UOL Sells 70 More Units In Double Bay Over Weekend

Source : The Business Times, March 13, 2009

UOL Group and Kheng Leong sold about 70 units of their new Simei condominium Double Bay Residences over the past weekend - fewer than what it was aiming for, sources said.

UOL said last Friday after it sold over 80 units on the first day of the project's soft launch that it expected to sell at least 200 units in all by the end of the weekend.

But so far, the developers have sold about 150 apartments in the 646-unit project.

Sources also said that prices are higher than what the developers had previously quoted.

The companies said last Friday that units in the 99-year leasehold development will be sold for $600-650 per square foot (psf). However, BT understands that most of the units sold so far are either smaller apartments, and/or apartments on the higher floors - which means that they were sold for higher than average prices. For example, a one-bedroom apartment in the development sold for more than $800 psf, BT understands.

UOL and Kheng Leong released 250 units during the soft launch over the weekend, and hundreds of people turned up at the showroom in Simei. The project will be officially launched on Saturday.

One market observer said that the two developers could be pricing units higher to ensure a respectable profit margin. UOL and Kheng Leong paid some $296 psf per plot ratio for the site in January 2008.

Elsewhere, boutique developer Hiap Hoe Group has sold just a few units of its 118-unit The Beverly at Toh Tuck Road since the project was soft-launched at the end of February.

The units sold for an average price of $730-$740 psf, BT understands. Hiap Hoe released just 31 units in the project, and is aiming to sell enough homes to start construction.