Estate agents are confident the road access to Discovery Bay's Neo Horizon, a joint venture between HKR International and Citic Pacific, will draw buyers from urban districts. It is the first development for sale after the opening of the Discovery Bay Tunnel connecting the area and Tung Chung Station. Previously, a ferry was the only means of transport. The first batch of 18 units were offered at an average of HK$2,968 per square foot. On Monday, the developers raised the prices 9 per cent to HK$3,235 per sq ft for an additional batch of 28 units. Centaline Property Agency Discovery Bay branch manager Simon Lee believed the project's competitive prices would attract both first-time homebuyers and investors. He considered it could achieve a monthly rental of between HK$16 and HK$18 per sq ft. Nearby development charged about HK$13 per sq ft. Mr Lee expected most internal-sale buyers to opt to keep the units for investment as their apartments enjoyed better views. The first 18 Neo Horizon units are offered at HK$2,572 to HK$3,335 per sq ft, the variation subject to the views. The developers said the price tag for these units was about 30 per cent below that achieved by the nearby La Serene, which went on sale in March. Units at Neo Horizon are priced between HK$1.63 million and HK$2.55 million. Ricacorp Properties Discovery Bay account manager Clarence Chow said the first batch, offered at lower prices, were mainly at Block Two which commanded less favourable views. He said the view for units at lower floors in Block Two would be partly blocked by the proposed Yi Pak Bay development nearby.