Strong sales at Wheelock’s Monaco project bode well as hundreds queue for Hong Kong’s first new homes launch of 2021

Developer sells all flats on Sunday thanks to their relatively low prices and good location

More than 3,700 potential buyers registered to bid for the 145 flats in Kai Tak priced between HK$20,368 and HK$25,708 per square foot

The first major property launch of 2021 in Hong Kong set a promising bar for the year ahead, as hundreds of homebuyers jostled to snap up flats at Wheelock Properties’ new Monaco project in Kai Tak.

Wheelock collected about HK$1.6 billion (US$206.45 million) by selling all 145 units available on Sunday, less than six hours after sales began, a spokeswoman said. All flats were sold because of relatively low prices and the project’s good location.

“The sales of Monaco got a very strong response from buyers. This is because the price is very attractive at about 15 to 20 per cent lower than some flats in the same district,” agent said.

“The location is important, as the government wants to develop Kai Tak from a former airport area into a new business centre with a good transport network, offices, and big shopping centres. Many buyers believe the home prices in this area will see strong growth in future,” the agent said.

Over 3,700 potential buyers registered to bid for the 145 flats which are priced between HK$20,368 and HK$25,708 per square foot. It is the debut sale of phase one of the Monaco project, which comprises 399 flats in two towers to be completed by the end of 2022.

The smallest unit, a studio flat measuring 280 sq ft, is priced at HK$5.97 million while the largest 762-sq ft, three-bedroom flat is priced at HK$18.89 million after discounts. The bigger flats, at 673 sq ft and 762 sq ft, had all sold out within the first three hours, the Wheelock spokeswoman said.

Several hundred buyers started to queue at about lunchtime on Sunday, forming a long line that encircled the sales office in a shopping centre in Tsim Sha Tsui. Over 40 per cent of the buyers had investment in mind while the others planned lo live in their new homes, agent said.

The biggest buyer, whose identity was not disclosed, spent HK$37.9 million on two three-bedroom flats and a two-bedroom unit, Wheelock’s spokeswoman said.

“We will launch more units in the near future. There is also room for prices to increase,” the agent added.

The successful sale at the start of the new year bodes well and could pave the way for January’s transaction volume to reach 1,500, another said.

That would be more than double the 626 a year ago when the Lunar New Year holiday fell in January. However, it would be 28 per cent lower than December’s sales of 2,111 new flats, just before the city was hit by the full weight of a fourth wave of Covid-19 infections.

“Many developers will delay their new project sales, which will affect the sales of first-hand flats in January,” the agent said.

Hong Kong is facing its worst recession on record after the economy was hit first by the anti-government protests and then the Covid-19 pandemic over the past 18 months.

The agent is, however, optimistic about the outlook for the property market.

“When compared with December, when there were over 100 new infections every day, the number of cases has dropped to a lower level now. The strong sale of Monaco shows that buyers are coming back to the market again,” the agent said.

Meanwhile, the latest batch of 94 flats at Vanke Holdings’ The Campton residential development in Hong Kong’s Cheung Sha Wan received a lukewarm reception from buyers on Saturday, with only 55 units sold. They sold for between HK$17,737 (US$2,287) and HK$21,740 per square foot.

(South China Morning Post)

遠東金融中心4全層放租 每呎最低60元 總面積4.32萬呎 較3年前造價插48%

寫字樓市場受新冠疫情影響需求大減，連一向供應緊絀的核心區商廈，空置率亦不斷飆升。一直為金鐘呎租最高的分散業權商廈遠東金融中心，市場最新驚見4層全層單位放租，總面積達43200方呎；其中3層更屬該廈大業主中資光大集團放棄自用或租用而騰空，每方呎租金意向最低僅60元，較大廈3年前租金高位下跌最多47.8%。

意向每月最少64萬

市場人士透露，一向極少全層單位可供出租的遠東金融中心，在逆市下亦陸續出現多層單位推出市場放租，包括17、18、28及30樓，每層建築面積10800方呎，目前以每月64.8萬至77.76萬元放租，意向呎租60至72元。

遠東金融中心樓高48層，因擁有金色玻璃幕牆外觀，深受中資垂青，大廈不乏用家自用及長情租戶，故全層放租相當罕有。

當中33樓全層單位，建築面積約10800方呎，2018年初以每月約124.2萬元租出，呎租約115元，為該廈歷來呎租新高，亦是金鐘呎租最高的分散業權商廈單位。是次放租的4層，每呎放租叫價較最高位低37.4%至47.8%。

光大子企棄租調遷灣仔總部

據了解，是次放租的4層之中，17、18及30樓共3層之前由光大集團旗下子公司租用或自用，包括中國光大銀行及光大新鴻基等，全部已在上址運作10年或以上的長時間。由於光大集團聯同光大控股 (00165) 在2016年2月斥巨資100億元購入灣仔告士打道108號全幢 (現稱光大中心)，近年部署將原使用遠東金融中心的部門，陸續集中遷到光大中心營運，故開始放棄遠東金融中心的寫字樓單位。

資料顯示，光大集團在遠東金融中心最少持有7層單位，包括最高的48樓。今次市場出現放租的4層，17及30樓的業主為光大集團，購入單位自用多年後，都罕有推出市場放租；18樓則為光大集團退租後，由業主推出市場放租。

事實上，遠東金融中心過去一年的租金已下跌不少，中國飛機租賃集團去年7月承租該廈32樓全層，建築面積10552方呎，月租58.036萬元，呎租55元，較同一單位2016年呎租80元，大跌31.3%。散單位方面，該廈3樓6室，建築面積650方呎，去年4月以每月2.9萬元租出，呎租約44.6元，創大廈呎租近6年新低。

代理數據顯示，全港整體甲級商廈空置率在2020年第四季攀升至9.9%，為2009年第二季以來最高。截至2020年底，市場共有800萬方呎的空置寫字樓面積，是1999年12月以來最高紀錄。

(信報)

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核心區鋪空置率微跌中原：幅度0.05%至0.19%

受疫情影響，去年鋪位空置率持續高企，惟在聖誕新年傳統消費旺季，核心區商鋪空置率改善。

代理資料顯示，12月五大核心消費區除尖沙嘴區外，空置略見收窄，跌幅由約0.05至0.19個百分點不等；銅鑼灣表現較佳，空置率連續兩個月下調，至12月錄約11.46%；中環持續維持兩成以上。

銅鑼灣連跌兩個月

代理認為，12月假期檔期刺激消費氣氛，商戶趕於假期前開業，令多區商鋪空置率回落。縱使第四波疫情持續，但疫苗即將陸續到港，不少租戶加快步伐，趁租金仍有商議時落實，預料未來數月各核心區繼續改善。

代理表示，據統計，核心消費區銅鑼灣表現最佳，鋪位空置率由11月約11.65%，下跌至12月約11.46%，為連續第二個月見回落，同時亦是五區中空置率最低；然而若對比去年1月約3.5%，則增加7.96個百分點，排名第二高升幅。

中環高踞20.5%

中環區鋪位空置率按月跌約0.16個百分點至最新約20.5%；雖然比11月回落，但空置率仍為五區中最嚴峻，較1月份勁增12.45個百分點。

灣仔區由14.83%下跌至12月約14.78%，跌幅約0.05個百分點。至於九龍區方面，旺角區好轉，12月為12.2%，比上月下調約0.13個百分點。

惟尖沙嘴區升勢持續，按月再遞增0.07個百分點，最新升至約17.22%，對比年初遞增6.46個百分點。

(星島日報)

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