写字楼空置率14.4%创24年来新高

去年受第5波疫情打击，加上近年写字楼供应量大增，令到空置量急升。根据差估署最新公布的《香港物业报告2023》初步统计数字，去年本港整体写字楼空置率14.4%，较2021年的12.3%增加2.1个百分点，空置率属1998年录得15.9%之后24年来新高。

期间，甲厦空置率亦由2021年的12.5%，大增2.6个百分点至15.1%，亦是1998年后15.3%后的24年新高。期内整体写字楼总落成量，大增至377.8万方呎，创1995年后的27年新高，其中甲级写字楼录321.8万方呎，为2008年后14年新高，估计落成量大幅增加，导致空置率急升。

甲厦使用量由负转正

有代理表示，商厦由土地规划、卖地至落成，历时长达10年，2012年经济畅旺，政府规划更多商厦地皮，及至大约5年后、2017推出卖地，当年，新世界一举连夺长沙湾3幅商贸地，近年陆续落成。

虽然商厦空置率增加，不过，去年整体使用量录增长，由2021年的负43万方呎，升至净吸纳量20.5万方呎，甲厦使用量亦同时由负转正。

差估署数字预期，今年写字楼整体落成量将下降至约287万方呎，当中甲级佔270万方呎，2024年写字楼整体落成量将进一步降至114万方呎，甲级佔约93.6万方呎。

(星岛日报)

邓成波家族放售市值逾60亿物业

自从「铺王」邓成波2021年5月离世后，其家族陆续大手放售旗下物业，昨日再有一张最新放售物业清单曝光，合共25项物业，分布港九新界，包括有铺位、商住楼、写字楼及车场等，市值合共逾60亿，其中最贵重的一项高达11.2亿。

最贵重一项高达11.2亿

该批物业分布观塘、旺角、尖沙嘴及湾仔，最大宗为观塘兴业街1号骆驼漆中心全幢，市值11.2亿 ，目前月租130万，项目于去年推出时叫价约14亿，最新减价20%，项目总楼面逾10万方呎，位于兴业街交界，距离港铁观塘站2分鐘步程。

邓成波于2014年以10.8亿买入骆驼漆中心，及后进行翻新工程，更曾于2017年商厦高峰期以28.8亿放售。

位于尖沙嘴加拿分道37至39号物业，以6.8亿放售，目前月收59.6万；日前，该家族透过外资代理行放售深水埗钦洲街明辉大厦商住楼，亦在物业清单内，意向价1.8亿。

加拿分道物业意向价6.8亿

近期，该家族最瞩目的买卖为沽售旺角商业中心地下至4楼，作价3.5亿，物业于2017年以3.8亿购入，帐面亏损约3000万。

(星岛日报)

旺角「巨无霸」商业地 中标价高次标34%

新地上月初以47.29亿力压2财团、投得旺角洗衣街「巨无霸」商业地，地政总署昨以不具名方式，公布其餘2份落选标价，出价介乎6.88亿至35.21亿，楼面呎价约451至2310元；而中标价较次标高出约34.3%，可见新地出价进取，以「志在必得价」竞投。

上述用地以每方呎楼面地价约3103元批出，当时地价属低于市场估值下限价约16%。首两标出价已见明显差距，次标出价约35.21亿，与中标价相差约12.08亿或约34.3%，每方呎楼面地价约2310元。

最低每呎出价451元相差5.9倍

同时有财团以「执鸡价」竞投，最低标出价仅约6.88亿，与中标价相差40.41亿，中标价远远拋离其约5.9倍，每方呎楼面地价仅约451元。

上述商业地位处于旺角洗衣街及亚皆老街交界，邻近旺角及旺角东站。地盘面积约12.4万方呎，涉及可建总楼面约152.4万方呎，是近年九龙区罕有商业地新供应。除中标的新地外，其餘入标财团，包括长实，以及鹰君则伙拍信和合组财团。

涉总楼面152万方呎

据卖地章程，中标财团须负责兴建指定政府社会服务设施、长者中心，青少年及幼儿中心，亦要兴建行人天桥通道接驳附近建筑物及公眾停车场等，而政府物业并不计算总楼面内。

(星岛日报)

Tycoon Chen Hongtian blames ‘short-term cash-flow disruption’ for seizure of Hong Kong properties including Peak house

His company, Cheung Kei Group, cites defaults on ‘several big-ticket accounts receivable’ and ‘abnormal obstacles’ for loss of control over assets

Chen Hongtian’s three core properties in Hong Kong are worth about HK$9.8 billion (US$1.25 billion), company says

Chinese tycoon Chen Hongtian’s company has blamed a “short-term cash-flow disruption” after three of his properties in Hong Kong, including a house on The Peak that he bought for HK$2.1 billion (US$268 million) in 2016, were taken over by creditors.

“I hope that the public will further understand the correct information,” Chen told the Post on Friday, breaking his silence over the seizure of three of his assets in the city.

“Chen Hongtian’s three core properties in Hong Kong are worth about HK$9.8 billion, according to recent appraisal reports commissioned by banks,” Cheung Kei Group said in a statement on Friday, published in the official WeChat account of Shenzhen-based Harmony Club, which is chaired by Chen.

“Although the value of some properties has dropped sharply compared to before the pandemic, it should be slightly higher than the HK$5 billion in loans, and the debt ratio is less than 60 per cent.”

The statement came after Chen’s house, a 9,212 sq ft property at 15 Gough Hill Road, was seized this month by receivers appointed by Bank of East Asia (BEA), according to government records.

In February this year, Bank of Communications appointed receivers for his Opus Hong Kong property, which he bought with Chen Yao Li Ni.

Chen lost control of other assets in the city, including commercial buildings Towers A and B of Cheung Kei Center in Hung Hom. They were mortgaged with Hang Seng Bank in May 2019. The bank appointed receivers to take over the buildings this month.

“In the past two months, several big-ticket accounts receivable were defaulted off-the-cuff by the other party,” the statement said. “At the same time, the buyer of a big transaction suddenly defaulted a few days before the completion of the transaction, resulting in a related breach of contract.”

In addition, many “normal business processes” in mainland China have encountered “abnormal obstacles”, the company added. “A series of events caused a short-term cash flow disruption. These problems are likely to be properly resolved in a short period of time.”

The company went on to plead for “understanding and support” from “relevant financial institutions and media” to “support enterprises to tide over difficulty” when “the government hopes to revive economic development”.

Harmony Club is a group of about 150 tycoons, mostly based in Shenzhen, who directly or indirectly control more than 70 listed companies and around 3,000 corporate entities.

The club’s executives include Pony Ma Huateng of technology company Tencent, Wang Chuanfu of electric vehicle company BYD and Wang Wei of SF Express, a delivery services and logistics company.

Meanwhile, agents for a mansion on The Peak linked to Hui Ka-yan, Evergrande’s founder and chairman, failed to find an acceptable bid during the planned timeline of the second half of March.

“The [bids] received for the Black’s Link project have not met the requirements, and we will continue to contact potential buyers for the sale of the mansion,” an agency said, one of the two agencies involved.

Mansion 10B at Black’s Link could be valued at over HK$800 million, given that comparable properties on The Peak are valued at HK$140,000 to HK$150,000 per square foot, a source familiar with the sale process said in early March.

(South China Morning Post)

For more information of Office for Lease at Cheung Kei Center please visit: Office for Lease at Cheung Kei Center

For more information of Grade A Office for Lease in Hung Hom please visit: Grade A Office for Lease in Hung Hom

Hong Kong property: Wheelock sells 75 per cent of flats in first batch of Koko Mare project in Lam Tin

Homebuyers snapped up 103 of 138 flats at Wheelock Properties’ Koko Mare in Lam Tin within three hours on Saturday

Property demand has surged in Hong Kong amid hopes that the city has reached the peak of interest rate increases

Wheelock Properties sold 103, or 75 per cent, of the 138 flats on offer in its latest Lam Tin Project within three hours after sales began on Saturday, as the reopening of Hong Kong’s border with mainland China and other positive developments boost homebuyers’ sentiments.

The units at Koko Mare, phase 3B of the Koko Hills development, consist of one to two-bedroom units ranged between 300 to 400 sq ft. After discounts, they were priced between HK$5,937,000 (US$756,000) to HK$9,931,000, with an average price of HK$17,000 to HK$23,039 per sq ft.

“The sales were strong,” an agent said. “The project received positive responses from homebuyers, especially young people aged below 40, who accounted for 70 per cent of all buyers.”

The enthusiastic response to Koko Hills matches last month’s robust sales of the 160 flats offered in the second batch of its sibling project, Koko Rosso. Buyers snapped up nearly all units within a day.

Other recent launches, including Star Properties’ After The Rain project in Yuen Long, Henderson Land’s One Innovale in Fanling, and Sun Hung Kai Properties’ Novo Land in Tuen Mun, also attracted strong interests.

“The new launches have received good market responses, and home prices in the first quarter have risen 5 to 6 per cent from the fourth quarter last year,” said Ricky Wong, managing director at Wheelock. “I expect that rising trend to extend into this month.”

Most of the units sold today were priced at HK$6 million to HK$9 million, allowing first-home buyers to benefit from the government’s recent move to cut ad valorem stamp duty, Wong added.

Property demand has surged amid expectations that Hong Kong has reached the peak of interest rate increases.

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority last week lifted the city’s base rate to a 15-year high of 5.25 per cent, following the US Federal Reserve increased its target rate by a quarter point to a range of 4.75 per cent to 5 per cent.

But Hong Kong’s major lenders, including HSBC and Bank of China (Hong Kong), kept their best lending rates unchanged at 5.625 per cent, while Standard Chartered kept its prime rates unchanged at 5.875 per cent.

The city may see a 50 per cent jump in home transactions this year, which will be especially encouraging to younger buyers, according to analysts.

“The interest rate is likely to have hit the peak level, which may attract first-time homebuyers and investors to buy properties,” an agent said.

In March, Hong Kong recorded 8,202 home transactions, the highest level in 20 months and up 37.2 per cent compared with February, according to data compiled by a property agency. It was also the third consecutive month that the city saw an increase in home transactions.

“As more projects will be launched in April, we expect Hong Kong to see more than 2,500 new homes sold this month,” the agent said.

An online survey conducted between March 1 to March 7 by 28Hse.com, a Hong Kong-based property information provider, showed that above half of the 3,528 interviewees expected Hong Kong’s home prices to rise in the coming 12 months, while 20 per cent of respondents estimated that prices would drop 10 per cent.

About 37 per cent of the respondents said they were currently very interested in buying a new home, while 22 per cent said they had no such plans.