Henderson prices flats at The Harmonie, Hong Kong’s first residential project this year, lower than The Vertex launched two years ago

The prices of flats at The Harmonie in Cheung Sha Wan are 4.2 per cent lower than The Vertex, which was launched in December 2019

66 flats at the 337-unit residential project could go on sale as early as next weekend

Flats at Hong Kong’s first new housing project of the year have been priced lower than expected, as the city faces a fifth wave of Covid-19 outbreak, which could weigh on buying sentiment.

Henderson Land Development, founded by Hong Kong’s second richest man Lee Shau-kee, on Friday said 66 flats at the 337-unit The Harmonie in Cheung Sha Wan woillbe offered at HK$21,379 (US$2,746) per square foot on average after discount.

The price is 4.2 per cent lower than The Vertex launched in the same district in December 2019 at HK$22,309 per square feet, according to a property agency.

The project, a joint venture with the Urban Renewal Authority, could go on sale as early as next weekend, said Thomas Lam, a general manager of sales at Henderson.

He said the pricing was “restrained” and around 5 per cent lower than nearby projects, but added that there could be price increases later due to the seasonal boom in the housing market after Lunar New Year.

Prices at The Harmonie start at HK$6.21 million for a two-bedroom unit measuring 322 sq ft.

“The new wave of the pandemic has caused developers to become very cautious with new project launches, as outbreak prevention is the first priority [of the government],” property agent said.

The agent added that developers have not postponed new project launches for some time.

Some 34,000 new units could be available for sale this year, the second highest since 2006, according to another property agency.

Flats viewings organised by Hong Kong’s three biggest agencies have started falling as buyers avoid crowding and going out amid the Covid-19 outbreak.

However, the agent noted that transaction volumes for lived-in homes had risen recently amid a drop in prices. “There is still a large amount of purchasing power in the market, and users can take the opportunity to find bargains,” the agency added.

Kingswood Villas in Tin Shui Wai, for example, saw 12 transactions this month as of January 13, with half below market price, according to the agency. A couple of flats in Yuen Long and Tuen Mun also saw rare losses.

Investment banks have predicted that Hong Kong’s home prices could fall this year, with Morgan Stanley expecting a 2 per cent drop and UBS 5 per cent.

Their forecasts came as a gauge of lived-in homes compiled by the agency with their property index, slipped 0.5 per cent to 185.19 for the week ended January 9. It has dropped 3.2 per cent since it peaked last August, and is expected to fall further to up to 182 amid new social distancing measures, the agency said.

Hong Kong’s ban on evening dine-in services and flight ban on eight countries will be extended for two more weeks, through the Lunar New Year holiday, to curb the coronavirus outbreak, the government said on Friday.

Meanwhile, an industrial and data centre parcel in Fanling received only three bids on Friday, which market observers said was surprisingly low considering eight bids were tendered for another industrial parcel in the same area last January.

Developers’ plans might have been affected by the pandemic, anther property agency said.

(South China Morning Post)

粉嶺工業地僅三財團入標 出價趨審慎 市場估值逾三億

今年首幅賣地表截標的粉嶺安居街工業地皮、昨在疫情持續下截標，唯地政總署僅收到3份標書，招標反應冷淡，為政府主動推出同類地皮以來，所接獲的標數最少。業界人士指，地皮反應市場預期，料財團出價審慎，地皮市場估值由約3億至4億。

粉嶺安居街工業地昨日中午截標，地政總署公布，合共截收3標書；據現場所見，入標財團以本地發展商為主，包括信和、嘉華、其士國際。若以工業地標書數目計，創政府2010年主動推地以來最少標書紀錄。

自2010年來最少標書

事實上，近7年來政府共推售7幅工業地，普遍截收6至11份標書；而是次標書數目對比去年1月截收8份標書的同區粉嶺安樂門街工業地，減少5份，而該地最終由新加坡的基金豐樹產業以8.1294億投得。

有測量師指出，相信早前粉嶺或元朗區同類地皮以高價批出，不排除入標發展商或財團擔心高價錢「未必有水位」，再者新界西北、東北發展規模及供應量多，料會影響往後推售同類地皮的價格，認為上述因素導致是次招標反應冷淡，由於入標數目少於預期，不排除增加地皮流標風險。

可建總樓面8.7萬呎

另一測量師說，對入標數目少感到意外，認為發展商及用家可能受疫情影響原有部署。由於地皮規模較小，而是次工業地地盤端正，亦鄰近文錦渡，除數據中心外作為現代工業或倉庫亦符合「東進東出」的布局，類似條件的工業地皮在近年不多，相信樓面地價不會太低。

另有測量師透露，不排除受到近期疫情再襲，令發展商再趨審慎有關，故反應稍遜市場預期，由於發展規模及投資額相對較細，而且地皮四正，發展及開則相對容易，雖然公眾車位數量較前兩幅地較少，但仍可帶來一定收益，將反映在入標價上。

須維護兩塊古石碑

資料顯示，該地位於粉嶺上水市地段第245號、即粉嶺工貿大廈對出，地盤面積約17559方呎，可建總樓面約87797方呎。地皮用途廣泛，可作多種用途如工業、倉庫、直接支援工業營運的辦公室、資訊科技及電訊業、設計及發展中心、數據中心等。綜合市場估值約3億至4億，每方呎樓面地價約3500至4600元。

據賣地章程顯示，中標財團須負責維修及保養地皮旁邊兩塊歷史悠久的石碑，包括全港僅此一塊「不准繫牛碑」，立於1934年；以及一塊指示「此公路往崇謙堂村和從謙學校」方向的石碑，立於1930年。

(星島日報)

去年補地價共449億元 創歷史新高

補地價金額創新高，據地政總署公布，2021年全年錄得補地價金額合共449億元，按年增加2.5倍，亦打破2017年紀錄，創出歷史新高水平。

據地政總署昨日最新資料顯示，2021年第四季錄得123.7億元補地價，按季增加4成，而累積全年則錄得約449億元，則較2020年全年127.2億元多出2.5倍，亦較2017年錄得400億元的歷史紀錄高出12%，創歷史新高。

期內錄得多宗大額補地價，包括在上月由王新興集團就九龍灣觀塘道啟德大廈補地價30.6億元，以可建樓面約52萬平方呎計算，每呎樓面地價約5,700元左右，提供約808伙。

另外，香港興業 (00480) 及中信股份 (00267) 為愉景灣北部項目補地價52.4億元，將建1,400伙。

至於最新亦錄得多宗補地價，包括由豐資源或相關人士購入的土瓜灣美善同道51至57號地盤，補地價近1.8億元，可建樓面最多約4.3萬平方呎，即每呎樓面地價約4,164元。

牛池灣等項目 陸續完成補地價

同時，由牛仔褲大王劉漢松等持有的新蒲崗彩虹道210至212號及五芳街15至17號栢盛大廈重建項目，亦補地價3.8億元，預計規劃作「非住宅」用途，作商廈發展。

事實上，除了現時已經登記的個案外，九建 (00034) 及太古地產 (01972) 等亦先後公布，分別接納地政總署就牛池灣前聖約瑟安老院項目，及柴灣前中巴車廠重建的補地價金額，合共涉及約142億元，預計亦會陸續完成手續，推高今年補地價金額數目。

(經濟日報)