From the Straits Times via the China Post: "It was the Asian financial crisis in 1997 that got investor Anil Thadani interested in the seemingly unglamorous idea of putting money into shophouses. Property prices then were at an all-time low and Thadani, 46, used his savings to snap up three adjoining units in Dunlop Street. Shophouses have become an increasingly attractive option for seasoned property investors, especially in the wake of government measures to cool the housing market, said Ong Kah Seng, property consultancy Cushman & Wakefield's senior manager for Asia-Pacific research. Rising office rents have also prompted small businesses to look for cheaper space, creating greater demand for alternative properties including shophouses. Cushman and Wakefield's analysis of Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) data shows that there were 380 shophouse transactions last year, up 44 percent on the 263 sales in 2009. Ong said prices of shophouses went up 10 percent last year, with rental yields at about 4 percent. 'Rents of shophouses have held steadier in comparison to strata shops in malls, as shophouses are generally unique and the supply is limited,' Ong said." Full article here. (Photo credit Calvin Teo.)