Apartment market paradox

The problem of affordable housing is always stuck in a loop between demand and income.

While many people complain that it is difficult to buy a satisfactory apartment in the city center with 5 billion VND, in reality, there are many old apartments or apartments in suburban areas for sale for only 2-3 billion VND but few people are interested. This picture shows the large gap between the actual needs and the financial capacity of home buyers, and clearly reflects the stratification in the urban housing market.

There is no shortage of apartments for 2-3 billion VND.

According to CBRE Vietnam, in the second quarter, the average price of townhouses in Ho Chi Minh City reached VND160-300 million/m2, up 9% over the same period last year. The price of apartments fluctuated from VND82-220 million/m2, up 29%. In central areas, finding an apartment with a budget of VND5 billion is becoming difficult, but actual surveys show that in the suburbs or with projects handed over 10-20 years ago, the supply of apartments priced under VND3 billion is still quite large. The problem lies in the fact that these products often do not meet the increasingly strict criteria of buyers.

Mr. Huynh Van Hung (from Dong Thap ) said that he posted an ad to buy an apartment in the price range of 2 billion VND in Ho Chi Minh City for his son to study at university, and immediately received messages from dozens of brokers offering to sell new and old apartments in wards and communes far from the center, with common prices ranging from 2-3 billion VND. Finally, he chose to buy an apartment of nearly 50 m² at Vinhomes Grand Park (Long Binh ward) for 2.6 billion VND for the convenience of his son going to school nearby.

According to a survey by reporters of the Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper, there are currently many secondary apartments in projects far from the center such as Moonlight Boulevard (An Lac Ward); Green Town Binh Tan (Vinh Loc Commune); Vision, Conic Boulevard (Tan Tao Ward); Akari City (An Lac Ward); Westgate (Binh Chanh Commune); SaigonIntela (Binh Hung) ... being offered for sale at only 2-3 billion VND, not as high as many people think.

Sunrise Riverside apartment complex (Nha Be commune) is currently priced at 2.5-3 billion VND/apartment.

Even the East of Ho Chi Minh City, which has been hot for many years, has many affordable apartments such as Vinhomes Central Park (Long Binh ward); 9 View Apartment (Phuoc Long ward); The Art Gia Hoa (Phuoc Long ward) ... However, it is not always easy for sellers to find buyers. Ms. Hong (residing in Green River apartment building, Binh Dong ward), said that she had been selling her 70 m² apartment for many months before finding a buyer even though the price was only 2.7 billion VND. The main reason is that this is a social housing apartment, so the buyer cannot transfer the ownership immediately, so the transaction is very slow, even though the location is quite close to the center and the amenities are complete.

It is worth noting that when comparing prices per square meter, the difference is very clear. New projects, near the center, rarely cost less than 50 million VND/m², while projects that have been handed over for more than 10 years are only at 31-37 million VND/m². For example, at the Phu Hoang Anh project (Nha Be commune), a 129 m² apartment is for sale for about 4.5 billion VND, equivalent to 35 million VND/m². However, the attraction is not high because the project has deteriorated quickly, the design is not optimal and the area is too large compared to popular demand. Meanwhile, neighboring projects cost up to 70-90 million VND/m², growing much stronger in value.

Mismatch between needs and financial capacity

Mr. Ta Trung Kien, Director of Viet A Real Estate Company, said that in just 2 weeks he had sold 70/100 remaining apartments and officetels of the Sunrise Riverside project (Nha Be commune). These are small apartments, with an area of ​​only 50-55 m², priced at 2.5-3.3 billion VND/apartment. Thanks to full amenities, buyers can move in or rent out immediately, plus the bank loan policy, only needing an initial capital of about 1.2-1.5 billion VND. "Customers are mainly young couples or singles with cars, looking for a comfortable, modern place to live" - ​​Mr. Kien shared.

The biggest problem, according to Mr. Kien, is still the mismatch between demand and financial capacity. "Buyers often want spacious apartments, 2-3 bedrooms, central location, full pink book and bank support for installment payments. But with a financial capacity of 3 billion VND, it is almost impossible to meet these criteria," said Mr. Kien.

Mr. Vo Hong Thang, Deputy General Director of DKRA Group Real Estate Services Company, also admitted that there is no shortage of apartments under 3 billion VND in Ho Chi Minh City, especially in the suburbs or the old Binh Duong province. However, these projects are often far from the center or are old apartments lacking modern amenities and services. "Young people today tend to prioritize amenities, living environment and management and operations, so they often "dislike" old apartments even though they are low priced. In addition, legal factors also have a strong impact on the selling price, because projects with pink books and full amenities are always 10% -30% higher than projects with less transparency," Mr. Thang explained.

He analyzed that to buy a 2.5 billion VND apartment with a loan, the buyer must have 1-1.5 billion VND available. The rest need a stable income of 35-40 million VND/month for 10 years to pay off the debt. But people with this income group often do not want to buy old apartments lacking amenities but will look for more high-end projects, priced at 7-10 billion VND in the center. On the contrary, people with an average income of 15-20 million VND/month are unlikely to be able to save enough to buy a 2-3 billion VND apartment. Therefore, the problem of affordable housing is always stuck in a loop between demand and income: When buyers are ready, there are no satisfactory products, and when available products exceed their ability to pay!

According to experts, the apartment market will continue to witness strong differentiation in the coming time. Social housing projects can partly meet the needs of low-income workers, but with an income of 10-15 million VND/month, buying an apartment is not easy. "Even the group with an income of over 20 million VND/month is unlikely to enjoy the social housing purchase policy. This shows that the gap between supply and actual demand will continue, especially in the context of scarce land funds and increasingly high project development costs," Mr. Thang emphasized.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/nghich-ly-thi-truong-can-ho-196250915220522779.htm