Property Analysis

5 Expat Enclaves And Their Rental Rates + All-Inclusive Rental Rates List

Expat enclaves are an unofficial part of the Singapore real estate industry; but that doesn’t change the reality on the ground. Some parts of our island are just more popular among groups of foreigners than others. Whether you’re a foreigner…

• 5 Apr 2021
• 10 min read
• 0

The Trend of Commission Cashback – Why It Happens And Why It Can Be Harmful

This article below by The Business Times provided a look on the practice of commission cashback – or better known as agents sharing new launch commissions with their buyer. The reason this happens? Developers have to sell their units but…

• 4 Apr 2021
• 5 min read
• 4

PPVC Construction : Why It Matters For Investors (The Good, Bad, And Ugly)

Let’s roll back time to the year 2017.  You are a savvy property investor, and have realised that the property market has bottomed out. So you believe it is now the right time to start buying your investment property. You’ve…

• 3 Apr 2021
• 5 min read
• 5

Is It Worth Buying A Resale HDB For Rental Income? Top 10 HDB Towns By Rental Yield

One of the biggest advantages of HDB flats is their low cost, in comparison to the potential rental income. In terms of gross rental yield, the typical mass-market condo averages two to three per cent per annum (as of 2021)….

• 1 Apr 2021
• 5 min read
• 0

Why Old, Strata Malls Matter More Than You Think

Queensway Shopping Centre, Katong Shopping Centre, Golden Mile Tower…these old malls are often disregarded, or even considered eyesores. When it comes to “important old buildings”, Singaporeans tend to think of shophouses or historic bungalows; the concept of an old strata-titled…

• 25 Mar 2021
• 6 min read
• 0

How Do The New EGM Rules For En-Bloc Affect You? (It’s Bigger Than You Think)

Starting in January this year, the Land Titles (Strata) Act (LTSA) saw a small but important amendment: a limit to the number of proxy voters during en-bloc sales. This will forever change the nature of Extraordinary General Meetings (EGMs) for…

• 23 Mar 2021
• 5 min read
• 0

5 Special Old Features Of HDB’s In Singapore That Are Hard To Imagine Today

It is frankly quite amazing to see the progress Singapore has made over the last few decades. Today, we have structures like the now iconic Marina Bay Sands, the glittering lights from Gardens By The Bay, and the current tallest…

• 20 Mar 2021
• 8 min read
• 0

SERS: What Is It, Where Has It Happened, And What Are Your Odds?

The Selective En-Bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) is often considered the next big “HDB lottery winner”, next to a central region BTO flat. In fact, one of the reasons many Singaporeans want a central region flat is because they believe there’s…

• 14 Mar 2021
• 5 min read
• 0

Why ABSD For Developers Needs To Be Tweaked And How It Affects You As A Home Buyer

Most home buyers are familiar with the concept of Additional Buyers Stamp Duty (ABSD) as it applies to them. What’s less commonly known is that property developers also have to pay ABSD; and this added tax shapes multiple decisions. From…

• 12 Mar 2021
• 7 min read
• 2

The Last Tranche Of “En-bloc Fever” Homes From 2017: Here’s How They’ve Performed So Far

You may recall that a few weeks back, we mentioned there’s a chance of a new en-bloc surge in 2021. This is because the last tranche of en-bloc purchases from 2017 will be completed by this year or 2022. Assuming…

• 2 Mar 2021
• 8 min read
• 0

Humility Is The Greatest Investment Strategy. Here’re 5 Reasons Why.

I listened to the story with fascination as the property agent shared with me the story about how his seller turned down a record price for his unit. Why? Because the buyer had remarked that “the kitchen was ugly”. I…

• 24 Feb 2021
• 7 min read
• 0

How Bad Is The Price Gap Between New Launch And Resale Condos? An Analysis Of 13 OCR Districts (Part 2)

Last week we looked at the price gap between new and resale condos in various districts (Click here for Part 1). This week we’re continuing on from that, as well as examining why the gap between absolute prices (the quantum)…

• 23 Feb 2021
• 9 min read
• 2

If You Invested $10,000 In Bitcoin, Tesla Or The ‘Best’ Singapore REIT 2 Years Ago, What Would That Be Today?

“Passive Income”  Or in other words, investing in assets and making free money while you sleep.  To the new investor, the idea itself might seem ludicrous. But to weathered tycoons, this very sentiment is the driving lifeforce behind massive oceans…

• 22 Feb 2021
• 7 min read
• 0

How Bad Is The Price Gap Between New Launch And Resale Condos? An Analysis of 13 OCR Districts (Part 1)

“Price gap between new and resale units in this region (OCR) stands at 47%, widest in 25 years” With such a statistic, there’s only going to be two trains of thoughts here. One, new launches are overpriced. Or two, resale…

• 19 Feb 2021
• 12 min read
• 0

4 Reasons Why Resale Condos May Be More Popular In 2021

2020 was dominated by a slew of new condo launches. If you were listening to the radio or browsing property portals, there wouldn’t be a single day where you wouldn’t come across two or three ads – minimum – for…

• 18 Feb 2021
• 6 min read
• 0

What’s Behind The Surge Of New Launch Condo Purchases In January 2021?

At this point, the prediction of new cooling measures may have become a self-fulfilling prophecy. New condo sales surged month-on-month, between December 2020 and January of this year; and while the reasons are varied, one of them may ironically be…

• 16 Feb 2021
• 6 min read
• 0

An In-depth Update Of 88 New Launch Condos: Have Prices Risen Or Fallen?

“You’ll make instant profit”, the sales team will tell you, “if you buy at a discount now, and then the prices rise in a few months”. It’s a familiar sales pitch in many show flats; and to Singapore’s property investors…

• 13 Feb 2021
• 9 min read
• 4

URA Is Asking Questions About Property Agent Commissions; Here’s How It Could Affect You

Property developers have been grumbling of late, and we’re not talking about potential new cooling measures. The gripe has been about property agent commissions, and how they’ve been growing over the years. In recent news however, agents and market watchers…

• 9 Feb 2021
• 6 min read
• 0