Hong Kong’s home buying frenzy returns, as a record number of bidders snapped up every flat of New World’s The Pavilia Farm III project on offer in Tai Wai

New World Development received 30,108 online registrations of interest, or a record 89 bids for each of the 338 flats on offer at The Pavilia Farm III

Every flat was sold as at 7pm, even as the average price rose 13 per cent compared with the launch price last month

Hong Kong’s property buyers snapped up every single flat put on the market by New World Development during its second round of weekend sales of The Pavilia Farm III project in Tai Wai, with a record number of bidders chasing after every unit.

As many as 30,108 online bids were received for 338 flats, or 89 registrations of interest for every apartment on average, according to a New World spokeswoman. Every unit had sold out by 7pm, according to several sales agents.

The project’s location in Tai Wai, the main transport interchange in Hong Kong’s New Territories, has attracted owner-occupiers and investors alike, as its proximity to amenities, schools, shopping and the transport network improves its potential rental yield, agents said.

“We see a return of demand by investors, as they accounted for 40 per cent of the prospective buyers we received” for this project, agent said, adding that the ratio had increased from 20 per cent in the first quarter.

A lack of new property projects in Tai Wai over the near term, and its connection with the Sha Tin-to-Central link being built by Hong Kong’s subway network have combined to generate enthusiastic interests for the project, the agent said.

The Pavilia Farm has seen brisk take-up since it was first launched on October 17 last year. The strong demand seen Saturday followed brisk sales performance over the previous week, when all 331 units in the first round sale were sold last weekend.

The current low interest rate environment, and swelling optimism over the state of the Hong Kong’s economic outlook have spurred more investors to park their money into real estate, property agents said. The US Federal Reserve has signalled that they would keep interest rate at near-zero through 2023.

Hong Kong’s first-quarter economy expanded at a faster-than-expected 7.9 per cent, the fastest quarterly pace in 11 years, beating economists’ forecasts and bolstering investors’ confidence in the city’s property market.

The improved local business sentiment, coupled with the support from various government relief measures, should help domestic demand to improve in the period ahead, the government has said earlier this month. It has forecast the Hong Kong economy to grow by 3.5 per cent to 5.5 per cent this year, noting however the uncertainty associated with the pandemic is still high.

The average price for the latest batch rose 13 per cent to HK$22,600 per square foot, compared with the launch price of this phase when it was announced last month.

Units on offer ranged from 307 square feet to 1,022 square feet (95 square metres), at between HK$6.9 million and HK$25.9 million (US$3.34 million), or HK$18,498 to HK$25,952 per sq ft after factoring in as much as 20 per cent discount.

The Pavilia Farm, comprising several tower blocks and the largest shopping centre in the eastern New Territories, comprises 3,090 flats in total over several phases. The Phase III development has 892 units and is scheduled to be completed in June 2023.

(South China Morning Post)

中環中心76樓月租200.8萬插24%

受新冠疫情影響，核心商業區商廈租金大跌，原由澳洲共享工作空間品牌Victory Offices租用的中環皇后大道中99號中環中心極高層全層單位，突於去年底棄租，丟空半年後，最新以月租約200.8萬元租出，呎租85元，較前租約急跌23.7%。

澳洲共享工作空間品牌Victory Offices於2019年5月起租用中環中心 76樓全層，建築面積約23628方呎，作為該品牌首個澳洲以外的據點，當時月租高達約263萬元，呎租約111元，並簽約5年至2024年。

惟該品牌在簽署租約後，本港爆發社會事件，市況已開始逆轉，但仍無礙Victory Offices在港大展拳腳的決心，豪裝單位，提供共享工作辦公枱，並擁有接待處、酒吧、電話亭及禪室等配套，走高檔路線，更在2019年9月開幕。

每呎85元仍為今年新高

不過，去年初本港爆發新冠疫情，令本已疲弱的商廈需求雪上加霜，Victory Offices亦有指在去年中起欠租，最終在去年12月結業，即提早三年半退租。

由於市況疲弱，故上址業主世茂房地產 (00813)主席許榮茂重推單位放租時，已把每方呎叫租減至95元，較原本租金低14.4%。但仍要放租約半年，近日才以每方呎85元租出，涉及月租約200.8萬元，較Victory Offices所繳付的租金每月少收62.2萬元或23.7%。不過，由於76樓屬極高層單位，故是次成交呎租已為中環中心今年新高。

此外，合和實業旗下九龍灣國際展貿中心以約105億元售予億京牽頭財團。億京集團主席余卓兒接受傳媒訪問時指出，集團佔有七成權益，將維持原有地積比，重建成綜合式商業項目，包括商場及甲級寫字樓，總投資額約200億元。

(信報)

更多中環中心寫字樓出租樓盤資訊請參閱：中環中心寫字樓出租

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更多九龍灣國際展貿中心寫字樓出租樓盤資訊請參閱：九龍灣國際展貿中心寫字樓出租

更多九龍灣區甲級寫字樓出租樓盤資訊請參閱：九龍灣區甲級寫字樓出租

新地高鐵站商地項目 削高度再闖關

新地 (00016) 去年向城規會爭取，將西九高鐵站商業地王「增高」建成兩幢鑽石型商廈不果，發展商近日修訂覆核方案改成兩幢「花瓣狀」商廈，並將高度最多削減26%，務求再度闖關。

該幅商業地是新地在2019年以422.3億元投得，發展商在去年向城規會提交新方案，除了將寫字樓樓面減少1成至256.2萬平方呎，並將商場零售樓面增加9成至約60萬平方呎外，還申請放寬高度限制3至4成，以興建兩幢最多30層高「鑽石型」商廈。

新方案設計兩幢「花瓣狀」商廈

新地提交的「增高」方案在去年未獲城規會批准，發展商申請覆核並在早前申請修訂方案，當中辦公室及商場樓面維持不變，但設計構思則由「兩粒鑽石」，變成兩幢「花瓣狀」的商廈，層數則為19層至30層高。

如果以建築高度 (主水平基準以上) 計算，由原本114米至159米，修訂為101米至148米高，其中在較近擎天半島的1A座高度由原本159米降低至118米，減少26%，而近漾日居的2B座則由114米減少至101米，減少11%。

雖然項目整體建築高度有所降低，不過仍然高於規劃大綱圖上90米至115米的高度，超出高度由3%至48米不等。

新地發言人指出，期望透過優化項目的規劃設計，有效地回應城規會和不同持份者的意見，為香港打造具特色的地標性項目，惠及西九龍區的居民，新方案大幅降低建築物高度，新增對公眾開放的免費天台戶外觀景台，並初步取得項目北面的西九龍站巴士總站天台花園的設計優化和管理權，令西九花園綠徑更為完整。

(經濟日報)

新地汀九帝景酒店 申改661伙住宅

疫情下酒店業受重創，繼長實後再有發展商將酒店轉型。新地申請將荃灣汀九只有14年歷史的帝景酒店，改裝成為661伙住宅，以及提供60個長者日間護理中心的宿位。

位於汀九橋落腳點的帝景酒店，現時為691間客房的酒店，在2007年落成，近日新地向城規會申請由原本「綜合發展區（1）」等用途，改劃作為「住宅 (乙類)2」用途，將現址15層高的酒店改裝成為住宅用途，將提供31.6萬平方呎住用樓面，將提供661個分層住宅以及1.8萬平方呎的會所，另外在地下及1樓的部分樓面則會作為長者日間護理中心，提供60個宿位。

事實上，近年長實 (01113) 亦加快將旗下酒店重建成住宅及商廈，去年亦獲准將天水圍嘉湖海逸酒店重建成5,000個住宅，而馬鞍山酒店海澄軒亦申請重建成758個住宅單位。

新世界繼園街地盤 申擴規模

另外，由新世界 (00017) 積極收購的北角繼園街一帶多幢舊樓重建，涉及地盤面積19.1萬平方呎，屬於「「綜合發展區 (1)」，原本在2014年獲准重建成1,249個住宅單位，其中第1期的東面地盤已經建成涉及611伙的柏蔚山，而屬於第2A及2B期的西面地盤則申請由原本638伙，增加33%至850伙。

當中繼園街60至76號的舊樓將會作為2A期地盤，興建1幢31層高的住宅大樓，提供310伙，涉及樓面約22.2萬平方呎，發展商指已經整合業權，可以短期落實分期發展，並在2024年年底落成。

(經濟日報)