Developer sales surge to 3-year high
Developers' private home sales surged to a three-year high in September, taking the tally for the first nine months past the full-year 2010 record and underscoring the need for the latest cooling measures.
The 2,621 private homes, excluding executive condos (ECs),
sold last month were 83.7 per cent more than the 1,427 units in August and the
highest since July 2009's 2,772 units. The numbers were released by the Urban
Redevelopment Authority yesterday.
This means that in the first nine months of this year alone,
developers have found buyers for 17,927 homes - up 12.7 per cent from 15,904
units for the whole of last year and surpassing the full-year 2010 record of
16,292 units by around 10 per cent.
Market watchers generally attribute the surge in September
sales to high liquidity/low interest rates and a jump in new launches.
Developers launched 2,224 private homes last month, double the 1,118 units in
August. Some developers held back releasing projects until after the Ghosts
Month ended in mid-September. That also coincided with the announcement of QE3
in the US.
The preliminary Q3 2012 developer sales tally now stands at
5,999 units (the final number will be released on Oct 29). Most property
consultants reckon sales will slow this quarter, ending the year at
21,000-22,000 units.
While the restrictions on home loan tenures could take some
demand away, property remains an attractive option.
The September sales volume was also up 60.7 per cent year on
year.
Home buying continued to be dominated by Outside Central
Region (OCR), where suburban condos are located. The 2,062 units in this
location that developers sold last month was a 146 per cent jump from 837 units
in August as well as a new monthly benchmark sales record for OCR.
Three major projects - Riversails in Upper Serangoon
Crescent, Kovan Regency and eCO at Bedok South Avenue 3 - together contributed
to sales of 974 units in September - or 37.2 per cent of developers' total
sales in the month.
For eCO, 402 units were transacted at a median price of
$1,283 psf, making it the top-selling project, followed by Kovan Regency (369
units at $1,275 psf median price), Riversails (203 units), Foresque Residences
(104 units) and Bartley Residences (78 units).
Upcoming launches could include Eco Sanctuary at Chestnut
Avenue and The Sennett.
URA figures yesterday also show that developers sold 150 ECs
(a public-private hybrid housing) last month, up from 118 units in August. This
takes the preliminary Q3 tally for ECs to 392 units - and that for the first
nine months to 2,818 units, not far off the 2,883 units last year.
September's priciest deal (in per square foot terms) was a
unit in The Marq on Paterson Hill which sold for $6,215 psf, followed by a unit
at Skyline@Orchard Boulevard which fetched $5,011 psf.
Amid rising home sales, the government yesterday rolled out
five residential sites and reiterated that it is ready to act, if and when
necessary, to keep a good handle on the property market.
Source: Business Times – 16 October 2012