Tag Archives: Urban Redevelopment Authority

50% rise in new private home sales

Developers sold 648 new private homes last month which translates to an increase of 50 percent month-on-month but 47 percent decline on the same month last year.

Including executive condominiums (ECs), the number of units sold last month was 707.

The month-on-month rise comes from data published by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) this afternoon.

During August, Singapore developers sold 432 new private homes, and up to 490 including ECs, in a month that saw few new launches. In contrast, September last year saw a total of 1,237 units sold, that when including ECs reached 1,649 units.

The development with the highest number of sales in September was Highline Residences in Kim Tian Road with a median average sales price of $1,848 psf.  The highest median priced sale happened at Mon Jervois with one unit being sold at $2,771 psf.

According to URA, prices as well as the number of units sold during the month are based on the Option to Purchase (OTP) issued by developers to buyers and reported to URA. Not all OTPs result in confirmed sales.

An OTP is a right or option given by the vendor to an intending purchaser to buy the property at a specified price within a specified period of time – the validity period of the option. The intending purchaser must pay a booking fee of between 5 – 10 percent of the agreed price for this right or option. The purchaser has to exercise the OTP within its validity period if he decides to buy the property.

Upper Thomson site draws 18 bids

The tender for a residential site at Lorong Puntong near Upper Thomson Road closed yesterday after attracting a stunning 18 bids, according to the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA).

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Launched for sale in August, the 10,502.8 sqm site has a maximum permissible gross floor area (GFA) of 22,056 sqm.

The highest bid was submitted by China-based Nanshan Group, with an offer of $173.6 million. That translates to around $7,870 psm on the GFA.

This was followed by a $161.9 million bid from SL Capital Ventures. The lowest bid was from Tee Vista at $108 million.

Property analysts had expected strong demand for the 99-year leasehold site due to its small size which commands a smaller quantum of below $200 million.

“Generally, the bidders were probably also encouraged by the good attributes of the site. The site is located in a mature estate, supported by a comprehensive network of amenities and renowned schools,” said Desmond Sim, Research Head for CBRE Singapore.

He added: “The future Thomson Line will certainly be a selling point because the site is situated in-between two future MRT stations.”

With previous projects in the area selling well, this would have further boosted developers’ confidence in the plot, noted Sim.

“The bidders have also benefited from studying the market for a longer period post-TDSR and now have a better sense of price levels.”

Photo by URA