Google's New Place Search

If you're performing local searches, e.g. on google.com.sg or google.co.uk, you may have come across a new search results format, where Google Places (i.e. Google Maps) listings are merged together with organic results.

This is part of the new Place Search function recently rolled out by Google, which you can activate by clicking on the Places link or the red pin on the drop-down menu on the left. It's also automatically triggered for certain keywords under "Everything" searches.

Larry Lim, an SEO Consultant in Singapore, has written extensively about this new Google Place Search function and its impact on local SEO. Go have a read!

A Tip For Property Speculators

Ask any friends or relatives in Singapore, and at least one of them would tell you that they (or someone they know) have made lots of money from properties. I personally know a friend of a friend who made substantial money from government-subsidized HDB flats, and then went on to own 2 condominiums from the profits of selling the flats. Even Singapore property agents are having a field day, thanks to investors flipping properties.

Based on data from URA, Singapore real estate prices have appreciated significantly in 2010. Although this is not surprising since Singapore real estate and property prices will almost definitely trend up in the long-term due to rising population, tight land space, influx of immigrants and of course, inflation.

The biggest problem for any property investor or speculator is the near impossiblity of trying to time the property market ...still there's more certainty than trying to predict the direction of the SGX stock market though.

At the height of the current global financial crisis, caused by U.S sub-prime problems, Singapore property prices fell an average 30 per cent at the end of 2008 alone. Since then, the prices have risen back up and have infact, surpassed the previous peaks.

Overnight policy changes by the government are also another uncertainty to consider, like the recent cooling measures to implement RPGT and minimum downpayment increase to 30 per cent. Property analysts expect demand to fall as much as 20 per cent this year just because of these moves.

Hence, if you are going to speculate in Singapore property and real estate, or properties anywhere in the world for that matter, always make sure that you have enough reserves to tide you through tough times and sudden policy changes.