2009

THE NEW PRIME DISTRICT * Experience inner city living within a contemporary freehold, prestigious enclave of District 9 * Living in the heart of Singapore’s Arts & Cultural District, combining arts & commerce, business & pleasure all within one square mile. * Walking distance to Dhoby Ghaut MRT (MRT Interchange) – transport hub serving North-South Line & future Circle line * Walking...

CapitaCommercial Trust, says a total of 1,901.1 million rights units in valid acceptances and excess applications were received at the close of its rights issue on June 24. This represents about 135.4% of the total number of rights units available under the rights issue. On May 22, CapitaCommercial Trust announced a fully-underwritten 1-for-1 renounceable rights issue of 1,403.9 million rights units at an...

Frasers Commercial Trust, Singapore’s third-biggest office property trust, said it plans to buy an office building in the city-state and raise $888.9 million to repay maturing debt. The trust obtained $675 million in two loans and plans to raise $213.9 million selling stock in a three-for-one rights offer, it said in a statement today. Frasers Commercial will offer 2.25 billion shares at 9.5 cents...

Singapore Exchange's Mainboard-listed Frasers Commercial Trust has asked for a trading halt of its units pending an announcement. No further details were given. Back in April, Frasers Commercial Trust had said it was exploring ways to refinance its existing debt, which may include a rights issue. Frasers Centrepoint, which sponsored the trust, is a unit of the Fraser & Neave (F&N) group. F&N...

CapitaCommercial Trust (CCT) said its rights issue was 1.35 times oversubscribed. The trust had launched a 1-for-1 renounceable rights issue of 1.4 billion rights units at 59 cents each. But applications came in for over 1.9 billion rights units. CCT launched the rights issue to raise S$828.3 million, mainly to reduce its existing borrowings. The rest of the proceeds will be used for capital...

After a near month-long tussle, some tenants at The Grangeford may stay on at the condominium after all. About 40 of them have expressed interest to do so under the new landlord, Savills although the actual number could be higher as some enter into joint-leases with others to rent whole apartment units. Residents had been given till 5pm on June 30 to vacate the premises after previous landlord Ideal...

Market watchers said prices of private residential properties could climb by between five and 10 per cent on average in the second half of 2009. Strong sales in recent months have driven prices up despite the economic slowdown. Concerns are being raised over a potential property bubble. Close to 6,000 units of new private homes have been sold so far in 2009. This has surpassed the over 4,200 deals done...

OCBC Investment Research has said mass-market residential projects are seeing strong demand, especially from local buyers, but it is still too early to call for a recovery in the property market. In its latest report on the property sector, OCBC noted that the recently launched 8@Woodleigh condominium at Potong Pasir was fully sold within two weeks, while Vista Residences in Balestier has also seen a...

Singapore's Prime Grade A office market has seen three straight quarters of rental contractions but Jones Lang LaSalle says that pullback is easing. The property consultancy said rentals fell 11 per cent in the second quarter, compared to 28 per cent in the first quarter. Jones Lang said landlords have been taking a defensive strategy of securing occupants for their office space at the expense of...

The landed housing market has been particularly active in the past month. At Bowmont Gardens in Frankel Estate in the east,a terrace house with a land area of 1,539 sq ft was sold for $950,000, or $617 psf, last month. According to caveats lodged with URA Realis, this property changed hands three times in the last three years. It was sold at $938,000 in May 2007 and $800,000 in January 2007. At Duchess...