传中环中心低价放售业主：未刻意推出

近期大手物业成焦点，由多名投资者持有的中环中心75%业权，其动向一直为市场所关心，昨日市场消息指出，「小巴大王」马亚木近日放售其中三层低层楼面，以意向呎价约2.9万放售，市价跌穿3万，「小巴大王」儿子马侨生则回应，没有刻意放售物业。

市场消息指，由马亚木持有的中环中心3层低层全层楼面，包括20楼、26楼及29楼，近日推出放售，每层面积约2.5万方呎，意向呎价约2.9万元，每层意向高达逾7.2亿。不过，「小巴大王」马亚木儿子马侨生接受本报查询时回应，集团并没有刻意放售物业，惟间中接获代理问价，这是正常的市场运作，集团对此不予置评。

传每呎2.9万放售

据市场资料显示，马亚木是中环中心最大业主，持有13层楼面，于购入该厦后，暂未像其他投资者包括蔡志忠、「物业张」张顺宜及「磁带大王」陈秉志沽货。不过，马氏于购入中环中心后，曾一度将交吉的26楼交予代理放盘，惟最后收回有关楼面。

(星岛日报)

更多中环中心出售楼盘资讯请参阅：中环中心出售

观塘SMLTower逾13亿将售

继早前佐敦同昌商业大厦易手后，市场上再有大手买卖，观塘活化工厦SML Tower全幢，业主亦选定买家，双方进入尽职审查阶段，物业将以逾13亿易手，平均呎价8748元。

上述为观塘观塘海滨道165号SML Tower，属于活化工厦，市场消息透露，该全幢近期成为市场目标，业主有意放售，在代理的穿针引綫下，物业获多家财团积极出价，最终业主选出一名买家，双方进入尽职审查阶段，物业将以逾13亿易手，以物业总楼面14.96万方呎计算，平均呎价8748元。

物业属活化工厦

物业前身为工业大厦，两年前由SML集团斥资8亿元购入，其后申请活化，工程总投资额约2亿元，以1年多时间活化为商厦。若以13亿易手，帐面获利约3亿，物业升值逾30%。

该厦大部分楼层由SML集团自用，其中8层楼面则于2013年招租，平均呎租约23元，目前该厦呎租普遍26至30元水平，租客包括科技公司及艺术馆。

SML Tower临海而建，楼高19层，每层楼面约8600至12500方呎不等，每层均拥有邮轮码头海景，距离港铁观塘站约需10至15分鐘步程。物业毗邻即为九龙面粉厂。SML Towe前身为中艺大厦，早于SML集团之前，原业主为华润创业。

进入尽职审查阶段

代理表示，长沙湾青山道485号九龙广场中层03室，面积约1630方呎，以约1138万易手，成交呎价约6981元。原业主将售后租回该单位，月租料约3万餘，按此计算，新买家可享逾3厘租金回报。周氏续表示，新买家为同区用家，本身持有其他物业，有见近期工商铺物业价格回落，原打算购入单位自用，得知原业主有意售后租回，且买家本身在区内亦正租用单位作办公室，遂决定暂时作收租投资之用。

资料显示，原业主于2010年以约490万买入项目，原以呎价约7300元放售，轻微减价约4%后获承接，持货10年帐面获利约648万，单位升值约1.3倍。

代理续称，受惠活化政策，长沙湾近年亦从工业区转型成商贸地带，不少发展商及大企业于区内设有据点，足见商业前景备受看好。而且政府亦大力推动长沙湾发展，近年先后推出3幅商业及商贸地，涉及总楼面约190.8万方呎。

(星岛日报)

H&M弃旺角旗舰店 月租900万

4大核心区10店出走 业界料租金添压

疫情下时装生意受打击，国际品牌纷放弃旗舰店。H&M时装旗下旺角家乐坊5万呎旗舰店，今年第四季约满，据悉将弃租，月租达900万元。今年4大核心区已有10间旗舰店约满弃租个案，业界料一时间难消化，租金下跌压力大。

市场人士透露，时装品牌H&M位于旺角家乐坊旗舰店的租约即将届满，而品牌早在1年前因应市况，已传出求顶租消息，今年疫情爆发，品牌全球缩减分店，据悉品牌约满将迁出。

翻查资料，H&M于2014年，租用旺角家乐坊地库至1楼，合共5.4万呎楼面，月租高达900万元，而相关楼面原由多个租客承租，适逢当时零售高峰期，品牌抢租旗舰店，业主决定把3层楼面商铺整合租予H&M，租金高逾1倍。

H&M在港 有14分店

环球疫情持续，零售业受重挫，国际品牌生意惨淡，多个品牌已表示将关店，上月瑞典时装品牌H&M Group宣布，于本年内将关闭全球170间实体店。目前H&M在港则有14间分店，其中旺角及铜锣湾属旗舰店，月租分别高达900万及1,000万元。

事实上，上月品牌位于奥海城2期约满迁出，及后由日本时装GU顶上。H&M于零售高峰期时，曾于旺角朗豪坊商场、奥海城及家乐坊设分店，意味即将于旺角区乏分行网络。

本港疫情未受控，今年时装品牌急剧收缩，单计1月至今，本港4大核心区铜锣湾、中环、旺角及尖沙咀，已有10间国际时装品牌年内弃租旗舰店，个别品牌更是未约满结业，如内衣品牌Victoria's Secret，早前因疫情英国分部申请破产，全球收缩店铺。

业界：只能减租吸客

位于铜锣湾京华中心多层旗舰店，涉及5万呎，6月尾突结业，月租涉约700万元，开业不足2年。此外，中环更出现4个零售品牌将放弃旗舰店，包括GAP、TOPSHOP时装同样今年约满，第四季迁出。

有代理认为，环球疫情令零售业经营困难，而在港时装店租金高企，月租达数百万甚至千万，而生意自去年社会事件后已受打击，疫情下零旅客，品牌惟有作出收缩。代理认为，仍有个别行业如新科技相关、餐饮行业有意租铺，而市场上一时间太多旗舰店楼面放租，业主只能减租吸客，短时期内料难以消化，核心地段空置率上升租金下跌压力甚大。

(经济日报)

新型工厦蚀让 2年贬值逾2成

受到疫情影响，工商类物业市道欠理想，近期不少荃湾新建工厦出现蚀让，荃湾德士古道212号W212单位，持货2年，蚀让72.6万元离场。

W212一手购入 转手蚀逾72万

W212由新地 (00016) 发展，2018年初开售，当时正值市况炽热，销情理想，个别单位呎价造至约1.5万元，为同区指标。不过，近期工商厦市道欠理想，故此开始出现二手蚀让个案。其中，17楼2室，面积约605平方呎，以约506万元成交，呎价约8,364元，原业主于2018年以约578.6万元一手购入，持货2年转手帐面蚀72.6万元。

另外，荃湾横龙街LOFT OASIS 4楼A8室，原业主于2014年以约111.8万元购入，早前以89万元转售，持货6年帐面蚀让22.8万元，期内贬值约2成。

不过并非所有工厦成交均须蚀让，曾发生轰动全城石棺藏尸案的荃湾工厦DAN6，命案相邻单位在今年初以约245万元沽出，原业主持货约3年，帐面获利145万元。

(经济日报)

柴湾角340万呎新楼面 中央纱厂佔半

受惠于政府推动工厦活化2.0，属于传统工业区的荃湾柴湾角，区内工厦加快重建及转型，区内逾11个工厦重建，合共提供逾340万平方呎楼面供应，当中麦格理嘉民亚洲的中央纱厂重建，则佔一半楼面。

麦格理嘉民亚洲持有4项目

荃湾区内工业发展分布在柴湾角及大窝口两个工业区，当中位于荃湾西面的柴湾角工业区，传统上以纱厂、纺织厂等轻工业为主，包括南丰纱厂、中央纱厂等大型纱厂均位于荃湾区。

荃湾柴湾角工业区佔地达117.4万平方呎，政府近年将整区改划成「其他指定用途(商贸)」，再加上政府推出工厦活化政策2.0后，提供额外2成地积比率，刺激区内工厦业主展开重建。

粗略统计，荃湾柴湾角工业区内至少有11个工厦重建计划，预计未来能提供约340万平方呎的工商业楼面供应，当中一半或约173.4万平方呎的楼面来自麦格理嘉民亚洲的中央纱厂重建。

中央纱厂有超过50年的历史，创办人吴文政从上海移居香港，首先成立中央布厂，再于1957年扩展业务，成立中央纱厂，2010年中央纱厂结束在港纺纱的工序，把机器搬迁至内地厂房。

沙咀道16至24号 发展高端数据中心

麦格理嘉民亚洲基金在2012年以约9.45亿元购入，该财团及后亦併购比邻的沙咀道工厦，以便展开大规模重建，当中中央纱厂1厂部分约5万平方呎地盘，申请重建作新式工厦，总楼面约57万平方呎。

另外，中央纱厂2厂部分，发展商近日亦申请重建成为20层高的新式工厦，地积比率约11.4倍，总楼面面积约11万平方呎。至于比邻沙咀道16至24号，麦格理嘉民亚洲就在去年补地价约12.6亿元，重建成为高端数据中心发展，可建楼面约37万平方呎。

而其餘第3至5号厂房的原址合共约7万平方呎的地盘，市场估计，发展商之后亦会提出重建申请，若果同样以地积比率约11.4倍发展，将可提供接近约68.4万平方呎楼面。另外，亿京在2017年底亦以约21.6亿元购入荃湾青山公路503至515号的永南货仓大厦，该工厦佔地约5.08万平方呎，发展商可补地价后，以地积比率12倍重建成商厦，可建楼面约60.96万平方呎。

(经济日报)

Property deals fall despite 'good timing'

A survey conducted in June found that about 10 percent of Hongkongers think it is a good time to buy a home, which is a nine-year high, but property sales dropped about 8 percent in July amid the third round of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The number of sales and purchase agreements for all building units totaled 7,576 in July, falling 8.2 percent month-on-month but rising 18.7 percent from a year ago, data from the Land Registry showed.

The total consideration of property transactions totalled HK$69.3 billion last month, a 1.4 percent drop from June but a increase of 28.4 percent compared with the same period in 2019.

Transactions for residential units grew 27.6 percent year-on-year to 6,133 in July, with a total consideration of HK$59.5 billion, rising 35 percent year-on-year.

Although sales fell last month, the proportion of respondents who believed property prices will rise in the next 12 months doubled in the second quarter of this year, Citi Hong Kong announced in their Second Quarter 2020 Residential Property Ownership Survey, which was conducted in June. The number of those who believe property prices will decline in the next 12 months dropped 24 percentage points compared to the previous quarter.

More than a fifth of those surveyed said they are interested in purchasing a unit.

In the secondary market, a 912-square-feet unit of Fleur Pavilia changed hands for about HK$7 million, or 25 percent lower than the price at which it was purchased from New World Development (0017) two years ago.

The price per sq ft was HK$23,684, the lowest in Fleur Pavilia, and the mainland owner bought it for HK$28.61 million. The unit was foreclosed by ICBC Asia in January and sold for HK$21.6 million.

Separately, HKR International (480) confiscated around HK$1.67 million of the total deposit for two flat at Poggibonsi Discovery Bay.

A 297 square foot unit at Regency Bay in Tuen Mun, developed by Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) sold for HK$6.99 million, or HK$23,557 per sq ft.

The mortgage-linked one-month Hong Kong Interbank Offered Rate lightly rose to 0.25214 percent after dropping for two days.

(The Standard)

Hong Kong’s pre-owned home sales dry up, forcing many owners to settle for losses as capital shifts to new abodes

• Five flats changed hands across 10 major housing estates in the city on Saturday, the lowest weekend transaction rate in six months, according to data by property agency
• A separate data set by another property agency reported 93 sales across 50 estates last week, for the lowest rate since February

The prices of pre-owned homes in Hong Kong have came off their 10-month peak in June, as buyers shifted their attention to newly launched projects amid social-distancing measures during the city’s coronavirus relapse, forcing some desperate sellers to unload their lived-in propertyat losses.

Five flats changed hands across 10 major housing estates in the city on Saturday and Sunday, the lowest weekend transaction rate in six months, according to data by property agency, which operates one of Hong Kong’s biggest network of real estate agents. A separate data set by another property agency reported 93 sales across 50 estates last week, for the lowest rate since February.

“The property price index in July will still be under pressure,” agent said. “Although the epidemic improved slightly in late June when the government relaxed the social gathering restrictions, the positive factors were completely offset by the third wave of the epidemic that broke out in early July.”

The shift in focus among property buyers and investors in Hong Kong, the most expensive urban centre for 10 consecutive years, may offer some relief to the developers amid an increasing glut of who still have between 3,000 and 4,0000 apartments in the pipeline to launch this year in a market that is mired in its worst recession on record.

Last weekend, Henderson Land Development sold all 185 flats at its Seacoast Royale project in Tuen Mun during its weekend launch, with as many as 46 buyers bidding for every available apartment. In Kowloon, a flat measuring 931 square feet at The Waterfront sold for HK$19.5 million (US$2.52 million), or 5 per cent below market price, after the owner slashed HK$4.3 million off his asking price because of what he considered bad market sentiment.

“As the pandemic worsened rapidly in mid-July, quite a few homeowners have softened their tone and offered more discounts,” the agent who handled the sale of The Waterfront unit said.

More cases of losses are on the rise, with up to 4,000 new apartments remaining in the pipeline for launch over the next four months of the year, on top of the current inventory of 13,000 unsold abodes around the city, according to published data. Developers are launching their flats with discounts, rebates and easy financing plans that require buyers to put down as little as 10 per cent of a flat’s catalogue price.

That is pushing owners of lived-in homes to slash prices. Notably, Wong Chik-wing, deputy managing director at Sun Hung Kai Properties, the biggest developer by value, paid HK$62.5 million for the former home of actor and singer Nicholas Tse at Redhill Peninsula, according to Land Registry records. The original owner incurred a loss of over HK$11 million including taxes and commissions.

A flat measuring 508 sq ft at Harbour Pinnacle in Tsim Sha Tsui sold last week for HK$12.3 million, making a loss of HK$3.3 million after taxes and fees were added. Another flat measuring 737 sq ft flat at Parc Oasis in Kowloon Tong sold for HK$15.2 million, for a loss of HK$3.07 million inclusive of taxes and fees because the owner was in a rush to emigrate from Hong Kong.

“As more owners offer more discounts, there will be ... pressure on property prices,” agent said.

The spate of new attractive property launches, combined with cheap mortgages at decade-low rates, has generated renewed interest among homebuyers. Citi Hong Kong’s second-quarter home ownership survey found that respondents were split on where they see property prices. The proportion of respondents who considered that property prices will rise in the next 12 months has doubled, compared with the previous quarter, while those expecting prices to fall have decreased significantly, Citi said.

The real estate market’s split – a bull run in newly completed property, against falling prices among second-hand homes – is only going to be more pronounced in the second half of 2020, analysts said.

The current property market is very “distorted”, agent said.

“Residential property prices are still high, but rents have continued to adjust downward due to the economic downturn,” the agent said, adding that the pent-up demand released when Hong Kong’s Covid-19 outbreaks began to ease in May may not last through the fourth quarter. “The rents and prices of commercial and street shops continue to fall.”

High unemployment rate and underemployment, salary cuts, unpaid leave and diminishing bonuses will dampen the purchasing power in the property market, especially when the effectiveness of the government's relief measures remains uncertain, he said.

The recent resurgence of Covid-19 in Hong Kong, where the city has reported 12 consecutive days of triple-digit new infections, has pushed back any prospect of a quick economic recovery. A further deterioration in US-China relations has added another layer of uncertainty to Hong Kong’s economic outlook, agent said.

“For investors, this means that opportunities are beginning to emerge but at a much slower pace than many had expected, and volumes have slumped as a result,” agent said. “With governments spending billions to support businesses and livelihoods, a lot will also depend on their resolve over the second half of the year.”