Tag Archives: Singapore Property Market

Marina Bay Residences hits $2,500 psf

In the Marina Bay area, transactions at Marina Bay Residences have once again reached stratospheric levels, with prices returning to levels seen in 2H2007. Sub-sales of units at Marina Bay Residences have steadily crept up from a low of $1,433 psf in April to a high of $2,500 psf last month. This is the highest price per square foot achieved not just in 2009 but since May last year, when a 3,961 sq ft penthouse on the 52nd floor changed hands for $10.7 million, or $2,700 psf.

The 55-storey, 428-unit luxury residential tower is part of the first phase of the Marina Bay Financial Centre (MBFC), a multi-billion-dollar mixed-use development jointly built by the consortium of Keppel Land, Hongkong Land and Cheung Kong (Holdings). When the 99-year upmarket condominium first previewed in December 2006, all the units were snapped up at an average price of $1,850 psf within days without the need for an official launch.

Marina Bay Residences is scheduled to be completed in mid-2010, and as the completion of the Marina Bay Sands integrated resort nears, and interest mounts, prices have naturally also increased.

Most recently, a 1,227 sq ft, 50th level unit at the condominium was sold for $3.07 million, or $2,500 psf. According to caveats lodged with URA Realis, the seller of the apartment had purchased the two bedroom unit at the launch three years ago and paid $2.71 million ($2,205 psf) for it.

On the 51st level, a 1,130 sq ft apartment was recently sold for $2.71 million ($2,400 psf). This is the second time the unit has changed hands in a sub-sale. The last time it happened was in July 2007, when it was sold for $2.49 million ($2,200 psf). The original buyer of the unit paid $2.07 million ($1,835 psf) when the project was first rolled out. Continue reading

Pre-empting a property bubble

Goh Eng Yeow on traders’ reactions to the move to dampen some speculation.

PROPERTY counters are reeling from the much anticipated move by the Government to deflate the bubble now brewing in the residential property market.

As I write, City Developments has fallen 74 cents to $10.34, while rival CapitaLand is down 17 cents at $3.70.

What surprises me is the strong reaction by traders to the Government’s move to disallow the interest absorption scheme by developers to lure buyers to purchase new properties.

Essentially, the interest absorption scheme is a variation of the deferred payment scheme which was scrapped in October 2007. It allows a buyer to defer making the bulk of the payment on the property he buys until TOP, once he has come up with the agreed down-payment.

Given the scare at the end of last year when there were fears that large number of buyers on the deferred payment scheme might default on their uncompleted property purchases, it is surprising that traders should have reacted so strongly to the scrapping of the interest absorption scheme. Continue reading