http://www.straitstimes.com/archive/...rules-20141213
INVEST
No sign of rethink on property cooling rules
Consultants and developers feel the measures are here to stay for now
Published on Dec 13, 2014 1:03 AM
By Rennie Whang
ANYONE hoping that property cooling measures will be unwound soon will likely be disappointed, going by signals from the private and public sectors.
One the one hand, developer Hiap Hoe has been forced to buy units at some of its projects, including all 48 at Treasures on Balmoral, in the wake of the plunging demand.
On the other, the Government shows no sign of a U-turn, with various ministers reiterating that prices have yet to fall to any meaningful degree to warrant a rethink.
"We do not expect the prevailing cooling measures will be lifted any time soon," said a spokesman for Hiap Hoe, which earlier this week sold the Treasures on Balmoral flats to its parent company.
Consultants and developers say that measures addressing financial stability - the total debt servicing ratio (TDSR) - are here to stay. But if the market weakens further, there is expected to be calls for tweaking rules on taxation.
"TDSR is a measure targeted at ensuring prudence among citizens as it takes into account all types of outstanding debt; it's a good measure that will remain," said Mr Desmond Sim, CBRE research head for Singapore and South- east Asia.
The idea that cooling measures will be around for a while has been stated by several ministers - most recently Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam in October.
He said that "there is some distance to go in achieving a meaningful correction, after the sharp run-up in prices in recent years".
While Hiap Hoe's move to buy units at its projects - including Skyline 360° and Signature at Lewis - suggests that it would rather pay the Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty (ABSD) on these transactions than stump up Qualifying Certificate penalties, it appears to be a rare move for now.
"These are different times from the global financial crisis. We are still positive in terms of economic health, and the balance sheets of developers generally remain strong," said Mr Sim.
Developers are trying to cut holding costs while giving rebates and other incentives to move units but there are no distress sales, he said.
Teambuild Land director Richie Chew suggested revisions for the ABSD levied on Singaporeans and permanent residents purchasing second homes, whether as future homes or as investment. "The existing TDSR means they would not be going beyond what they can afford...Tweaking some of these measures would be ideal." Sales at its Singa Hills condo have been slow, he noted.
Developer CapitaLand said it believed the Government would review measures "in a timely manner."
"With a resilient economy and policies to support population and economic growth, demand outlook for new homes over the long term remains positive," a spokesman said.
R'ST Research director Ong Kah Seng suggested that it may also be timely to relook cooling measures for high-end or costlier residential properties, separating them from mass market private property.
"High sales and leasing activity in the high-end residential segment would place Singapore on the world map for investment-grade properties," he said.
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