Property Market Commentary

Record Breaking $1.4 Million HDB Costs Too Much? The Alternatives May Not Be Any Better

If you haven’t heard by now, a 5-room HDB flat at Henderson just broke the record for the most expensive HDB ever transacted – at a stunning price of $1.4 million. The unit is located in City Vue @ Henderson,…

• 21 May 2022
• 8 min read
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5 Things Property Agents Are Not Required To Do (But Might Anyway)

Singaporeans expect quite a bit from their property agents, given the service fees they pay. You may be surprised, however, to learn how limited the job scope technically is; quite a number of services provided are not actually within the…

• 17 May 2022
• 6 min read
• 0
• 530

Why You Will Never Buy When There Is A Market Crash

The stock market is the only market where people run away when things are on sale.  A seemingly innocent sentence, but perhaps none truer than what is happening in the markets right now. Stocks, crypto, the shocking implosion of Luna…

• 13 May 2022
• 7 min read
• 0
• 611

Is $2,000 PSF Going To Be The New Norm For New Launches In 2022 And Beyond?

There’s an old saying that, if you want to view a more expensive property, you should just revisit the same unit next week. It’s an exaggeration of course; but as of 2022, it’s closer to the truth than some home…

• 5 May 2022
• 5 min read
• 4
• 2.4k

We Ask Gen Zs About The Metaverse: Not Everyone Thinks It’s The Next Big Thing

If you’ve been wanting to start investing in the Metaverse or digital real estate, I’d pay attention to what the Gen Zs are doing. Many people like to dismiss the younger generations, but you’d be foolish to discount the first…

• 4 May 2022
• 8 min read
• 0
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Will Rich Foreigners Still Want Your Prime District Condo In 2022?

As of December 2021, there’s been an ongoing debate on whether Singapore property is still attractive to foreigners. Some believe the answer is a definite no, with stamp duties hiked by a whopping 10 per cent; yet others point to…

• 29 Apr 2022
• 5 min read
• 2
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The Case Of A “Matrimonial” Bukit Timah Home: Why A Woman Was Denied A Share

There was a bit of a surprise this February, when a lady was denied her one-third share of a property after a divorce. This was after an appeals court ruled that the house did not constitute a matrimonial asset; an…

• 20 Apr 2022
• 7 min read
• 2
• 812

Is $700,000 For A Keppel Club Site BTO Worth It?

When the Greater Southern Waterfront (GSW) was announced in 2013, one of the first things to draw attention was the announcement of public housing. How was it fair, we wondered, if future owners could land a flat in such a…

• 18 Apr 2022
• 5 min read
• 0
• 3k

Are Property Valuations A Hidden Culprit In Rising Property Prices?

An often overlooked, but important, element of home loan financing is the valuation. For anyone buying a resale private property, the valuation can impact the initial cash outlay, the stamp duty, and which bank gets chosen. But is the hunt…

• 15 Apr 2022
• 4 min read
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23.8% Senior Citizens By 2030: How Singapore’s Ageing Population Will Affect Physical Real Estate

We recently came across this article in Straits Times with quite eye-opening statistics on Singapore’s ageing population: The proportion of Singapore residents who are seniors is estimated to double from 16 per cent in 2021 to 33 per cent by…

• 13 Apr 2022
• 6 min read
• 0
• 1.5k

Resale HDB Flat Prices Reach A Record High For Q1, But There’s Hope For Buyers Yet

Let’s start with a bit of bad news for homebuyers: resale flat prices ended Q1 2022 at a record high. This is, in fact, the highest we’ve ever seen in around a decade – we’ve even beat the previous peak…

• 11 Apr 2022
• 5 min read
• 1
• 819

Are Executive Condominiums A Better Investment Now With The New Cooling Measures?

Executive Condominiums (ECs) are more in demand than ever, given peak home prices in 2022. We’re expecting at least four EC launches before the year is out, and a big question now is how they’re impacted by new cooling measures….

• 5 Apr 2022
• 6 min read
• 1
• 1.2k

Is Housing In Singapore Still Affordable To The Average Singaporean In 2022?

Home prices are at record highs in 2022, and now we face the threat of higher interest rates; we’re not surprised that home buyers are starting to get anxious. This leads us to that old battleground of divisive opinions: how…

• 29 Mar 2022
• 7 min read
• 0
• 2.2k

The Housing Struggles Of Singles Below 35: Should We Be Easing Restrictions?

Homes for singles continue to be a hot topic, on sites from Reddit to coffee shop talk. Of late, we’ve seen discussions about lowering the age requirement, as mentioned by Member of Parliament Pritam Singh (check out a Reddit discussion…

• 19 Mar 2022
• 8 min read
• 0
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The Impact Of War On The Singapore Property Market: Here’s What History Teaches Us

The year of the Tiger was supposed to be “roar-some”. Yet, there hasn’t been much to cheer about from the start of 2022 so far. The last thing on our minds was a war breaking out, which was exactly what…

• 17 Mar 2022
• 8 min read
• 0
• 1.2k

Japan Vs Singapore: Why Japan’s Zoning Laws Make Sense And What We Can Learn

It’s no surprise that space constraints are a major factor in Singapore. However, Japan – while admittedly bigger – often has the same issues, with most of the country consisting of islands. And as Singapore’s population grows, and we seek…

• 16 Mar 2022
• 6 min read
• 2
• 1.2k

Stop Blaming Just The IDs: Here’s The Less-Talked About Side Of The Renovation Industry

I last wrote about the inside track on the construction industry in Singapore.  But as I ended off – it takes two hands to clap, and customers also have to take a fair share of the blame for how rotten…

• 13 Mar 2022
• 11 min read
• 12
• 5.5k

Old HDB Flats Are Being Snapped Up By Young Singaporeans, But Why?

In the past year, we’ve seen a renewed surge of interest in younger couples who are buying older (40+ year old) HDB flats. This runs contrary to attitudes from five years ago, when HDB flats were often criticised as “99-year…

• 4 Mar 2022
• 7 min read
• 5
• 3.7k