Boss, honestly, I am half water tank about this SOHO or SOVO/SOFO ruling but I dig some news and ruling from few of my friends working with developer. So, I could be wrong.
Agree with you that, many developers in the past 1-2 years had been smartly invented into the idea of SOHO under 85% margin and to escape away with the LTV 70% residential ruling. Much smaller built up size per unit + much lower price point = creates higher price per sq feet + higher number of units per block / tower / development. End up, high discount, more buyers and higher profit.
Anyhow that, I certainly believe that HDA is one of the main account to truly certified the projects being a residential SOHO or non residential non HDA SOHO. I also believes the same regulation goes for other modern names of SOFO, SOVO etc. I not sure DMC could play a role into it upon VP where the DMC is signed during S&P / still under construction while CCC / CFO is the issuance only after completion and it must be compliance for developer to submit the different names / concepts compare to earlier project launch by approval authority.
If I take a look into one of the SOVO, say i-SOVO by TMS at Icon City.
This is purely non HDA thus non residential commercial tower. The regulation is commercial, small office, design office or art gallery and etc similar but it also can be a non long term residential which translated to " owners / tenants can be overnight for hang out subject to no gas, no cooking and no piping is allowed for SOVO series. It's more similar to Hotel / Suites rather than a HDA SOHO or residential's service apartment.
It's interesting to see how these developer fare upon completion when they sold their non HDA SOHO / SOVO/ SOFO / SOSO as an own stayed SOHO / Studio / bedroom with partition during it's launches.
Yup totally agreed. Fingers crossed for my The Place @ Cyberjaya by MCT. VP next year. Marketed as office suites during launch but with partitions n furnished. Very obvious the units there would be mostly rented out to LKW students by owners upon completion. DMC did not state can't be used for residential purpose.