Home transactions up 6 pct in December

The total number of property transactions in the month of December last year saw a 5.9 per cent month-on-month increase, reaching 1,211 transactions, according to the latest data released by the Financial Services Bureau (DSF).
When compared to the same period of the previous year, total property sales showed an increase of 141.7 per cent, from the 501 registered in December 2015. This was fuelled by a dramatic increase in property sales in Taipa, which rose 572.4 per cent year-on-year to 585 sales in the month, as compared to 87 sales registered in December 2015.
Average property prices increased by 14.8 per cent month-on-month in December, to MOP103,805 (US$12,995) per square metre.
When compared to the previous year, it indicates an increase in overall pricing in the MSAR of 32.2 per cent.
This was largely due to an increase in property prices on the Macau Peninsula and Taipa.
Property prices on the Macau Peninsula saw a 4.2 per cent increase month-on-month to MOP84,938 per square metre on average, or 13 per cent year-on-year. Taipa pricing experienced a 15.4 per cent increase month-on-month to MOP116,110 per square metre on average, or a 41.7 per cent increase year-on-year.
However, Coloane saw a slight drop in property prices, reaching an average of MOP106,143 per square metre, after a 15.2 per cent month-on-month drop, which was still however an 11.8 per cent increase year-on-year.

Property sales
Most of the properties sold during the period were on the Macau Peninsula, accounting for 611 or 50.5 per cent of the total in December, a decrease of 25.3 per cent month-on-month.
Taipa had the second largest number of sales, accounting for 585 or 48.3 per cent of the total in December, an increase of 144.8 per cent month-on-month.
However, Coloane recorded property sales of just 15 units, or 1.2 per cent of the total in December, a decrease of 82.8 per cent month-on-month.
In terms of districts, the Areia Preta and Iao Hon areas on the Macau Peninsula recorded the most sales, at 71 units, at an average sale price of MOP80,891 per square metre in December.
However, these same areas also saw a 27 per cent decrease month-on-month in the number of sales, and a 1.64 per cent decrease in selling price.
In Taipa, the Central District saw the highest number of properties sold throughout December, with 502 units sold at an average price of MOP115,033 per square metre, an increase of 226 per cent in total sales, and a 28.9 per cent increase in average prices month-on-month.

Pricy units
The most expensive property price was recorded in the Fai Chi Kei district on the Macau Peninsula, selling at MOP121,431 per square metre in December. A total of 50 units were sold in the district throughout the month.
In Taipa, the most expensive district for properties was Ocean Gardens and Taipa Pequena, at MOP132,090 per square metre on average.
Completed flats sold accounted for 56.4 per cent of the total property sales in December, while off-plan sales accounted for 43.6 per cent of the total.
Sales of completed flats in Areia Preta and Iao Hon on the Macau Peninsula saw the highest number of sales, totalling 65, with an average selling price of MOP74,136 per square metre in December.
Meanwhile, the Central District in Taipa recorded the highest sale of completed units, with 109 sold at an average selling price of MOP85,754 per square metre.

Off-plan sales up
In December, the city’s off-plan sales recorded an increase of 172 per cent month-on-month, to 528 units, as Taipa recorded a dramatic increase in property sales, reaching 13 times the value seen in November, at 436 units or 82.6 per cent of the total.
Fai Chi Kei and Taipa Central District had the highest numbers of off-plan sales, with 29 units sold at MOP136,373 per square metre on average and 393 units at MOP122,453 per square metre on average, respectively.