The China Post
Date: June 30, 2016
By: John Liu
TAIPEI, Taiwan — Forty-six percent of people believe the next six months will be a prime time to
The entrance of an apartment building in Taipei is seen on Wednesday, June 29. Data show housing prices in Taipei have dropped 12.5 percent from their highest point. (John Liu, The China Post)
make a home purchase — nearly double the 24 percent who felt the same way just a quarter earlier, according to a Yung Ching Realty Group (永慶房屋) survey released Wednesday.
Anticipating that prices will fall and encouraged by the Central Bank’s credit-loosening measures, more people are prepared to foray into the market, the realty company said.
For the first time in three years, real estate is considered the top investment vehicle in the nation by 24 percent of the public, followed by 19 percent for stocks and 13 percent for gold.
Properties that yield a 3-percent return on investment were favored by those surveyed, Yung Ching General Manager Yeh Ling-chi (葉凌棋) noted.
Prices Predicted to Fall
Up to 60 percent of those surveyed believe housing prices will decrease in the second half of the year. Yung Ching noted that property owners were ready to cut their asking prices too. 64 percent of homesellers expressed willingness to sell on par or lower than transaction levels recorded in the government-maintained housing trade database. [FULL STORY]
