Saturday, July 11, 2009

Developers Market London Homes Here

Source : The Business Times, July 11, 2009

The large pool of expatriates and a well-travelled population make S'pore a good location for launches, say agents

DEVELOPERS are marketing London homes in Singapore. And by most accounts, they are not finding it difficult to find buyers.

POTENTIAL SALES - (Left) Highbury Square one-bedroom apartments start from £275,000 while two-bedrooms start from £375,000

A few weeks ago, Colliers launched a selected number of units in two London residential properties here, and all were snapped up. There were 23 Union Point units and 23 Dalston Square units, and they were bought at average prices of £250,000 (S$592,794) and £210,000 respectively.

And in May this year, Jones Lang Lasalle (JLL) launched Napier at West 3, its first development in London this year. Singapore was picked as the first stop for the launch of 86 units, and saw 18 sales.

To capitalise on the interest in London properties, more London residential properties will be launched in Singapore this weekend.

Savills will start marketing two projects in Singapore - Chevalier House in Knightsbridge, and Highbury Square in north London. Prices at Chevalier House start from £1.15 million for a one-bedroom apartment and go up to £5.75 million for a three-bedroom penthouse overlooking Harrods and Harvey Nichols. Homes at Highbury Square are relatively cheaper - one-bedroom apartments start from £275,000 while two-bedroom apartments will start from £375,000.

Chevalier House prices start from £1.15m for a one-bedroom and go up to £5.75m for a three-bedroom penthouse overlooking Harrods

Colliers will also market two London developments this weekend. It will release 15 units in Draper's Yard, where homes cost an average of £235,000 each. In addition, it will launch 32 units in 1010 Rochester, where prices start from £800,000 for a two-bedroom apartment.

Berkeley Homes (Urban Living) is also giving Singaporean purchasers the first worldwide opportunity to reserve a property at Ultima - the final phase of the popular Chelsea Bridge Wharf development - this weekend. The project will be marketed at a property showcase by agents King Sturge and DST International. Prices start from £345,000.

And JLL has also said that it has more London launches in the pipeline.

Marketing agents say that Singapore is a good location for international property launches because of the large pool of expatriates here and a well-travelled population.

Sellers report that both Singaporeans and foreigners buy their properties. At Union Point, for example, marketing agent Colliers said that half of the buyers were Malaysians who travelled to Singapore, while the other 50 per cent were made up of Singaporeans and expats based here. At Dalston Square, on the other hand, most of the buyers were Singaporeans investing in UK property for the first time.

Buyers at exhibitions have mostly been younger professionals buying UK property for the first time, said Ed Lewis, head of London new homes at Savills. But outside exhibition settings, the buyers appear more discerning and are targeting higher quality products in the prime areas.

'Many buyers are motivated by the weakness in the London market, which is now improving. The weaker currency is also drawing buyers - particularly the trophy buyers,' he said. 'Others are buying with children in mind and for attractive yields.'

And Singapore is not alone - London properties are selling well in Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur as well, analysts said. Mr Lewis said that it was difficult to provide actual numbers but his firm estimates that between the successful exhibitions and individual sales, there have been about 250 deals since the Easter weekend in mid-April. Most of these deals - some 60 per cent - were done in Hong Kong. Singapore accounted for another 35 per cent, while the remaining homes were sold in Kuala Lumpur.

Mr Lewis is currently on a tour of South-east Asia, advising investors on where they should - or shouldn't - spend their money.

'There have been huge price corrections in the London market which can give the impression that everything is a bargain,' he said. 'This is not always the case. While there are some bargains out there, there are also opportunities for wasting money, and the canny investor must differentiate between the two. Just because a property is cheap now, it does not mean it will be expensive in 25 years' time. Chances are, in many non-established locations, it will still be cheap in 25 years' time.'

Still Jittery About Tax Policy

Source : The Straits Times, July 11, 2009

IN THE recent property boom that ended last year, MrLee (not his real name), a vice-president in a company here, sold three properties within a year.

One was a home he had lived in for many years, while the other two were investment properties whose prices were too good to pass up.

Just before he sold the third property, Mr Lee's lawyer warned him that all this buying and selling might get him into trouble with the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (Iras).

Read the full report in The Sunday Times.

发展商全力出击 数千私宅单位上市

Source : 《联合早报》July 11, 2009

尽管过去一个星期的股市低迷,房地产税务问题也引起一阵恐慌,新项目的推出市场却越烧越旺,这个周末几乎大大小小的房地产发展商都一窩蜂来争夺买家。据估计,有意买楼的人现在至少有数千个单位可以选择。

这个周末新开的楼盘包括远东机构的Silversea、丰隆集团的The Gale、永泰控股的Ascentia Sky、国浩集团的Sophia Residence、万国的Luxus Hills,以及富怡资产管理(Ferrell Asset Management)的富怡首府(Ferrell Residences)。

远东机构的Silversea是东部最新一栋拥有无敌海景的共管公寓,一些高楼单位还可以看到滨海湾。这个靠近马林百列的99年地契项目,拥有383个单位,前身是安柏别墅(Amberville)中等入息公寓。(远东机构提供)

再加上之前已经开卖的多个项目,包括远东机构的远景居(Vista Residences)、集永成的Oasis@ Elias、MCL地产的The Peak@Balmeg、联明的OLA Residences等等,这个周末俨然是楼市的“新加坡热卖季”,肯定会让买家四处忙着作比较。

就连已有七年屋龄的雅乐苑(Gallop Green),也来“插上一脚”。海峡商行房地产部执行副总裁丁行洲说,雅乐居(Gallop Gables)的销售报捷后,就不断有人出价要购买隔邻的雅乐苑单位,公司因此决定开放10个单位来应付需求,每平方英尺售价定在平均1400元,每个单位的面积平均3200平方英尺,售价约450万元。这个价格比海峡商行三个月前卖出的首10个雅乐居单位,调高了将近20%。

海峡商行至今已卖出40个雅乐居单位,售价也从最初10个单位的每平方英尺1188元,一路抬高至目前的每平方英尺1400元。

市场人士指出,本地楼价自五六月以来,就以惊人的速度回弹,特别是第9、10、11邮区的高档私宅项目,价格都普遍攀升了一两成。但由于人们对接下来的楼市看法不一,有人认为私宅价格已经止跌回升,有人则认为楼价随时会回跌,因此房地产分析员建议,有意进场的人应该量力而为,必须做好长线持守的准备。

卓登国际研究部主管陈瑞谨说:“要买房子的人应该知道,市场上其实还有很多供应量,不要急着进场,也不要付过高的价钱,他们必须考虑到租金正在迅速下跌。”

市场买气异常旺热

官方数字显示,今年第一季,发展商已推出的新私宅单位中,仍有1万7601个还没有找到买家。至于发展商手上虽具备销售资格,但还没有卖出的单位则多达2万1139个。

尽管如此,整个市场的买气还是异常旺热,过去几天,多个新楼盘都挤满了购屋的人潮,销售也传出佳绩。

远东机构上个星期正式推出的远景居,至今已卖出130个单位,即70%的推出单位,每平方英尺平均成交价格为1070元。至于万国产业在宏茂桥5道兴建的Luxus Hills有地住宅项目,也卖出了50单位排屋。这个999年地契项目,共有78个单位,中间排屋的成交价约175万元,角头排屋的成交价则达205万元。

这个周末将增加数百个新的单位来争夺买家,相信将考验整个市场和个别项目的实力。

远东机构的马林百列共管公寓Silversea把价格定在每平方英尺1300元起;丰隆集团的樟宜北上段共管公寓The Gale则把价格定在每平方英尺600元至700元之间。

消息透露,国浩置业的Sophia Residences,三四卧房式单位的叫价介于每平方英尺1400元至1600元、一二卧房式单位的叫价则介于每平方英尺1900元至2000元。

位于武吉知马路327号的富怡首府(Ferrell Residences),会在这个周末的预售活动中,将单位的售价定在每平方英尺1530元至1700元。

永泰控股在亚历山大路的Ascentia Sky共管公寓,据说将在这个周末,以每平方英尺1150元至1350元销售一些单位。

中国房地产泡沫隐现

Source : 《联合早报》July 11, 2009

(北京综合讯)中国1-6月份全国房地产销售面积、销售额、开发投资等各项指标均有较大幅度增长。

中国国家统计局月度形势报告称,1-6月中国完成房地产开发投资人民币(下同)1万4505亿元(3086亿新元),同比增长9.9%,增幅较1-5月提高3.1个百分点,但比去年同期回落23.6个百分点。

北京一建筑工地外的巨型宣传海报。中国城镇房价6月份同比上涨0.2%。(路透社)

《中国信息报》昨日刊登的统计局月度形势报告称,6月全国房地产开发景气指数为96.55,比5月份提高0.61点。

报告称,1-6月中国商品住宅完成投资达1万零189亿元,同比增长7.3%,比1-5月提高3.1个百分点,比去年同期回落29.3个百分点,占房地产开发投资的比重为70.2%。

另一方面,6月中旬以来,随着中国楼市迅速回暖,多数一、二线城市房地产市场出现了量价齐升的格局。“一度沉寂的温州炒房团又开始活跃,在深圳、广州、上海、杭州等房地产热点城市频频出手,并导致了一些城市热点板块房价攀升。

70城市房价上涨

中国国家发展和改革委员会(发改委)昨天公布,6月份70个大中城市房屋销售价格同比上涨0.2%,涨幅比上月扩大0.8个百分点,月环比上涨0.8%,涨幅比上月扩大0.2个百分点。

其中,北京统计局抽查了10家中介公司发现,6月二手房成交均价也提高了1260元/平方米,均价已经超过1万元/平方米大关。

北京房产 泡沫越积越大

最新统计数字显示,今年上半年北京楼市有130多个项目涨价,海淀区每平方米上涨3000多元,成为平均涨价金额最高的区域。业内人士分析认为,此次房价涨幅将比最高峰的2007年来得更为凶猛。

据业界人士分析,房价上涨是在政府扩大内需的背景下,政府年初已经表示不再出台新的调控政策所致。 

中国房地产和住宅研究会副会长顾云昌建议,面对楼市“虚火”,政府仍可延用以往政策:加快土地供应,降低土地出让价格,以土地出让结构来引导房屋供应结构。