Property Market Commentary

Is PSF Still Relevant In The Singapore Property Market? Why Price Per Square Foot Could Be Misleading in 2024

Price Per Square Foot (PSF) is a time-honoured way of comparing prices in the property market; but along the way, it became far too intertwined with notions of value. It’s just an easy, intuitive way to think: if two properties…

• 24 Nov 2024
• 4 min read
• 2
• 714

1,480 New Condos Sold In 1 Weekend: Why Are Singaporeans Rushing Despite “High” Prices?

If you haven’t heard the news, well, new launch fever has hit town. Emerald of Katong sold out 99 per cent of its 846 units over the launch weekend, Nava Grove moved 65 per cent of its units, and Novo…

• 19 Nov 2024
• 6 min read
• 1
• 990

Are Resale Executive Condos No Longer “Affordable” Compared To Condos In 2024? Here’s The Surprising Answer

Executive Condominiums (ECs) are intended as a stepping stone between HDB housing and private condos; a sort of “sandwich class housing” if you will. So when these ECs go on the secondary market, a common assumption is that they’ll still…

• 30 Oct 2024
• 5 min read
• 0
• 542

Are We Finally In A Buyer’s Property Market? Why The Recent Price Dip May Not Tell The Full Story

Speak to some agents and sellers, and you may be told the tide has turned: the housing supply crunch is over, and it’s buyers who now have more negotiating power. There’s also a dip in private home prices between July…

• 22 Oct 2024
• 6 min read
• 1
• 646

With Singapore’s Population At 6.04 Million, Who Wins And Who Loses In The Property Market?

There’s been quite the uproar about Singapore’s population reaching a historic high of 6.04 million, mostly driven by non-residents (their number rose by around five per cent over the previous year). This is a sore spot among many Singaporeans, who…

• 2 Oct 2024
• 6 min read
• 0
• 323

Are Resale Flats “Across The Road” From Prime Location HDBs A Better Buy?

One of the effects of Plus and Prime model housing is the impact on pricing “across the road”. Because these housing models are not applied retroactively, existing resale flats may share the high value Plus or Prime locations, but lack…

• 1 Oct 2024
• 5 min read
• 0
• 149

How Much Will The Falling US Interest Rates Affect Singaporean Homeowners?

The United States Federal Reserve (the Fed) recently cut interest rates by 0.5 per cent. This is a big move, as the Fed typically raises or lowers the interest rate in smaller increments (0.25 per cent). This has a knock-on…

• 28 Sep 2024
• 6 min read
• 0
• 1.5k

How Condo En-Bloc Sales Became A Speculative Exit Strategy In Singapore

En-bloc sales and private property go hand-in-hand; some Singaporeans even claim that en-bloc potential is the main advantage of old private homes. But elements of the trend may be newer than you think, and en-bloc sales didn’t quite work the…

• 25 Sep 2024
• 5 min read
• 0
• 742

When My Gong Gong With Dementia Went Missing: Are Singapore’s Neighbourhoods Prepared For An Ageing Crisis?

Just the other day, I received a distressing call from my panic-stricken auntie asking for help.   “Cheryl, your gong gong is missing! He left home alone without me knowing and I don’t know where he is now. I need help…

• 17 Sep 2024
• 9 min read
• 0
• 200

Can Lower-Income Singaporeans Better Afford HDB Flats In 2024? Here’s What The New Measures Mean

Since the news of the cooling measures in August, we’ve written about how it has impacted the middle-class group in Singapore. However, the news comes with a silver lining for the lower-income group – the maximum Enhanced Housing Grant (EHG)…

• 7 Sep 2024
• 3 min read
• 0
• 509

Are Middle-Class HDB Homebuyers Losing Out After The Latest HDB Loan Restrictions?

The latest cooling measures on 20th August 2024 had a target: to slow the rising prices of HDB flats. To this end, the maximum Loan To Value (LTV) ratio for HDB loans has now decreased to 75 per cent, down…

• 28 Aug 2024
• 6 min read
• 4
• 987

The Million-Dollar HDB Price Gap Vs Private Condos: Why Some People Find Them “Affordable” In 2024

You’ve all heard the disgruntled comments by now: with flats costing a million bucks, you may as well buy a condo. Or that joke about how, 20 years from now, you will end up having to sell a condo to…

• 24 Aug 2024
• 4 min read
• 2
• 1.3k

What Singaporean Homebuyers Really Want In New Launch Condos In 2024

When we ask questions at showflats, we’re often given answers that begin with “People like…” or “Buyers prefer…” But we’ve learned to take that with a grain of salt. After all, we were once told the reason for gigantic planter…

• 21 Aug 2024
• 5 min read
• 0
• 627

“Surprise” New Property Cooling Measures Aug 2024: How New Loan Curbs And Grants Will Affect HDB Homebuyers

Following the NDP rally speech, MND has rather quickly followed up with the numbers. In our last piece on whether the Cash Over Valuation (COV) is still relevant in today’s context, we mentioned that the situation with the high resale…

• 20 Aug 2024
• 5 min read
• 0
• 503

5 Key Future HDB Plans You Need To Know From NDR 2024: BTO Priority For Singles And 120km Coastline

The first National Day Rally by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong covered some upcoming changes to the HDB market. While they are significant, we feel most of the changes (barring a parental proximity change for singles) are going to take a…

• 19 Aug 2024
• 5 min read
• 1
• 707

An Overview Of The Jurong Property Market In 2024: HDB Price Trends And Key Developments

As of 2024, Jurong is, broadly speaking, the jewel of west-end locations; in particular Jurong East. Jurong’s days of being a swampy industrial area are being left behind, and we’ve heard assertions that Jurong East can beat city fringe locations…

• 14 Aug 2024
• 5 min read
• 1
• 764

Are Million-Dollar HDB Landed Homes Still Worth A Look In 2024 Despite Their Age?

The most affordable landed homes in Singapore aren’t usually private properties; rather, these are HDB terraced units, many of which date back to the 1950s. Because they’re so rare, there’s always a lot of attention when one is sold –…

• 9 Aug 2024
• 3 min read
• 0
• 162

5 Condos That Lost Money Initially But Became Profitable Later On

Sometimes, condos that had bad sales launches or were bought at price peaks look like a bad investment; but sometimes with real estate, the key is holding power. Keep it long enough, and there can be a turnaround in performance….

• 23 Jul 2024
• 7 min read
• 0
• 810