Doha / Emirates Business There was a lull in the otherwise buoyant real estate market in January as owners held on to their properties due to weak demand and reduced prices, says a real estate market expert. “So potential buyers weren’t willing to offer the old, higher rates, and that was why the value of property deals in January was …

Doha / Emirates Business Qatar banks’ credit to real estate sector jumped 27.36 percent to QR125bn in 2015, compared to QR95bn reported a year ago. Qatar Central Bank’s (QCB) preliminary estimates for the fourth quarter of 2015 showed the credit distribution to the sector hit at QR114bn during the third quarter of 2015. The banks’ total domestic credit rose to …

SYDNEY / Bloomberg Sydney dwelling values climbed for the second consecutive month, clawing back some of the losses from the end of 2015, according to CoreLogic Inc. Home values in the nation’s largest city increased 0.5 percent in February, the research firm said in a statement on Tuesday. Notwithstanding the increase, Sydney home values are still down 0.2 percent in …