Real estate is investment sector that has continued to grow both locally and internationally. Locally, its contribution to the country’s GDP has continued to grow for the past two decades, from 10.5% in 2000 to 13.8% in 2016, as perKNBS. The sector has also continued to be shaped by various trends such as infrastructural development, improving client preferences and tastes, a growing population as well as an expanding middle class and the continued entrance of multinational firms who act either as clients or competitors, hence shaping the industry standards. As an investment asset class, real estate has toppled other investment asset classes in terms of returns and risk involved, and as a result, more individuals and institutional investors are shifting their focus on investments to real estate. This is attributable to factors such as: High returns, which as per our research, has averaged at 25.0% per annum over the last five years as compared to traditional investment assets such as stocks and bonds which have generated an average of 14.6% per annum over the same period. Real estate provides investors with investment platform for hedging funds against inflation. Secure tax incentives such as treatment of interest payment on mortgages as…

Five top tips for first-time homebuyers entering the market, it definitely pays to know what is coming. Being uncertain of your budget and not planning can lead to overspending and other major problems down the road. Be aware, be prepared, and keep reading to get ahead of the challenges you will face as a first-time homebuyer. Know thatbuyinga home can be a good investment,but can also be stressful, expensive, and confusing. Smart strategies like working with professional realtors and home inspectors, getting a mortgage pre-approval, and buying in an up-and-coming area can help you stretch every dollar. Here are five Top Tips for First-Time Homebuyers 1. Save, scrimp, and postpone purchases When I was a bank lender, I saw too many people screw up their mortgage pre-approvals with previous major purchases, car loans, and empty savings accounts. If you want to get a new home, you have to make sacrifices and trade-offs before you start house hunting. To begin, you can only make a home purchase if you have set aside money for a down payment. The more money you can put down, the smaller your bank loan will have to be. Typically, your down payment will be 20% of…

The Environment and Land Court has ruled that the National Lands Commission (NLC) does not have the authority to revoke title deeds, particularly on land that has never been public or government land. Judge Addraya Dena, sitting in Kwale, ruled that there is no provision allowing the commission to revoke titles even if it is proven that they were obtained illegally or irregularly. “The power to revoke title is vested in the Registrar and not the commission, which can only recommend,” said the judge who also stated that the commission has jurisdiction to review all land grants or dispositions, but only for public land or land that was previously public but was later converted to private land. The Judge did, however, observe that the provisions of Article 67 (2) of the Constitution supersede the provisions of Section 14 (4) of the NLC Act, which gives the commission the authority to make a determination after hearing land-related disputes. The article empowers the commission to conduct investigations into current or historical land injustices, either on its own initiative or in response to a complaint, and to recommend appropriate redress. Justice Dena issued the decision in a case in which six Kwale residents…