Private home sales in Singapore have taken a sharp fall in the fourth quarter of this year.
According to a report released Monday by property consultant DTZ, only 112 private homes were sold in the primary market in October, and 192 units sold in November. This, compared to the monthly average of 444 units sold in the first nine months of the year.
The October sales volume is the lowest since the release of official monthly sales data by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) in June 2007.
For the full year, DTZ estimated that the number of home sales in the primary and secondary markets will only make up about 35 per cent of last year's sales, which saw some 38,100 units sold.
The figure is based on caveats lodged with the URA so far.
At the same time, the fall in private home prices have started to gather pace in the fourth quarter, with prime non-landed properties the hardest hit.
Prices of non-landed freehold private homes in the prime districts fell by 14 per cent quarter-on-quarter in the three months ended December, according to DTZ Research.
Overall, average private home prices have fallen 21.6 per cent year-on-year to S$1,160 per square feet, below the level of S$1,200 per sq ft in the second quarter of 2007.
Meanwhile, average monthly rents of prime non-landed homes have fallen 9.2 per cent to S$4.36 per square feet.
DTZ expects home sales to remain low next year as the recession takes its toll and homebuyers are concerned over job security. - CNA/yb
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