Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that a total of 5,838 building units were purchased and sold at MOP10.57 billion in the third quarter of 2010 according to Stamp Duty records, down by 31.9% and 37.1% respectively quarter-to-quarter. There were 3,649 residential units amounting to MOP8.22 billion, down by 32.1% and 40.4% respectively over the previous quarter, of which 980 residential units were purchased and sold under Intermediate Transfer of Title, down by 44.7% quarter-to-quarter, and the total value decreased by 52.1% to MOP4.04 billion. Regarding the price of transaction, 1,146 residential units were sold for over MOP1,000,000 to MOP2,000,000, and 1,144 units for MOP1,000,000 or less. Analyzed by year of completion of building, 1,303 residential units were completed in 2000 and after, 1,426 units in 1990-1999 and 920 units in 1989 and before. As regards floor area of unit, 1,744 units (47.8% of total) had an area of 50 to 99.9 square metres. In the third quarter of 2010, the average price of all residential units amounted to MOP30,347 per square metre, down by 5.2% quarter-to-quarter, attributable to a substantial decrease of 93.4% in the number of units purchased and sold in Coloane that posted an above-average price in the previous quarter. The average transaction price of residential units in the Macao Peninsula, Taipa and Coloane increased by 6.9%, 4.3% and 7.7% quarter-to-quarter to MOP29,517, MOP29,583 and MOP64,087 per square metre of usable area respectively. With regard to transaction of residential units under Intermediate Transfer of Title, the average price stood at MOP45,363 per square metre, down by 5.7% from the preceding quarter. The average price of office units increased by 5.4% quarter-to-quarter to MOP23,374 per square metre, and that of industrial units rose by 4.3% to MOP6,998 per square metre. There were 2,717 cases of real estate sale and purchase contracts made in the third quarter of 2010, down by 19.0% quarter-to-quarter; the number of units transacted dropped by 28.1% quarter-to-quarter to 3,287. Moreover, there were 2,238 cases of mortgage contracts signed, of which 1,844 were residential mortgages. In the third quarter of 2010, gross floor area of construction of new buildings totalled 22,260 square metres has been started, which will provide 132 units, 64 parking spaces for cars and 23 parking spaces for motorcycles upon completion. In addition, gross floor area of buildings completed totalled 241,248 square metres, altogether providing 466 units (of which 142 are residential units), down sharply by 60.4% and 75.1% respectively quarter-to-quarter; number of parking spaces for cars decreased by 65.1% to 804, while those for motorcycles rose by 76.0% to 667. Average transaction price of building units covers building units with Stamp Duty paid in the reference quarter, excluding gift of property, inheritance, transfer of partial ownership of property, etc. cases bearing peculiar transaction prices.
