August proved to be a slow month for the private property market as the lack of new launches and the Hungry Ghost month made a tiny bump numbers-wise.
The number of homes sold were similar in a year-on-year comparison with 2014, and while it is comforting to know that the numbers are level, the overall primary sales figure of 7,400 units sold last year is below the ideal 10,000 to 12,000 units per year primary sales volume. The resale private property market is largely dependent on the primary sales market thus home sellers as well as developers are all hoping for more vibrant sales of new properties.
The last quarter of the year may be more promising as there are a number of new launches coming up. This includes Principal Garden in Prince Charles Cresent, and a slew of executive condominiums (ECs) in the North and North-west, namely: Signature @ Yishun , Wandervale in Choa Chu Kang, The Criterion in Yishun and Parc Life in Sembawang.
The most recent EC launch was Sol Acres in Choa Chu Kang. So far, 259 units have been sold at approximately $787 psf. Despite the recently-announced increase in income ceiling for EC applicants from $12,000 to $14,000, the uptake for EC units seemed to have stalled somewhat, with an increasing number of units unsold.
Property analysts are chalking this up to a lull month, the location of the properties, tightening loan limits and the developers’ track records. But will the upcoming EC launches fare better?
