At the 2011 edition of the real estate fair, the most sought for projects were "social housing" solutions, with prices up to $100.000.
Gabriel Díaz, head of the organizing committee, explained that the event's exhibitors registered 36% more transactions than its previous iteration, and was visited by 30.000 people.
The Panamanian Construction Chamber (CAPAC) is also preparing "Expo Habitat 2011", which will take place in Atlapa Conventions Center and will be of similar scale as "Expo Vivienda".
Sales are slower and getting credit is not as easy, but the effects of the crisis are, until now, softer in Panama than in other countries.
Although the situation is not the boom that it was two years ago, when Panama City was growing rapidly toward the sky, the figures are still in positive terrain. The toughening of the conditions imposed by banks for granting new loans is noticeable and, speaking of sales, the recurring word is "slow," and this has led to strategy variations by real estate operators.
Unlike previous years, Housing Expo Panama (April 2 - 5) will focus on the national real estate market.
It is a fact that million-dollar developments will be presented at the expo, but most of the building projects will be directed to the local market with houses that cost less than $150 thousand.
According to Laestrella.com.pa, "It is estimated that transactions will be made in the order of $160 million; $60 million during the fair and $100 million as a product of the transactions that will close after the expo. It is similar to the figure traded in the previous expo."