有本港代理行指，今年全年料录3500宗工商铺成交，按年跌约20%，为有纪录以来新低，料2024年市况先跌后靠稳，受惠投资移民政策推动，整体成交量达4700宗，按年大升30%，并以中细价盘源受追捧。

该行代理表示， 2023第四季截至12月21日，暂录约151宗商铺买卖成交，较去年第四季下调约35％，预料今年第四季不足180宗，数字为继2020年第一季后新低，2020年第一季共录得约159宗水平。

受惠投资移民政策

本季总金额约43.48亿，较去年第四季跌约12％，全年度商铺租赁宗数录4125宗，与去年4065宗相若，租赁总金额4.8亿，按年升约7％。

该行另一代理表示，今年第四季暂录约339宗工商铺成交，总金额录约43.83亿，预测第四季总计将有近400宗成交，金额料约47亿，宗数比较2022年第四季微减，金额相若。全年计算则暂录约1888宗，总金额约219.45亿，按年分别减约20%及近50%。

今年料3500宗按年跌20%

该行另一代理预测，经济市道差、高息、市民外游消费， 将令2024年第一季工商铺市场胶着观望，但全年场危中有机，先跌后稳。

近期不少利好消息涌现，联储局表示有机会减息，政府最新投资移民计划，容许非住宅物业包含其中，上限为1000万，新政策将推动投资移民申请者入市，并以中细价物业最受惠，预料明年全年工商铺录约4700宗买卖，金额见850亿，工厦买卖走势最强劲。

该代理认为，在高息环境下，首季买卖市场中有机，新投资移民政策为工商铺市况带来曙光初露，预料买卖交投量有上升空间，明年第一季825宗水平，价格受限有下调空间，以铺位跌幅最大，民生区跌幅逾30%，但利好因素支持及放盘量逐渐消化，前景乐观审慎。

(星岛日报)

产业署大手购深水埗五地铺 涉资4680万料作社福处所用途

政府于4年前的《财政预算案》中，宣布拨款200亿购置60项物业，将设立130项社福设施。最新购入深水埗大南街新盘AVA 228地下5个地铺，作价4680万，有机会作社福处所用途。

深水埗大南街AVA 228的5个地铺，分别为2、3、5、7及9号地铺，由产业署以4680万承接，该5个铺位总面积3616方呎，呎价约12942元。

原业主为资深投资者卢华家族，亦是该厦发展商，AVA 228地下另外3个铺位，于2021年12月至2022年9月成功售出，呎价介乎约2.01万至2.88万，产业署今次购入的平均呎价，较1至2年前呎价低36%至55%。

平均呎价12942元

本报昨日分别就上述物业交易向产业署查询，惟直至截稿前未获回覆。市场消息则指出，料政府购入此物业，作社福处所用途，新楼消防等设施能够符合要求，而且节省维修费用。

4年前的《财政预算案》中，政府宣布拨款200亿购置60个物业，以设立130项社福设施，今年11月8日，劳工及福利局局长孙玉菡透露，暂已斥1.5亿购入4项物业，曾接获450个放盘，其中300个评估为「不适合」，包括不符合消防或无障碍通道要求。

社署过去4年购入4个物业，分别位于深水埗区、中西区、东区和观塘区，用于设立家长∕亲属资源中心及自闭症人士支援中心，以及提供到校学前康復服务，4个物业佔目标的6.7%，动用款项仅佔当局预算0.75%。

市场消息指，过往购入社福设施物业，包括观塘中海日升中心「楼上铺」，作价4600万；2021年底以3650万购入长沙湾单幢楼尚南天1楼1号及2号铺连外墙，面积约3600方呎，上述3个物业涉资1.575 亿，其中尚南天物业已作社福设施，现由香港基督教服务处使用，并作旗下汇爱家长资源中心。

有代理表示，佐敦吴松街25至27号地铺，建筑面积约550方呎，意向价约2,000万元，平均呎价约36,364元，该物业连约放售，现时租予泰式餐厅，租期至2025年，月租约6万元，以叫价计算，料可回报3.6厘。刘氏表示，该物业门阔约18呎，面向北海街，邻近知名庙街市集，吸引游客慕名而至。

AVA 228地下另外3个铺位，于2021年12月至2022年9月成功售出，呎价介乎约2.01万至2.88万。

(星岛日报)

Hong Kong home prices slump to lowest in 7 years, official index shows, with little relief in sight in 2024

The private residential price index stood at 316 points in November, the lowest level since February 2017

Prices in 2024 will follow an ‘L shape’, dipping 3 to 5 per cent in the first half then stabilising, a property agent said

The housing market in Hong Kong continued to decline, with prices in November falling for the seventh month in a row to their lowest level in almost seven years, according to government data.

Property agents said house prices would continue to decline in December as the city’s slowing economy and high interest rates undercut demand.

The private residential price index stood at 316 points in November, the lowest level since February 2017 and a sharp drop from 322.4 points in October, according to the Rating and Valuation Department. The gauge has fallen every month since May, racking up a cumulative 10.78 per cent loss.

In the first 11 months of the year, property prices fell by 5.59 per cent.

Things have not improved this month, according to a property agent.

“Home prices in December continue to fall, making a full year decline of 7 per cent,” the agent said.

Property prices are down about 20.6 per cent from the market’s peak in September 2021.

Small units of below 431 square feet fell 3.47 per cent month on month in November, and were down 8.9 per cent in the first 11 this year.

The index of large residential units with a saleable area of at least 1,075 square feet dropped by 1.94 per cent month-on-month. In the first 11 months of this year, it fell by 6.17 per cent.

“The residential market is still being impacted by high interest rates, insufficient purchasing power and a high volume of unsold inventory,” another agent said.

“The adjustments of various stamp duties have had limited impact in boosting home prices and transaction volume.”

The agent was referring to a relaxation of stamp duties announced by Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu in his latest blueprint for the city in a bid to inject life back into the flagging market.

Lee said a special stamp duty, equivalent to 10 per cent of the home price, would be waived for owners reselling their property after two years, a reduction from the original three years.

The buyers’ stamp duty that applies to non-permanent residents, and for additional properties, was halved to 7.5 per cent from 15 per cent.

“We expect the home prices to drop 7 per cent this year,” the agent said. “The price trend for 2024 will be an L shape, dipping 3 to 5 per cent in the first half of the year and then staying relatively stable in the second half.”

While residential property prices are falling, rents continue to rise. They have risen for 10 consecutive months, with the residential rental index reaching 186.8 points in November, a monthly increase of 0.65 per cent.

That is the highest level in almost four years and represents a cumulative increase of 7.6 per cent in 10 months.

Another agent estimates that rents have increased 6.43 per cent for the whole of 2023.

The agent expects them to climb about 10 per cent next year, outperforming property prices, as interest rates are cut and with the prospect of the government announcing the withdrawal of market cooling measures in its 2024-25 budget.

Hong Kong may have seen the last of the interest rate hikes in the current cycle, sparing homebuyers higher borrowing costs, though analysts have warned this may not prevent house prices from slipping further.

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) maintained its base rate at 5.75 per cent in December, after the US Federal Reserve held interest rates steady and signalled that the historic monetary policy tightening engineered over the last two years may have ended.

The city’s de facto central bank has followed the Fed in lockstep since 1983 on interest rates policy under its linked exchange rate system to preserve the local currency peg to the US dollar.