As expected, private housing prices in Singapore rose by only 2.9 per cent in the third quarter, slower than the 5.3 per cent in Q2. However, what caught many off-guard was that prices of high-rise apartments rose by a mere 1.6 per cent compared to 5.0 per cent previously while the 7.7 per cent rise for landed homes was much better than the 6.2 per cent a quarter earlier. And despite more properties...
General
We need good data and solid reference points to navigate towards investment decisions. A good source of raw data, with solid data integrity and consistency of reporting, layered with reasonable assumptions, deep experience and objectively interpreted and analysed will mean the difference between a mediocre investment versus a wildly profitable one. With several rounds of policy changes imposed on the...
Tips on investing in property in the current market In my recent talks to property investors, I would conduct a straw poll with the question: "How many of you believe property prices will increase, go flat or decrease within the next twelve months?" Inevitably, I would get three different groups of respondents. My follow-up question would be: "In the worst-case scenario, would prices decrease at the same...
Property developers and other industry players are less upbeat on overall real-estate sentiment than before. They also expect more uncertain market conditions over the next six months. The Current Real-Estate Sentiment Index fell to 4.8 in the third quarter, down from 5.8 in the second quarter, according to a survey by the Real Estate Developers' Association of Singapore and the National University of...
The prices of HDB flats are always a subject of much public interest. In my conversations with young couples, a common question I hear is: "Why are HDB flats so expensive? Prices today seem much higher than what our parents paid in the 1970s and 1980s!" I can understand these concerns, especially from those looking to buy their first homes. Yes, flat prices have increased over the years. But, in this...
Malaysia's central bank will clamp down on any speculation that threatens to create a property bubble, the central bank chief said yesterday. Governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz said the central bank wanted to promote house ownership but that it had "wide ranging instruments" to deal with any excesses in the sector. "For first time house owners and perhaps even the second one, any new rules would not apply. It...
There are no signs of cooling in the private property market as some 150 developers bid aggressively for the 14 land parcels at Sembawang Greenvale. This is the last phase of the sale at the Sembawang estate. The first two phases - Phase 1 and Phase 2 of Sembawang Greenvale - were sold in October 2007 and April 2008. This is the first time since April 2008 that the Urban Redevelopment Authority is...
CapitaMalls Asia (CMA) on Thursday reported a net profit of S$68 million for the third quarter. This is a 14 per cent increase from a year earlier. However, revenue for the same period slipped 22.1 per cent to S$42.5 million. CMA said the fall in revenue was mainly because of the divestments of three Malaysia malls to CapitaMalls Malaysia Trust, and Clarke Quay to CapitaMalls Trust. The company said...
The office sector in the Asia Pacific continued to expand in the third quarter, with occupier demand increasing as a result of sustained economic growth, according to a report by DTZ Research on Thursday. The property researcher found that aggregate net absorption across the region has now reached pre-financial crisis levels, totalling 1.9 million square metres, compared with a low of 200,000 square...
Two Singapore property companies CapitaLand and Keppel Land are investing some US$218 million in the real estate market in Vietnam. CapitaLand signed a joint venture agreement with Vietnamese partner No Va Land Investment Group to develop a 9,000 square metre residential site, worth US$40 million in Ho Chi Minh City. Keppel Land signed two joint venture agreements. The first is to jointly develop a 9.8...