Five pre-sale consents issued in April
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     The Lands Department today (May 7) announced that it had issued five pre-sale consents for uncompleted developments in April 2009, of which four consents were for the sale of residential units and one was for the sale of commercial units.

     The four pre-sale consents for residential developments involved a total of 1,664 uncompleted units located in various districts of Hong Kong.  Two developments in Tsuen Wan, College Road and Sau Chuk Yuen Road, comprising a total of 66 units are estimated to be completed from October to December 2009.  Two developments in Homantin and Prince Edward Road East comprising a total of 1,598 units are estimated to be completed from July to November 2010.

     As at the end of April 2009, 17 applications for pre-sale consent for uncompleted residential units and four applications for pre-sale consent for uncompleted commercial developments were pending approval.

     The 17 applications for pre-sale consent for uncompleted residential developments being processed involve a total of 6,565 units. Among them, five developments involving 624 units are estimated to be completed in 2009, 11 developments involving 5,611 units are estimated to be completed in 2010, and one development involving 330 units is estimated to be completed in 2011.

     In addition, two applications for consent to assign involving a total of 2,596 completed residential units are being processed.

     Members of the public can obtain up-to-date information on consents to sell units in uncompleted residential developments issued for the last six months and cases pending approval as at the end of April 2009 by calling the Legal Advisory and Conveyancing Office's hotline on 2147 5475 or by visiting the Lands Department website (www.landsd.gov.hk).

     Intending purchasers are advised to carefully study details of the development and the sale procedures, through information available from the public advertisement, sales brochure and price lists released by the developer before making a deposit for a purchase. The sales brochure for a development (normally including a Chinese version) also contains the main points of the Deed of Mutual Covenant, including the definition of common areas, terms of appointment of manager, the basis of calculating management fees, amounts of any deposits and other relevant details, as well as any special features of the Government land grant, which intending purchasers are recommended to read carefully.

     Intending purchasers should also note that developers may hold sales of units by private sale direct with purchasers, for which, under the Consent Scheme, price lists are not required to be produced.

Ends/Thursday, May 7, 2009
Issued at HKT 17:01

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