國大房地產價格指數：5月私宅轉售價攀高

5月私宅轉售價攀高 （2012-06-29）  全島轉售私宅的價格5月上揚1.5％，除小型公寓以外的非中央區漲幅最為顯著，達到2.2％。 《早報》李敏雯　報道 [e-mail] 　　今年5月份轉售私宅價格出乎意料地沒有受到歐債危機惡化的影響，所有房地產領域的價格反而都攀高。 　　昨天出爐的國大房地產價格指數（簡稱SRPI）顯示，全島轉售私宅的價格5月上揚1.5％，除小型公寓以外的非中央區漲幅最為顯著，達到2.2％。該領域在4月份的價格指數則沒有變動。 中央區價格指數連漲三個月 　　4月份領漲的中央區領域，5月份的價格指數再上升0.8％，已經是連續三個月呈上升趨勢。昨天出爐的4月份修正數據顯示，中央區非有地私宅的轉售價格在4月份上揚1.5％，3月份則微起0.1％。 　　4月份價格下跌0.8％的小型公寓，5月份的價格則有所回彈，上揚0.9％，似乎處於橫擺狀態。 　　中央區指的是第1至第4郵區（聖淘沙升濤灣、濱海灣地區），以及第9至第11郵區的傳統高檔私宅黃金地區，其他則都屬於非中央區範圍。小型公寓指的是麵積不超過506平方英尺的單位。　 智信研究與谘詢（R’ST Research）總監王伽勝認為，5月份轉售私宅價格不跌反升，估計與市場沒有什麽受矚目的新項目登場有關，促使買家將眼光再度聚焦到轉售私宅身上，尤 其是轉售私宅中的大眾化領域，依然可以找到價格具吸引力，比如平均售價低於每平方英尺1000元或總價低於100萬元的項目。 　　他對轉售私宅價格不跌反升也不感意外。王伽勝說，買家對轉售私宅的興趣能獲得基本麵的支持，尤其是當新項目的價格居高不下，而轉售私宅能為買家提供一個地點優越、且較實惠的選擇。 　　此外，今年3、4月份，市場的焦點圍繞著“鞋盒公寓”湧現，買家擔心有降溫措施出台來澆滅這個領域的買氣，不過隨著事態變化，新一輪降溫措施似乎不太可能發生。這促使轉售私宅的買家將發展商新私宅的銷售看成為市場情緒的指引，從而受到鼓舞。 　　王伽勝指出，中央區的漲幅反映了該領域的私宅價格已較能持久回彈。“緩和的價格漲幅，反映出雖然高檔私宅被視為有價值的投資，但它們依然超出了許多買家的可負擔水平。” 　　展望未來，他認為轉售私宅市場已從政府加抽額外買方印花稅（簡稱ABSD）的降溫措施中複蘇，雖然複蘇步伐不如新私宅來得快。而接下來數個月將能看到轉售私宅價格和成交量保持平穩的增長，但預計不會有較明顯的漲幅。 　　國大每個月所發表的房地產價格指數，主要反映的是私宅轉售市場的波動。它在去年7月底首次為小型公寓製定單獨的轉售價格指數。

Private resale home prices continue inching upwards                      Straits Times: Fri, Jun 29 PRICES of private resale homes nudged higher again in May, maintaining a trend of recent months. Overall, prices gained 1.5 per cent last month, buoyed by price rises of homes islandwide. High-end homes in the central area inched up 0.8 per cent while mass market ones rose a stronger 2.2 per cent. Prices of tiny shoebox units - about 500 sq ft or smaller - moved up 0.9 per cent in May, after dipping 0.8 per cent the month before. The flash figures released yesterday in the Singapore Residential Price Index were compiled by the National University of Singapore's Institute of Real Estate Studies. The monthly report measures a basket of non-landed completed private units and condominiums. It excludes executive condos, a public-private housing hybrid. Property consultant Ong Kah Seng said that the overall price increase is 'within expectations', as sales activity and interest in resale homes have kept up since a pick-up emerged in March. The R'ST Research director noted that the 2.2 per cent rise for non-central homes is partly a result of limited choices from fewer condo launches in May. Another factor is improved buyer interest in homes which are attractively priced, like those below $1,000 psf, Mr Ong said. 'Resale properties are lower-cost options... this attracts practical buyers who can trade off the frills for a lower-cost, well-located, and comparatively spacious resale property with tested investment fundamentals,' he said. The price increase for luxury homes in the central area points to sustained recovery momentum in the sector, he said. Mr Png Poh Soon, head of research at Knight Frank, said overall resale prices are likely to keep rising for the next one or two months, until the price gap between new and resale homes narrows. 'Record prices of some new suburban launches had prompted buyers to look again at the resale market which seemed to be a value buy,' he said, adding that demand for resale homes will hold up as long as buyers consider them a better deal than new homes. But homes in the central region are likely to see price rises of less than 1 per cent as new high-end properties are not seeing high demand now. 'So if developers start slashing prices, resale units won't be so attractive any more,' Mr Png said. [e-mail] VALUE BUYS Record prices of some new suburban launches had prompted buyers to look again at the resale market which seemed to be a value buy. - Mr Png Poh Soon, head of research at Knight Frank Source: The Straits Times

Prices of suburban condos above 506 sq ft most resilient

[SINGAPORE] Prices of completed apartments above 506 sq ft in the Non-Central Region or suburban areas have been the most resilient year to date (up to May) followed by small units islandwide. Big apartments in the Central Region have fared the worst, show data from NUS. Based on NUS's Singapore Residential Price Index (SRPI) series, which tracks prices of completed apartments and condos, the sub-index for the Non-Central Region (excluding small units) rose 1.9 per cent between December last year and May this year. Over the same period, the sub-index for small units (up to 506 sq ft) islandwide dipped 0.1 per cent, while the sub-index for the Central Region (excluding small units) slipped an even bigger 2 per cent. Central Region is defined as Districts 1-4 (which include the financial district and Sentosa Cove) and the traditional prime residential districts of 9, 10 and 11. The pattern is similar to trends in the past two years. In 2011, the Non-Central Region sub-index (excluding small units) rose 11.3 per cent, higher than a 10.6 per cent increase for small units islandwide and 5.1 per cent hike for Central Region (excluding small units) In 2010, the three indices posted gains of 14.9 per cent, 13.8 per cent and 7.7 per cent respectively. "The index movements pretty much reflect what we've been seeing in the market in the past few years," says DTZ's SE Asia chief operating officer Ong Choon Fah. "In suburban locations, because developers have been launching new projects at prices higher than those of existing, completed projects in the vicinity, it has an effect on prices of the completed properties as well." Even so, analysts note that there is usually still a price gap between new launch and resale prices, which means that buyers, especially owner occupiers, still see value in completed suburban condos, says SLP International managing director Peter Ow. Mrs Ong notes that in addition to owner occupiers, there is demand for completed suburban apartments from investors. "Rents have held up well. Many younger expats on smaller housing budgets are opting to lease suburban condos and even HDB flats," she adds. In contrast, big units in the Central Region tend to be more pricey and cater mostly to high net worth Singaporean investors and foreigners. "Some of them could be affected by various cooling measures as well as the global economic situation. They may also be attracted to other property markets such as London," says Mrs Ong. Meanwhile, shoebox apartments continue to be popular, with their more affordable lump sum investment size. NUS's May 2012 flash estimates released yesterday show that the overall SRPI increased 1.5 per cent in May over the preceding month. This is double the 0.7 per cent month-on-month hike in April. The sub-index for small apartments islandwide posted a 0.9 per cent month-on-month rise in May, against a drop of 0.8 per cent in April. The sub-indices for the Central Region and Non-Central Region, both excluding small units, were up 0.8 per cent and 2.2 per cent respectively month on month for May. In April, the Central Region sub-index rose 1.5 per cent while that for the Non-Central Region was unchanged from the preceding month. The SRPI series, minted by NUS's Institute of Real Estate Studies, tracks prices of completed private apartments and condos (excluding executive condos). R'ST Research's caveats analysis shows a pick-up in resale volumes of private apartments/condos above 506 sq ft in recent months, in both the Central and Non-Central regions - compared with January, when volumes dived following the introduction of the additional buyer's stamp duty in December. The figures hovered around 700 units or more per month in the Non-Central Region between March and May, compared with 192 in January and 345 units in February. However, the 683 caveats in May are down 12.2 per cent from April's 778. In the Central Region, 259 caveats were lodged in May, nearly 5 per cent higher than April's 247 units. The 200-plus caveats lodged per month between March and May are up from the January and February numbers of 50 and 119 respectively. Source: Business Times