Hide from Trump in a humble Singapore shophouse: Bloomberg Gadfly

(May 8): As a hiding place from President Donald Trump’s trade war against China, a cozy corner of Singapore’s real estate holds much appeal.

A two- or three-story terrace close to the city’s central business district, home quite often to a wine bar or gastro pub at street level with a massage spa or music lounge tucked away upstairs, has been in bigger demand this year than industrial sheds.

Shophouses are mixed-use buildings constructed between the 1840s and the 1960s that formed the majority of the pre-World War II urban fabric of the old city center. Deals of more than $5 million for these conservation dwellings increased 281% from a year earlier to a record $478.6 million in the first quarter, according to Colliers International Group Inc. The broker attributes the surge to strong demand from local and foreign high-net-worth individuals, as well as property funds and investment firms.

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