〈The Standard, Dec 23, 2023〉Studio flats have been the most vulnerable to price falls in the current property market malaise, with paper losses averaging about 13 percent in the secondary market, the worst of the lost, according to data from Centaline Property Agency.

Of the more than 45,000 new homes that were sold off between 2018 and 2020, 2,265, or 5 percent, were put back on the market, according to registrations. More than 40 percent of those 2,265 posted paper losses, with the average loss being 10.2 percent.

Of those sales involving studio flats, half traded below prices of several years ago, with the paper losses averaging 12.8 percent.

The top five worst-performing units were in The Esplanade and T Plus in Tuen Mun, Park Yoho Milano in Yuen Long, Artisan House in Western and One East Coast in Yau Tong.

〈Asian Post, Dec 22, 2023〉The government approved 10 building plans in October: four in Hong Kong, three in Kowloon, and three in New Territories.

Of the approved plans, three are for apartment or apartment-commercial developments, two for commercial, three for factory and industrial, and two for community services developments.

An additional 16 building projects will provide a combined 127,565 sq m of gross floor area for domestic use involving 3,024 units, and 153,470 sq m of gross floor area for non-domestic use.

〈Hong Kong Business, Dec 21, 2023〉The Lands Department has awarded the tender for the Lantau Island site to sole bidder APEX King, a Sino Land unit.

The winning bid for the site was $203m.

The site is located at Lot No. 722, at Demarcation District No. 332, on Tung Chung Road, Cheung Sha and has a lot area of 19,000 sqm.

The site’s minimum and maximum gross floor areas are 4,560 sqm and 7,600 sqm, respectively. It was designed for private residential purposes.

〈Hong Kong Business, Dec 20, 2023〉The government introduced an amendment bill to reduce the compulsory sale application thresholds for private buildings ages 50 and above.

The amendment aims to expedite the consolidation of property interests to facilitate the redevelopment of old and dilapidated buildings and improve people's livelihood.

For private buildings in designated areas that fall within the range of 50 to 59, the thresholds will be reduced from 80% to 70%. If their age is 60 or above, the thresholds will be reduced to 65%.

〈Macau Daily Times, Dec 19, 2023〉Hundreds of temporary one-room housing units were being set up yesterday in northwest China for survivors of an earthquake that destroyed more than 14,000 homes and killed at least 135 people, according to state media reports.

Twelve people remained missing in an area hit by mudslides that inundated two villages, the reports said. Search teams were using excavators to dig out a thick sea of mud that covered roads and encased and blocked entry to buildings.

State broadcaster CCTV showed footage of cranes lifting white, box-like housing units and lining them up in an open field in Meipo, a village in Gansu province. About 260 had been erected, and the total in the village was expected to reach 500 across nine sites by Friday morning.