Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the Sale and Purchase of building units saw quarter-to-quarter increase in the fourth quarter of 2009, with 6,588 units being purchased and sold at MOP10.62 billion. The majority (4,548 units) were residential units amounting to MOP8.83 billion, up by 23.6% and 15.3% respectively over the previous quarter. The average transaction price of residential units rose by 6.1% quarter-to-quarter to MOP25,631 per square metre of usable area, with the average price of those in the Macao Peninsula increasing by 5.2% to MOP25,415 per square metre, and the average price of those in Taipa rising by 10.6% to MOP26,432 per square metre. With regard to transaction of residential units under Intermediate Transfer of Title, the average price stood at MOP44,935 per square metre, up by 30.8% from the previous quarter. A total of 17,310 building units valued at MOP26.30 billion were purchased and sold in 2009, down by 19.5% and 24.9% respectively year-on-year, of which 11,307 were residential units amounting to MOP21.52 billion, down by 17.4% and 27.7% respectively. Among the residential units, 9,031 were situated in the Macao Peninsula and 2,242 in Taipa. As regards the price of transaction, a total of 4,318 residential units were sold for MOP1,000,000 or less, and 3,481 units for over MOP1,000,000 to MOP2,000,000. Analyzed by year of completion of the building, 3,597 residential units were completed in 2000 and after, 4,728 units in 1990-1999 and 2,982 units in 1989 and before. As regards the size of unit, 5,595 units (49.5% of total) had an area of 50 to 99.9 square metres. For the whole year of 2009, the average transaction price of residential units fell marginally by 0.3% year-on-year to MOP23,235 per square metre, and the average price of those purchased and sold under Intermediate Transfer of Title was MOP36,708, down slightly by 0.2%. The average price of office units rose by 1.6% over 2008 to MOP21,650 per square metre, and that of industrial units went up by 4.9% to MOP6,079 per square metre. For 2009 as a whole, a total of 9,111 cases of real estate sale and purchase contracts were made, a year-on-year decrease of 6.2%; the number of units transacted dropped by 10.4% over 2008 to 11,546 whereas the total value went up by 4.1% to MOP14.95 billion. In addition, total value of mortgage loans fell by 9.6% year-on-year to MOP52.01 billion. Gross floor area of buildings and the number of units completed in 2009 registered notable increase from 2008, reaching 1.41 million square metres and 3,251 units (of which 3,096 are residential units), up by 1.4 times and 1.8 times respectively. In addition, number of parking spaces for cars and motorcycles surged by 3.3 times and 2.7 times respectively year-on-year, at 6,291 and 1,750 respectively.
