The Vietnamese government is planning to shake-up the country’s planning laws to reduce the amount of red-tape that property developers currently face. Currently, the average property development in Vietnam requires 33 licenses and it takes an average of three years to obtain them all.

Half the problem with the current planning system is that many of the licenses are not doled out by a central authority. Instead, local authorities are in charge of giving the licenses out and it can take months for a city People’s Committee to review submitted plans and for developers to meet with relevant agencies so that all the relevant rules and regulations are covered. Because of the sheer quantity of people the developers must meet, it is often difficult to setup all the meetings in a timely fashion.  Read more... (229 words, estimated 55 secs reading time)

Falling property prices coupled with easier mortgages appear to be boosting the Vietnamese property market. Restrictions on lending were eased by the central bank in February and Vietnamese mortgage lenders have said that they are seeing more mortgage applications coming through, with most of the applications for property in Ho Chi Minh City.

The number of mortgage applications in Vietnam is said to have increased 20% in April from March, with the amount being borrowed up around 15%. The number of people looking to invest in the Vietnamese property market is increasing, helped by the dramatic fall in property prices in the past few months.  Read more... (168 words, estimated 40 secs reading time)

The Vietnamese government are contemplating making it easier for nationals who live overseas to buy property in the country by making amendments to the current housing laws.

The National Assembly in Vietnam are looking to increase the number of overseas Vietnamese nationals who can purchase properties in the country. Should the amendments go ahead it will mean that people of Vietnamese origin will be able to buy and own property in the country regardless of where they live in the World. Currently, those of Vietnamese origins who live abroad are only permitted to buy property in Vietnam if they are acknowledged as making a contribution to Vietnam such as in scientists and experts. Any foreigner who is married to a Vietnamese citizen who lives in Vietnam is also permitted to buy property in the country.  Read more... (301 words, estimated 1:12 mins reading time)

The Vietnamese Government has unveiled a development masterplan covering the next 50 years which looks set to launch Vietnam as one of the World’s property hot-spots.

The Government has outlined a large construction program for urban development over the next 50 years and has outline major centres which will become urban clusters of satellite areas to help prevent overpopulation in any one area. The first centres to be developed will be the major cities and proposed economic hubs before other areas are developed according to how much of a role they will play in the surrounding region.  Read more... (200 words, estimated 48 secs reading time)