Monday, July 5, 2010

South London Real Estate Attracting New Wave Of Investors

Low-maintenance living and cultural riches make London appealing to the new wave of empty-nesters. Once overshadowed by prime locales in Central and West London , the city's South Bank is also becoming a favorite of overseas investors — especially from the Middle East. See the following article from Property Wire for more on this.

London property market
Parents who swapped London for the Home Counties a generation ago in order to raise their children are heading back to the capital city, according to property consultants Cluttons.

With their children having left home for good and prices in some areas of London at a more affordable level than they have been for several years, Cluttons has seen an upturn in middle-age-to-retiree homebuyers looking to return to the buzz of a London lifestyle.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Nathan Kirsh’s KiFin Abandons Its Offer for Minerva (Update1)

(Adds Limitless bid in sixth paragraph, Minerva’s latest estimate of net asset value in seventh.)

By Simon Packard

Jan. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Nathan Kirsh abandoned his bid for London real estate developer Minerva Plc after fewer than 1 percent of shareholders accepted the offer.

KiFin Ltd., an investment vehicle controlled by Kirsh, didn’t improve or extend its 50 pence-a-share offer by today’s 1 p.m. deadline, according to a statement announcing that the offer had lapsed. It was the last opportunity to do so under U.K. takeover rules.

Investors bet Kirsh would be forced to raise his offer after Minerva’s management dismissed the bid as “derisory” and said it “significantly undervalues the company.” The shares closed yesterday at 76 pence, almost double the price on Nov. 16, the day before KiFin announced its offer.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Lloyds' Invista Real Estate In Offer Talks

LONDON (Reuters) - Invista Real Estate , a property fund manager majority controlled by Lloyds Banking Group, said on Monday it is in talks with a third party which may lead to a takeover offer, sending its shares sharply higher.

At 1:42 p.m., shares of Invista were up 43 percent to 72 pence each, giving the company a market capitalisation of about 191 million pounds.

"These discussions are at a highly preliminary stage and there can be no certainty that any offer will be made," said Invista, which is 55 percent-owned by Lloyds' HBOS Plc.

The potential takeover of Invista, whose next biggest shareholder is the Wellcome Trust with 24 percent, follows the RBS's sale of its non-core asset management businesses to Aberdeen , as part of its overhaul following the government rescue.

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Big Lenders Take Stake in London Brokerages

riday, January 8th, 2010, 12:56 pm

Under the terms of a debt refinancing deal, Bank of America (BAC: 16.78 -0.89%) Merrill Lynch (BofA) and Japanese bank Mizuho will now jointly own a majority stake in the private equity firm that owns London-based mortgage brokerage Alexander Hall and real estate brokerage Foxtons, a source at Merrill Lynch confirmed to HousingWire.

In 2007, Mizuho financed £260m (US $416.2m) of the £360m leveraged buyout of Alexander Hall, the mortgage brokerage, and Foxtons, its sister real estate brokerage. Private equity firm BC Partners acquired the two companies using funding from Mizuho and BofA.

The restructuring arrangement cuts Foxtons’ debt from about £300m to £120m. Both banks will reportedly appoint representatives to sit on the company’s board, creating an atypical arrangement for a lender to assume control of the company to satisfy debt.

UK Real Estate 2010

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Eden Estate Agents Limited

Deloitte UK headlines

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