● 吴慧敏 报道 政府的房地产降温措施并没有将买家留在场外太久。昨天出炉的官方数据显示,11月的新私宅销量不但进一步回升,而且还反弹至今年来的第二高水平。 这带动今年首11个月的新私宅销售量冲破1万5000个单位关口,不但超越去年全年1万4688个单位高水平,也刷新了2007年全年的1万4811个单位纪录。 一些房地产分析员相信,这个最新数据很可能迫使政府在近期内再次实施另外一轮的房地产降温措施。 高力国际(Colliers International)研究部主管郑惠匀说:“11月的数据清楚显示,8月30日的措施并不足以驯服炽热的买气。如果不采取任何行动,旺热的买气有可能再次将楼价推高。” 她猜测,政府有可能在未来两三个月内推出更多更严苛的措施来冷却楼市。 仲量联行(Jones Lang LaSalle)研究部主管蔡炎亮也说:“这显示政府的降温措施并没有想象中有效。政府实施另一轮措施的风险,已进一步提高了。” 他猜测,政府快则一个月,慢则在明年初实施新的降温措施。至于可能出现的降温措施,估计包括提高第二套房的首期现金需求和降低第二套房的借贷顶限。“在12个月内购买超过一个房地产的人,或许也会需要支付较高的印花税。至于实施资本利得税(capital gain tax)的机会,估计不大。” 国家发展部在8月30日实施的房地产降温措施,被不少业者评为1997年以来最严苛的一次。新条例,包括将第二套房的首期现金需求提高至一成,以及将第二套房的银行贷款顶限降低至七成。为了抑制短线炒卖活动,政府也对买房后三年内转售的房子,征收卖方印花税。 措施实施后,买家确实暂时退场,这带动9月份的新私宅销售量由1259个单位下跌至911个单位。不过,买家在观望了一阵子后又陆续回流,10月的新私宅销售量回升至1065个单位。 市区重建局昨天公布的最新数据显示,发展商在今年11月卖出了1909个新私宅单位,比10月份飙涨79%。如果将执行共管公寓(EC)计算在内,11月份的新私宅成交量则高达2084个单位,比10月份上升31%。 这是过去7个月来的最高水平,也是今年来新私宅销量第二高的月份,仅次于4月份卖出的2208个单位。 一些市场人士认为,今年楼市销售特别红火,一个原因是EC在阔别五年后“重出江湖”。一名市场观察家说,发展商在过去两个月狂销近3700个单位,但是当中大约两成属于EC。 “EC并不是政府需要降温的领域,因为买家都必须遵守五年的持守期,没有什么炒气。”他认为,由于政府已卖出八幅EC地段,未来六至12个月内估计还有至少3000多个EC单位等着上市,因此,接下来的私宅销售量很可能还是会在EC的支撑下居高不下,人们在解读每个月的销售数据时,应将这点考虑在内。 不过,不包括EC在内,发展商还是在今年首11个月卖出了1万5025个新私宅单位,提前刷新2007年的纪录。这也就是说,2010年已铁定成为有史以来,新私宅交易量最旺热的一年。如果包括EC,发展商在今年首11个月则已卖出超过1万5700个新单位。 《联合早报》 Another round of Govt property cooling measures? Analysts say surge in private home sales reinforce the case for harsher measures A surprising surge in private home sales last month – coming at a time when the Government’s cooling measures were expected to take effect – has prompted analysts to predict that another round of intervention could be on the cards. Private home sales in November jumped almost 80 per cent from the previous month, bringing the total number of homes sold so far this year to more than 15,000, surpassing the 2007 record of about 14,800 units. According to data released yesterday by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), 1,909 private residential units, excluding executive condominiums, were sold last month, up from 1,058 units in October. Lakefront Residences in Jurong was the most popular property, selling 437 units at $1,075 per square foot (psf) last month. The most expensive residential unit, priced at $4,358 psf, was sold at Scotts Square, a Wheelock Properties’ project on Scotts Road, while the cheapest sale was at Waterview, a Sim Lian project at Tampines Avenue, for $501 psf. The surge in sales caught analysts off-guard as it comes just three-and-a-half months after the Government took steps on Aug 30 to cool the property market, including asking banks to demand more upfront cash from homebuyers with existing mortgages. Said Colliers International director of research and advisory Tay Huey Ying: “It just goes to show that a lot of investors are still viewing property as a safe place to park their wealth in spite of the high exposure to policy risks.” Ms Tay noted that another “driving factor” could be foreign purchases that were “diverted from the HDB resale market” as well as from Hong Kong and China, which introduced property curbs in recent months. The suburban market led the pack in November, with 1,229 units sold outside the prime central region; the core central region, by comparison, saw just 213 transactions, with the remaining 467 units getting sold in the rest of the central region. Analysts said that buyers are rushing to take advantage of low interest rates amid concerns about overleveraging. In the latest annual Financial Stability Review, MAS said that while “household balance sheets continue to be strong, supported by conducive economic conditions” household credit exposures “need to be closely monitored and the risks appropriately managed”. According to URA, 2,329 units were launched last month. Industry watchers expect between 800 and 1,300 units to be sold this month as developers will likely launch fewer properties during Christmas and New Year. Industry watchers say yesterday’s figures have buttressed the case for another, harsher set of cooling measures, such as a tax on profits from property sales, in the next few months. Chesterton Suntec International head of research and consultancy Colin Tan said: “What’s going to happen if the buying doesn’t stop? While we may not feel the impact now, the consequences may come a year or two later, and they can be pretty adverse.” Source : Today – 16 Dec 2010 Private units sales up in Nov A total of 1,909 private residential units, excluding executive condominiums, were sold in November, up from a total of 1,058 units taken up in the previous month, data from the Urban Redevelopment Authority showed. The data, released every month, showed sales outside the prime central region (ORC) led with 1,229 units sold, followed by rest of central region (RCR) at 467 units, and core central region (CCR) at just 213 units. A total of 2,329 units were launched in the month. OCR, again, led with 1,638 units, while units launched in RCR and CCR totalled 353 and 338, respectively. The most expensive residential unit, priced at S$4,358 per square foot, was sold at Scotts Square, a Wheelock Properties’ project on Scotts Road. The cheapest unit was sold at Waterview, a Sim Lian project at Tampines Avenue, for S$501 per square foot. Source : Channel NewsAsia – 15 Dec 2010 |