sizing", (and I love this one) "positioning for growth". At this point, most smart companies have or are nearing completion on the efforts to remove cost from the business such that their cost models are in line with their revenue models.

It is no coincidence that as the economic experts are now projecting that we're at or near the bottom of the crisis curve that newly lean cost structured companies are slowly turning their attention luxury back to top line revenue growth. This somewhat predictable phenomenon has/will create a huge demand for answers as to how to drive those increased revenue aspirations. Topics that have been largely ignored by the majority of businesses in the midst of economic crisis such as; Branding, Positioning, Sales Force Optimization, Market Share, Competitive Strategy/Differentiation, etc., are not only in vogue, but critical to long term success.

This natural evolution of the macro business cycle will create a boon market for companies focused on providing their customers with strategies and executable tactical plans to drive increased sales. Both strategic marketing/sales consultancies (strategic plan elements, branding strategy, positioning, etc.) and tactical marketing implementation companies (providing services such as event management, collateral, e-marketing, etc.) should find customers hungry for their services.

The key for CEO's and entrepreneurs will be to keep their pursuit for growth in check and not get caught up in a revenue land-grab (revenue and market share at all cost!) by remembering the lessons of the recent past and keeping a corporate fiscal balance between growth and their newly optimized cost structures. Spending on growth is critical but requires the checks and balances of prudent financial decision making. I'm sure many of my friends who have grown up on the Sales/Marketing side of the house are cringing a bit by this message and I'll be railed out of town as a traitorous heretic in the traditional battle between the sales/marketing teams and the company financial watchdogs. If any lesson was taken away from the current downturn, it must be fiscal prudence in light of the allure of top line revenue growth opportunities. Just as an alluring temptress needs to be approached only with certain protections, seductive potential returns need to be considered from a holistic corporate perspective.

The goal is not just top line revenue growth and market share expansion, but "good" growth and expansion. "Good" means sales at the appropriate margin and overall growth that makes sense balanced with the needs and capabilities of the entire enterprise. Those of you who have been around long enough to recall the lessons of the Dot-com crash will relate easily to this message.

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Gurgaon became popular as an IT town of India with large scale companies like Infosys, NIIT and Oracle and many more leading business firms are in the close proximity. The largest city in Delhi/NCR, Gurgaon enjoys the close vicinity to the National Capital Delhi and by itself a part of the National Capital region and also considered as part of Delhi/NCR region. As a result, high-rise apartments with grand amenities have shown a massive demand with top developers investing in group housing projects here.

The real estate developers such as Omaxe, Unitech, Mahagun, Ansals, Amrapali etc. ensures of every high-profile amenity to the home-seeker that make your life interesting. Many other real estate firms have been planned to develop some residential and commercial properties for the future. With each passing day, real estate sector is improving because of these top rated developers fueling large money into this sector. Although like most of Delhi/NCR the appreciation of Gurgaon properties in residential housing projects is rising as compared to other cities.

In addition to this, the Gurgaon city is currently experiencing an end user driven market and also, it boast of one of the most affordable localities in the national Capital Region. The real estate situation is said to improve the region with a number of new launching projects in luxury  Gurgaon in accordance with NH-8, Mahavir chowk flyover. This might catch the attention of many buyers so that they considered Gurgaon as a great investment option. Even more, improved connectivity will surely help in price appreciation and rate of return on investment, which is currently high. Noida, Greater Noida and Gurgaon are the 3 cities that have opened the ways of growth and development in Delhi/NCR area but developers have chosen Gurgaon to invest in-as it is highly in demand with its connectivity to nearby locations have made the builders purchase luxury apartments and further develop it for commercial and residential purpose.

The annual appreciation in the Gurgaon region has been recorded to 15 to 18%. The region has many of the finest integrated housing projects and some luxury units. Moreover, small builders in Gurgaon have limited resources to execute big scale residential and commercial projects, but top builders like Lotus Greens Developers has been successful in completion of their new upcoming projects. Many of the real estate builders are targeting to lower and middle income group individuals in terms of sales.

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Yes, private living communities have been there for many years now, but now there's a huge trend and it can be said that we are seeing a new pattern of social living. Private community living may be traced back to 1888 when an exclusive private community housing was launched in the form of a housing project called the Tuxedo Park, a few hour's drive from New York City that grew as an enclave of mansions and manicured greens to house the then millionaires. Then there was also the Llewellyn Park in West Orange, N.J., which was another private community favored by the elite and the celebrities such as Thomas Edison and others. However, the current trend in the country shows a marked tendency towards private communities linked with golf or a similar pastime.It may be difficult for others to realize how deeply a golfer gets attached to the course and how much he/she cherishes to live around it, but for the person truly attached to the sport, it is the ideal haven. In fact so much can be the attachment that the golfer may want to keep staying here for the rest of his/her life. Golfing communities are naturally thus where all such people flock to. Golfers would obviously love them, but there are many non-golfers too who adore these communities, and this is because of many reasons. They are attracted by the calm and the peace, the serenity, the rolling greens and the manicured lawns - all contributing to make these places little heavens. Privacy and security is always a concern and since these are gated communities, there are professionals who look into this - the members can thus relax knowing that they are in good hands.It is thus not a surprise at all that more than 8 million people and that too just in the US since 2000 have opted for such community living. There are gated entryways, security guards, round-the-clock checking and electronic visitor identification, all to new launch project  make the members feel safe. Plus, you will also find clubhouses, postal facilities and community areas such parks and maintained residential roads and above everything, people who come from the same background. Thus we see that there are many reasons why so many people want to stay in such a private community.There are architectural firms and real estate agents as well who are busy coming up with more such properties to meet the increase in demand. Perhaps we will soon a day when it will no longer be attractive to stay at a singular dwelling home and so more people would want to move in to a private residential community.In the earlier days, you would have found a private community in a sunshine state like Florida. This is however not true anymore. Today you will come across such a community almost everywhere in the US. But do check out the details of your community before selecting because there are many that cater to people with distinct preferences.

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Enjoying an impressive location in the West of Mumbai, Goregaon has grown into a real estate hotspot. Though initially known for its low and mid-end projects, the locality now hosts some of the world-class luxury projects of the 'Dream City' Mumbai. Lately, Property in Goregaon West is attracting a lot of investor attention largely owing to its proximity to the posh locations of Western suburb like Andheri and Powai. Counted among the swanky areas of Mumbai, this neighbourhood offers opulence at a comparatively affordable rate.

Three main reasons can be attributed to why this residential belt is gaining so much popularity among investors and end-customers.

Great connectivity via Western Express Highway

The first reason as to why the launch of New Residential Project in Goregaon West is rising at a fast pace is its excellent connectivity features. Bordered by the Western Express Highway, the place offers hassle-free accessibility from the commercial locations on its North and South. The highway connects it directly to the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. Phase II of Mumbai Metro will reach the far-off corners of Goregaon, thus new launch project  taking the connectivity to a next level. A flyover connecting the locality to the Eastern Express Highway has also been proposed.

Large scale commercial development

Another reason that results in the popularity of Property in Goregaon West is its excellent social infrastructure. The surroundings are replete with high tech malls and multiplexes and other commercial developments. The famous film city is also in close proximity to the location. Several entertainment avenues and food chain outlets are also situated within the area and around it. All these factors add to the quality of life in the location and improve its investment potential. After the coming of metro, more commercial development is expected in the location.

Affordable as compared to the surrounding posh addresses

Since the locality is surrounded by swanky areas of Andheri, Borivali and Powai, developers are coming up with New Residential Project in Goregaon West that belong to the affordable category. Moreover, it will still take some time for this micro-market to compete with the nearby locations in terms of prices. This works out in favor of the city as mid-segment buyers are flocking around the location.

Oberoi Realty, Sunteck Realty and RNA Corp. are a few renowned builders who have launched their luxury projects along the belt. Besides the high-rise development, bungalows and penthouses can also be seen in the location. Because of the three main reasons mentioned above, this locality is growing as a highly anticipated real estate investment destination.

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The climate, long sandy beaches, good shopping options, the local & international restaurants as well as visiting the night markets and its relatively competitive prices on houses and condos compared to Bangkok, Phuket, Koh Samui or Pattaya.

Distance wise, it is also only 2 to 2.5 hours drive from Bangkok on the mostly multi lane highways.

The town's atmosphere - being royal and kind of "low key" so people who don't like active nightlife such as in Phuket and Pattaya will find Hua Hin a refreshing alternative. Its close proximity to national parks, such as Sam Roy Yod and Kaeng Krachang is also a major plus.

Hua Hin is also becoming more "international" with English speaking hospitals, and supermarkets which sell a variety of local/foreign foods and goods. To further absorb new housing developments in town, there is also a requirement for improvements in areas such as water supplies, sewage system, flood prevention system etc. The good new launch project  news is that these projects are all part of the election platform of the newly elected mayor of Hua Hin. Therefore, we can expect some improvements in the near future to this rapidly growning beach town.

Hua Hin has always been very popular amongst Scandinavian property buyers. Other nationalities include Germans, English, Dutch who are looking to purchase retirement and holiday homes.

There is also a large market for Thai purchasers who see Hua Hin as a close weekend getaway from Bangkok and an excellent opportunity for the purchase of a second home.

One of the current trends is the emergence of luxury villas here. Hua Hin used to focus on low to mid range properties between 2 -7 million baht, however, we now see many more new launches of luxurious villas and condominiums selling for over 15 million recently.

We are also witnessing some new types of properties such as serviced apartments, condos with full rental management, resort ownership with rental income guarantee, fractional ownership, etc. Many of the clients are in their 40s and 50s and still working, thus they can only spend a few weeks of the year staying in their properties, but require some kind of rental income to absorb the ongoing maintenance costs and hopefully make a bit of additional income to pay for the airfare and out of pocket expenses. Thus, the concept of renting out their holiday home is a very attractive choice for them and one that is becoming an increasing motivation for foreign buyers to look to Hua Hin when investing in Thailand real estate.

Maddy Barber is the co-founder of Hua Hin Finder, a real estate agency specialising in Hua Hin property rentals, as well as condo sales. The agency has been finding homes for expats in Hua Hin, Thailand for over 5 years now and whether you are looking to buy or rent a property in this serene beach town, just 2 hours drive from Bangkok, you will find it here.

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There are many options of housing facilities being launched by the builders in the property market. The variety of apartments includes smaller, spacious; luxurious, affordable; high-rise, low-rise; furnished, unfurnished.

There are innumerable developers in our country who are launching different types of residential facilities such as flats, apartments, independent houses, builder floors. If you want to buy a flat there are some guidelines to do it.

Plan your budget: The very first thing is to plan your budget before you start your search for the housing facility. Plan your requirement: The next important thing is to clearly visualize your specifications. You need to decide the kind of residential facility you want to dwell in. Your preference is a high-rise flat or a low-rise builder floor. You want a 2/3bhk or a more spacious dwelling. Try to stick to your budget even while deciding on your preferences.

Seek help: You may search and view the various kinds of housing facilities from the internet websites. The local property dealers may also help you in providing information of the various new launch projects or the older properties on sale.

A reliable agent: Always ensure the reputation of the agent whom you are dealing with and ask beforehand the commissions charged by him to avoid any hassle at a later stage.

A suitable location: The next significant aspect is to finalize a suitable location to buy an apartment. The locations near the city center or premium locations are generally expensive whereas the locations Verdale on the city outskirts or the areas undergoing development are cheaper. Such far areas may not be suitable for immediate settlement but is perfect for investment.

Cash or loan: you need to decide beforehand that your budget allows you the complete payment on purchase or you need to borrow loan. In case you are planning to borrow loan, get in touch with a loan officer to check the details of EMI, loan eligibility, interest rates etc.

All the major Indian cities are offering variety of flats to be purchased. A flat in Gurgaon, a leading city is expensive but is a very lucrative investment.

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The business sector has been quick to take advantage of the demand for real estate by foreigners who are moving to Panama. Projects to accommodate the influx are mushrooming in the form of high-rise condominiums in the city, spreading along the Pacific coast and appearing on islands, in rural settings and in the mountains.

The trend began in Bocas del Toro several years ago. Boquete then soared into the limelight with endorsements from U.S. retirement publications and the construction of the Valle Escondido complex.

Now the demand is spreading, not just to other areas of the Chiriqui highlands such as Volcan and Cerro Punta, but to Panama City and the mountains and beaches to the west of the city from Chorrera to San Carlos.

On the following paragraphs, we offer a resumé of some of the projects under way.

El Alcázar de Coronado Coronado Resort, on the beach 80 km west of Panama City, one of the best known, and longest-established developments in Panama, has launched a new residential complex, "El Alcázar", designed for the growing community of foreign retirees and relocating families in Panama. Its most striking feature is a 21-story con-dominium overlooking Coronado's superb golf course.

El Alcázar offers 64 four-bedroom residences with ample balconies offering vistas of the Pacific Ocean and the Verdale  forest-clad hills of the Continental Divide. There will be 24-hour security, a heliport, a modern emergency alarm system, connections for internet and cable TV and two central air conditioning units.

Residents of El Alcázar will be entitled to free membership at Coronado's golf, beach and equestrian clubs, in addition to the resort's Full Wellness Spa (the therapists of which are trained in alternative medicine at the prestigious Uplledger Craneal Sacral Institute) and other facilities. Owners also will also have the right to rent their apartments to third parties.

Tucan Country Club A haven for golf and nature aficionados, it is possible that golfers and residents will see not only toucans, but plenty of wildlife, at the Tucan Country Club since this magnificent course and residential development is bounded by virgin rainforest on one side and the Panama Canal on the other.

The Tucan Country Club and Resort is being developed on the old 180 acre Horoko Golf Club, used by the U.S. military during their occupation of the Canal area ( the name Horoko was an adaptation of the names of the forts of Howard, Rodman and Kobbe)

The old course, laid out in the 1940's, has been redesigned as a superb par 72 championship course and will be the focus for a comprehensive development which will incorporate 500 homes, a hotel, clubhouse with indoor and outdoor dining facilities, meeting rooms, ballroom, men's and women's club bars and social areas for events.

The complex will include a full-service gym, spa and tennis club and a shopping arcade with services like bank, laundry, pharmacy, beauty salons, auto rental and gourmet mini-super.

This will be a gated community for members only. In fact a pre-requisite for purchasers of the villas, townhouses and terrace condos at Tucan Resort will be membership. Prices including lifetime membership range from $198,000 to over $800,000. Non-residents will be able to buy a lifetime membership for $25,000.

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If you are concerned about the fashion news, you must know that recently Gucci has launched the Gucci Icon-Temporary Project. Gucci is planning to open its flash sneaker stores in six or seven locations around the world, such as Art Basil Miami Beach, staying open for two or three weeks in each spot. The first stop on the tour will be Crosby Street in SoHo on Oct. 23. Other stops will include London, Berlin, Paris, Hong Kong and Tokyo.

Gucci Icon-Temporary sneakers contain 18 exclusive styles, 16 for men and 2 for women. They feature classic Gucci design elements, such as the GG log and a stylized version of the Gucci red-green web details. Each shoe has an embroidered "Limited Edition" label inside and a silver or gold metal dog tag hanging from the laces. Leather tags on shoe laces can be customized and embossed with a shopper's initials. Besides, Gucci invited Mark Ronson, one of the world finest DJs, music producers and sneaker enthusiasts, to design the Gucci Ronson sneakers. At every leg of the itinerant project, a new Gucci Ronson version will be introduced. He said,"I spent many, many years as an avid sneaker collector, so I wanted to make sure these Gucci shoes were truly special from an aesthetic and collectable point of view," And a 12-inch vinyl record of limited edition tracks will be given to customers who buy Gucci Ronson sneakers as a gift.

The motivation for Gucci to launch such project may be the recession of luxury retailers. Gucci is looking for high-impact, lower-cost methods of generating interest in the brand, especially among style leaders who may not be moved by conventional forms of advertising. Another reason may be the success of Kanye West and Louis Vuitton Sneaker this year. The Singapore property market was Verdale  on a roll in 2010. As quickly as new condominiums sprouted up, they appear to have been almost as quickly absorbed by the market. This seems especially so for mass market housing, which contributed a large percentage of the over 16,000 new units sold in 2010.

A Look Back at the Singapore Property Market in 2010

According to official URA (Urban Redevelopment Authority) data, prices of private residential property in Singapore climbed a massive 17.6 percent in 2010, surpassing the previous high (achieved in 1996) in the 2nd quarter, and continuing to trend upward after that. However, the price gain of 2.7 percent in Q4 was the smallest in the last six quarters, with the exception of the high-end luxury segment that had been underperforming the general market over the last two years. This segment rose 2.3 percent in the last quarter, compared to 1.6 percent in Q3, due to renewed interest in high-end homes. This has pushed luxury home prices to a new record, overtaking the previous peak in 2008.

Industry players attribute this rise to the strong Singapore economy and low interest rates, that is again attracting foreign buyers back into the market after an anticipated drop in prices did not materialize. The number of residential units bought by foreigners increased 14 percent in 2010, contributed in part by the more stringent property ownership rules in China and Hong Kong that is channeling clients here, who are parking their money in Singapore property instead. In summary, while the few rounds of cooling measures by the Singapore government in 2010 appear to have moderated price increases, they do not appear to have dampened demand for Singapore property. The estimated 16,000 or so new private homes sold last year is a new record.

Singapore Property Market in 2011

Industry experts say the outlook remains strong for this year, though overall prices increases may moderate to between 3 to 10 percent. But they are more optimistic about high-end homes, saying that this sector could rise by between 5 to 10 percent, due to the increasing anti-speculation measures in the region, especially in China, that are diverting funds here. Mainland Chinese form the fastest growing segment of foreign buyers. Prices of mass-market homes, on the other hand, would likely increase by less than 5 percent.