Mid-Levels is a luxury residential district on Hong Kong Island that is popular with local and expatriate executives. With its proximity to the central business district and first-class schools, demand from locals and expatriates remains strong.
"When I first moved to the district, the main reason was that it was close to Central where I worked," says Claudia Ma, a resident in Mid-Levels for 15 years.
"There's plenty of good restaurants in the nearby SoHo area, and you can walk easily to Central by the escalator," she adds.
But the mature district is so well-developed that there is limited space for new projects. So when new ones come to the market, they are often able to command premium prices and still attract plenty of long-term investors and end users. Several of the most prominent new projects are in Seymour Road.
Swire's AZURA, at 2A Seymour Road, has sold about 80 per cent of its units, with an average price of HK$22,411 per square foot, with a unit on one of the higher floors fetching HK$32,300 per sqft.
ARGENTA, at 63 Seymour Road, is coming to market soon. The project will provide 30 simplexes each occupying an entire floor, measuring about 2,800 square feet. There is also a 4,700 sqft penthouse duplex featuring double balconies and spacious flat roofs.
The developer plans to price ARGENTA with reference to properties in Island South as well as Mid-Levels.
Another luxury development on the same street is Seymour by Wing Tai Properties, at 9 Seymour Road. It will comprise 82 apartments offering five bedrooms (2,348 sqft, with two en suites) or four bedrooms (1,888 sqft, with two en suites), with 69 units already sold at a price range of HK$14,500 to HK$42,000 per sqft.
Anita Chan Sau-yin, director of sales and marketing with Wing Tai, says Seymour, with its Parisian-style clubhouse, is a sleek and modern residential development providing top-grade flats to meet demand from people looking for quality and luxury living.
"Seymour boasts a breathtaking view of Victoria Harbour and enjoys the lush natural environment. It is always our strategy to develop world-class luxury residential properties and create value with great design and planning as well as top-grade provisions," Chan says.
Wing Tai is also developing a luxury project at Coronation Terrace, Mid-Levels Central, which will provide about 70 flats of about 400 to 900 sqft. The project is expected to go on sale next year.
半山區是傳統豪宅區，深受行政人員和專業人士喜愛。由於鄰近商業中心，連繫一流的學校網，本地及外國人均需求強勁。
「最初我搬到半山區生活，就是為了鄰近中環，我上班的地方。」半山居民Claudia Ma說出她喜愛半山的原因，她在區內居住十五年：「半山區其實環境很綠化，到處都有花園，而只要走到附近的蘇豪區，就有很多好食肆，要到中環也很容易，走自動扶手電梯就是。」
不過，半山區物業已發展極成熟，很少空間可容新發展，若有新項目推出，往往叫價高昂，但仍吸引大量長線投資者和用家。目前西摩道就有數個標緻的新樓盤。
太古集團的蔚然(AZURA)，位於西摩道2A，已售出約八成單位，平均呎價為22,411港元，高樓層單位的平均呎價則為32,300港元。
西摩道上另一新樓盤，是即將推出的AGENTA,位於西摩道63號，將提供三十個特色相連單位，每單位佔一整層，面積約2800方呎，另提供雙陽台及開闊天台的複式單位，面積約4700方呎。
發展商打算參考南區和半山區的樓價，為AGENTA定價。
西摩道的豪宅新項目，還有永泰位在西摩道9號的新盤懿峯（Seymour），提供82間大單位，分五房（2,348方呎，雙套房）和四房（1,888方呎，雙套房），已售出69個單位，售價由每平方呎14,500至42,000港元不等。
永泰營業市場總監陳秀賢說，懿峯為高尚的住宅發展項目，設有一間巴黎風格的會所，提供一流的單位，滿足講究品味和豪華享受的住戶需求。
她說：「懿峯可盡覽維港海景和大自然環景。我們竭力打造世界級的豪宅，以優質設計和及高檔設備，為房產增值。」
永泰也正在中環半山的加冕臺發展另一豪宅項目，將提供70個單位，面積由400至900方呎，預計明年可推出發售。
Excitingly new一手樓受捧有因
As developers step up launches to attract home seekers with more reasonable pricing, new flats are being pitched at prices much closer to secondary market values rather than at a staggering 40-50 per cent premium.
Attention is very much focused on the primary sales market, leaving the secondary market very quiet. In a bid to speed up sales, developers are raising commission fees payable to property agents. Compared to a normal 1 per cent commission for second-hand transactions, agents who successfully introduce buyers may be rewarded with 2 per cent or more of the property value, plus a cash bonus.
On Hong Kong Island, The Warren, developed by Wing Tai Properties in Tai Hang, sold 40 units within the first few days of the launch at an average price of about HK$18,000 per square foot.
"The sale of The Warren is going well, with 80 per cent of the current batch of units for sale already sold. The highest price per square foot was HK$25,600, while several buyers bought two units," says Anita Chan, director of sales and marketing at Wing Tai.
In the New Territories, Providence Bay, a major joint venture in Pak Shek Kok undertaken by a Sino Land-led consortium, was selling the first 50 units at an average price of HK$10,731 per square foot. More than 120 units have been sold, with a 5,408 sqft house fetching HK$29,380 per square foot, a new primary sales record in the New Territories.
In Tseung Kwan O, Sun Hung Kai Properties is selling The Wings. Agents estimate that more than 300 units have been snapped up. A penthouse was sold for HK$37.15 million at HK$17,486 per square foot. Average apartments are selling at much lower prices, from about HK$7,600 to HK$10,000 per square foot.
Buggle Lau, chief analyst of Midland Realty, says developers appear to be keener to release their new projects now after a relatively quiet period for the primary market in the third quarter. With no more drastic government measures introduced since the recent policy speech, it seems to be the right time to lure buyers back to the market.
"Developers have to step up their sales programmes. This is especially true after some acquired new government residential sites and replenished their land banks recently. It is natural to launch more properties," he says.
Lau says developers are now selling new flats at a much smaller premium of 10-20 per cent above secondary market prices, compared with 40-50 per cent before.
Lau expects developers will race to release projects in the coming months, with primary sales still the centre of attention for buyers and the secondary market remaining lacklustre.
Estate agents report that transactions for second-hand flats in popular private housing estates remain exceptionally slow. Midland Realty estimated only 12 deals were successfully closed among Hong Kong's top 10 developments during one weekend in early November. Hong Kong Property expects that secondary home transactions may fall to a three-year low with fewer than 4,000 deals in November.
The next major project to go on sale is expected to be Festival City phase three in Tai Wai by Cheung Kong. Kerry Properties is preparing to market 126-unit luxury project The Altitude at Shan Kwong Road in Happy Valley, while Soundwill Holdings will release Park Haven near Causeway Bay soon.
Wong Leung-sing, associate director of research at Centaline Property Agency, says there has been "a pent-up demand from buyers as a result of fewer primary sales in the third quarter. The new projects being launched by developers at close to secondary prices have come at a good time to absorb those buyers."
As more projects have received pre-sale consent from the Lands Department recently, Wong expects to see more primary sales launches in the next couple of months. "The market is going through a correction period after its strong rally in the first half of this year. The prospect is difficult to predict right now, with various uncertainties."
目前，市場的注意力都正集中於一手樓，因為發展商都在加速開盤，以吸引那些尋覓「合理」樓價的買家。這意味着新單位售價將更接近二手樓價，而不是如先前那樣，溢價高達四至五成。
一手樓來勢洶洶，令二手樓市場備受冷落。為了催谷銷量，發展商提高了一手樓的佣金，正常的二手樓交易佣金只是百分之一，而現在能替發展商成功推售一手樓的經紀，佣金卻是百分之二，還有額外分紅。
永泰地產在大坑發展的華倫街新盤瑆華，開售數天已售出四十個單位，平均呎價為18,000元。永泰地產營業及市場總監陳秀賢表示：「瑆華的銷售很順利，當前的一批單位已售出八成，最高售價為每平方呎25,600港元；有幾個買家更一口氣買下兩個單位。」
白石角的天賦海灣，是近期另一矚目新盤，發展商以信和集團為首，首五十個單位以平均呎價10,731港元出售，推售以來已賣出逾120個單位，天賦海灣一棟5,408平方呎的洋房更創出新界一手洋房樓價紀錄，以呎價29,380港元賣出。
位於將軍澳由新鴻基發展的天晉，估計買家在過去數周已掃走逾三百個單位，雖然一般單位呎價平均為7,600元至10,000港元不等，但天晉其中一個複式單位卻以3,715萬港元成交，平均呎價達17,486港元。
美聯物業首席分析師劉嘉輝說，發展商目前積極推盤，因為一手樓市場在第三季度相對頗為沉寂。基於最近的施政報告沒有引入更劇烈的打擊措施，正是吸引買家入場的大好時機。
「發展商不得不加快推售計劃，尤其是一些發展商已從政府處購得新的住宅用地，補充了他們的土地庫存，所以很自然地會推出更多物業，增加收入。」
劉嘉輝說發展商現時把新樓定價，調到比二手樓價格約高出一至兩成，這比起以前的四至五成少了很多，這點也吸引買家回到一手樓市場。
他預計未來數月，發展商會陸續爭相推出樓盤，一手樓會繼續成為買家的關注點，二手樓市場可能持續遜色。
有地產代理指出，各大二手樓屋苑交投依然淡靜。美聯物業估計香港十大屋苑在十一月每週末只有十二宗成交。香港置業預料二手樓交投量會下跌至三年來最低點，十一月的成交量將少於四千宗。
下一個推出的大型樓盤，相信是長江實業的大圍名城第三期盛世。嘉里建設也在準備推出豪宅項目，位於跑馬地山光道的紀雲峰，將提供126個單位；而金朝陽集團位於銅鑼灣的新項目曦巒，亦即將推出。
中原地產研究部聯席董事黃良昇指出，市場一直存在買家需求被壓抑的現象，「這是造成第三季度一手樓銷售減少的結果，發展商在市場推出接近二手樓價的新項目，正是吸收這班買家的好時機。」
新近多個新項目也收到地政總署預售同意書，黃良昇預料未來幾個月會有更多一手樓推出，而二手樓銷售情況可能仍將淡靜。
他說 ：「經過今年上半年的強勁反彈後，住宅市場現正經歷調整期；基於各種不明朗因素，樓市前景暫時實難預測。明年，我們也會有新的行政長官，香港經濟也可能會 遇上技術性衰退；而香港以外的地區，歐洲主權債務危機仍不知何時了結，美國會否進一步推出貨幣政策，這都是懸而未決的問題。」
