【英语中国】全球房地产热点城市盘点：香港

HONG KONG

China's housing boom spilled over to Hong Kong, where property prices have surpassed previous historic highs and are now some of the highest in the world. According to property agency Savills, Hong Kong's homes are 52% more expensive than London's -- and 111% more than New York's.

In April 2011, a 5,636-square-foot condo at 39 Conduit Rd. in the Mid-Levels district sold for $46.4 million (HK$361 million). Local newspaper Ming Pao reported that it was bought by Shi Yuzhu, the Shanghai-based founder of online gaming company Giant Interactive. Forbes magazine reported his net worth at $1.6 billion.

Meanwhile, a house on 11 Headland Rd. in Hong Kong's Repulse Bay neighborhood recently sold for $84.9 million (HK$660 million). Newspaper Ming Pao reported the buyer as Gao Yanming, chairman of Hebei-based shipping company Hosco Group. Henderson Land, the developer, confirmed the transaction but declined to comment as to the identity of the purchaser.

Mainland Chinese buyers are more concentrated in the new luxury sector of condos priced over $1.5 million (HK$12 million), like the Cullinan in West Kowloon. In this sector, they represented 28.8% of the deals during the last half of 2010. In the ultra-expensive range -- $25.7 million (HK$200 million) and above -- Joseph Tsang, managing director at Jones Lang Lasalle in Hong Kong, estimates that almost all the transactions involve buyers from China.

Mr. Tsang says Chinese buyers look for luxury finishes, ornate decorations and grand hotel-style lobbies. 'They're into glamour and bling,' he says. 'In order to attract the Chinese buyer [from the mainland], you need to put out the most expensive stuff on display.'

In the past, the pricey homes along the southern coast of Hong Kong island were popular among well-heeled expatriate bankers from the U.K., Australia and the U.S. But the influx of Chinese buyers and the resulting spike in prices has even forced some members of this wealthy class out of their traditional stomping grounds.

The city's largest brokers routinely organize bus tours for interested buyers from mainland China to visit new development sites.

Local brokerage firm Midland Realty recently organized three tours during the May 1 weekend, a public holiday. By the end of the weekend, the agency had 10 deals signed, starting at $643,000 (HK$5 million) for new condos. During a tour earlier this year, the agency says some buyers purchased units for $1.3 million (HK$10 million) on their first visit to Hong Kong.

'If you look at the new apartments [in West Kowloon], over 60% are mainland Chinese buyers, but if you count the lights at night, you won't see many. It's sold out, but it's pitch dark,' Mr. Tsang says.

中国内地的房地产热蔓延到了香港。香港的房价超过了以往的历史高点，目前属全球最高之列。据房地产中介第一太平戴维斯(Savills)的数据显示，香港房价比伦敦高52%，比纽约更是高了111%。

2011年4月，香港半山区干德道39号的一套5,636平方英尺（合524平方米）的公寓以4,640万美元（合3.61亿港元）的价格出售。当地的《明报》报导说，买家是网络游戏公司巨人网络创始人、长住上海的史玉柱。据《福布斯》(Forbes)杂志报导，史玉柱的资产净值为16亿美元。

位于西九龙的天玺公寓（The Cullinan）。与此同时，香港浅水湾区赫兰道11号的一座房子最近以8,490万美元（合6.60亿港元）的价格出售。据《明报》报导，买家是河北航运公司河北远洋运输集团董事长高彦明。房子的开发商恒基地产(Henderson Land)证实了交易，不过拒绝就买家身份置评。

中国内地买家更多地集中在售价在150万美元（合1,200万港元）以上的新建高档公寓，比如西九龙的天玺。在这类公寓中，内地买家占了2010年下半年交易的28.8%。香港仲量联行(Jones Lang Lasalle)董事总经理曾焕平(Joseph Tsang)估计，在超高价格区间，也就是价格在2,570万美元（合2亿港元）以上的公寓，几乎所有交易的买家都来自内地。

曾焕平说，内地买家想要的是豪华的装修、华丽的装饰和宽敞的酒店式客厅。他说，他们喜欢豪华堂皇。为吸引内地买家，你需要把最贵的房子拿出来展示。

过去，香港岛南部沿海的高档房屋在来自英国、澳大利亚和美国的富有外派银行家中非常受欢迎。不过，内地买家的涌入以及随之而来的房价飙升甚至迫使这部分富人中的一些人离开了传统上让他们留恋的地方。

香港最大的中介经常为来自内地的潜在买家组织大巴游，带他们到新开发楼盘参观。

香港当地中介公司美联(Midland Realty)最近在五一小长假期间组织了三次参观。到小长假结束时，该公司签了10笔交易，新公寓的最低成交价为64.3万美元（合500万港元）。该中介说，在今年早些时候的一次参观中，一些买家在首次来香港时就花了130万美元（1,000万港元）买房子。

曾焕平说，如果你看看西九龙的新公寓，有60%以上都被内地买家买了，但如果你数数晚上亮灯的公寓，就看不到很多了。房子卖光了，但漆黑一片。