Business news with words entrepreneur+group+property. 5 news.

VINCENT Tchenguiz, whose Consensus Business Group is the largest closely held owner of British residential real estate, said he'll start buying United States commercial property next year as credit market turmoil pushes down prices. Tchenguiz plans to invest as much as 200 million pounds (US$411 million) globally over the next three years buying commercial property assets, including shops, offices and possibly debt. "Some of the biggest opportunities will be in the US," the 51-year-old Iranian-born British entrepreneur told Bloomberg News. "A big amount of property is going to get reshuffled in the US." The shortage of liquidity in credit markets following the subprime mortgage crisis has pushed up the cost of borrowing, prompting a fall in commercial and residential property values and putting borrowers who need to refinance debt under pressure from their lenders. The opportunities that would present themselves in the US in the next few months are likely

BEIJING police are investigating the former chairman of a renowned Beijing real estate company, Beijing Evening News reported today. However, police didn't reveal why they were investigating Liu Yiliang. Golden Keys Investment Group said Liu was sacked at the end of October, before the investigation began. The company said its business has not been affected by the case. Liu set up Golden Keys Investment Consultation Co Ltd in 1995 and Golden Keys Real Estate Agency Co in 1996, the report said. He has won many honors including Beijing's excellent entrepreneur for the real estate sector in 2004. The company has more than 3,000 employees and operates more than 200 outlets, the report said. Another real estate boss was also in the spotlight recently because his disappearance triggered public concerns about the management of funds at property agencies. Many media reported that Jiang Fei, boss of Shenzhen Zhongtian Real Estate Company, left the company with 170 million yuan

HOTEL and property entrepreneur Peter Roberts has launched Countrywide Hotel Acquisitions following the successful sale of hotel group Golden Tulip UK to Whitbread for £44m.

Asian entrepreneur James Caan, who is joining the panel on the BBC's Dragons' Den show next week, is circling troubled property services group Erinaceous after building a 3pc stake in the company.

Vincent Tchenguiz, the entrepreneur, is working on plans for a possible break-up of Erinaceous, the ailing property services group that breached some of its banking covenants last week.