Home prices to increase 3% in 2011

The recent round of cooling measures are likely to dampen market transactions over the next few months, DBS said.

Since buying confidence and longer holding period force buyers to re-evaluate their purchasing decisions, primary sales volume is projected at only 10,000 units for 2011.

Developers too are likely to re-time launches. DBS believes the overall market sentiment to be negatively impacted, with speculators the most hit.

The upgraders' mass market segment is also likely to be adversely affected by the lower mortgage financing quantum, given the tendency for higher leverage.

DBS expects home prices to move between 0-3% this year with a flattening out of low and mid end prices and a gradual recovery in the upper end segment.