Property Market Commentary

How Hot Is the Singapore Property Market In 2021? Here’s My Experience From 3 Cases On The Ground

You might have seen the various headlines of how hot the Singapore property market is. The weird confluence of factors like a pandemic, construction delays, and the realisation that a bigger home is necessary in the new normal of WFH…

• 5 Jun 2021
• 5 min read
• 2

How Many Foreigners Are Really Buying Properties In Singapore? (A Breakdown From The Last 10 Years)

Back in the property heyday of 2013, foreigners were often denounced as the driving force behind inflation. But today, with Additional Buyers Stamp Duty (ABSD) for foreigners at 20 per cent, foreign ownerships are at a 17-year low (as of…

• 27 May 2021
• 5 min read
• 2

Parc Canberra vs Provence Residence: What Happens When Two ECs Are Side-by-side?

Even before the last units at Parc Canberra had been sold, Provence Residence launched (selling just over half its total units at launch day, to boot). Pure home buyers may think nothing of it; but the more investment-minded are likely…

• 25 May 2021
• 6 min read
• 0

Will Landed Homes Continue Their Momentum In The Singapore Market For 2021?

The landed property market saw a strong pick up in Q4 2020. Back then, we heard plenty of market watchers speculate that landed prices had to come down soon; it just took time for Covid-19’s effects to bite.  Well, it…

• 23 May 2021
• 7 min read
• 0

How Much Would It Take To Pay Off Your Flat By 30, 40, 50 or 55?

For many Singaporeans – heck, for many people across the world – paying off the mortgage early is a common aspiration. We get it too: most of us don’t like the thought of owing money, especially on something as major…

• 18 May 2021
• 5 min read
• 0

4 Major Chinese Developers in Singapore: An Overview Of Their Performance So Far

Make no mistake, China is big in many ways. It has a population of 1.412 billion people, and it has the 4th largest geographical area in the world.  Comparatively, Singapore is ranked the 20th smallest country in the world (by…

• 15 May 2021
• 8 min read
• 2

Can Young Singaporean Home Buyers Survive The 2021 Property Market?

Singapore’s property market is booming, with resale flat prices at eight-year-highs, and private home prices rising for four straight quarters. Coupled with job worries over Covid-19, and construction delays, all of this poses a problem for young, first-time home buyers….

• 4 May 2021
• 6 min read
• 0

6 Ways Covid-19 Construction Delays Can Impact Property Buying Decisions

Covid-19 has resulted in further delays to housing projects in Singapore. To date, about 43,000 homes will face delays of six to nine months, and that’s only for the HDB housing segment. In the private sector, construction firms are already…

• 2 May 2021
• 6 min read
• 0

Why Are Singapore Property Prices Returning To Pre-Covid-19 Levels So Fast?

There’s been some recent buzz over a report by Colliers, predicting a return to pre-Covid-19 levels for Singapore property. Before we get too excited, this isn’t specific to Singapore’s residential property scene only; the prediction is based on real estate…

• 21 Apr 2021
• 7 min read
• 0

4 Important Lessons From The Thomson Road Building Demolition. Yes, It’s About En-Bloc.

There was a bit of a shocker this week, when the government announced the demolition of 68 to 74 Thomson Road. While this is an old building, it’s also a freehold property; and because of its good location (it’s just…

• 20 Apr 2021
• 7 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

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

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