港府考慮再度出招遏製樓價

（2010-11-16）

● 戴慶成 報道 香港 　　隨著海外熱錢持續流入香港，香港住宅樓價不排除會再上升四成。港府財政司司長曾俊華強調，當局在有需要會再度出招。 　　據悉，港府將參考新加坡政府做法，考慮向短期轉讓樓宇征收額外印花稅。 　　瑞銀亞洲房地產研究部主管王震宇昨天表示，麵對美國次輪量化寬鬆政策影響熱錢流入、通脹壓力及中國經濟快速增長，即使2012年底前，香港息口有機會上調2%，香港住宅樓價仍然有望有40%的升幅。他認為這是一個可以接受水平。 　　該行最看好香港辦公樓價格及租金走勢，主要是考慮到需求持續，加上受政策影響風險較低，預測2012年底前香港辦公樓價格及租金各有60%及40%升幅。 　　至於住宅價格及租金，則預期分別有40%及15%增長；零售店鋪價格及租金則有25%及20%上升空間。 　　麵對樓價不斷攀升，港府財政司司長曾俊華前天指出，自從港府和金融管理局今年先後推出多項措施，令樓市健康平穩發展，措施已初見一些成效。 　　但在美國和日本再次推出新一輪量化寬鬆貨幣政策的背景下，曾俊華擔心樓市泡沫的風險有可能進一步上升，尤以隨著“量化寬鬆”而來的投機炒賣，可能會進一步刺激泡沫風險。 　　曾俊華強調，資產泡沫涉及巿民的福祉，港府必須正視有關問題，繼續監察最新情況，並提高警覺，在有需要時毫不猶豫地推出新一輪的措施，以確保宏觀經濟和金融係統的穩定性。 曾俊華： 小投資者須小心風險 　　他呼籲市民，尤其是小投資者須小心風險，避免過度借貸和炒賣，以防日後市場突然逆轉時蒙受損害。 　　曾俊華在文章中特別提到，新加坡推出了一連串防止樓市過熱的措施，包括增加土地供應和向一年內轉售的樓宇征收稅款。 　　據了解，港府研究打擊炒樓的措施，包括提高印花稅及按揭成數；預料向短期轉讓樓宇征收額外印花稅，會是港府打擊炒樓的方向。 　　昨天，曾俊華會見記者時再次重申，會密切留意樓市發展，並在有需要時采取適當措施。 　　不過，對於港府未來可能會透過增加短期樓宇買賣稅收來遏止炒風，王震宇認為，有關做法實效不大。 　　他解釋，設立炒賣稅收或印花稅來增加成本，僅能暫時紓緩樓價的升幅，不能扭轉升勢及遏止炒賣行為。 　　王震宇表示，美國及日本等國相繼推次輪量化寬鬆政策，啟動印鈔機，歐洲債務危機憂慮重燃，貨幣泡沫引致資產泡沫惡化，造成競爭性的貨幣貶值，惟因聯匯未能脫勾，香港息口必須緊隨美國。 　　“若要抗通脹及紓緩樓市過熱情況，港府應盡快增加土地供應、縮短新盤預售期限，甚至撥出公屋用地，以緩和土地緊張的情況。” 　　他認為，港府應盡快把今年未推出的住宅用地推出，甚至可加碼供應，來紓緩買樓壓力。 《聯合早報》

IMF sees rising risk of bubble in HK housing  November 19, 2010  The International Monetary Fund (IMF) yesterday warned of increasing risks of a property bubble in Hong Kong amid continued liquidity inflows and rock-bottom interest rates and urged the city’s government to take further measures to rein in the booming real estate market. The IMF said that while the city had returned to robust growth, it saw rising inflationary pressures fuelled in large part by soaring property prices and a stronger Chinese yuan. “These pricing pressures will become increasingly visible in the coming months with inflation expected to reach around 5 per cent by end-2011,” said the IMF. The organisation said it expected Hong Kong’s gross domestic product to expand 6.75 per cent this year, with the growth moderating to between 5 and 5.5 per cent next year. The IMF said that Hong Kong dollar’s exchange rate pegged to the US dollar would create challenges in preventing inflation and property price bubbles. The peg means Hong Kong essentially imports the currently very low interest rates set by the US Federal Reserve. “Hong Kong has monetary policy determined by the US in an economy growing much faster than the US,” said Mr Nigel Chalk, a senior advisor of the IMF. “Our concern isn’t now, it’s a prospective concern. You could end up where the property market starts to deflate, prices going down, but payments on household mortgages are going up. It becomes harder to pay your mortgage on an asset that has less value,” he said. Hong Kong home prices have climbed about 50 per cent since the start of last year, surpassing a 1997 peak that was followed by a six-year deflationary slump. Hong Kong Monetary Authority head Norman Chan said yesterday: “We are fully aware of the risks of an acceleration of the credit-fuelled asset cycle,” Since April, the government has raised stamp duty on some home sales, increased down-payment ratios, stopped offering residency to foreigners who buy property in the city and increased land auctions to boost supply. Source : Today – 19 Nov 2010 Hong Kong sets commercial property record Tue, Nov 09, 2010 AFP HONG KONG - Hong Kong's commercial property prices have soared to a historic high, the city's biggest realtor said Tuesday, frustrating government efforts to cool one of the world's priciest real estate markets. A 79th floor unit in The Center - a downtown skyscraper owned by Hong Kong's richest man, Li Ka-shing - recently sold for 338 million Hong Kong dollars (S$56 million), or about 25,580 Hong Kong dollars a square foot, according to government data. "This is the highest commercial property price per square foot in Hong Kong's history," said Peter Chan, senior regional sales director of Hong Kong's largest property agency, Centaline. Government records show the unit was sold in late October to Excel Fine Holdings, which local reports say is a Korean investment fund. Chan said the southern Chinese city's commercial real estate prices will likely continue to rise over the next six months. "There is definitely potential for prices to rise beyond present levels," he told AFP. "Right now, the vacancy rates of offices is very low... I expect to see more record prices in the next six months," he added. Another office unit in the city sold in October for 24,950 Hong Kong dollars per square foot, according to the Chinese-language Sing Tao Daily. Hong Kong has also claimed top spot in the world for the most-expensive office rent at US$161 (S$207) per square foot, according to a real estate review by Colliers International for the first half of 2010. The Global Office Real Estate Review put London in second spot at US$130 a square foot and Tokyo in third at US$101. Hong Kong accounted for four of the 10 largest commercial real estate transactions in Asia-Pacific during the third quarter, Peter Mitchell, head of the Asia Pacific Real Estate Association, was quoted as saying by Hong Kong broadcaster RTHK on Tuesday. Asia-Pacific reversed a downward trend by posting 20.8 billion US dollars worth of transactions in the third quarter, 44 per cent higher than in the previous quarter, the Singapore-based Association said. The latest property data come amid fears of a property bubble in Hong Kong, a densely populated city of seven million that is also famous for its sky-high residential rents. A Hong Kong tycoon paid about US$233 million, or US$8,750 a square foot, for a property in the city's upmarket Peak area last year. The chief of Hong Kong's de facto central bank warned earlier this month that a recently announced stimulus package to kickstart the US economy could escalate the city's already overheated property market. Hong Kong's government has unveiled a host of measures aimed at reining in the property market, including holding land auctions to boost supply and tightening mortgage lending. Luxury home prices in the former British colony recently topped their pre-Asian financial crisis peak in 1997, according to government data released in October. Average prices for homes of at least 100 square metres (1,100 square feet) were 14 per cent above what they fetched before the 1997 downturn, according to the figures.