Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that a total of 7,422 building units were purchased and sold at MOP17.67 billion in the first quarter of 2011 per Stamp Duty record, down by 15.8% and 8.8% respectively quarter-to-quarter. There were 4,554 residential units amounting to MOP13.41 billion, down by 10.4% and 16.2% respectively over the previous quarter, of which 1,701 residential units were purchased and sold under Intermediate Transfer of Title, up by 8.6% quarter-to-quarter but the total value decreased by 19.0% to MOP8.07 billion. Analyzed by year of completion of building, 2,130 residential units purchased and sold in this quarter were completed in 2000 and after, 1,435 units in 1990-1999 and 989 units in 1989 and before. As regards floor area of the unit, 1,977 units (43.4% of total) had an area of 50 to 99.9 square metres. According to the information per Stamp Duty record, the average transaction price of all residential units amounted to MOP38,261 per square metre of usable area, up by 14.6% quarter-to-quarter. The average price of those in the Macao Peninsula and Coloane increased by 25.3% and 4.8% from the previous quarter to MOP37,159 and MOP67,484 per square metre respectively, while the average price of those in Taipa decreased by 16.2% to MOP33,402 per square metre. With regard to transaction of residential units under Intermediate Transfer of Title, the average price stood at MOP51,969 per square metre, up by 5.4% from the preceding quarter. Meanwhile, the average price of small residential units registered notable increase, with those having an area smaller than 50 square metres soaring by 51.3% quarter-to-quarter to MOP35,110 per square metre; the average of those having 50 to 99.9 square metres increased by 33.8% to MOP40,225 per square metre. In addition, the average price of industrial units increased by 31.3% quarter-to-quarter to MOP10,572 per square metre, and that of office units rose by 2.3% to MOP27,700 per square metre. In the first quarter of 2011, a total of 3,181 cases of real estate sale and purchase contracts were made, down by 2.6% quarter-to-quarter, while the number of units rose by 10.6% to 4,382. Moreover, there were 2,016 cases of residential mortgage contracts signed, a decrease of 5.7% quarter-to-quarter. In the first quarter of 2011, gross floor area of buildings completed totalled 163,989 square metres, altogether providing 567 units (346 are residential units), 820 parking spaces for cars and 327 parking spaces for motorcycles.
