Hong Kong private home prices hit a
record high in July, according to revised data, before dropping a tad
in August, suggesting one of the world's most expensive property markets
is showing little sign of cooling.
The government has doubled down in recent weeks on a long-term pledge to make housing more affordable.
Prices
in the global financial hub rose by a revised 0.8 percent in July,
before dipping 0.15 percent in August, official data showed. The price
index of 397.7 for July was a record high and compares with 397.1 in
August.
The previous record high was 396.9 in May 2019 before mass anti-government protests and the Covid-19 outbreak.
Prices
are up 4.5 percent since the end of last year, buoyed by a recovering
economy and hopes that mainland Chinese buyers will return to the market
when Covid travel restrictions are lifted.
In
Hong Kong, 7.5 million people are packed into roughly 30 percent of the
territory, with the rest comprising green belts, country parks,
woodlands and wetlands where any plans for development have faced tough
opposition from environmentalists.
Making
housing more affordable has been a priority for all of Hong Kong's
leaders since the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in
1997, although the prospect of owning a home is still a distant dream
for many.
During a visit
to a property showroom in August, Eunice Ma, 50, said she was planning
to buy a two-bedroom in a high-end new development close to the mainland
China border for her 26-year old son.
"Whether
the flat will make a profit or not, I don’t think about it that way,
because I purely want it for my son's marriage in the future," she said.
The
city also has a serious shortage of car parks, resulting in some spaces
fetching huge sums of money. Local media reported earlier this year
that a luxury residential development on The Peak sold a parking space
for HK$10.2 million (US$79 million).
As
part of efforts to solve the chronic housing shortage, Hong Kong plans
to build artificial islands at an estimated cost of at least HK$624
billion.
Betting on the high demand, real estate is still seen by many as the safest investment.
"Keeping
the money in a bank doesn't give you interest, but with an apartment
you can at least rent it out," said Vera Tang, a 50-year old housewife
who was looking to use her retirement fund to buy an apartment for
investment.
(The Standard)
MTR project at Tung Chung draws big names
MTR
Corporation (0066) says it has received a total of 35 expressions of
interest for the Tung Chung Traction Substation Property Development.
Henderson
Land (0012), Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016), Road King Infrastructure
(1098), Emperor International (0163) and Chinachem Group are said to
have shown interest.
The
project is a residential development to be built on top of the Tung
Chung Traction Substation and its associated railway facilities with a
maximum residential gross floor area of 87,288 square meters. It may
provide 1,400 to 1,800 residential units.
Meanwhile,
the Urban Renewal Authority has received 36 expressions of interest for
a redevelopment project at the junction of Hung Fook and Ngan Hon
streets in To Kwa Wan. Local media reported that Sun Hung Kai
Properties, New World Development (0017), Chinachem Group, Nan Fung
Group, SEA Holdings (0251) and Country Garden (2007), China Overseas
Land & Investment (0688) and Kaisa (1638) were among the 36 involved
in the tender. The project covers an area of 4,581 sq m, and will
provide a maximum total gross floor area of 41,229 sq m upon completion.
A surveyors said that
both projects have their own advantages and potential. The MTR site is
close to the future MTR station with convenient transportation and a
large scale of development, while the URA site is in a rare urban area,
the surveyor said.
It is
estimated that the land valuation of the MTR Tung Chung project is
about HK$5.64 billion, while that of the URA project is about HK$5.33
billion.
(The Standard)
Hong Kong home prices slip from all-time high amid concerns about stock market wealth, policy speculation
Priced declined 0.15 per cent in August, while the reading for July was revised up to show an all-time high
Steep
losses in stock market and speculation about market curbs in the
October policy address will keep sentiment in check in the short term
Hong
Kong’s lived-in home prices retreated for the first time this year in
August from an all-time high, after a slump in the local equity market
weakened buying sentiment.
Prices
declined 0.15 per cent to 397.1 last month, according to an index
published by the Rating and Valuation Department. The department revised
the reading for July to 397.7 from previously reported 396.3. The
previous record of 396.9 was set in May 2019.
The
city’s benchmark equity index has declined every month this quarter,
including a 10 per cent rout in July because of concerns about
regulatory crackdown on private businesses and China Evergrande’s debt
crisis.
The slump has erased US$615 billion in market value from 60 companies in the benchmark Hang Seng Index.
“Homebuyers are getting more cautious as the [index] is close to the historical peak,” property agent said. “The low-interest rate environment will continue to support [the market].”
The
drop in August could also be due to the wobble in the stock market
since the middle of the year, according to another property agent.
Prices are likely to continue to see-saw around current levels, the
agent added.
Property buyers have remained apprehensive lately as stock prices
wavered, hurting the wealth effect. Another reason for the caution is
speculation about property market conditions before the annual policy
address on October 6, agent said.
“Everyone
wants to wait and see what other new measures the Policy Address will
have about the housing market and land supply,” the agent added, given
recent rumblings by mainland officials about the state of the housing
crisis in the city.
Still,
the agent is optimistic about the trend in the final quarter,
predicting a potential 2 to 3 per cent gain in total as uncertainty
surrounding Policy Address clears up.
“We
believe the government will not impose further restriction on the Hong
Kong housing market in the short term, but they will focus on building
more affordable housing,” another agnet said.
New
housing projects in October are expected to enjoy brisk sales, giving
the secondary market a shot in the arm, another from another agency
said.
Rentals
have rallied for a sixth month in August for a cumulative gain of 4.7
per cent to 182.2, according to a rental index released by the Rating
and Valuation Department. That’s stronger than the agent’s estimate for a
3.2 per cent gain for the year.
“The
pandemic situation in Hong Kong is stable, the unemployment rate
continues to fall, and the economy is slowly recovering,” agent said.
“Rising rents are another indicator of economic improvement. Coupled
with the peak summer rental season in August, rents have high chances to
rise.”
(South China Morning Post)
Carrie Lam’s policy address could push Hong Kong developers to put 10,000 flats up for sale in fourth quarter
Lam’s annual speech ‘will definitely’ focus on land and housing supply issues, property agent said
Developers will be pressured to sell faster, or not to sit on land banks for too long: analyst
As
many as 10,000 new flats may become available for sale in the fourth
quarter of this year in Hong Kong, after Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, the
city’s leader, unveils a widely expected blueprint for increasing land
supply to alleviate a housing shortage in her last policy address on
October 6.
New
residential projects will be launched after Lam’s annual speech, which
“will definitely” focus on land and housing supply issues, property
agent said.
“There
were widespread rumours [last week] that the central government in
Beijing had spoken to Hong Kong’s developers [about helping to alleviate
the housing shortage],” the agent said. “Beijing said it was concerned
about Hong Kong housing issues about a year ago. So the chief executive
will definitely talk about supply.”
Lam
is expected to announce supply measures that could include speeding up
the conversion of farmlands, the Land Sharing Pilot Scheme, the
streamlining of the application process at the Town Planning Board, as
well as possibly speeding up the funding for the Lantau Tomorrow Vision
project.
The
land sharing scheme is used to enhance the development potential of
private land currently constrained by inadequate infrastructure.
Developers
“will be pressured to sell faster, or not to sit on land banks for too
long, given the political pressure”, excluding factors such as demand,
progress in construction and approval processes that might not have kept
pace with faster sales, analyst said. “They won’t price [flats] lower
though, unless [there is] further political pressure or direction – say
the Hong Kong government imposes price caps or introduces other measures
such as those in mainland China,” analyst said, adding that these
measures would be “difficult” to introduce in Hong Kong.
About
35 new projects might hit the market in the coming months. Among these
will be Centralcon Properties Company’s The Arles residential project in
Fo Tan. The company is expected to announce the pricing for the
1,335-unit project in the next two weeks.
Sun
Hung Kai Properties, the city’s largest developer by market value, has
four projects in the pipeline. These include the 1,030-flat phase 1B of
The Yoho Hub in Yuen Long, 388 apartments in the second phase of Wetland Seasons Bay, phase two of Victoria Harbour in North Point, as well as the second phase of Central Peak in East Mid-Levels.
“The
market for new homes has been lively recently,” property agent said.
The imminent launch of Centralcon’s “large new project in Fo Tan
attracted a lot of first-time buyers who want to wait and compare prices
as they [consider] second-hand homes”, the agent said.
Secondary
market transactions are, in fact, expected to hit a 10-month low in
September as turnover slows down, according to a property agency, amid
potentially new supply becoming available in the fourth quarter.
The
number of such transactions is expected to fall 18.7 per cent this
month to about 3,600, the lowest since November 2020. The number of new
homes sold in September, on the other hand, will be up 1.6 times to
about 1,800.
This
could also be attributed to high home prices, which have prompted some
buyers to take more time to consider, as well as regulatory actions in
mainland China that have sent the stock markets crashing, agent said.
The
overall number of property transactions, including commercial,
industrial and residential property, in the first nine months of this
year will be up 44.5 per cent year on year to 75,568, according to data
from the agency.
(South China Morning Post)
灣仔莊士企業大廈4.15億易手 鄧成波家族沽貨涉商廈及酒店
「鋪王」鄧成波家族繼續大手沽貨減磅，最新更首度沽售酒店，灣仔莊士企業大廈18層樓面，包括酒店及寫字樓各9層，涉資4.15億，平均每呎9257元，持貨7年，帳面獲利約3150萬，物業升值9.2%。
上址為莊士企業大廈18層全層，包括5、7至15樓合共9層寫字樓，以及16至24樓合共9層，叫旭日雅捷酒店，擁有50間房間，消息人士透露，該批全層商廈以4.15億易手，該總樓面44829方呎計算，平均呎價約9257元。
該批物業屬鄧成波家族最近推放售的項目，亦是該家族首次沽售酒店，不過，市場人士表示，由於該酒店並非屬全幢完整業權，沽售可以理解，並不代表該家族即將繼續出售酒店。
域陞集團發言人接受本報查詢，回應指上述屬於正常買賣，表示集團會不時審視及優化資產組合。
首次沽售酒店
由於目前紀惠集團是該廈大業主之一，持有地鋪至3樓，市傳上述18層寫字樓由該集團購入，不過，紀惠集團行政總裁湯文亮接受本報查詢，指物業並非由他們購入。鄧成波在2014年期間，分批買入該廈的單位，涉資約共逾3.8億，今番帳面獲利約3500萬，物業升值約9.2%。
平均每呎9257元
波叔離世後，該家族由今年5月至今，連沽40項物業，合共套現近98億，其中，最大宗的為屯門東亞紗廠工業大廈，作價約22.4億。近期，該家族新以1.8億沽出銅鑼灣禮頓道巨鋪，持貨4年帳面蝕讓約3500萬，物業期間貶值約16%。
累沽40項物業 套現逾98億
鄧成波家族最近部署新一輪沽貨行動，剛放售39項物業，包括舊樓、寫字樓、鋪位及酒店等項目，其中33項物業設意向價，意向價合共約47億，另外6項則由準買家出價再作決定，當中最貴重物業為灣仔駱克道莊士企業大廈部分寫字樓及酒店，樓面分別為11750方呎及11331方呎，總樓面23081方呎，意向價6.2億，平均呎價約26862元。
(星島日報)
觀塘道甲廈三層4.5億沽 「手套大王」葉建明承接
億京發展旗下商業項目觀塘道368號甲廈，頻錄大手成交，共涉資7.5億，其中，有外號「手套大王」的葉建明及友人，分別斥巨資購入該廈，葉氏購入該廈3層全層特色戶，作價4.516億，其友人亦大手購入該廈全層，他們成為該廈最大買家，將取得該廈命名權。
將取得大廈命名權
市場消息指，葉建明購入該廈33、35及36樓全層單位，其中33樓全層建築面積約9566方呎，涉資逾1.473億，平均呎價15400元，35樓面積與33樓一樣，以每呎1.59萬易手，涉資1.52億，還有36樓以1.522億易手，建築面積約9250方呎，平均呎價1.64萬，另平台176呎。
平均呎價逾1.54萬
葉建明合共以4.516億購入該廈單位，該廈22樓及37號，亦分別由他的朋友購入，涉資合共逾3億，由於他們成為該廈最大買家，葉氏擁有該廈命名權，將以旗下公司命名，取得波崸大廈或波頓中心。
葉氏友人另斥三億購兩層
觀塘道368號位於觀塘商貿區，毗鄰港鐵牛頭角站。該項目設有7間商鋪及29層寫字樓，地庫設有3層停車場，提供共140個私家車位和15個電單車位。寫字樓單位建築面積由654至9566方呎，適合不同行業發展，而地面鋪位處觀塘道。
(星島日報)
葵涌三工廈申重建
近年不少工廈申請改劃重建發展，其中，城規會單日接獲3宗葵涌區的工廈重建申請，最矚目為外資基金安祖高頓持有的工廈活化項目EDGE，新近亦申請放寬兩成地積比，以重建一幢樓高22層的新式工業大廈，可建總樓面逾31萬方呎。
EDGE申擴地積比兩成
據城規會文件顯示，上述項目位於葵榮路30至34號，現時屬「其他指定用途」註明「商貿」地帶，申請擬議略為放寬地積比率限制，以作准許的非污染工業發展 (不包括涉及使用/貯存危險品的工業經營)。
上址地盤面積約27468方呎，申請放寬地積比率約20%發展，由9.5倍增加至11.4倍，以重建為一幢22層高的新式工業大廈 (包括1層地庫)，可建總樓面約313155方呎。
申請人指，是次申請善用珍貴土地資源，以配合本港不斷轉變的社會及經濟需要；而且申請用途不會對本區居民帶來滋擾。
由金朝陽收購的同區南華冷房工業大廈，新近向城規會申請放寬兩成地積比，以重建一幢樓高20層的數據中心。
項目位於華星街13至17號，目前屬「工業」用途地帶，擬議略為放寬地積比率限制，以作准許的資訊科技及電訊業 (擬議數據中心發展)。地盤面積約19134方呎，申請放寬地積比率約20%發展，由9.5倍增加至11.4倍，以重建為一幢20層高的數據中心 (包括1層地庫停車場)，可建總樓面約218129方呎。
申請人指，擬議重建方案符合政府活化工廈的政策，而作為數據中心發展亦符合政府推動創新科技發展的政策。
羅氏美光申放寬高限
另外，同區由美聯工商舖等持有的羅氏美光發展大廈，早前已獲批重建為新式工廈，近日再向城規會提交新發展方案，以重建為一幢樓高28層商業大樓。
羅氏美光發展大廈位於葵定路10至16號，項目地盤面積約14870方呎，申請放寬地積至14.1倍發展，而建築物高度由主水平基準以上105米申請放寬至125.3米，即增加約19.33%，以重建為1幢樓高28層 (包括4層地庫、各1層的防火層及平台)商業大樓，可建總樓面約209667方呎。申請人指，是次申請符合「其他指定用途」註明「商貿」地帶的規劃意向，擬議建築物高度與鄰近建築物高度相符；為葵涌道工業/商貿區一轉型升級創立良好的先例。
(星島日報)
「一鐵一局」項目共截收71份意向 中港財團爭奪 兩項目估值逾百億
港鐵東涌牽引配電站物業發展項目，及市建局土瓜灣以「小區模式」發展的鴻福街/銀漢街項目，昨日同步截收意向書，分別截收35份及36份意向書，吸引各大中、港發展商入意向，符合市場預期。
發展規模較大的港鐵東涌牽引配電站物業發展項目，昨午2時正式截收意向書，港鐵發言人指，項目共收35份意向書，符合市場預期。
綜合記者現場所見及市場消息指，已遞交意向書的發展商，包括佳兆業、長實、新地、恒基、會德豐地產、信和、南豐、新世界、華懋、英皇國際、建灝地產、遠東發展、中國海外、萬科香港、路勁等，上述發展商除有入港鐵東涌項目外，亦有提交市建局土瓜灣鴻福街項目意向書；由於港鐵容許發展商以網上形式提交意向書，故有不少發展商透過網上遞交。
港鐵東涌項目建1800伙
該項目靠近該綫的東涌東站。資料顯示，項目坐落於東涌市地段第50號地段，位於東涌文東路及毗鄰東涌北公園，鄰近區內指標屋苑映灣園；項目地盤面積約15.5萬方呎，屬住宅用途，以地積比率6倍計，住宅可建總樓面約93.96萬方呎，可提供1400至1800個住宅單位。
市建局土瓜灣第二個以「小區模式」發展的鴻福街/銀漢街項目，亦於昨日截收意向書，市建局公布，共接獲36份意向書；與該局於本月初批出的庇利街/榮光街項目意向書數目相同。
佳兆業兩項目同入意向
據現場所見及市場消息指出，除前述已知的15家發展商有提交兩項目意向書外，昨天市建局項目現場，亦有旭輝、爪哇、招商局置地、碧桂園等派代表提交意向書。
佳兆業資本市場部、傳媒及投資者關係部總經理助理杜晴表示，先來取得一些項目資料，然後將再作研究。
英皇物業經理蔡宏基指出，本港對住屋有剛性需求，故集團對項目感興趣，先前曾與市建局於福榮街有合作項目，是次亦想拿取更多的資料，暫時考慮獨資發展。
市建土瓜灣估值約62億
上述鴻福街發展項目，位於土瓜灣鴻福街1至51號 (單數) 及銀漢街2至42A號 (雙數)，地盤面積約49310方呎，可建總樓面約443789方呎，預料可提供約750伙。綜合市場估值，上述鴻福街/銀漢街項目估值約59.9億至62.1億，每方呎樓面地價約13500至14000元。
(星島日報)
長沙灣13項目重建 寫字樓佔8成樓面
活化工廈2.0政策漸見成效，長沙灣近期再接獲財團申請重建，區內10個重建項目，連同近年批出的3幅商貿用地，合共提供逾450萬平方呎樓面，當中近8成樓面屬於辦公室用途。
6個案獲批活化 全港第4多
活化工廈2.0推出至今近3年，截至今年年8月底，城規會共收到58宗申請工廈重建申請，並批准了其中52宗申請，合共提供約1,167萬平方呎樓面，當中長沙灣區內6宗個案獲批，屬於全港獲批宗數第4多個地區。
與此同時，上周再有區內大業主申請重建，其中Fung
Properties (HKS)
Limited持有的荔枝角長沙灣道868至888號利豐大廈，及比鄰香港紗廠等商廈均提出重建，將會興建2至3幢的商廈或新式工廈，涉及多達逾130萬平方呎樓面。當中位於長沙灣道868至888號利豐大廈，放寬地積比率至14.4倍，擬重建為1幢27層高的商廈，涉及約28.77萬平方呎。
長沙灣道2項目申改建
至於比鄰的長沙灣道800及828號及大南西街601至603號香港紗廠工業大廈第1及2期，則分別向城規會提交兩個方案，一個方案是興建2幢33層高商廈，另一個方案則為興建1幢28層高的新式工廈，重建後樓面同為約107.7萬方呎樓面。
另外，當中第一集團近兩年連掃區內3幢工廈作重建，亦分別位於大南西街及長沙灣道，均向城規會申請放寬地積比率，將會興建成新式工廈，涉及逾51萬平方呎樓面。例如長沙灣道916至922號工廈，佔地約9,600平方呎，將重建1幢27層高全新工廈，總樓面約12.92萬平方呎，而長沙灣道924至926號工廈，地盤面積約1.2萬平方呎，亦將重建為27層高工廈，總樓面約17.2萬平方呎。
同時，政府在過去幾年批出3幅長沙灣的商貿及商業用地，並由新世界 (00017) 以近約147億元連環奪得，將興建4幢甲級商廈，合共涉約190.8萬平方呎樓面，打造成龐大的商業王國。
整體而言，長沙灣區內未來13個工商業重建項目，將會提供約451萬平方呎，當中6個屬於新式工廈，涉及95.5萬平方呎樓面，其餘7個作寫字樓發展的項目 (包括香港紗廠工業大廈第1及2期)，則會提供約356萬平方呎樓面，佔區內未來樓面供應近8成。
(經濟日報)
鄧成波家族1億沽駱駝漆大廈全層
代理表示，觀塘駱駝漆大廈第1座1樓全層，面積約14795方呎，物業以連租約形式易手，成交價約1億元，呎價約6759元。
據知，今番買家為投資者莊道濟，同時持有毗鄰福昌大厦11間地舖。
土地註冊處資料顯示，原業主為鄧成波家族，於2010年以約4700萬元購入，持貨11年，賬面獲利約5300萬元，物業期間升值約1.12倍。
(信報)
