Tag Archives: Market Report

Govt may be taking steps to calm down the property market, say analysts

The government could re-introduce land sales through the confirmed list and analysts said this could mean the government is taking steps to cool down the property market.

Last October, recession woes saw the government suspending land sales through the confirmed list.

But now the government said it will consider re-introducing it for the first half of next year.

National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan, said: “Now that the market is coming back, demand is coming back and the take-up is strong. There is every likelihood that we will resume the confirmed list.”

This means land parcels will be tendered according to scheduled dates and this will translate to more residential property launches.

But one analyst said while these changes will ease the market, they will take time to make any impact.

Nicholas Mak, property consultant, said: “This may be the first of actions by the government if they see that the property market shows signs of overheating especially if there is a lot of speculative buying. I think that could prompt the government to take further action.”

Public housing prices have gone up by almost 35 per cent over the last two years and the government said they’re expecting it to increase even further. Continue reading

Property run-up may end in 2010: UK Group

THE run-up in Singapore’s private home prices may fizzle out next year, as several obstacles are still impeding global growth momentum.That is the view of London-headquartered Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics), which represents and regulates property professionals and surveyors. It issued a report on Monday concluding that the sharp residential market rebound here may peter out. It cited higher unemployment in Singapore as a potential risk factor that could undermine the property rebound here.In contrast, top local developer CapitaLand remains bullish in its outlook for Singapore, and will soon launch a 1,000-unit condo in Gillman Heights and 165 resort-style homes at the former Char Yong Gardens site. CapitaLand’s upbeat outlook on the market here was reflected in slides presented by its vice-president of investment Anson Lim at a CapitaLand CEOs forum held yesterday.

The current market upswing is being driven by positive sentiment and supported by long-term fundamentals, according to the slides. CapitaLand expects the Urban Redevelopment Authority price index to recover between 5 per cent and 10 per cent for the rest of this year, from the trough in the second quarter. The index showed a fall of 4.7 per cent in the second quarter. The Rics report was rather less optimistic. It said while an upturn in activity is already well under way in the residential market, significant risks present a challenge to the market in the medium term. Continue reading