TEL may boost collective sales in East Coast!

According to a report in Lianhe Zaobao today, market analysts said that several residential developments along the newly announced Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) may see higher potentials for collective sales. However, developers are unlikely to move on these till 2017 at least. 

 

These developments, which are freehold, include AmberPoint and Parkway Apartments (near Amber MRT station) and Katong Park and Equatorial Apartments (near Katong Park MRT station). All are more than 20 years old and given their smaller plot areas, may be “bite-size” enough to raise developers’ interests.

 

But with current depressed market, the climate for en bloc sales is less than rosy given the big disparity in price expectations between seller and buyer.

A report published last week by Colliers International has indicated that during the 2010 – 11 en bloc “peak” period, a total of 78 collective sales were concluded. However, the numbers have been falling since, with only 22 sales concluded in 2012. And up to July of this year, there was no en bloc transaction made in 2014.

The failure rate of collective sales have correspondingly been increasing over the last 2 – 3 years. This was 67% in 2013, up from 61% in 2012. Developers have generally been partial towards acquiring new land sites via Government Land Sales (GLS), while keeping their options opened on en bloc sites.

However, analysts expect that developers may become more active in the en bloc market come 2017, which is 6 years before the scheduled completion of the TEL in 2023. And older developments that are 20 years or older and having less than 200 units each, in areas such as Amber Road, Katong, Marine Parade and Siglap will be especially in their radars, given the smaller purchase quantum and corresponding lower risks.

Some developments along the TEL have already made several attempts to en bloc. These included

• Laguna Park (near to Siglap MRT station), a 99-year leasehold development with 63 years left on its lease. The last en bloc attempt was in October 2011, where the asking price was $1.25 billion, equivalent to $954psf ppr.

• Hawaii Tower (near to Amber MRT station), a freehold development that last attempted to en bloc in 2011 as well with an asking price of $700 million.

So with the announcement of the TEL and location of its MRT stations, these two developments may now stand a better chance of finding buyers.

 

Collective sales aside, the TEL may also provide a new lease of life for new projects with unsold units that are currently under construction. As of Q2 2014, new projects launched along the TEL included The Meyerise – a 239-unit freehold development, of which 101 units are sold, and Amber Skye – a 109-unit freehold project with majority of units unsold.
 

After reading the zaobao report, the wife and I wish to add 3 more candidates to the list of “enhanced en bloc potential due to TEL”, given their supposed proximities to the Tanjong Rhu Station:

• Costa Rhu – a 99-year leasehold project that will be 19 years old come 2017. It is located at the very end of Tanjong Rhu and nearest to the Marina Bay and Gardens by the Bay.

• Pebble Bay – a 99-year leasehold project that will be 20 years old come 2017. It is situated along the KallangRiver Basin and has excellent view of the area around the Sports Hub.

• Park Shore – this is the only freehold projects around the area and will be more than 20 years old come 2017. Given its smaller plot size/number of units compared to Costa Rhu (737 units) or Pebble Bay (510 units), Park Shore (152 units) probably has the best potential for collective sale amongst the three.

 

 

Spring Grove: Beginning of the end for freehold developments..?

A canny purchase of a block of freehold land in Grange Road by the US government 64 years ago is turning into the proverbial goose that lays the golden egg.

The first windfall came in 1991 when it reaped $80 million from selling a 99-year lease on the 24,481sqm (263,600sqft) site, which at one time housed the ambassador’s residence.

City Developments developed the plot into the 325-unit Spring Grove condo.

 

Now the USgovernment stands to get another big bite of the cherry as the Spring Grove owners have launched a collective sale at the eye-popping price tag of $1.39 billion.

As the land owner, the USgovernment would enjoy a windfall of $245 million just to top up the lease by a further 27 years – to 103 years – if the collective sale attracts a buyer.

This is three times what it was paid for the original 99-year lease which it sold on the land 23 years ago.

For home owners who bought leasehold property on freehold land not owned by the Government, the Spring Grove collective sale will hopefully provide some clarity on how they can realise the potential of their estate through such a sale as the duration of the lease runs down.

Thus, the yardstick by which the US government arrived at its asking price for the top-up premium is likely to attract considerable scrutiny, especially since it may set the benchmark for any subsequent collective sale on a leasehold estate whose freehold rights are not held by the Government or the home owners.

Currently, when a lease runs down for 99-year projects on land owned by the Government, firms that redevelop the site after a collective sale pay the Government a top-up premium to get the lease rewound to 99 years.

In the Farrer Courtcollective sale in 2007 – the priciest collective sale ever at $1.34 billion – a sum of between $175 million and $225 million was reported to have been paid for topping up the lease from the remaining 69 years to 99 years.

But while the top-up premium paid for the Farrer Court collective sale was similar in quantum to what is being demanded by the US government for Spring Grove, the site had a shorter remaining tenure and a land area three times the size of Spring Grove.

For real estate developers sitting on a cache of freehold property, the Spring Grove collective sale also bears watching.

As a rule, most of them do not retain any reversionary interest on the freehold land. Their connection ends once all the condos have been sold.

Yet, the handsome gain the USgovernment may reap from the Spring Grove collective sale may cause developers to have a change of heart.

Leasehold units typically sell at a 10 – 15% discount to similar freehold homes so the full value of the land cannot be realised.

But even if developers have to take a discount to sell leasehold condos on freehold land, this may still be worthwhile as some developments may turn out to be gold mines like Spring Grove and offer them a second bite of the cherry, like what the Americans are attempting.

The battle for Spring Grove once again casts the spotlight on how valuable freehold land has become in Singapore. It will only reinforce the view that such land can only get pricier as time passes.

Info source: ST

When news of the Spring Grove en bloc sale was first reported on 16 July, the wife and I had decided not to feature this on our blog. We reckoned that every other property-related blog and web sites will be talking about it, since it is slated as the largest ever collective sale in Singapore in terms of value. 

 

But today’s article in the ST has reignited our interests – not because of the collective sale per se but the discussion about developers choosing to develop leasehold projects on freehold land while retaining reversionary interest in the land.

 

Not many developers to date are keen on the strategy for the simple reason that 99 years is a long wait and they may not be around to enjoy the fruits of their effort. And for listed companies, the management may not have the luxury of time to see profit only in 20 to 30 years.  But the wife and I are aware of at least one developer that has subscribed to the strategy – Far East Organization.

 

So what do projects like Cabana (Yio Chu Kang), The Greenwood (Bukit Timah) and The Shore (Katong) have in common other than all were developed by Far East? No prize for guessing that all three are leasehold (103 years) residential projects developed on freehold land. 

 

In all fairness, these are all fairly new developments so any en bloc talks are probably way too premature. But when the time comes for owners to want to do a collective sale, they will have to refer to the holder of the freehold title – which is Far East, instead of the Government. Far East will then have the options of either granting a lease top-up, buy back the land, sell the freehold tenure or simply do nothing. And they will continue to profit from any  top-up premium as long as they hold on to the land title – provided that the Company continues to exist, of course.

So will we see more of such strategy being deployed by Far East or maybe even by other developers? Only time will tell but the wife and I reckon that there will likely be more 103-year projects on freehold land from Far East at least.

 

And for the record, the $1.39 billion that Spring Grove is asking translates to $2,512psf ppr, based on the maximum gross floor area of about 553,377sqft. The breakeven cost is expected to be around $3,400 – $3,500psf.
 

Thomson View en bloc: Double trouble?

Our de facto business paper has reported that the legal costs and disbursements incurred by the Thomson View Condominium homeowners who had consented to a proposed $590 million en bloc sale is in the six-figure range.

These costs, from the onset of applications to the Strata Titles Board and to the courts, increased considerably because of new issues that arose when the secret incentive payments made by HSR International Realtors to four owners became public midway through the legal action.

Since the order for the collective sale was refused because the High Court found these offers by HSR amounted to bad faith, the next issue is whether the Thomson View Sale Committee (CSC) will take action against the real estate agency and the four owners, and whether it can recover damages.

Lawyers said the owners of the 215 units had agreed to the en bloc sale. Under the collective sale agreement, the consenting owners are liable to contribute towards legal costs. At this stage, the owners have been asked by the CSC to make payments to account for costs and disbursements. And those who refuse to pay costs may be exposed to a claim by the CSC for such contributions.

Looks like the Thomson view en bloc saga is far from over…

Enbloc news: Yi Mei Garden

A freehold residential site at Tampines Road has been put up for collective sale by public tender.

The 14-storey development, Yi Mei Garden, is located near Kovan MRT and Heartland Mall.
ERA Realty Network, the marketing agent for the property, said the indicative price range for the plot is between $132 million and $135 million.

ERA said the development charge payable would work out to be between $750 and 758.00psf ppr.
The site occupies a land area of 78,030sqft and has a gross plot ratio of 2.1, according to the Master Plan 2008.

It can potentially yield an achievable proposed gross floor area (GFA) of 163,864sqft, which can potentially be re-developed into two towers.

Source: Channel News Asia

 

 

Enbloc news: Versailles

A 55-unit residential development at Guillemard Road has been put up for collective sale by tender.

Versailles has an indicative price tag of between $105 million and $110 million, which translates to some $1,088psf to $1,133psf.

The site has a land area of around 53,073sqft.

Exclusive agent for the deal Jones Lang LaSalle said the development has a potential gross floor area (GFA) of about 122,598sqft and could yield some 148 units of varying sizes.

The building is located near the Paya Lebar MRT station and the Dakota MRT station.

The global property consultant said the new project will attract owner-occupiers and investors due to the upcoming Paya Lebar Central, and the lack of supply of new residential projects in the vicinity.
It added that the site is near popular schools like Tanjong Katong Primary School and Chung Cheng High School.

National Director of Investments at Jones Lang LaSalle, Yong Choon Fah, said: “This is a rare freehold condominium redevelopment site that is located within walking distance to the up-and-coming Paya Lebar Central.

“According to the Urban Redevelopment Authority, 12 hectares of land around Sims Avenue have been set aside for this commercial hub at the city fringe. It will comprise a mix of offices, hotels, retail and public spaces, some with riverfront.”
The tender will close at 2.30pm on 30 May 2013.

Source: Channel News Asia

En bloc wheels continue to slow in 2013?

Some property developers are turning to commercial and mixed development projects to make up for the weak en bloc market.

This comes as transacted deals for the first quarter of 2013 dropped by 20% to $360 million, compared to the same quarter in 2012.

Real estate services firm Jones Lang LaSalle says some 50 en bloc deals amounting to $3.2 billion were transacted in 2011, and 26 deals at $2 billion in 2012.

As of 2013, four deals have been transacted. They comprise of three residential and one commercial property site.

Jones Lang LaSalle’s regional director of investments Tan Hong Boon attributes the weaker market to the measures introduced by the government towards residential properties. This includes the Additional Stamp Buyers Duty on residential properties.

Mr Tan said that he expects the amount of en bloc deals for this year to reach between $1.5 and $2.1 billion, with a majority of deals transacted from residential property sites.

Source: Channel News Asia

 

The wife and I must have missed one we counted two residential sites transacted in 2013 so far:

• Kismis Lodge – $84 million
• Ultra Mansion – $149 million

 

Enbloc news: Kismis Lodge sold for $84.8 million

Kismis Lodge, a freehold residential development located at Lorong Kismis in Upper Bukit Timah, was successfully sold to Newfort Alliance (Cairnhill) Pte Ltd for $84.8 million.

The sale price translates to $1,198psf, or a gross sale price of about $1.3 million each unit.

Brokered by property consultants Jones Lang LaSalle, this is the third en bloc sale deal completed this year.

“The ample living space within a landed property appeals to multi-generational families,” said Yong Choon Fah, National Director of Investments at Jones Lang LaSalle.

“Despite the few rounds of property cooling measures, the demand for landed developments are expected to be fairly strong because the target market for landed developments are mainly Singaporean families,” Ms. Yong added.

Built in the 1970s, Kismis Lodge comprises 64 units of walk-up apartments housed in two 4-storey blocks.

Source: Channel News Asia

Well, owners of Kismis Lodge did not get the $90 million that they expected but given the recent developments, the wife and I reckoned that they have not done too badly.

Click on link below to read our previous post on the Kismis Lodge collective sale:
http://sgproptalk.blogspot.com/2013/01/enbloc-news-kimis-lodge-take-two.html

Enbloc news: Villa Des Flores…yet again!

Villa Des Flores, a freehold development on Whitley Roadhas been up for collective sale again, after two previous unsuccessful attempts last year.

The indicative price range remains unchanged at $160 million to $165 million or $1,533 to $1,581psf, said DTZ.

The 41-unit condominium sits on a 104,370sqft land parcel and comprises 13 townhouses and 28 apartments.

Shaun Poh, DTZ’s senior director for investment advisory services and auction, said previous bids for the site did not meet the indicative asking price.

He revealed that a handful of inquiries for the site were received after the closing period in October, prompting this third attempt at a collective sale.

According to Master Plan 2008, the site can be developed into two-storey mixed landed housing.

The developer has the option to build detached, semi-detached, terrace housing or a combination of such, either based on conventional housing types or as a cluster housing development.

The tender closes on Jan 30 at 3pm.

Click on link below to read our previous posts on the Villa Des Flores collective sale:
http://www.sgproptalk.blogspot.sg/2012/10/enbloc-news-second-try-for-villa-des.html

Enbloc News: Kimis Lodge – take two!

Kismis Lodge, a freehold site located off Toh Tuck Road, is up for collective sale.

 

This is the second time the site is being put up for sale.

According to its marketing agent Jones Lang LaSalle, the 70,283sqft site is zoned for a “3-storey mixed landed” development.

The site can be redeveloped to yield up to 43 strata terraces or a combination of conventional and strata landed homes, subject to design and planning approval.

“Given its location, we believe that the new development at Kismis Lodge could easily achieve between $3.5 million to $4.0 million for its strata terraces.” said Ms Yong Choon Fah, National Director, Jones Lang LaSalle.

Ms Yong added that keen interest from developers is expected.

The owners of Kismis Lodge are expecting offers in the region of $90 million from the collective sale, or approximately $1,281psf. 

That is at the lower end of its asking price of $1,281 to $1,352psf when it was first put up for sale by Credo Real Estate last July.

There is no development charge payable for the site.

If successful, each owner of the 64-unit apartment will fetch approximately $1.4 million.

More than 80% of the owners by floor area and share value have consented to the collective sale.

The tender for Kismis Lodge closes at 2.30pm on January 24.

Source: Channel News Asia

So the first en bloc attempt has kicked off for 2013. Given the substantial number of land parcels that the Government will release under the Government Land Sales (GLS) scheme this year, it will be interesting to see if second time’s really a charm for Krimis Lodge. And with $1.4 million these days, we reckon there aren’t that many options when comes to replacement apartment for the owners, unless they are prepared to downgrade.

Enbloc news: Katong Park Towers

Katong Park Towers, a 30-year-old condominium in Mountbatten, has been put up for collective sale.

The development has 118 units and sits on 99-year leasehold land with a site area of about 13,077sqm. It could soon be sold for between $330 million and $340 million, or $1,145to $1,178psf ppr, including 10% of balcony space, said sole marketing agent DTZ.

The firm said the site can be redeveloped into a 24-storey condo with a maximum gross floor area of about 27,462sqm. And assuming an average apartment size of about 735sqft, the developer will be able to build about 392 units.

The property is “nestled within a serene and tranquil neighbourhood along Arthur Road”, DTZ said, adding it was a “well sought-after private residential enclave”.

The property is near to amenities such as Parkway Parade, 112 Katong, East Coast Park and the upcoming Sports Hub in Kallang. Eton International Pre-School, Dunman High School, Canadian International Schooland Chatsworth International Schoolare also nearby.

As such, the new development should appeal to both locals and foreigners.

The tender closes on Nov 6.

Source: One of our local “non-free” newspaper

The wife and I have actually contemplated about buying a unit at Katong Park Towersabout 5 years ago. We had arranged for a viewing one evening but when we arrived at the gate and told the guard on duty that we were there to view a unit, the guard actually advised against buying into the development. Apparently, water seepage within the apartments was a major issue then. We weren’t sure if he was just a disgruntled employee or really telling the truth. But even if it’s the later, maybe the problem had long been resolved since then…