CNA file photo

Taipei, July 20 (CNA) Transactions involving residential and commercial properties in Taiwan for the whole of this year could hit 260,000 units, as soaring sales in the first half of this year are expected to continue through the second half, real estate brokers said Thursday.

Combined transactions of residential and commercial properties in the country's six special municipalities for June totaled 20,351 units, up 15.7 percent from a month earlier and up 19.1 percent from the same month of last year, the Chinese Association of Real Estate Brokers said, citing government statistics.

For the first six months, combined housing transactions in the six special municipalities totaled 99,000 units, up 20.7 percent year-on-year, while for the whole of the country, housing transactions were estimated at 125,000-128,000 units, up about 15 percent-18 percent from the same period of last year, according to the association.

Lin Cheng-hsiung (林正雄), head of the association, said that with special offers and benefits provided by construction companies and increasing demand for self-use housing driven by lower prices, housing sales for the first six months have seen a rebound.

The rebound is expected to continue through the second half of this year, sending the total housing transactions up to about 255,000-270,000 units for the whole of this year, which is about 4 percent-10 percent growth compared with last year. 

(By Wei Shu and Evelyn Kao)
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