Property Market Commentary

Should We Build More HDB Maisonettes? 5 Convincing Reasons Why

HDB stopped building maisonettes way back in 1995, but Singaporeans never got over their love for it. As we’ve pointed out before, a significant portion of million-dollar flats are maisonettes; and if Singaporeans are buying them despite the advanced lease…

• 23 Dec 2022
• 5 min read
• 0

How Can War Affect The Price Of Your Home

Like the pandemic, no one could have predicted the onset of war in 2022. Just as things seemingly were getting better with vaccinations and travel, Ukraine was invaded by Russia on 24th Feb 2022. This rattled investors’ nerves and sapped…

• 23 Dec 2022
• < 1 min read
• 0

The Untold Mystery Of The Luxury Condo That Was Never Built In Singapore: The Ferrari-Themed Ferra In Orchard

Singapore’s property development scene has a nearly 100 per cent rate of successfully completed projects. It’s a rare occasion when a developer can’t follow through, or willingly abandons a project midway (and perhaps even more so when it’s with one…

• 22 Dec 2022
• 7 min read
• 0

The Trivelis DBSS Vs Clementi Ridges Issue 10 Years On: Did Trivelis Owners Really Lose Out?

Several years ago, the DBSS project Trivelis made the news, but not in a good way. Besides some quality complaints, the biggest issue was due to their newer neighbour next door. Buyers were miffed when a BTO project – Clementi…

• 20 Dec 2022
• 6 min read
• 1

The Story Of HDB’s Struggles With The DBSS: Why It Was Doomed To Fail

The Design Build And Sell Scheme (DBSS) was first introduced by the then Minister for National Development Mah Bow Tan in 2005. It aimed to involve private developers in the building of public housing to offer buyers with higher incomes…

• 15 Dec 2022
• < 1 min read
• 0

Can Executive Condominiums Actually Be Unprofitable? 3 Interesting Points To Note From The Data

Last week we put out a list of the most profitable Executive Condominiums, that were sold right after the five-year MOP. Our plan was to put out a companion piece this week, on the least profitable ECs; and to be…

• 14 Dec 2022
• 5 min read
• 2

We Spoke To BCA To Clear Common Property Misconceptions In Singapore: Here Are 9 You Need To Know

Singapore has a high-quality built environment, so most of us don’t’ ponder questions like “what if my condo runs out of money?” Or “will the government kick out an incompetent management council?” These are questions to which we often receive…

• 29 Nov 2022
• 6 min read
• 2

A Fight Over The Sale Of An HDB Flat: 3 Interesting Takeaways From A Co-ownership Tussle

In recent news, we’ve heard of the struggle between a widow and her brother-in-law, over an HDB flat. Her husband had left his portion of the flat to her (30 per cent) after passing on. Her brother-in-law (who owned the…

• 22 Nov 2022
• 4 min read
• 0

Not Every Property Agent Wants To Sell/Rent Your Home: We Reveal 5 Reasons Why

Property agents are usually hungry for work, so it’s a surprise when they put you on the back-burner. This has been increasingly common in 2022, as the market is hot and agents are spoiled for choice of clients – and…

• 19 Nov 2022
• 6 min read
• 2

Why Singapore Property Is A Hotspot For The Super Rich: The Rise Of The Centi-Millionaires

At this stage of cooling measures, there’s growing concern that even Singapore’s stable climate might put off foreign property investment. The Additional Buyers Stamp Duty (ABSD) rate for foreigners now stands at 30 per cent; this is against a backdrop…

• 7 Nov 2022
• 5 min read
• 0

6 Reasons Why New 3 Bedroom Condos Could Get Smaller Yet

A recent report from Property Guru states that the size of three-bedder units has fallen; from around 1,700 to 1,800 sq. ft. in the 1980s, to around 1,000 sq. ft. today. It probably won’t surprise anyone that, as a general…

• 31 Oct 2022
• 7 min read
• 1

Singaporeans Share Their Frustrations About “Affordable” Public Housing: Here Are Some Of The Best Points From Reddit

There have been some split opinions on the affordability of HDB housing, following an infographic in the Sunday Times. Of late, the topic seems to hold two divergent opinions: the first that HDB is too expensive and these infographics are…

• 26 Oct 2022
• 6 min read
• 1

A Condo Built Specifically For The Elderly In Singapore? 5 Features We’d Like To See In Such A Development

Let’s face it: Singapore’s unofficial senior care body has become HDB. When it comes to housing for retirees, there’s an overwhelming assumption that most people can sell their private property and move into flats. That’s why HDB constantly has to…

• 25 Oct 2022
• 8 min read
• 2

Is A HDB Flat Oversupply Inevitable In The Future? What Happens When Our Parents Generation Passes On

Given the demand for HDB flats over the pandemic period, HDB has ramped up production of new flats in 2021/22, and we’ve seen flat prices reach their highest in close to a decade. In light of the present situation, it…

• 20 Oct 2022
• 6 min read
• 3

New Central Condos Cheaper Than City Fringe Ones In 2022? Here Are 4 Simple Reasons Why

The CCR has long maintained a reputation as Singapore’s prime region, where one finds the most luxurious – and pricey properties. But in 2022, prices of new RCR condos have started to rise further, and are rapidly narrowing the gap…

• 4 Oct 2022
• 6 min read
• 1

Why Is A Million-Dollar Flat Reasonable To Some Homeowners In 2022?

We’re nine months into 2022 and already, more resale flats have crossed the $1 million mark than the whole of 2021. Mind you, 2021 already saw a record number of million-dollar flats, so we’ve truly reached a surreal stage in…

• 28 Sep 2022
• 6 min read
• 1

Chuan Park En Bloc Saga: 4 Key Lessons To Learn For Future En Bloc Hopefuls

The collective sale of Chuan Park may be the biggest en-bloc deal since Tulip Garden, back in 2019. Despite the final offer being under the reserve price, it seemed things were about to go smoothly; but now, a group of…

• 23 Sep 2022
• 7 min read
• 0

Are Foreigners Really The Major Cause Of The Rise Of Property Prices In Singapore?

Whenever private home prices start to soar in Singapore, there’s a tendency to look toward foreign buyers. We were, for instance, subject to a slew of news reports about Chinese buyers rushing into the Singapore market during Covid-19; and veterans…

• 20 Sep 2022
• 5 min read
• 2