Auction market heats up on heels of en bloc fever

A report released by Edmund Tie & Co on 29 March revealed that the auction market wis heating up on the heels of the the en bloc fever. While the number of new properties put up for sale has remained unchanged year-on-year (y-o-y) at 63 units in Q1 2018, the number of properties sold rose to 11 units in Q1 2018 from eight in Q1 2017.

The total value of properties sold at the auction market was $19.97m, 31.2 per cent higher from $15.23m in Q1 2017 and $9.62m in Q1 2016.

Image Credits: Mayfair Gardens En Bloc Sales, Paul HO, iCompareLoan.com

The increased activity in the auction market reflects the positive sentiments and strong demand in the market.

The units sold via auction in Q1 2018 are as follows. Private treaty sales and units transacted before or after the auction are not included in the list.

Property Auctioned amount Property type Seller profile
The Berth by the Cove, #06-18
214 Cove Drive (D04)
$3,250,000 Residential Mortgagee
Harbour View Towers, #22-02
21 Telok Blangah Dr (D04)
$1,080,000 Residential Mortgagee
Spring Grove, #03-02
53A Grange Road (D10)
$2,500,000 Residential Mortgagee
The Ebony, #02-05
35 Lorong Merican (D14)
$510,000 Residential Mortgagee
The Sensoria, #02-01
1 Jalan Ulu Sembawang (D27)
$1,050,000 Residential Mortgagee
Orchid Park Condominium, #03-06

95 Yishun Street 81 (D27)

$620,000 Residential Mortgagee
International Plaza, #26-11
10 Anson Road (D02)
$1,710,000 Commercial Mortgagee
683 Hougang Avenue 8, #01-919 (D19) $2,700,000 Commercial Mortgagee
Leighwoods, #04-01
37 Mount Sinai Rise (D10)
$2,900,000 Residential Owner
The Summit, #04-07
461 Upper East Coast Road (D16)
$1,420,000 Residential Owner
17 Jalan Batai (D20) $2,230,000 Residential Public Trustee

In line with previous trends, mortgagee sales were still the most popular among bidders, with eight units sold, totaling $13.42m. Owner’s sale and a public trustee’s sale at 17 Jalan Batai contributed $4.32m and $2.23m, respectively.

https://www.icompareloan.com/resources/bungalow-yang-yin-case-unsold-auction/

auction marketEight non-landed residential units and one landed unit totaling $15.56m were sold. It is interesting to note that the transactions were distributed evenly between core and non-core regions, whereas in the past, it was more likely for the non-core regions to achieve a higher number of sales due to their affordability. Only two commercial units with a sales value of $4.41m were sold during this period.

Head of Auction & Sales at Edmund Tie & Co, Joy Tan, commented, “In the last six months, we noticed that older developments completed before the year 2000 are attracting more interest, with some investors looking to ride the en bloc wave. During the marketing period of the units, we often receive queries about the en bloc potential of the development.”

As seen in the following table, six out of the 11 units sold this quarter were completed before the year 2000. This might suggest that investors are still on the lookout for such properties.

Property Property type Year of completion Tenure
International Plaza, #26-11
10 Anson Road (D02)
Mixed development 1976 99 years wef 1970
Harbour View Towers, #22-02
21 Telok Blangah Dr (D04)
Residential 1994 99 years wef 1990
Spring Grove, #03-02
53A Grange Road (D10)
Residential 1996 99 years wef 1991
Leighwoods, #04-01
37 Mount Sinai Rise (D10)
Residential 1985 Freehold
The Summit, #04-07
461 Upper East Coast Road (D16)
Residential 1991 Freehold
Orchid Park Condominium, #03-06

95 Yishun Street 81 (D27)

Residential 1994 99 years wef 1991

“It is positive to see a strong start to the auction market in 2018, with an upward trend seen over the last two years. This may be due to pent-up demand from buyers, who have been waiting on the sidelines for news on changes to stamp duty.

Read about the En bloc sales process here: –

En Bloc Sales Process Singapore – A Definitive Step-by-step Guide

“However, Parliament surprised the market this quarter by announcing the increase in the Buyer’s Stamp Duty (BSD) on 19 February. Instead of being deterred, it appears both local and foreign buyers are returning to seek out good deals from the auction market.

“We expect a steady increase in sales throughout this year, especially as owners who are cashing out on their successful en bloc sales begin to search for replacement units for occupation or investment,” added Joy.

https://www.icompareloan.com/resources/budget-2018-affect-housing-purchase/

You may check with a Mortgage broker to assist you to get the best home loan deals for your property.

Written by Ravi Chandran

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