Home buyers still flock to showrooms despite new property

New measures kicked in on Saturday to curb speculation in the property market.
A Seller's Stamp Duty will be imposed on all residential properties bought on Saturday and sold within one year, while housing loans from financial institutions will be capped at 80 percent of property value.

Are they taking the buzz out of the property market? Not yet - at least not for those who are buying for the long-term.

It was business as usual at one property showroom on Saturday, as a steady stream of visitors checked out the units available. Sales of units at the Altez condominium - located just opposite Tanjong Pagar MRT station - are moving fast.

One woman in her 30s snapped up four units - two to stay in and two to rent out.
The condominium's developer said they could still sell an entire floor of units within an hour.
Some home buyers said the reduction in the home loan limit did not make much of a difference.
Home buyer Raphael Tan said: "The banks have been very strict, anyway. So I think we will still be on track for our financing."

And those who are buying for the long-term are not worried about the new Seller's Stamp Duty.
Doris Chia, another home buyer, said: "Although it's quite pricey now, I think this is a good location and for long-term investment."

Analysts expect developers to launch more high-end properties in the first half of this year.
These properties typically sell at S$2,000 per square foot and attract buyers and investors who are less price-sensitive.

Donald Han, managing director of Cushman and Wakefield, said: "A lot of the high-end investors are typically not bound by any limitation. They don't go for maximum loan-to-value ratio. In some cases, they just go for 40 to 50% of loan-to-value ratio. In some cases, they even buy on a cash basis."

Analysts said the mood to buy won't change much as the measures are meant to flush out speculators, who make up a small percentage of the market. Meanwhile, Senior Minister of State for National Development Grace Fu said that now is the time to introduce measures to control the private property market. She said the authorities have been studying the property market closely and that it is best to introduce the measures before the property bubble forms.

"We would think that it may deter speculative buying and we want our investors to basically be on the more solid ground when they invest in properties. It should not deter genuine buyers who have the financial resources to hold the property."
- CNA/ir