Tag Archives: Singapore Property Prices

Paradise Island prices back to 2007 peak

Interest in waterfront homes at Sentosa Cove seems to have returned in recent months, as the opening of Resorts World at Sentosa looms. Since the beginning of November, a total of six properties — three luxury condominiums and three landed homes — have changed hands in the resale market at $1,406 to $2,423 psf.

In the week of Nov 6 to 13, one of the 29 villas on Ho Bee Group’s Paradise Island — a double-storey unit on 8,105 sq ft of land — was sold for $11.4 million, or $1,406 psf. The villas were completed in May and Ho Bee sold the last one for $22 million in August. Each villa has a private berth and all rooms have views of the waterways. The owner had purchased the villa in April 2007 for $9.18 million, or $1,133, hence reaping a 24% capital gain. In early November, a 7,029 sq ft villa sold for $10.8 million, or $1,536 psf. The owner had lso purchased it at launch for $7.1 million ($1,010 psf) in April 2007 and saw the price appreciate 52% in the past 2½ years.

When the villas at Paradise Island were launched, prices ranged from $1,047 to $1,208 psf, according to the URA Realis database of caveats. Since then, prices have climbed, reaching $1,500 psf two months ago, a level last seen in October 2007.

Meanwhile, a terraced house in the 99-year leasehold Ocean 8 enclave developed by IJM Properties Sdn Bhd, a unit of the Malaysian conglomerate IJM Corp Bhd, was sold for $6.4 million, or $2,423 psf, in a caveat dated Nov 13. The 2,637 sq ft house had changed hands twice before. The original owner purchased the property in October 2006 for $2.92 million ($1,109 psf), and flipped it in January 2007 for $3.5 million ($1,326 psf), enjoying an 20% gain.

The $2,423 psf is the highest psf price achieved at Ocean 8 to date. The last time a unit in the stretch of eight terraced homes changed hands above $2,000 psf was in May last year, when two units were sold for $5.5 million each — a 2,626 sq ft unit went for $2,097 psf, while a 2,691 sq ft unit was sold for $2,046 psf.

Just up the street along Ocean Drive is the 116- unit The Azure, a 99-year leasehold waterfront condo development by Frasers Centrepoint and completed last year. The property was launched in September 2005 at around $900 psf.

According to a Nov 10 caveat, a 1,701 sq ft apartment on the third floor was sold for $2.9 million, or $1,705 psf. This is the second time this year the unit has changed hands. It was last sold in June for $2.43 million ($1,429). The original owner purchased the property in October 2005 for $1.77 million ($1,043 psf).

At the end of Ocean Drive is the 264-unit The Oceanfront @ Sentosa Cove, which is being developed jointly by TID Pte Ltd and City Developments Ltd and expected to be completed in 1Q2010. A two-bedroom apartment on the eighth floor has changed hands three times since it was purchased in August 2006. The 1,711 sq ft unit was most recently sold for $3.1 million, or $1,811 psf. The seller appears to have made a quick flip as, according to URA Realis, the previous transaction was just this September for $3 million, or $1,753 psf. The initial owner purchased the unit at launch in 2006 for $2.28 million ($1,337 psf) and sold it in April 2007 for $3.25 million ($1,899 psf), a 42% price gain.

Source : The Edge – 7 Dec 2009

Subsales in past 2 quarters among highest since 1995

Completion of large condo projects near MRT stations helps to boost demand

The number of subsales in the second and third quarters of this year were among the six highest quarterly figures since 1995 – reflecting the build-up in subsale activity that led to the government announcing measures on Sept 14 to cool property prices.

The completion of several condos this year – many of them large projects, close to MRT stations or near new projects launched this year – helped to boost their demand in the subsale market.

As well, the rise in private home prices this year has given sellers an incentive to let go units bought earlier.

Savills Singapore’s analysis of caveats captured by URA’s Realis system as at Nov 17 showed that 1,249 caveats were lodged for subsales of private apartments and condos in Q3 this year, a tad below the 1,300 caveats in Q2.

Since 1995 (when the Realis caveats database was first set up), there had been four other quarters when subsales of condos/apart- ments exceeded the 1,000 mark – during the 1996 and 2007 property market highs.

In Q2 and Q3 2007, subsales hit 1,857 and 1,534 respectively; in Q1 and Q2 1996, subsales were 1,238 and 1,650.

Projects that topped the subsales charts in Q2 and Q3 this year had generally been launched a few years ago and many of them were completed this year. Examples include Rivergate in the Robertson Quay area, Casa Merah near Tanah Merah MRT Station, City Square Residences along Kitchener Road, The Metropolitan Condo in the Alexandra Road area, The Centris in Jurong and Botannia in West Coast.

Projects that have been recently completed or which are nearing completion offer added appeal to potential buyers keen to move in or rent them out soon.

Giving a seller’s perspective, Knight Frank chairman Tan Tiong Cheng said: ‘If they bought their properties with the intention of leasing them out and if they find today’s rental market challenging, it may make sense to simply cash out, especially if they can make a profit.’

Savills’ lists of the most popular projects in the subsale market in Q2 and Q3 2009 did not include developments launched this year, with the exception of The Quartz, which was relaunched this year.

‘Those who bought projects launched this year would find it harder to flip because their entry price may already be very high,’ says Lee Hon Kiun, owner of Landmark Property Advisers.

Subsales refer to secondary market transactions in projects that have yet to receive Certificate of Statutory Completion. This can take place three to 12 months after Temporary Occupation Permit (TOP).

While subsales are often tracked as a gauge of speculative activity, Mr Lee hesitates to equate the increase in subsales in Q2 and Q3 this year with speculation. ‘Those who bought two to three years ago and sold this year… in the Singapore context, that’s a very long time,’ he chuckled. ‘Speculation is when people buy a property and flip it within six months to make a profit,’ he added.

Savills senior manager (research and consultancy) Christine Sun said new property launches by developers also fuelled subsale interest for nearby projects released a few years ago. For example, the release of Alexis, Ascentia Sky and Interlace in the Alexandra Road area could have helped subsales at The Metropolitan Condo nearby, which was completed this year.

Agreeing, Landmark’s Mr Lee said buyers can pick up more attractive buys in the subsale market for earlier launched projects than at new launches in the same area.

A developer said: ‘Personally, I advise friends to buy in subsale projects as prices are discounted to new launches.’

HDB upgraders bought 39 per cent of the 1,300 private apartments/condos transacted in the subsale market in Q2 this year, although the figure has slipped to 36.6 per cent in Q3 and 33.7 per cent in October. Nonetheless, these figures are higher than HDB residents’ 20.8 and 23.1 per cent share of subsale purchases during the property bull market in Q2 and Q3 2007.

Analysts say the jump in HDB resale flat prices has narrowed the price gap with private housing and made it easier for HDB dwellers to upgrade to a private home; and the subsale market offers a ready supply of recently completed homes that are ready for occupation.

Secondly, existing HDB flat dwellers looking for a bigger home may be deterred from picking one up from the HDB resale market because of high prevailing cash over valuation premiums. ‘If they fork out a little more cash, they could foot the downpayment for a private condo in the subsale market instead,’ said the developer.

Savills also provided monthly subsales data for non-landed private homes, which showed that for this year, the figure peaked at 596 in June.

It has since declined to 483 in July, 441 in August, 325 in Sept and just 184 in October – as at Nov 17 when Savills extracted the Realis data. It also observed an increase in the number of foreigners (including permanent residents) snapping up condos and apartments in the subsale market. Their share of purchases in the subsale market rose to about 31 per cent in Q3 this year and 33 per cent in October – from 21 per cent in Q1 2009.

Between 2007 and the first 10 months of 2009, Indonesians were the top buyers in the subsale market, followed by Malaysians, mainland Chinese, Indians and UK nationals.

Source : Business Times – 23 Nov 2009