Complete Property Market Updates of Singapore

December 31, 2007

Property sales under the hammer hit high notes

Filed under: Market Watch, Property Deal, Property Trends, Singapore Economy — Propertymarketupdates @ 11:59 pm

Auctions dominated by owners seeking good deals - not bank foreclosure

The value of properties sold at auctions in 2007 was the highest in eight years - and the second best showing ever. But property consultants reckon that this is about as good as things will get for now. Next year could see a slowdown led by the high-end residential sector, a star performer this year.

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Colliers said that the value of properties sold at auctions conducted by private auction houses in 2007 reached $407.4 million, up 28.2 per cent from last year and just a tad shy of the $409.5 million achieved in 1999, when the market was recovering after the Asian Financial Crisis. Similarly, Knight Frank’s research showed the value of properties transacted at auctions rose 32 per cent to $422 million this year.

‘The big difference between 1999 and 2007 was that the record auction sales in 1999 was dominated by mortgagee sales as valuations had fallen a fair bit from the high in 1996 and this drew buyers. Whereas this year, auction sales were predominantly by property owners themselves who took advantage of the auction method to extract the best price, after two years of steep price appreciation,’ observes Colliers’ deputy managing director and auctioneer Grace Ng.

She expects the value of properties sold at auctions to fall by about 25 per cent to $300 million in 2008 as fewer high-end homes as well as fewer older apartments with en bloc potential may be put under the hammer. Ms Ng also expects the number of properties transacted at auctions to fall to about 160-170 next year from 204 this year.

Knight Frank’s executive director (auctions) Mary Sai too predicts a ‘cautious buying mood’ at auctions next year, citing stock market uncertainty and ‘exceptionally high price expectations from some owners’.

But assuming that the economy remains in fine fettle, Ms Sai expects strong demand for properties in mass-market developments, especially those near MRT stations or good schools. Auctions will also be a popular hunting ground for those who’ve sold their homes in collective sale and are looking for replacement properties within a short span of time, Ms Sai reckons.

The increase in value of properties transacted at auctions this year was achieved despite a drop in the total number of properties put up for auction, from 2,018 last year to 1,456 this year, going by Colliers’ figures.

The drop was due to a 54.4 per cent decline in the number of properties put under the hammer by mortgagees/banks in cases where borrowers defaulted on their property loan repayments.

The value of mortgagee properties sold at auctions this year fell 24.2 per cent to $143 million, while the value of properties sold by property owners themselves through auction nearly doubled to $265 million in 2007. Colliers attributed the nosedive in mortgagee sales to a vibrant economy and high employment situation which resulted in a lower (mortgage) default rate.

And even in instances where borrowers were facing difficulty servicing their property loans, the robust property market enabled them to sell their properties in the open market - instead of waiting for bank foreclosure.

On the other hand, 810 properties were put up for auction this year by their owners - up 35 per cent from last year and the highest in 10 years, according to Colliers.

This reflects the continuing trend of auction losing its stigma among property sellers, market watchers say. ‘Amidst the property boom this year, more owners turned to auction to attempt to achieve the best price for their properties,’ Ms Ng said.

There was a strong deceleration of auction sales in second-half 2007 - as the mood in auction halls became more subdued amidst US sub-prime mortgage woes, stock market turmoil, as well as stricter collective sales rules, hikes in development charges and withdrawal of the deferred payment scheme. After seeing 131 properties changing hands for $263 million in H1 2007, the market slowed to just 73 deals worth $144 million in H2, based on Colliers’ analysis.

The strong full-year auction sales in 2007 was buoyed by the vibrant residential market in the first half of this year, when sales were dominated by high- end residential condominiums and old apartments with potential for collective sale. The year also saw keen interest in shops/shophouse properties amidst the office supply crunch, as well as development sites put up for auction.

The value of non-landed residential properties sold at auction more than doubled to $109.5 million this year, from $41.5 million in 2006 - helped by the sale of 12 apartments at Tuan Sing’s Botanika development at Napier Road, which fetched a total $52.92 million. The value of shops/shophouses sold at auctions jumped 172 per cent, to slightly over $78 million this year, from only $28.9 million in 2006.

Source : Business Times - 28 Dec 2007

Calm replaces frenzy, but office sector will still be buoyant

Filed under: Commercial, Market Watch, Property Trends — Propertymarketupdates @ 11:47 pm

The tight supply of office space seen this year will spill over into 2008, keeping rents buoyant and rising in the region of 20 per cent for Grade A space.

However, the massive supply expected from 2010 onwards, coupled with a growing resistance to rental hikes and the possibility of a slowdown in the US economy, will likely bring a sense of calm with the new year, replacing the manic price increases that dominated much of 2007, when rents in areas like Raffles Place increased by 100 per cent.

Colliers International director for research and consultancy Tay Huey Ying says that based on the average annual office absorption rate in the last three years of about 2.3 million sq ft, islandwide occupancy could reach 95 per cent by 2010, but added that this was ‘unlikely in view of the looming US recession’.

Colliers estimates that potential supply is estimated to be 5.2 million sq ft, or about 1.7 million sq ft a year for the next three years.

‘In the likely event of a moderation in annual office demand by some 25-30 per cent to an annual average of some 1.6 million sq ft in the next three years, islandwide occupancy rate would still remain at a healthy level of above 92 per cent by 2010,’ added Ms Tay.

Cushman & Wakefield’s (C&W) estimates for the shorter term reveal a more dire supply situation.

C&W managing director Donald Han says that only 2.7 million sq ft of new office space will be completed for 2008 and 2009, or an average of 1.35 million sq ft per annum. Projected take-up however, has historically been around 2 million sq ft.

But while rents will continue to rise, tenants may simply up their tolerance thresholds and resist expansion by ‘hot-desking, working from home, or reconfiguring workstations’, at least until rents stabilise, reckons Mr Han.

Landlords’ rental expectations will remain high but Mr Han believes that tenants are beginning to resist high rents and expects ‘more corporates who are large users of space to continue adopting cost segregation strategy in 2008′.

‘Assuming half of a front end office in the CBD pays $15 psf while the other half of backroom operations pays a $4 psf industrial rate, the blended rate achieved is $9.50 psf, which makes businesses more agile and competitive in a high cost environment,’ Mr Han said.

He also noted that the Grade B office sector is enjoying high occupancy rates of 95-98 per cent with some fringe areas like the Tanjong Pagar, Beach Road and Chinatown micro markets seeing record rental transactions.

Mr Han added: ‘There has been a growing trend of companies buying premises for own use in lieu of renting. These have similarly led to the rise of rental and capital values for conservation shophouses and strata-titled offices.’

Capital values rose rapidly in 2007. According to Savills Singapore, average Grade A capital values rose 33 per cent in Q2′07 and 23 per cent in Q3′07, quarter-on-quarter.

For 2008, however, Savills is projecting a 20 per cent increase for the whole year.

The sector will also continue to be bolstered by institutional buyers. Savills director of marketing and business development Ku Swee Yong said: ‘They invest in Singapore for interest rate arbitrage, tax gains, forex gains or diversification, and portfolio diversification. The office investment market will continue to be filled with investor interest and we will see a constant supply of funds chasing after very few assets.’

The lower price fetched for Marina View Parcel B recently does not alter his view either. ‘Marina View Parcel B had restrictions due to the common services tunnel construction access. The price is not reflective of the market because you have to discount for the inconvenience. I don’t believe one can draw any conclusions from the price,’ he added.

With good returns on capital values, Knight Frank director, research and consultancy Nicholas Mak believes that 2008 will see investors continue to look for short term gains. ‘A few have already been flipping commercial properties because the profit is too good to pass up,’ he added.

Better yields may persuade these investors to hold for longer term rental returns but Mr Mak only expects yields to rise in 2009 or 2010.

For 2008, the tight supply will be mitigated by limited office space completion and new transitional office sites being developed.

Interest in the transitional sites has been encouraging.

CB Richard Ellis executive director (office services) Moray Armstrong said: ‘The successful award of the first transitional office parcel at Scotts Road and the swift pre-commitment of the entire block by insurance giant Prudential provides a good gauge of strength of the leasing market in 2007.’

CBRE estimates that Grade A rents will average $18.50 by end-2008 but Mr Armstrong expects the market to be, ‘more friendly beyond 2010′.

‘This is likely to be factored into property decisions by the corporates,’ he added.

By CBRE’s analysis, more than 68 per cent (or about 6.2 million sq ft) of the on-coming supply from 2008-2012 is likely to be categorised as Grade A - almost doubling the current Grade A stock.

Source : Business Times - 21 Dec 2007

Small city can dream big with careful planning

Filed under: Construction News, Genius Thoughts, Property Trends, Regulators — Propertymarketupdates @ 11:44 pm

Marina Bay IR project, for example, can take off smoothly as the basic infrastructure is already in place

WHEN the Marina Bay Sands integrated resort opens in 2009, pundits around the world may gasp at the speed with which a mega development rose on empty tracts of land in record time.

From winning the tender on May 26 last year to its planned opening some time in 2009, it will be a sprint of a mere two-plus years from blueprint to reality.

But National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan says the reason that the Marina Bay IR site can progress so fast and so smoothly is thanks to planning that began well over 30 years ago.

Without that careful planning of land use, plans for the IR would have had to be delayed, he says in an interview on land use and the trade-offs the Ministry of National Development (MND) considers in its plans.

Such careful, thought-through proposals help tiny Singapore achieve ‘big dreams’, he says.

Plans for a bigger downtown area began back in the 70s, as Shenton Way developed. One obvious solution that would extend the city into the bayfront area: reclaimed land.

‘We reclaimed Marina Bay about 30 years ago. We started putting in the infrastructure in Marina Bay about 10 years ago: all services, power, telecommunications, gas, water, then planning for the roads.’

Development plans for the area began around 2000. Options such as residential, commercial, office or mixed uses were considered. To test the market, one site was put up for tender as a ‘white’ site, which means developers are free to choose whether they want to put up a residential or commercial building.

It was later developed into a residential building - The Sail.

By 2004 and 2005, when debate on the proposed IR intensified, Marina Bay stood ready as a prime location with infrastructure ready for development.

Planners had initially suggested the Southern Islands as the site for an IR, but Marina Bay beckoned.

‘We were able to make this offer because we actually had all this ready and waiting to go.’

Mr Mah reckons that the IR bids created more buzz because of the attractiveness of the Marina Bay site.

To Mr Mah, long-term planning is critical for small Singapore, which has to balance myriad land uses.

Apart from the usual needs of a city, such as having land for housing, commercial and office uses, as a nation it also needs land for a port, airports, energy plants, waste disposal and recreational needs.

‘If we plan ahead and by being flexible in our planning, by being able to take into account changes in our economy and our social needs, we are able to make best use of what we have.

‘In the process, I think we are quite pleasantly surprised at how much land we actually have for all these things.’

Tiny Singapore has gone through several phases in land-use planning. In the 60s and 70s, the emphasis was on rapid physical development, with reclamation to expand the land mass.

In the 80s, a rising wave of conservationist sentiments caused a rethink. Former MND minister S. Dhanabalan noted in a recent interview that young officers in MND and Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) pushed to conserve culturally rich neighbourhoods like Chinatown and Little India.

Heritage conservation was written into the 1991 Concept Plan and remains an article of faith in urban planning.

In the 90s, as a growing population put pressure on demand for land and with limits in land reclamation, the focus shifted to ways to intensify land use, with sweeping increases in plot ratios that allowed for taller buildings.

Mr Mah says the suggestion to raise plot ratios came from a series of focus group discussions, making the point that consultation with stakeholders does result in better policy options.

Another breakthrough in land-use planning came in the decision to dig deeper, with plans for a deep tunnel system to house sewer and infrastructure systems.

For Mr Mah, land-use planning does not exist in a vacuum, but is all about balancing conflicting needs and interests.

He gives examples to illustrate his point.

A granite stockpile in Kranji raised the ire of farmers there. But to the minister, strategic interest comes first in this case. In fact, he says unapologetically, there are plans for more granite stockpiles in Singapore. But the ministry will consider carefully the pros and cons of suitable locations.

Another example of conflicting interests: a group of conservationists wanted to preserve a historic building in Amber Road slated for private development.

Mr Mah discloses that actually, the URA had considered whether to conserve the building, but realised the cost was too high. But when conservationists protested, the ministry helped bring together the activists and developer.

In the end, a ‘hybrid’ solution emerged, with the developer agreeing to retain the historic facade and changing its design to incorporate this.

This is an example of ‘how the interest of a very vocal group can be taken into account’, together with the interest of the more silent party - in this case, the developer, he says.

Mr Mah considers the outcome ‘win-win’, although he acknowledges that ‘hybrid’ solutions are not perfect and do not please either party 100 per cent.

But then, he shrugs, that’s the nature of balancing different interests.

Asked if he considers lobbying by interest groups positive or negative, he replies: ‘I would be neutral about it but I also want to make this point that their interests are not the only interests on the floor.

‘We have to come in to talk about other interests who may not be so articulate, who may not be so vocal, but whose interests are no less important.’

Source : Straits Times - Dec 13 2007

Let’s hear it for a year of property records

Filed under: Commercial, Developer News, Facts & Figures, Property Trends, Regulators, Rental News, Singapore Economy — Propertymarketupdates @ 11:44 pm

YEAR IN REVIEW : It has been a spectacular year for the property market. The boom, after a long lull and slow recovery, was fast and furious as one mind-boggling record after another was set. JOYCE TEO recounts the record-busters

CapitaLand pays $1.339b for Farrer Court

CAPITALAND made history in June when it announced it was paying $1.339 billion for the former HUDC estate Farrer Court in a collective sale. This remains the biggest lump sum ever shelled out for a residential site in Singapore.

The sale is also the largest collective one ever in terms of land area and the number of units. Farrer Court has 618 units. Owners of each unit will get about $2.15 million depending on the size of their flats. The development sits on 838,500 sq ft of land near the junction of Farrer and Holland roads.

The sale propelled relatively small- sized Credo Real Estate into the big league of property firms.

The sale may have been the biggest lump sum paid, but Westwood Apartments - which was sold by Savills Singapore late last month - took the record in terms of the price per sq ft (psf) of potential gross floor area, at $2,525.

In all, about $12.5 billion worth of collective sales was done, 50 per cent more than last year’s $8.2 billion and far exceeding the $1.99 billion total in 2005.

This has made millionaires out of many. Some lucky owners got more than a few million dollars. Owners of the 24 units at The Ardmore, for instance, received about $11 million each. Owners of the two penthouses at Westwood will each get a whopping $17 million.

Horizon Towers hearing that went on and on

THE acrimonious $500 million Horizon Towers collective sale went through possibly the longest Strata Titles Board (STB) hearing ever before it was approved.

What was meant to be just another collective sale descended into a drawn-out, and at times dramatic, fight between the supporters and opponents of the sale, and the developers wanting to buy the plot.

The sale was thrown out by the STB over a technicality, making it one of the few applications ever rejected. It was then taken to the High Court, which granted the owners’ appeal, paving the way for the STB to approve the sale.

The Horizon Towers case involved an array of top lawyers. Majority owners knew they faced an unprecedented lawsuit for breach of contract by the developer if the sale had ultimately failed.

A group of objecting minority owners spent millions fighting the sale. But the estate was eventually sold to Hotel Properties and its partners Morgan Stanley Real Estate and Qatar Investment Authority, a year after they had inked the deal.

Marine Parade unit sold for $750,888

THIS title, for mainstream flats, was claimed by a five-room unit on the 23rd floor in Marine Parade that offers an unblocked view of the sea. The 32-year-old flat in a prized ‘point block’ right across from the East Coast Park was sold for $750,888 last month.

That is significantly more than the median price of a five-room flat in Marine Parade - $560,000 in the third quarter, up from $485,000 in the second quarter.

Still, higher absolute prices have been paid for executive flats, which are bigger and not as common as five-room flats. One of these, a 156 sq m high floor unit in Mei Ling Street, sold for $780,000 but cost less than the Marine Parade flat on a psf basis.

Property agents say such high-priced flats need to have the ‘X-factor’ in terms of surrounding amenities, views and so on.

Also, buyers willing to pay such big amounts are not your typical HDB flat dwellers or buyers. They are cash-rich and include home hunters flush with the proceeds of a collective sale, as well as those who have just collected their pension payout.

Orchard Residences home went for over $5,600 psf

THIS slice of downtown luxury is a penthouse unit at The Orchard Residences, the 175-unit leasehold condominium that is being built above the Orchard MRT Station.

The 53rd floor, 5,048 sq ft unit went for $5,600 per sq ft in October, or slightly more than $28 million.

This year, condo prices crossed the $4,000 psf mark and surged past the $5,000 psf mark for the very first time.

In comparison, last year’s price record - set in December by a unit in Marina Bay Residences - was only $3,450 psf.

It is not just units at The Orchard Residences that have scaled such stratospheric highs.

Other developments that have registered sales of above $4,000 psf include Hilltops, Ritz-Carlton Residences and Scotts Square.

Sentosa Cove, Nassim Road plots scale new highs

GOOD-CLASS bungalows have always been considered the creme de la creme of landed homes. That is, until the waterfront homes in Sentosa Cove came along.

Last month, two seafront bungalow plots in 99-year leasehold Sentosa Cove sold for a high of $1,696 psf.

Good-class bungalows, which need to be at least 15,070 sq ft in size and be located in gazetted areas have sold for up to about $1,300 psf.

However, even the heady heights of Sentosa Cove were topped in October when a bungalow that is smaller than a good-class bungalow in the posh precinct of Nassim Road was sold for a high of $1,899 psf, or $25.5 million in total.

Raffles Place rentals soar to $19.80 psf a month

ASKING rents at Republic Plaza in Raffles Place have reportedly hit a whopping $19.80 psf a month amid tight supply, up from just above $13 psf a year ago.

Cushman & Wakefield data showed that prime achievable office rents are now slightly above $16 psf a month on average, compared with around $8.50 psf per month a year ago.

Supply of office space was so tight that the Government came up with transitional sites to cater to demand. Sales of office units also rose.

Foreigners, PRs account for a quarter of total sales

FOREIGNERS and permanent residents went on a buying spree, sometimes scooping up nearly a whole residential project.

Knight Frank data showed that they chalked up 7,902 sales from January to November, which accounted for 24.9 per cent of total sales. These figures, said the firm’s research and consultancy head Nicholas Mak, are the highest in 13 years, thanks to healthy regional economic conditions, an increase in the number of expatriates as well as other factors.

Thai tycoon Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi, for instance, bought 47 out of 48 apartments at Hoi Hup’s Suites @ Cairnhill for $205 million, or about $2,550 psf.

He also purchased four floors of apartments at The Orchard Residences for $135 million, or about $3,600 psf.

Institutional investors also entered the market in a big way, picking up anything from several units to whole condo blocks and even development sites. They include Macquarie Global Property Advisors, Goldman Sachs and United States-based Wachovia Development.

Source : Straits Times - 29 Dec 2007

En bloc sales result in rewarding year for property consultants

Filed under: Agency News, Collective Sale, Property Trends — Propertymarketupdates @ 11:41 pm

Mega deals move some smaller firms and new entrants into new league

THE collective sale euphoria this year has swept in windfalls not only for home sellers, but also for the companies that brokered the sales.

Most property consultancies in Singapore have logged their best-ever year for such deals, pocketing record sums in related fees.

The run of ‘mega deals’ has also catapulted smaller property firms into the same league as the big boys.

Credo Real Estate, for instance, shot to the top of the pack this year by landing the $1.34 billion sale of Farrer Court in Farrer Road.

The local firm, started in 2002, specialises in collective sales. Bigger players like DTZ Debenham Tie Leung and Knight Frank also handle areas such as investment sales and office leasing.

In all, Credo sold $2.17 billion worth of collective sale sites this year. That is 20 per cent more than the next best performer: DTZ with $1.8 billion.

But DTZ also turned in a record year, said Mr Shaun Poh, the consultancy’s director of investments and auctions. ‘In terms of fee income, it was a fantastic year for us, the best year so far.’

The consultancies all declined to reveal how much they had earned from collective sales this year, but Mr Poh helped shed some light.

For smaller projects that sell for less than $50 million, most firms charge 0.75 per cent to 1 per cent of the sale price, he said. Bigger projects worth at least $300 million bring in about 0.5 per cent.

Some firms impose extra charges if they find buyers willing to go well above the reserve price, Mr Poh added.

In third place was Savills Singapore, another relatively new entrant to this segment. It only ‘really got into the business last year’, said investment sales director Steven Ming. It more than doubled last year’s sales with deals such as Tulip Gardens and Westwood Apartments.

Next came Knight Frank, which also had a ‘record year’, with 10 deals totalling $1.2 billion, said investment sales head Foo Suan Peng.

Heavyweight CB Richard Ellis, last year’s number one, weighed in at fifth place with four deals, including the $625 million sale of Grangeford Apartments.

Knight Frank’s Mr Foo said the collective sales market had never been so active. He noted: ‘All kinds of records were broken: sale price per sq ft, sale price quantum, number of transactions, size of development.’

This stellar performance also prompted agencies ‘not traditionally in this market’ to try their luck, he added.

Newman & Goh, which started marketing collective sale sites only in October 2005, was able to gain a solid foothold. ‘It was a great year,’ said investment sales head Jeffrey Goh.

Even agencies better known for individual home sales, such as Dennis Wee Group and Ivy Lee Realty, jumped on the bandwagon.

Dennis Wee helped to sell Tampines Court for $405 million, while Ivy Lee brokered the $131.5 million sale of Hong Leong Gardens in the West Coast. Both deals were done in March.

But even in the midst of popping the champagne, the consultants agree next year’s outlook is rather less rosy.

Continuing concerns over the United States sub-prime mortgage crisis might discourage buyers, while a new set of collective sale rules could obstruct the path for sellers.

Source : Straits Times - 29 Dec 2007

December 20, 2007

Private home sales inch up; prices remain firm

Filed under: Market Watch, Property Trends, Singapore Economy — Propertymarketupdates @ 12:35 pm

URA data shows 4,000 units in 70 developments with pre-requisites for sale as at end-NovThe number of private homes sold by developers inched up 4.7 per cent to 593 units in November, up from 566 units in October.
 
The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) also revealed monthly property market data of transacted benchmark prices as well as median prices. During the month, a significant number of transactions were seen at Amber Residences, which sold 85 units at the median price of $1,392 psf, and Casa Fortuna which sold 103 units at $1,009 psf.

CBRE Research executive director Li Hiaw Ho also noted that 20 units at 8 Napier were sold at a median price of $3,557 psf and pointed out that these were likely to have been made by a single buyer.

On the performance in November, Mr Li said: ‘Overall, prices are firming. Sales volume and prices in December should remain at the same levels as October and November.’

Indeed, developers told BT that launch prices are being maintained even though buyers are now a bit more’cautious’.

UIC Ltd’s 192-unit Park Natura, across from Bukit Batok Nature Park, saw 56 units sold in the month at a median price of $945 psf. The price was slightly lower than the October median price of $1,022 but UIC group general manager Vito Koh explained that this was because units sold in November included those with private enclosed spaces like roof terraces.

Mr Koh said that the withdrawal of the Deferred Payment Scheme (DPS) have made buyers more cautious but added that he believes developers are not lowering prices to move units. ‘Prices are not coming down, but they are not going up either,’ he said.

A comparison of the median price of Amber Residences ($1,392 psf) and the reported average selling price ($1,650 psf) does appear to show that prices may have softened a little.

According to the URA data, 68 units were sold in the $1,000-$1,500 psf bracket with 16 units sold in the $1,500-$2,000 psf bracket. One unit was sold at between $2,000-$2,500 psf.

Jones Lang LaSalle head of research and consultancy Chua Yang Liang noted that launches declined significantly in the Core Central Region (CCR) by 43 per cent from the 166 in October to only 95 in November. ‘The take-up or demand further reflects this softer market with 130 units absorbed - a marginal drop of 4 per cent month-on-month (MoM),’ he said.

Similarly, demand in the Outside Central Region (OCR) also weakened with a 33 per cent MoM decline or only 173 units absorbed compared to 259 in October. Dr Chua pointed out that this was on the back of a larger supply of 221 units or a 28 per cent increase in the number of units launched.

‘The decline in demand in OCR is a likely result of the removal of the DPS,’ he explained.

In contrast, the demand in Rest of Central Region (RCR) remained strong. In November, the take-up increased by 57 per cent MoM.

Most of the transactions in the RCR were in District 15. ‘Take-up in this segment is largely driven by foreign occupiers that has spilled over from the CCR,’ Dr Chua added.

According to the URA data, there are over 4,000 units in 70 developments with pre-requisites for sale as at end-November. This includes mass-market offerings at Bedok Resevoir as well as high-end developments at Cairnhill.

While developers are not ‘panicking’ at the possibility of a slowdown in the economy, Cushman & Wakefield managing director Donald Han believes more will be ‘repositioning’ their launches and going directly to foreign buyers in the Middle East and North Asia.

Mr Han, who expects the total volume of transactions in Q4 2007 to be below 2,000 units, added: ‘Some developers were already marketing their high-end products at the recent Mipim exhibition in Hong Kong to reach an international market.’

It is a strategy that appears to be working.

Savills Singapore director of marketing and business development Ku Swee Yong said he was pleasantly surprised at some of the benchmark prices reached in the high-end sector, with the highest price for the 40-unit Sui Generis at Balmoral Crescent increasing from $2,578 in October to $2,713 psf in November. Six units were transacted in November and the median price rose from $2,406 to $2,474 psf.

Saying that he believes that this end of the market would continue to be driven by international high net worth individuals, he revealed: ‘We had a client who insisted on being first in queue for The Ritz Carlton Residence.’ The client later set a new benchmark price of $4,515 psf for the Cairnhill area.

Source : Business Times - 18 Dec 2007

New launches to slow till next year

Filed under: Market Watch, Property Trends — Propertymarketupdates @ 11:39 am

With a still uncertain market, quiet times in property sector may continue till after Chinese New Year.

THE frantic property market is taking a breather, as buyers adopt a wait-and-see approach.

Property launches have been scarce in the past month, and that will continue now that the holiday season is here.

If you are one of the few home hunters still keen on checking out show-flats, you may have to wait till the new year - or even later. ‘Most show-flats are expected to close during this festive season until early January 2008,’ said a DTZ spokesman.

Traditionally, December is a relatively quiet month, but not so in the past three years.

Last December, buyers jostling to buy a unit at Marina Bay Residences formed long queues and crowded into its show-flat.

A year earlier, the launch of the second tower of The Sail @ Marina Bay sparked strong interest. Back in 2004, the launch of the very first condominiums in both Marina Bay and Sentosa Cove caused excitement.

Things are different this year, though. There is the added pressure of an uncertain market, largely caused by the United States sub-prime mortgage crisis. Private home sales in the fourth quarter could add up to just $4.5 billion, well down from about $15 billion in the third quarter, according to an industry observer.

‘Most buyers are adopting a wait-and-see attitude to see which way the market is heading,’ said the DTZ spokesman.

While some developers may want to launch their properties in the short January window, consultants say the quiet times are likely to continue until the Chinese New Year celebrations in early February are over.

Developers have a pipeline of new properties set for launch. But, given the weak market sentiment now, most developers will still postpone the official launch of their properties, said Knight Frank executive director Peter Ow.

‘If the stock market improves, they are likely to launch after the Chinese New Year.’

Possible launches in the first quarter include the 77-unit Shelford Suites off Dunearn Road, the 428-unit Marina Bay Suites in the Marina Bay area, the 405-unit Waterfront Waves on part of the former Waterfront View site in Bedok Reservoir and the 302-unit Martin Place Residences in Kim Yam Road.

Industry sources say Far East Organization could soon launch Silversea on the site of the former Amberville on Amber Road.

The developer, they say, is hoping for prices of at least $1,700 to more than $2,000 per sq ft (psf), relatively high for the Amber Road area.

If you can’t wait, projects that have started sales in the past two to three weeks ago include Allgeen Properties’ D’Lotus project and Hayden Properties’ ritzy 58-unit Ritz Carlton Residences.

Asking prices for the top floors of the 36-storey Ritz Carlton Residences are said to have crossed $5,500 psf, nearly a record property price in Singapore. Sales at Far East Organization’s 99-year leasehold, 140-unit Jardin in Dunearn Road were also said to have started.

Allgreen Properties has also sold 186 out of 536 units at The Cascadia in Bukit Timah Road at a median price of $1,618 psf. The bulk of the freehold property, which has been launched in Hong Kong, or 162 units, were sold to an overseas fund at a median price of $1,527 psf.

If a spectacular view of the sea is what you are after, there is one newly-available, high-end project - Lippo Group’s 124-unit Marina Collection - in the high-profile Sentosa Cove residential enclave.

It was opened to invited guests earlier this month, and Lippo off-loaded about 40 units of the 64 units it released for the preview.

Sale prices were at an average of around $2,800 psf, according to the group.

Source : Straits Times - 16 Dec 2007

Office sector to finish 2007 as property’s star performer

Filed under: Commercial, Property Trends, Rental News — Propertymarketupdates @ 11:37 am

Prime office rents grew 92% this year; premium office rents have done even better - up 96%

RESIDENTIAL property may have been red hot, but office rents - with their phenomenal growth amid a severe supply crunch - will finish up as the year’s star performer.

Latest figures from property consultancy CB Richard Ellis (CBRE) confirm the trend.

CBRE executive director of office services Moray Armstrong told The Straits Times yesterday prime office rents grew 92 per cent this year from last year. Premium, or grade A, office rents did even better - up 96 per cent.

He said, however, this growth ‘won’t be sustainable next year’.

‘We’re likely to see it moderating at 15 per cent to 20 per cent’.

One trend seen this year, which is likely to accelerate next year, is the number of companies moving out of the Central Business District into non-prime areas, he said.

‘The costs are too high in prime areas. In the short term, there’s still a critical shortage of office space, and this will remain a favourable market for landlords and investors.’

Singapore’s monthly prime office rents shot up 82.6 per cent to $12.60 per sq ft (psf) in the year ended Sept 30, CBRE said previously.

Current levels have already exceeded the historical high reached in the early 1990s of $11.50 psf.

At a separate event yesterday, LaSalle Investment Management also predicted a 15 per cent to 20 per cent growth in office rents next year.

LaSalle, a unit of real estate broker Jones Lang LaSalle, placed the growth rate for grade A office rents at 70 per cent this year. ‘This is the fastest growth rate in the region,’ said the firm’s regional investment strategist for Asia-Pacific, Mr David Edwards.

‘In comparison, rents in the private residential market rose at a healthy, but milder, 25 per cent,’ he said.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority said office space rentals rose an overall 40.7 per cent for the nine months ended Sept 30 based on its official office rental index. Its figures for the year are due next month.

The Government has released transitional office sites - where buildings can be constructed quickly - to relieve the short-term supply crunch.

Two of these - at Scotts Road and Tampines - have been awarded, while two more at Mountbatten and Aljunied Road are now being tendered.

A more permanent supply is expected by 2010, and Mr Armstrong believes this will ‘deliver a great balance between supply and demand’.

Some analysts, such as Citigroup, however, recently warned of a supply glut to come. ‘We see no reason to conclude it will be an oversupply situation,’ countered Mr Armstrong.

‘With Singapore’s diversified economy boom, mass market residential and retail properties will also perform well,’ said Mr Edwards.

LaSalle plans to invest $20 billion in Asia-Pacific properties over the next three to four years, half of which will be in Japan. Demand is rising for modern logistics offices and shopping malls, said Mr Edwards.

The firm also recommends South Korea, for moderate-risk investors, and emerging markets such as China, India and Southeast Asia, for investors with a bigger appetite for risks.

LaSalle said it would also integrate sustainability concerns into its investment strategies.

‘Where environmental concerns was previously ‘interesting’, it is now necessary,’ said Mr Edwards. Given the soaring prices of crude oil, energy- efficient buildings have become very attractive investments.

‘Tenants are also increasingly demanding green buildings. In the long term, if investors don’t take this sustainable approach, it will have a negative impact on their portfolio,’ added Mr Edwards.

GOING GREEN

‘Where environmental concerns were previously ‘interesting’, it is now necessary. Tenants are increasingly demanding green buildings… If investors don’t take this approach, it will have a negative impact on their portfolio.’ MR DAVID EDWARDS, LaSalle regional investment strategist for Asia-Pacific

Source : Straits Times - 15 Dec 2007

High-end home launches to take a breather

Filed under: Market Watch, Property Trends — Propertymarketupdates @ 11:36 am

The frenzy of 2007 is expected to give way to a more sedate pace, slower price rises.

Launches of high-end homes are set to shrink in the coming year - even though developers will push more units across Singapore.

The Core Central Region (CCR) - which comprises prime districts 9, 10 and 11, Sentosa and the Downtown Core (which includes the existing financial district and Marina Bay locale) - could see only 4,600 private homes being launched next year.

This is just 26 per cent of the total 17,800 private homes expected to hit the market islandwide.

In contrast, this year saw 5,700 private homes being launched in the CCR, according to CB Richard Ellis (CBRE). This works out to 38 per cent of the total 15,000 homes launched by developers in 2007.

Market watchers like Knight Frank managing director Tan Tiong Cheng feel that the dwindling new supply in the CCR could provide price support to the high-end market, which has soared steeply but is expected to hit a blip next year.

Developers and property consultants polled by BT earlier this month had expected high-end home prices to appreciate by less than 10 per cent in 2008 compared to mass-market homes - which they thought could climb between 10 and 20 per cent.

In contrast, CBRE estimated that high-end home prices have risen nearly 50 per cent in 2007, while the mass-market segment appreciated only by around 25 per cent.

Among the high-end projects expected to be launched next year are Marina Bay Suites, Sentosa Quayside, Goodwood Residence in Bukit Timah and The Hamilton at Scotts Road.

Still, DTZ Debenham Tie Leung executive director Ong Choon Fah did not expect developers to be in any hurry to push out high-end launches in 2008, given the substantial price rise in this segment this year.

‘The high-end market is very exclusive. Very often, sales take place by invitation and viewings by appointment. Developers will not flood the market with upmarket projects. They will want to manage their supply pipeline for the high-end very carefully,’ she said.

‘I suppose also that for developers, their view is that with the opening of the integrated resorts in 2009/2010, there is perhaps an opportunity for them to sell their projects at that stage.’

Market watchers said that the supply of prime district residential sites emanating from collective sales may slow down next year as recent changes to en bloc rules could lengthen the time it takes to launch a sale.

Developers, too, are in no hurry. Riding on the high-end boom of the last couple of years, many of them have built up enough financial muscle to be able to hold back launches.

Even if they do go ahead with their launches, some developers have taken to holding back some units from sale for longer-term investment. This is what City Developments announced last month, when it partnered US-based Wachovia Development Corporation to buy two blocks at CityDev’s Cliveden at Grange.

The slowdown in the high-end market could touch not just launches but also actual sales. This year, CBRE estimated that 29 per cent, or 4,458 of the 15,500-odd private homes sold came from the high-end segment.

Next year, not only are developers’ islandwide sales expected to shrink to between just 10,000 and 13,000 private homes, but the CCR could account for an even smaller slice of the primary market sales, market watchers reckoned.

‘Going forward, with a lower economic growth forecast of 4.5 per cent to 6.5 per cent in 2008 and a likely credit crunch arising from the sub-prime mortgage problems in the US, we expect the pace of sales and price hike in the residential market to slow down in 2008,’ CBRE’s executive director Li Hiaw Ho said.

Analysts said that some potential buyers may also find themselves being priced out of the market.

The sales volume of high-end homes will depend partly on whether those who have sold their homes in en bloc deals buy their replacement property in the high-end market, said Knight Frank’s Mr Tan.

For foreign buyers, ‘if they see nervousness in key markets like London and New York, they may pick Singapore instead,’ he added.

CBRE expected the official Urban Redevelopment Authority’s price index for private homes to rise 8-10 per cent next year, after jumping by an estimated 25-29 per cent for full-year 2007.

Soaring rentals, too, could moderate. CBRE estimated that URA’s overall private residential rental index will appreciate 40 per cent this year but the pace could slow to 8-10 per cent next year.

Source : Business Times - 14 Dec 2007

Dubai World’s Limitless sets up office here

Filed under: Property Investment, Property Trends — Propertymarketupdates @ 11:25 am

DUBAI World’s real estate arm, Limitless LLC, officially started operations at it new regional office here at UOB Plaza yesterday. It will use Singapore as a base to look for new investment opportunities here and in the region.

On route to Hanoi for the ground-breaking ceremony of its US$220 million Halong Star mixed development project in Vietnam, Limitless CEO Saeed Ahmed Saeed said yesterday: ‘Without doubt, South-east Asia is one of the most exciting and dynamic regions for Limitless. Its fast-growing economy presents us with endless opportunities to demonstrate our core skills of master planning large-scale, balanced projects and waterfront development.’

To date, Limitless, which was established in July 2005, has a portfolio of five real estate projects worth about US$100 billion. Three are in the Middle East, with the others in India and Vietnam.

Limitless has considered development sites in Singapore, including the first parcel at Marina View, although it decided not to put in a bid eventually.

‘We took strategic position on Marina View and decided it was not the right time to tender for it,’ said Philip Atkinson, regional director (South-east Asia) at Limitless.

Mr Atkinson added: ‘The Singapore market now is buoyant and fast paced, and we would take a cautionary view.’

Dubai World, through its subsidiary Istithmar, has however, recently acquired a one-third stake in the government land sales development site now known as South Beach, which is estimated to cost a total of $2.5 billion.

Mr Saeed would not say what its expected target rate of returns would be for its projects but added: ‘Different countries have different hurdle rates.’

Like its parent company, Limitless will mostly fund its investment with equity but Mr Saeed said that it could also raise debt from the capital markets.

Limitless is also likely to be looking at emerging markets around the world as this is where large-scale projects that can leverage on its town-planning skills will be.

Particularly bullish on the two huge markets, Mr Saeed said: ‘India and China will probably need new homes for the next 100 years.’

Source : Business Times - 11 Dec 2007

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