Hong Kong (I)

choi

(1) Frederik Carrefour, Moving to Hong Kong; What to expect when you're high-end house-hunting in the world's most expensive market. Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Jan 22, 2018
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/a ... real-estate-rentals
("For most foreigners, buying isn’t an option because of a 30 percent tax levied on purchases by nonpermanent residents as part of the government’s attempt to rein in prices. Overseas hopefuls must live in the city for seven years to satisfy the residency requirement; the stamp duty levied on home purchases for locals is a much lower 4.25 percent")

Note:
(a) "Nowhere is this [priciness] more apparent than on the Peak, the highest point on Hong Kong Island, which comes with cooling maritime breezes and city views. Sun Hung Kai Properties Ltd 新鴻基地產發展有限公司（新鴻基地產 or 新地）[co-foundrt KWOK Tak-Seng 郭得勝] recently rented a 3,537-square-foot, three-story, five-bedroom villa complete with a pool and an elevator for $57,725 per month.  Less lofty, but immensely popular, are apartments in Mid-Levels. Perched on the city’s steep slopes, these high-rises are only minutes from downtown but also have access to nearby nature trails. Prices range from $18,855 per month for a 1,741-square-foot three-bedroom on the 30th floor at Kerry Properties Ltd.’s Branksome Crest to $23,000 for a 2,200-square-foot duplex at Sun Hung Kai’s Dynasty Court 帝景園."
(i) Victoria Peak  太平山
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Peak
(known locally as The Peak 山頂; Elevation 552 m (1,811 ft) )
(ii) Mid-Levels  半山區
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Levels
(is located halfway up Victoria Peak, directly above Central 中環 [on the north])

(b) "Escaping the City [which is sectional heading]  For those preferring a nostalgic taste of the colonial era, the height of elegance is to rent a Kadoorie Estates Ltd villa in Kowloon.  * * *
(i) Kadoorie family
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kadoorie_family
(ii) The Kadoorie Estate - A Short History I 嘉道理家族的物業. YouTube.com, published by HongKongHeritage on Jan 10, 2012
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfrTGmR-DZo

full text:

"The Kadoorie Estate dates from 1931 when the Kadoorie Family controlled company, Hong Kong Engineering and Construction Co., Ltd. (H. E. & C. Co.), purchased a bare hillside at the junction of Argyle Street and Waterloo Road in Kowloon for HK$326,000 with the French Mission Étrangères. Greenery and gardens were an important part of The Estate scheme from the beginning. In 1934, Shanghai based architects Messrs. Davies, Brook and Gran were brought in to design the houses on The Estate. During the 1950s, an extensive site development programme was undertaken so that by the end of the decade the Estate comprised 57 houses and 35 apartments. The tenants were principally corporate, trading, shipping and aviation interests, reflecting the growth of Hong Kong at that time. More information is available at www.thekadoorieestate.com.

"嘉道理家族旗下的香港建新營造有限公司，在1931年與法國巴黎外方傳教會合資，以港幣$326,000年購入位於九龍窩打老道及亞皆老街交界一個山頭作發展用途，這交易亦是嘉道理置業有限公司的起點。這個物業發展項目以園林綠化為重要方針。在1934年，以上海為基地的Messrs. Davies, Brook and Gran則樓受聘專責設計項目的樓房。到了1950年代，該區進行擴建，57幢洋房及35個單位相繼落成，入住的租戶多來自大企業或商貿、船務及航空等行業，反映了當時香港經濟發展的方向。如需更多資料，請瀏覽嘉道理置業有限公司網頁www.thekadoorieestate.com 。

(iii) 李華華, 中環在線：嘉道理家族持有86幢洋房只租不賣. Hong Kong: Apple Daily, July 15, 2015.
https://hk.finance.appledaily.co ... e/20150715/19219909

(c) "A more vacation vibe awaits those who rent at the 1,604-acre resort-style project called Discovery Bay 愉景灣 on Lantau Island 大嶼山 [Lantau: 爛頭], which is also home to Hong Kong Disneyland. The project, a 25-minute ferry ride into the city, was built [from scratch] by HKR [Hong Kong Resort 香港興業] International Ltd. and has a 27-hole golf course, an international school, and a 263-berth marina. Private cars are banned—it’s served only by golf carts and buses. Prices can reach as high as $12,800 per month for a 1,995-square-foot duplex with a terrace overlooking the beach and within walking distance of the ferry pier, according to Savills Hong Kong Ltd 第一太平戴維斯(香港). residential services. Expat families make up half of the enclave's residents."

Savills
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savills
(was established by Alfred Savill (1829 - 1905) in 1855 in London; still based in London)
(d) "Another escape is Repulse Bay 淺水灣 on the south side of Hong Kong Island. A 20-minute ride from downtown, it’s favored by expats because of its proximity to the Hong Kong International School 香港國際學校 [1966- ; grades 1-12], beaches, and panoramic views of the South China Sea. At the Lily, prices range from $21,850 per month for a 2,602-square-foot, three-bedroom apartment on the 12th floor to $58,500 for a penthouse duplex, according to Jones Lang LaSalle, the property's sole leasing agent."
(e) "There’s a natural limit to how far one can move in search of more space. The Drake is already closer to the mainland than it is to downtown, and the opening of a new bridge to Macau and China, expected later this year, will bring more competition from those looking to live close to the border."

The Drake (no Chinese name) was developed by Hong kong-based The Manhattan Group, and is located at 屯門 (位於香港新界西部).