Kung Hei Fat Choi and it is back to work the JLL team and I

As you have all probably gathered, 2016 is the year of the Monkey, and I can’t wait to find out what the cheeky chimp has in store for us all in the months ahead.

Feng Shui and predicting the future 

Many of us here in the 852 (and around the world) believe in Feng Shui.  For those of you that don’t know much about it, simply put, it is about the four pillars of destiny which predict a person’s fate, based on the year, month, day and hour of your birth. It’s based on the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac – Rat, Ox, Tiger (me), Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse (Callum), Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig (Chu San) – and the five elements – metal, water, wood, fire and earth.  If you can don’t know your Chinese zodiac animal and element then you can find out here.

People often ask me what is going to happen to the property market.  Here at JLL, I am fortunate enough to be supported by Denis Ma and his research team. If you would like to know my thoughts (specifically on the residential leasing market) then do let me know. I would love to come and share our research with you. Although I am often asked to predict the future of the market, I am definitely not a Feng Shui Master so JLL recently spoke to one, Raymond Lo, and asked him these questions.

• Which zodiac sign will be the most prosperous in the Year of the Monkey?

In theory the Snake, Dragon, and Rat are in Harmony with the Monkey, but you cannot attach too much significance only on your birth year sign. Authentic Chinese fortune telling is founded on the Four Pillars of Destiny which are based on the year, month, day and hour of a person’s birth.

• When will be a good time to invest in property?

2016 is the year of the Fire Monkey, and in general the fire element provides fuel for the economy. So, the momentum of U.S. economic recovery will continue, which is a positive for the world economy, but a bad star in North East may cause some instability in Asia, including Beijing, Japan, Korea, and New York.  Property is an earth element, and the Monkey is metal, which is a product of earth industries, so the property market will still be active in 2016.  More serious setbacks will only come in the second half of 2017.

• What does the Year of the Monkey hold for Hong Kong’s economy?

The Monkey year is active year for change; the Monkey King is famous for 72 ways of change. The Fire will bring energy into the economy, but the Fire Monkey also symbolises the “Sunset in the West”, so there will also be setbacks. The spring and summer seasons usually support fire and this will bring up the stock market and economic activities, but this will slow down after August as autumn arrives. However, 2017 is also a Fire Rooster year so the fire is sustainable and we can expect that the market will go up again towards the end of 2016 or in the early part of 2017.  The Monkey is a travelling star, and so the Fire Monkey will bring more tourists, entertainment, academic and cultural activities as well, all of which are beneficial to Hong Kong.

As I said, I am not the expert but one thing I have often seen written, is that the Monkey is famous for bringing the winds of change.  Master Raymond Lo says that for those of us who are born in the year of the Tiger (in particular 1950, 1962 and 1974), we are encouraged to take a chance on moving house or office, changing jobs or travelling a lot in 2016. I am only planning on the latter!

Whether you believe in Feng Shui or not, and if this is your year to move or not, (let’s be honest no landlord in Hong Kong or anywhere else in the world is going to care if it is the right time for you!), then please let me know. The team here at JLL and I would love to help you find a new home.

Here is to health and wealth in this year of the Monkey and Kung Hei Fat Choi.