The niggling thought of interest rates possibly rising in the later part of the year may have gotten buyers pumped to seal deals sooner. The interest in 2 new condominiums – Forest Woods in Lorong Lew Lian and The Alps Residences in Tampines Street 86 – both launched last weekend, was overwhelming, leaving their developers happy.
Almost half of the 626 units at The Alps Residences have already been snapped up during its launch last Sunday. The project houses a range of one- to four-bedroom apartments and penthouses with sizes ranging from 441 sq ft to 2,486 sq ft and selling at between $900 to $1,200 psf. Similarly at the 519-unit Forest Woods, more than 500 buyers have already make monetary commitments of their interest in the property. The most popular units were the one- and two-bedders and buyers were mostly Singaporeans looking to upgrade or invest in the property market. Units here are going at $688,000 for a 506 sq ft one-bedroom apartment with study to $1.65 million for a four-bedder. Penthouse units go as far as 2,185 sq ft in terms of size.
Property analysts say the fervency could be due to the pent-up demand after the Hungry Ghost month and the lack of launches last quarter plus the overall market sentiment that prices are already at its lowest possible. Physical assets such as land and property are also considered less volatile than bonds and securities as the outlook for the latter seem less secure.
