Tag Archives: Singapore Property Market

Resale prices of Caribbean at Keppel bay cross $1,100 psf

With the opening of the $6 billion Resorts World at Sentosa fast approaching, there is a buzz of excitement as investors anticipate the influx of visitors expected in 1Q2010. To cater for a surge in tourists and locals to the island, a 620m $70 million walkway is being constructed and is expected to be completed in November 2010.

As development at the upcoming casino gain traction, interest in properties on the mainland of Singapore and Sentosa Cove have picked up in recent months.

For instance, at the 969-unit Caribbean at Keppel Bay, developed by Keppel Land and completed in 2004, there were three transactions in the week of July 3 to 10, according to caveats lodged with URA Realis. A check against the monthly number of transactions shows there was an average of five units changing hands from April to June this year versus only two from January to March.

According to property agents, buying activity has picked up and there is more interest from foreigners. However, transaction levels remain low, owing to higher quantum prices and the gap in asking prices ranging from $1,300 to $1,400 psf versus buyers’ expectations of $1,000 Continue reading

Banks woo home-buyers in new ways

THE recent surge in HDB and private home sales has seen a pick-up in the pace of lending among banks, which have come up with new and innovative loan products to lure home-buyers.

Compared to the first quarter, the second quarter saw the number of approvals more than doubled, said Mr Gregory Chan, head of consumer secured lending at OCBC Bank.

‘We continue to see double-digit growth in sales, with a 30 per cent quarter-on-quarter increase in new mortgages as of Q2 2009,’ said Mr Dennis Khoo, general manager of retail banking products at Standard Chartered Singapore.

Banks are introducing more variations in their loan products, not only to seize market share but also, in part, to avoid the old ‘How-low-can-you go?’ war of interest rates.

‘The best mortgage is not necessarily the one with the lowest interest, but the one that best suits a customer’s needs,’ Continue reading