Real estate & housing updates: 12-14%/year mortgage rates; strong price signals in central HCMC; policies on procedures and identification

In the housing market, concerns around mortgage interest rates are still prominent, with reported lending levels of roughly 12-14% per year and potential higher scenarios of 15-16% per year depending on how buyers manage repayment and financial pressure. Alongside this, the narrative that longer and more complex transaction procedures can increase overall costs is also highlighted, contributing to upward pressure on asking prices. Against that backdrop, supply dynamics and location shifts remain key: information points to supply increasingly moving toward the central areas of Ho Chi Minh City, while prices are already cited at several hundred million VND per square meter, with expectations that prices may keep climbing.

In Ho Chi Minh City, project-linked updates and land compensation signals draw attention, particularly around areas tied to planning and implementation. Reported figures include a referenced “highest” compensation level nearing 500 million VND per square meter in a TPHCM project context, as well as additional notes about land price adjustments after unsuccessful public postings, including a quoted offer near the 600-million-VND range before further changes. Legal and procedural themes also continue to appear: draft amendments related to land recovery emphasize better protection for people’s living conditions after expropriation. Meanwhile, identification and fee incentives under VNeID are mentioned, including a 10% reduction in registration/land-related taxes and a 50% reduction for vehicle registration fees, effective from 15/8 through the end of 2/2027.

On the urban planning side, an approach for preserving a shared “riverfront corridor” along the Saigon River is referenced within a 100-year vision plan, emphasizing it as a common asset with restrictions on private or new individual construction. At the same time, enterprise activity updates appear, such as a customer experience/engagement program tied to Masteri Grand Coast attracting over 1,400 participants. For buyers and renters, practical guidance on what to record in a rental contract to avoid disputes and unexpected costs is also included, calling out items like rent, utilities, and related service charges.