Home prices of private residential properties fell by 0.3% in the last quarter, though it is nothing to fret over as it is the smallest dip since Q4 of 2013, which was when prices started to show a decline.
Since the April 2013 peak, private home prices have fallen 11.6%. Nothing too alarming considering the rate of its fall, but nothing to scoff at either. After a year or so of buyers retreating from the market in wait of prices falling further, new launches this year have brought them out of the shadows and the overall market sentiment has been positive thus far.
The first indication of a possible market recovery in the near future is the slowdown in rate of decline of property prices. This could indicate that the bottom is nearing and may draw even more buyers into actually committing to a purchase – when the price is right.
Non-landed private residential properties in the “rest of central region” such as Marine Parade and Bishan fared the best last quarter, with a 0.5% growth. The core central region saw the steepest fall of 0.9% as most of the transactions recorded were from older establishments and from mortgagee sales.
Activity in the landed property market is surprisingly heightened last quarter, with 527 units sold, a whooping 56.8 per cent higher than in Q1. In the resale HDB flat front, prices fell very slightly at 0.1%, a smaller decrease compared to the 0.5% in Q1, though sustained interest may be questioned here as more buyers could be considering upgrading into the private property market as older HDB flats with fewer years left in their lease may mean fewer takers.
