No respite from mounting extension charges for developers

Posted on 3 Mar 2016 | Comments Off on No respite from mounting extension charges for developers

Property developers forked out $24.9 million in extension fees last year for failing to dispose of all the residential units in their developments within the mandated period, reported The Straits Times.

While this is lower than the $29.98 million recorded in 2014, a recent report from Swiss bank Credit Suisse forecasts that extension charges could rise significantly this year.

Based on Qualifying Certificate (QC) rules, overseas developers are required to offload all the units in their private residential projects within two years of receiving the Temporary Occupation Permit (TOP). Otherwise, they must pay extension charges pro-rated to the percentage of remaining units.

The Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty (ABSD) rules, implemented in December 2011, also stipulate that developers need to build, complete and sell all units within five years of buying the land. If there are any unsold units, they would be penalised with a 10 percent levy, which was subsequently increased to 15 percent for land plots purchased from 12 January 2013.

According to estimates from Credit Suisse, the total QC and ABSD charges could soar to $226 million in 2016 and $1.3 billion next year.

In particular, the jointly developed Nouvel 18 by CDL and Wing Tai could take the biggest hit this year, with charges amounting to $38.2 million if all of its 156 units remain unsold. This is followed by $15.2 million for China Sonangol’s TwentyOne Angullia Park near Orchard Road, and $14.6 million for Wing Tai’s Le Nouvel Ardmore at Ardmore Park.

However, experts feel that the figures reported by Credit Suisse could drop as they only cover unsold units as of 31 December 2015.

“The QC fees estimate is based on the assumption that developers do not sell any more units. That’s unlikely. As they continue to move units, the fees payable will drop.” Likewise for the ABSD charges, said Ku Swee Yong, CEO of Century 21 Singapore.

Wong Xian Yang, OrangeTee’s Senior Manager for Research and Consultancy, reckons that developers with more unsold units may pursue other means of selling their projects instead of just reducing prices. They may consider bulk sales, which is being done for iLiv@Grange.

Property firm Heeton Holdings has been seeking a buyer to purchase the 30-unit condominium. If it fails to secure a deal by October 2016, it will have to pay its second QC extension.

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$1 million buys you 452 sq ft in Singapore

Posted on 2 Mar 2016 | Comments Off on $1 million buys you 452 sq ft in Singapore

For US$1 million (S$1.4 million), you can purchase 452 sq ft of prime real estate in Singapore (or a small studio apartment), making it the world’s seventh most expensive place to buy luxury property, noted findings from Knight Frank’s Wealth Report 2016.

The city-state fell two places from last year’s report due to property price declines. According to the firm’s Prime International Residential Index, luxury prices here dropped by 2.1 percent in 2015. This year, Knight Frank expects prices to slide further by 3.3 percent.

“Singapore luxury property prices have dropped for several years now. The reasons for the fall are still in place – overall slowing economy, volatile financial markets, rising rates, and government cooling measures,” said Tay Kah Poh, Executive Director and Head of Residential for Knight Frank Singapore.

In the report, Singapore was named the number two Asian city, behind Hong Kong, with the most number of super-rich individuals. In 2015, there were 2,360 ultra-high net worth individuals (UHNWIs) living here, with this figure expected to grow by 48 percent over the next 10 years.

Alice Tan, Research Head at Knight Frank Singapore, said “a conducive business environment, clear regulatory framework and a progressive ecosystem of financial and business services have augmented its status amongst the wealthy as a preferred location to live and do business in Asia”.

Despite the various measures put in place to curb excessive investment by foreign buyers, property investment remains a favoured asset allocation among the super-rich. In fact, 79 percent of those surveyed would invest in Singapore and UK homes.

The report also found that the three main concerns among UHNWIs in Singapore are succession / inheritance issues, the global economic situation, and stock market volatility.

The report polled 400 private bankers, including 30 from Singapore.

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