Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that a total of 6,386 building units were purchased and sold at MOP10.02 billion in the first quarter of 2010 according to Stamp Duty records, down by 3.1% and 5.6% respectively quarter-to-quarter. The majority (3,884 units) were residential units amounting to MOP7.94 billion, down by 14.6% and 10.0% respectively over the previous quarter, of which 3,106 units were situated in the Macao Peninsula and 768 in Taipa. Regarding the price of transaction, 1,428 residential units were sold for MOP1,000,000 or less; 1,209 units for over MOP1,000,000 to MOP2,000,000. Analyzed by year of completion of the building, 1,835 residential units were completed in 1990-1999, 1,085 units in 2000 and after and 964 units in 1989 and before. As regards the size of unit, 1,901 units (48.9% of total) had an area of 50 to 99.9 square metres. The average transaction price of residential units rose by 4.7% quarter-to-quarter to MOP26,845 per square metre of usable area, with the average price of those in the Macao Peninsula increasing by 5.0% to MOP26,674 per square metre, and the average price of those in Taipa rising by 3.4% to MOP27,342 per square metre. With regard to transaction of residential units under Intermediate Transfer of Title, the average price stood at MOP44,865 per square metre, down slightly by 0.2% from the previous quarter. The average price of office units rose by 2.4% quarter-to-quarter to MOP23,740 per square metre, and that of industrial units went up by 3.7% to MOP6,526 per square metre. There were 3,370 cases of real estate sale and purchase contracts made in the first quarter of 2010; the number of units transacted rose by 5.4% quarter-to-quarter to 4,307 whereas the total value went down by 21.5% to MOP4.98 billion. Moreover, total value of mortgage loans amounted to MOP8.07 billion, down by 11.0% quarter-to-quarter. In the first quarter of 2010, construction of new buildings with a gross floor area of 124,615 square metres has been started, which will provide 508 units, 496 parking spaces for cars and 93 parking spaces for motorcycles upon completion. In addition, gross floor area of buildings completed totalled 64,769 square metres, altogether providing 149 units (of which 136 are residential units), down sharply by 84.4% and 85.4% respectively quarter-to-quarter; number of parking spaces for cars and motorcycles completed plunged by 92.2% and 78.5% to 146 and 138 respectively.
