Dienstag, 30. September 2008

Baustart für 21 Millionen-Projekt "Living 106" in Berlin-Mitte

Vivacon bietet 54 neuartige Serviced Apartments für Manager unter der Marke "Living Domicil"


Köln/Berlin (ots) - Die Vivacon AG, Köln, hat jetzt in Berlin-Mitte mit den Erdarbeiten den Baustart für ihr Projekt "Living 106" mit einem Volumen von rund 21 Millionen Euro gegeben. In der Chausseestraße entstehen im Alt- und Neubau 54 moderne Serviced Apartments sowie 20 hochwertige Eigentumswohnungen und eine Gewerbeeinheit auf insgesamt 5.300 Quadratmetern Nutzfläche. Die Fertigstellung ist für Mitte 2010 vorgesehen.

Die neuartigen Serviced Apartments unter dem Namen "LivingDomicil" sind komplett eingerichtet und beinhalten Rundum-Services wie Reinigungs-, Sicherheits- und Besorgungsangebote. Zielgruppe sind insbesondere Manager, die berufsbedingt Wochenendpendler sind und eine echte Alternative zum 4 oder 5 Sterne-Hotel suchen. "Der Umzug des BND in die Chausseestraße betrifft zudem rund 4000 Angestellte sowie zahlreiche Dienstleister", sagt Michael Ries, Vorstand der Vivacon AG. "Dies macht die Apartments insbesondere für Kapitalanleger zu einer hochattraktiven Investition", so Ries weiter. Die Einrichtung der Apartments übernimmt die Domicil Möbel GmbH, mit der die Vivacon AG kürzlich eine exklusive Partnerschaft hierzu geschlossen hat.

Domicil wird das Immobilienangebot "Living Domicil" in seinen Einrichtungshäusern, Magazinen sowie anderen Marketingmedien bewerben. Weitere Serviced Apartments bietet die Vivacon AG im Rahmen des Projekts "Luisenstadt" ebenfalls in Berlin.

Zudem werden im "Living 106" auch Eigentumswohnungen mit Wohnflächen von 67 bis zu 211 Quadratmetern entstehen. Die Pläne der Vivacon AG sehen klassische Altbauwohnungen sowie Penthouses vor. "Living 106 richtet sich auch an Eigennutzer, die eine besondere Wohnung in der Stadt suchen. Rückzugsoasen wie Dayspa und Asia Garten sowie modernes Design machen das Wohnen hier zu einem außergewöhnlichen Erlebnis", führt Michael Ries aus.

Die SDAX notierte Vivacon AG ist bundesweit führend bei Revitalisierung und Verkauf denkmalgeschützter Immobilien. Auch vertreibt sie bundesweit exklusiv unter der Marke "yoo Deutschland" von Designer Philippe Starck konzeptionierte Eigentumswohnungen und bietet darüber hinaus Neubau-Eigentumswohnungen in absoluten Top-Lagen deutscher Metropolen an. Zudem ergänzen jetzt auch hochrentable Full-Service-Apartments unter dem Label "LivingDomicil" für Manager und "MyStudio" für Studenten das Produktangebot. Daneben ist die Vivacon AG in marktführender Position als Investment- und Asset Manager für Wohnimmobilienbestände sowie in der Entwicklung und Anwendung innovativer Erbbaurechtskonzepte in wohnwirtschaftlichem, gewerblichem und kommunalem Sektor. Die Curanis Gruppe - eine 80%ige Tochtergesellschaft der Vivacon AG - betreut an über 250 Standorten in Deutschland mehr als 58.000 Wohn- und Gewerbeeinheiten mit einem Marktvolumen von 4,5 Milliarden Euro.

ots Originaltext: Vivacon AGIm Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.ch
Pressekontakt:

Pressekontakt:presse@vivacon.de, Tel. 0221-1305621-783, Fax 0221-1305621-952, www.vivacon.de

HermesMedien, kathrin.ulshoefer@hermesmedien.de, Tel. 0221-130808-555, Fax 0221-130808-640

quelle: http://www.presseportal.ch/de/pm/100002905/100570468/vivacon_ag

Freitag, 26. September 2008

Paradiso immobiliare a Berlino

L’Est della città è diventato un nuovo must. Vi hanno preso casa Brad Pitt e Angiolina Jolie e cerca un’abitazione Lapo Elkann

Sembra essere il nuovo paradiso immobiliare con il suo dinamismo e le sue ambiguità, Berlin Mitte, l’area a Est della città tedesca. Tanto che vi sta cercando casa Lapo Elkann, che segue l’iniziativa di star del cinema come Brad Pitt e Angiolina Jolie.
Questa nuova tendenza, che sta attirando investitori da tutto il mondo, è dovuta alla crescita dell’area e dell’intera città, in pieno fermento culturale, tra gallerie d’arte, moda, ristoranti di tendenza e show room. Numerosi gli esempi architettonici di pregio tra cui un grattacielo progettato da Renzo Piano.

Repubblica.it – Affari e Finanza

fonte: http://www.luxgallery.it/articolo/paradiso-immobiliare-a-berlino/5228/

Freitag, 19. September 2008

VIVICO will für über 300 Mio. Euro Hotels in Berlin bauen

Über 300 Mio. Euro will die Vivico, Frankfurt/Main, in einen neuen Hotelstandort am Berliner Hauptbahnhof pumpen. Im so genannten Lehrter Stadtquartier sind je ein Drei-, Vier- und Fünf-Sterne-Haus mit jeweils rund 20.000 qm Bruttogeschossfläche geplant. Ergänzend baut die zur österreichischen CA Immo gehörende Gesellschaft ein Kongresszentrum auf das Areal mit ca. 3.500 Plätzen. Bis Ende des Jahres sollen die Betreiber für alle vier Vorhaben gefunden sein. Noch 2009 soll mit den Bauarbeiten begonnen werden; auf 2012 ist die Fertigstellung terminiert. Für das einzige Baufeld am künftigen Hotelstandort, das nicht von der Vivico selbst entwickelt wird, ist mit der Meininger Gruppe ein Betreiber für ein Zwei-Sterne-Haus gefunden. Finanzielle Verantwortung übernimmt der Berliner Investor High Gain House Investment Gruppe. Baustart ist noch Ende diesen Jahres.

quelle: http://www.immobilien-zeitung.de/htm/news.php3?id=29725&rubrik=2&pb=1

Donnerstag, 18. September 2008

'Creative Class' Could Fuel Berlin Boom

A new study ranks Berlin at the top for social tolerance, tech development, and talent, suggesting it's poised for a boom driven by the creative class

Every city has its ups and downs, some more extreme than others. Berlin was divided by a war, with the West heavily subsidized for decades after industry fled to other parts of the country and the East artificially propped up by a Communist regime. After the fall of the Wall, the job market collapsed with soaring unemployment rates on both sides of the city. Attracted by dirt cheap prices, though, creative types in recent years have been flocking to the city.
Klaus Wowereit, Berlin's mayor, recently made headlines by describing his city as "poor but sexy."

A new report, though, suggests Berlin may soon be able to shed the poverty label. It turns out that Germany's capital, home to a population of 3.4 million, has the greatest potential for growth amongst all of Germany's 16 states. The conclusions come from a nationwide study, "Talent, Technology, and Tolerance -- Where Germany Has A Future" (also known as the TTT study), undertaken by the Berlin Institute for Population and Development and financed by the non-profit Robert Bosch Stiftung. "Berlin has the best starting conditions in Germany," said Reiner Klingholz, director of the institute. "The only way is up from here."

Berlin came out No. 1 in the study, which ranked German states based on talent, technology and tolerance -- the three criteria co-author Steffen Kröhnert said "generate the conditions necessary for economic growth and employment."

The Rise of the Creative Class

Kröhnert's team based its work on the theory of growth potential developed by American economist Richard Florida of the University of Toronto, author of the 2003 book "The Rise of the Creative Class." Florida observed that the values of the emerging creative class would determine where jobs would be created and where future investments would be directed. The "creative core of this new class," he writes, "includes scientists and engineers, university professors, poets and novelists, artists, entertainers, actors, designers and architects."
A gathering of such minds in one city, the theory goes, is a determining factor of its population's prosperity. "Education and creative talent are the most important capital in highly developed societies today," state the authors of the report. "In a globalized world, a modern society cannot get by without talent, technology and tolerance."

Berlin has a burgeoning scene of creative professions. "Germany is changing from an industrial society to a creative knowledge society," Klingholz told SPIEGEL ONLINE.

Additionally, the city invests more in research and development than any other state. Nevertheless, R&D money is invested more efficiently in states like Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, which register far more patents and score a technology index rating nearly twice as high as that of Berlin. "Berlin achieves very little, despite considerable effort," Klingholz said. "There's a lot of room for development here."

Yet it's the total index -- all three Ts -- that counts. And as all three factors must be combined for the overall ranking, "Berlin possesses a lot of development potential."

Eastern German States Fare Worst

One thing that sets Berlin apart from many of the other states is that it is a tremendously tolerant city -- far-right parties and sentiment get very little traction there. Meanwhile, a large immigrant community -- including hundreds of thousands of residents of Turkish origin -- also contributes to Berlin's high grade on the tolerance scale.

Germany's second largest city, the northern port city-state of Hamburg, came in second place, followed by Baden-Wurttemberg (home to Stuttgart, where Daimler and Porsche are based).
Finishing at the bottom of the study were the eastern German states of Saxony, Brandenburg, Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt -- all states that are experiencing brain drains, with the best and brightest heading to places with high TTT marks.

Economically depressed Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, birthplace of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, came in at the tail end of the study.

Provided by Spiegel Online—Read the latest from Europe's largest newsmagazine

source: http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/oct2007/gb20071010_858418.htm?chan=search

Il Boom del Mercato Immobiliare di Berlino

(ANSA) - BERLINO - Non si ferma il boom del mercato immobiliare di Berlino. A conferma del trend, la societa' statale Liegenschaftsfonds Berlin ha venduto una superficie complessiva di un milione di metri quadrati, contro i 700mila del 2006. ''Nei primi sei mesi dell'anno abbiamo realizzato rendimenti piu' alti, concludendo un minor numero di contratti rispetto allo scorso anno'', ha detto l'amministratore delegato Lippmann, spiegando che cio' e' avvenuto perche' sono stati venduti immobili prestigiosi, ma anche perche' i prezzi del mercato immobiliare sono aumentati significativamente. ''Grazie a questi risultati - ha aggiunto Lippmann - siamo in grado di trasferire 157 milioni di euro allo Stato, ossia 87 milioni in piu' rispetto al 2006''. Tra le vendite piu' significative, si segnala quella relativa a tre ex case di riposo in uno dei quartieri centrali di Berlino. Liegenschaftsfonds Berlin e' una societa' fondata nel 2001, con lo scopo di vendere proprieta' statali. Da allora ha concluso circa 3mila contratti di vendita, per un ammontare di 1,2 miliardi di euro e una superficie di 6,8 milioni di metri quadrati.
fonte: http://www.demaniore.it/opencms/opencms/demanioRe/homePageSezione/attualita/dal-mondo/home/DM10-1187022028411.html?breadCrumb=dettaglio

Mittwoch, 17. September 2008

Financial Crisis will not have large impact on Germany and Berlin Real Estate

The financial crisis in the United States continues to dominate the headlines in Germany on Wednesday, with news that the government in Washington would provide a bailout package to insurance giant AIG after its near collapse. Earlier this week, after the US government refused to come to the rescue of investment banking firm Lehman Brothers, many had wondered whether Washington might also take a hands-off approach to AIG.

Although the market meltdown in the US is likely to have some impact on Germany, most editorialists on Wednesday urge calm — with one major paper even stating that the national economy will continue to grow. Most are united in their view that, once the dust settles, financial markets will be a lot more transparent after this fiasco…

The business daily Financial Times Deutschland writes:

“The earthquake on Wall Street may have the walls shaking at some European financial institutions, but there is no acute threat of collapse here. So far, there is no evidence that the finance crisis is having any real impact on the German economy. Credit continues to flow; and the loss of capital has not been extraordinary. Nor have companies and consumers been forced to lower their consumption. So the good news is that Germany and Europe are not having economic trouble because of the finance crisis. The bad news, however, is that they still have an economic problem.”

The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung uses the German economy as its jumping off point, noting that the latest crisis is likely to fuel calls for the government to create a spending program aimed at boosting growth as Berlin begins debating the federal budget.

“At the start of the federal budget debate, Finance Minister Peer Steinbrück is walking a tightrope — he has to address the growing risks without painting too dark a picture. He has so far rejected a economic stimulus package despite support for one in some corners of his party. In fact, there are no reasons to justify a package. The German economy is in better shape than that of the US, Britain or Spain, which had their roots in the burst real estate bubble. Even if the forecast for next year is now worse than it was a shot time ago, the German economy will still continue to grow. Past experience shows that stimulus packages just create more debt.”

source: http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/0,1518,578780,00.html.

Montag, 15. September 2008

Bauarbeiten an Luxus-Projekt eingestellt

Erschienen im gedruckten Tagesspiegel vom 07.08.2008

Aus der Traum: Die Finanzkrise hat nun auch Berlin erreicht. Eine Immobilienfirma bricht ihr Projekt in der Fehrbelliner Straße ab, dort sollten Luxusquartiere entstehen. 40 Wohnungen waren bereits verkauft.

Die Projektentwicklungsgesellschaft Orco hat die Bauarbeiten an der Fehrbelliner Straße in Mitte eingestellt. Das bestätigte das börsennotierte Unternehmen am Mittwoch. An der Fehrbelliner Straße sollte aus einem alten Gewerbehof ein Quartier mit teuren Lofts, Stadthäusern und Appartements inklusive Dachgärten, Schwimmbad und Concierge-Service entstehen.

Von den 150 geplanten Wohnungen sind 40 verkauft – zu wenige für das ehrgeizige 80-Millionen-Euro-Projekt. Orco plante dieses Projekt weitgehend mit eigenem Kapital zu stemmen. Aufgrund der Immobilien- und Finanzkrise will sich das Unternehmen auf Gewerbeimmobilien konzentrieren und plant weiterhin mit einem Baubeginn auf dem ehemaligen Wertheim-Gelände am Leipziger Platz für Sommer 2009.

Erschienen im gedruckten Tagesspiegel vom 07.08.2008
Quelle:Tagesspiegel

I Viaggi del Sole: BERLINO „Non Solo di Facciata“


Ristrutturazioni di antichi palazzi, riconversioni di spazi industriali, prezzi al metro quadro molto convenienti. Ecco come la città sta cambiando nel profondo. E perché è (ancora) il momento di acquistare.




Reportage di Stefania Sorrenti
Fotografie di Beppe Calgaro

Da 1500 a 3500 euro al metro quadro. È quanto serve a Berlino per acquistare un appartamento in centro e nelle vicine zone alla moda. Se si pensa che a Londra i prezzi al metro quadro oscillano tra 11 mila e 16 mila euro, a Milano tra 6 mila e 13 mila e anche Praga e Budapest tengono il passo con punte di 5 mila euro, si comprende bene come, nella città che vanta più ponti di Venezia e mille stili diversi, sia giunto il momento di cogliere l´attimo. Carpe diem, dicono gli esperti, perché questa è una realtà che non rimerrà così ancora lungo.

“Il motivo di un mercato immobiliare fino a oggi abbordabile va rintracciato nel passato”, spiega Daniele Martignetti, asset manager di Pirelli RE Agency. “Berlino ha visto alternarsi guerre, distruzioni, ricostruzioni, divisioni. Per i berlinesi la casa non rapresenta un bene rifugio, tendono ad affittarla invece che a comprarla e questo ha inesitabilmente condizionato il mercato: meno domanda vuol dire prezzi più bassi.”

Ma ora, secondo gli osservatori in Germania, e soprattutto nella capitale che ha il reddito procapite tra i più alti d´Europa, sta per avere inizio un ciclo positivo che vedrà a breve un rialzo nei prezzi delle case, con affitti che garantiranno rendite tra il 4 e il 6 per cento. “ Resta una certa divisione tra Est e Ovest”, sottolinea Andrea Barbato, executive director di Bato Group, compagnia internazionale con sede parti di Potsdamer Platz, specializzata nel fornire l´interna gamma di servizi per l ´acquisizione e la gestioni di immobili (a loro si sono rivolti anche i fratteli Larry e Andre Wachowski, i registi della serie cinematografica Matrix, in cerca di una base per il loro prossimo film top secret). “è altrettanto importante tenere bene a mente le differenze tra i quartieri, capire insomma se si vuole abitare in un ambiente creativo e multietnico, come Kreuzberg, in una zona tranquilla e borghese come Charlottenburg o nel distretto trendy- chic che ruota intorno a Friedrichstrasse.” Per fare un buon affare, comunque, meglio lasciar perdere zone centrali come Friedrichshain e Prenzlauer Berg (qui ha casa la coppia più glamour del pianeta, Brad Pitt e Angelina Jolie): i canoni degli affitti non sono abbastanza alti da giustificare un prezzo di acquisto al metro quadro che si aggira intorno ai 4000 euro. Conviene spostare l´attenzione su nuove realtà, come la parte ovest del quartiere di Kreuzberg, zona neo-chic con strade vivaci e ritmi di vita tranquilli.

Nel verde di Viktoria Park, a soli dieci minuti dal centro, in un palazzo appena ultimato gli appartamenti sono in vendita a 2 mila euro al metro quadro. Per 47 netri quadri immersi nel verde, con una camera da letto e rifiniture di lusso, si spendono 92 mila euro; per 164 metri quadri con quattro camere da letto si arriva a 377 mila euro. Tutte soluzioni che dispongono di terrazzo, balconi o giardino privato.

Attico con vista sul futuro

Dalla caduta del Muro a oggi la città è un cantiere in continuo fermento e tanti quartieri sono rinati dal nulla, come Potsdamer Platz. Qui, per esempio, un uno dei palazzi di vetro dell´avveniristico Sony Center, con servizio portineria e vigilanza 24 ore su 24, sono in vendita due appartamenti: uno al decimo piano, di 135 metri quadri, con tre camere da letto, a 621 mila euro, e uno all`undicesimo piano, di 160 metri quadri, a 704 mila euro. Anche la centralissima PAriser Platz, davanti alla Porta di Brandeburgo, che con il grande viale Unter den Linden e la Friedrichstrasse, rappresenta il Mitte, cuore storico di Berlino, offre alcune opportunit?a interessanti. In Marienstrasse, un lussuoso appartamento di 110 metri quadri, un un palazzo tipico berlinese, molto luminoso anche se a piantercucina a vista e tre camere da letto si può acquistare a 375 mila euro, ovvero circa 3400 euro al metro quadro. Una cifra che, in zone centrali di altre capitali europee, basta a malapena per comprare un monolocale.

Per chi vuole osare in originalità, a soli 5 minuti da Alexanderplatz, direttamente sul fiume Sprea, è in vendita un luminosissimo attico dallo stile futuristico di 334 metri quadri, con soppalco a galleria, grande salone con cucina-isola blue satinato e acciaio affacciati su un giardino pensile con alberi e prato all´inglese. Due camere da letto matrimoniali con bagni im marmo e mosaici Bisazza e una zona dedicata al relax con sauna e vasca idromassaggio. 1.200.000 euro è un prezzo elevato in assoluto, ma in linea con i livelli berlinesi: poco più di 3500 metro al metro quadro.


Affittare, ecco dove


Lo studio in centro o l´appartamento nei quartieri della borghesia. Per sentirsi (per qualche giorno) veri berlinesi

Il modo migliore per sentirsi berlinesi è senza dubbio affittare un appartamento, anche solo per poche notti. Le possibilità nella capitale tedesca sono diverse.

Reichstag in vista

Con il curcuito Miniloftmitte (http://www.miniloft.com/), nel cuore del centro, a soli quindici minuti a piedi dalla Porta di Brandenburgo e dal Reichstag, si possono affittare lussuosi mini loft dai 30 a 45 metri quadri, all`interno di un palazzo riconosciuto pregio, in grado di ospitare fino a cinque persone. Quattro le tipologie di appartamenti diverse per metratura, arredamento e ubicazione. Tutti comunque progettati sfruttando al meglio lo spazio e garantendo il comfort. Rifiniti con pavimenti riscaldati sia il salotto con una spettacolare facciata in vetro lunga 12 metri, sia l´angolo cucina, sia la camera da letto matrimoniale con bagno. Sono disponibili accesso internet ADSL, televisione satellitare e telefono. L´affitto parte da 99 euro a notte con un soggiorno minimo di tre notti.

Schöneberg con wi-fi

Con http://www.all-berlin-apartments.com/ si trovano diverse occasioni. A Kreuzberg Est, a poco distanza dal Checkpoint Charlie, al quarto piano di un antico edificio berlinese con ascensore, è possibile affittare un appartamento di 70 metri quadri, con ampio salone, camera matrimoniale e bagno. Può ospitare fino a quattro persone per un minimo di tre notti a partire da 19 euro al giorno a persona (accesso Internet wi-fi ad alta velocità al costo aggiuntivo di 5 euro al giorno). Ideale per famiglie numerose. L´appartamento di 100mq a Schöneberg (prezzi a partire da 19 euro a persona al giorno). Qui è possibile trovare anche soluzioni su misure per coppie, come l´appartamento di 40 mq che dispone anche di un terrazzino dove fare colazione (a partire da 36 euro al giorno per due persone per un minimo di tre notti). A Prenzlauer Berg, si può affittare invece un elegante appartamento di 110 metri quadri con vista sull´Isola dei Musei. Due camere da letto matrimoniali e un grande bagno con doccia e vasca idromassaggio. Può ospitare fino a 6 persone e costa 27 euro al giorno per persona.

Charlottenburg de luxe

Per soggiorni di diversa durata, da un minimo di pochi giorni a un massimo di qualche mese, My Home in Europe (http://www.myhomeineurope.com/) è un network di proprietari e gestori che affittano bilocali nuovi di 50 metri quadri nelle zone centrali di Alexanderplatz, Potsdamer Platz e nell´elegante Charlottenburg (dove si sono appena conclusi i lavori di ristrutturazione di un raffinato residence). Gli appartamenti hanno cucina attrezzata, ampia sala, camera da letto e bagno, biancheria e asciugamani inclusi nel prezzo, che parte da 75 euro a notte per due persone.

http://www.viaggi24.ilsole24ore.com/

Freitag, 12. September 2008

Berlin property – not just for today, but for your future!

You have a unique opportunity to attend a presentation at the London Chamber of Commerce on 25th September and hear directly from our German partner who can answer all of your questions.

The key to good investment is timing.

The right investment at the right time in the right location

The Berlin property market has recently become one of the most up-and-coming and emerging capital city property destinations, with property prices per m², one of the lowest of all of Europe’s capitals. Only 14% of Berliners own a property in Berlin, therefore presenting first-class opportunities for investors from a potentially huge rental market

It is not only Chase Devonshire that has forseen Berlins potential: the worlds biggest and most influential investment companies are buying thousands of apartments.

Goldman Sachs and Cerberus Capital Management alone have bought over 60,000 apartments in the city.

These companies don’t just forsee growth, they create it!

One of Europe’s fastest changing and most constantly evolving countries, Germany is attracting a wealth of investors in search of great priced properties in Berlin before prices dramatically rise as one would expect from a capital city. Record levels of investment into the city are changing the face of Berlin in order to welcome another record growth year for this dynamic and attractive destination.

Contact us now to reserve your place.

Tel: 020 7064 9723 Email: denis@chasedevonshire.com

source: http://chasedevonshireblog.com/2008/index/investment-in-berlin-presentation-25th-september-2008.html

Dienstag, 9. September 2008

WHO BUYS IN BERLIN - The New York Times International Real Estate

By LISA KEYS

WHO BUYS IN BERLIN

Relatively low housing prices, combined with high-profile arts and culture, have attracted waves of foreigners to Berlin. Though the majority of international owners are West European, there is a strong contingent of buyers from Scandinavia, Eastern Europe and Russia, as well as interest from Americans, Japanese and South Africans, according to Michael Gilfoyle, managing director of Frontline Berlin, a real estate consulting firm.

MARKET OVERVIEW

When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, investors and developers flooded the market, expecting droves of new arrivals. Instead, thousands of residents fled Berlin, seeking opportunities in the former West Germany. The result was a glut of homes on the market — a situation that persists today. There are around 150,000 vacant apartments in Berlin, according to Heinz Krueger, manager at Nordstadt, a real estate agency.

Still, in the past couple of years, as Berlin’s cultural buzz has grown, foreigners have buoyed the real estate market. There are many cheap rentals — approximately 88 percent of the city’s residents are renters, according to Mr. Gilfoyle — but home prices have risen in popular, centrally located districts like Prenzlauer Berg and Mitte.

Confidence in the market is growing; many residential construction and renovation projects are under way. Though the market has rebounded since bottoming out at the turn of the millennium (when government subsidies for construction ceased), prices remain far below those in the rest of Europe. “You really have to look hard to find something more than 8,000 euros a square meter ($1,068 a square foot),” said Mr. Krueger. “And that’s rare like a diamond.” He cited the “normal high price” as being is around 4,000 euros a square meter ($534 a square foot), while approximately 2,000 euros a square meter ($267 a square foot) will buy a high-quality, centrally located apartment.

BUYING BASICS

There are no restrictions for foreigners wishing to purchase real estate in Berlin, though all documents are written in German, and buyers (and sellers) must be present for a reading of the contract by a notary.

Most buyers should anticipate an additional 13.2 percent in “purchase-side costs,” said Boris Paterok, a lawyer who specializes in real estate. That figure includes a 4.5 percent property-purchase tax, a 6 percent commission, value-added tax, and notary and land registration fees.

Up to 100 percent financing is available for European Union residents; non-European buyers should plan on at least a 40 percent down payment, said Mr. Paterok. Buyers who need financing should estimate an additional 1 percent in purchasing costs for related fees.

USEFUL WEB SITES

www.berlin.de
www.berlinfo.com

LANGUAGES AND CURRENCY

German; Euro (1 euro = $1.40)


source: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/10/greathomesanddestinations/10gh-sale.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Donnerstag, 4. September 2008

Mieten steigen besonders stark in der Innenstadt und im Südwesten Berlins

von Ulrich Paul


Wer in Berlin eine neue Wohnung anmietet, muss immer mehr bezahlen. Im Vergleich zum zweiten Halbjahr 2007 stiegen die Preise der angebotenen Wohnungen in den ersten sechs Monaten dieses Jahres von durchschnittlich 5,90 auf 6,05 Euro Kaltmiete pro Monat je Quadratmeter. Das geht aus einer Untersuchung der Immobilienberatungsfirma Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) hervor, die gestern präsentiert wurde.

Besonders teuer sind Wohnungen in Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, in Steglitz-Zehlendorf und in Mitte. Dort verlangen die Vermieter in vielen Gebieten Quadratmeter-Mieten über sieben Euro. Stark gestiegen seien die Preise der Wohnungen vor allem in Mitte, sagte JLL-Experte Roman Heidrich. Im Vergleich zum zweiten Halbjahr 2007 zogen sie durchschnittlich um 60 Cent je Quadratmeter an. Deutlich verteuert haben sich die Mieten aber auch in Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf und in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, wo sie um je 35 Cent je Quadratmeter nach oben gingen.

In Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg sei eine Entwicklung zu beobachten, die vor Jahren der Prenzlauer Berg durchlebt habe, sagte Heidrich. Die kulturelle Szene habe viele Investoren aufmerksam gemacht, die ihr Geld in die Sanierung von Altbauten gesteckt hätten und nun höhere Mieten verlangten. Dies führe dazu, dass einige Bewohner in preisgünstigere Nachbarbezirke abwandern. In Neukölln, Lichtenberg und Tempelhof-Schöneberg werden gleichbleibende Mieten oder sogar niedrigere Preise verlangt. Am geringsten sind die Mieten in Marzahn-Hellersdorf. Dort kosten freie Wohnungen im Schnitt 4,80 Euro je Quadratmeter.In den kommenden Monaten wird sich nach Einschätzung der Experten das Tempo der Mietsteigerungen generell etwas verringern. Weil Wohnungen in Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf und in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg besonders begehrt sind, sei dort zwar noch mit einem "beschleunigten Mietpreiswachstum" zu rechnen. I

In Mitte und Pankow sei aber nach den starken Preissteigerungen eher ein "verlangsamtes Mietpreiswachstum" zu erwarten. Der Trend zur kleinen Wohnung hält in Berlin weiter an, weil die Zahl der Single-Haushalte wachse, sagte Heidrich.

Von den 1,9 Millionen Haushalten in Berlin ist derzeit mehr als jeder zweite ein Single-Haushalt (50,7 Prozent). Die große Nachfrage nach kleinen Wohnungen führt dazu, dass diese besonders teuer sind.

Für eine Wohnung unter 45 Quadratmetern verlangen die Vermieter im Schnitt eine Miete von 6,65 Euro je Quadratmeter. Mittelgroße Wohnungen von 45 bis zu 90 Quadratmeter werden für 5,90 Euro je Quadratmeter angeboten, größere für 6,25 Euro. Jones Lang LaSalle trägt Informationen über Wohn-Immobilien zusammen, um damit seine Kunden, unter anderem Banken und Großinvestoren, zu beliefern. Will jemand wissen, welche Mieten in der Nachbarschaft einer seiner Wohnungen verlangt werden, kann er dies von JLL erfahren.Der Hauptgeschäftsführer des Berliner Mietervereins, Hartmann Vetter, erklärte gestern: Der sogenannte Mietermarkt, bei dem die Wohnungssuchenden angesichts vieler leerstehender Wohnungen, den Mietpreis mitbestimmen könnten, sei "offenkundig eine Illusion". Und Vetter warnte: Mieter seien an die mit dem Vermieter ausgehandelte Miete gebunden - auch wenn diese über den Werten des Mietspiegels liege. Die Mieter könnten nicht hinterher eine Preissenkung fordern.


Berliner Zeitung, 03.09.2008

quelle: http://www.berlinonline.de/berliner-zeitung/berlin/108333/index.php


Mittwoch, 3. September 2008

Investment ranking: Berlin above London!

The German capital is in favour with investors and occupies a position among Europe's top group - only a year ago it was trailing far behind.

Berlin - The global financial crisis holds Europe's property markets in a stranglehold - with one exception: Berlin.

While in London, Paris and Madrid the prices of office blocks, shopping centres, condominiums and penthouses are plummeting, the market in the German capital has remained surprisingly stable. Berlin's appeal on major international real-estate corporations becomes evident in a recent survey carried out by financial consultant PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and the renowned research institute Urban Land (ULI) among some 500 international real-estate experts.

According to this survey, the German capital has gone up in the ranking of European cities from position 25 to rank nine within a year. The PwC experts see Berlin's potential particularly in residential real estate. Excerpts from "Berliner Morgenpost" (13 March 2008) and from a study by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and Urban Land (UL)In spite of international crisis: new major investments in Berlin real estateMorgan Stanley buys the "Sony Center" - Swedish banking group SEB takes over the "Daimler City" complex on Potsdamer Platz: over € 2 bn. invested for two of Berlin's prestigious realties.

On Berlin's prestigious Potsdamer Platz another building complex is changing hands. The huge Sony Center, which opened in June 2000, will be sold to a group of investment funds led by Morgan Stanley and including Corpus Sireo and John Buck, announced the Japanese electronics giant. The property's yield lies around 5 percent - the exact sale price was however not disclosed. Insiders believe it to be around the 600 million euro mark, yet this was not confirmed by the investors.

Last December, Sweden's SEB bank bought the complex of 19 buildings on Potsdamer Platz belonging to the Daimler Group for 1.4 billion euros, as both companies announced. Daimler will continue to use half of the office areas on the complex. The sale of the prestigious property is part of the Daimler's strategy to part with operationally unnecessary properties.

Excerpts from "Berliner Morgenpost" (1 March 2008) and Spiegel online (2 March 2008)

Berlin rents up by 2.8% on average - and by up to 50% in top locations!

The demand for housing in Berlin is increasing, and the rents are now going up too - with rises of up to 50% for new lettings. Rents in Berlin are on the rise, according to Berlin's rental index for 2007 and the BBU (the Berlin-Brandenburg Housing Association) report on the housing market. The calculations of Berlin's rental index show that the average rent has increased to 4.75 euros per square metre for 2007, 5.9 percent above the 2005 prices. This increase becomes more noticeable when one compares the average rent in Berlin with the actual rent one has to pay today for a new letting. The current average rent for re-rentals lies exactly at 5.90 €/m2 - 24.2% higher than the average rent as calculated in the rental index.

This is the conclusion of the report on Berlin's housing market based on a study carried out by the consulting firm Jones Lang LaSalle on behalf of GSW. The report, for the purposes of which more than 85,000 housing offers were evaluated, focused on new lettings in the German capital. Price increases for new lettings of up to 50% were ascertained in four out of Berlin's twelve districts. The Jones Lange LaSalle analysts believe that this trend will continue in the following years, as they expect an increasing demand and a further decline in new construction.

Source: Berlin rental index 2007; Housing market report Berlin 2007 and 2006Rising prices for Berlin's housing: demand six times higher than supply The fast-increasing number of households on the one hand and a totally inadequate supply of new completed residences on the other put Berlin's housing market under pressure. Housing prices and rents will exhibit a sustained increase. This is the conclusion of the recent "Housing market report Berlin", compiled by the consulting firm Jones Lang LaSalle and annually commissioned by GSW.

According to the report, the growing population (+20,000 in 2007) as well as higher incomes and declining unemployment figures push the demand for housing in Berlin.The biggest catalyst for the increasing demand for housing is however to be found in Berlin's demographic development: on the one hand the birth rates in Berlin are the highest in Germany (again 5% higher than last year), and on the other there exists a continuing trend for single households. Demographers calculate that the average number of persons per household in Berlin will drop from 1.8 occupants today to 1.6 by 2015. These results alone will create a demand for 235,000 additional apartments over the next seven years. In stark contrast to the strong demand, the construction of new housing units in Berlin is declining due to the high costs involved - a mere 1,609 units were completed between January and June 2007, 26% less than over the same period in the year before.The enormous gap between rising demand and declining supply will lead to further increases on housing prices and rents in the following years. Excerpts from the housing market report Berlin 2007, a study by Jones Lang LaSalle on behalf of GSW, which surveyed 85,000 apartments for rent and 1,785 offers for sale between January and June 2007.

Denis Gorce-BourgeBusiness Developement Manager Chase Devonshire Ltddenis@chasedevonshire.comwww.chasedevonshire.com