Taipei's residential prices may rise 15% next year, more than in Singapore, Hong Kong and on the mainland, because there is more competition among homebuyers in the city.

An increasing number of would-be buyers and smaller sites being auctioned had led to stiffer competition in Taipei, CLSA analyst Tayher Lim said. The difficulty of getting land might result in developers holding on to existing land without building new projects, causing a further supply squeeze, he said.

'Compared to Hong Kong, Singapore or China, Taiwan has more variable factors,' Lim said. 'Most buildings are freehold in Taiwan and the government doesn't own a significant amount of land, so there's less it can control.'

South China Morning Post