Property News

Is There Room For Conservation In Land-Hungry Singapore?

Remember the old saying about poetry being the “luxury we cannot afford?” It’s from our late, and much venerated, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew. Granted, he said it a long time ago in 1968, back when Singapore seemed to run…

• 9 Jul 2023
• 5 min read
• 0

Singapore’s Private Home Market Sees First Price Drop in Three Years: What’s Next?

We don’t usually focus too much on the results of a single quarter, but this is an exception. Q2 of 2023 marks the first time we’ve seen a faint dip in property prices, since around Q1 of 2020. But does…

• 3 Jul 2023
• 8 min read
• 0

This Plot Of Land In Marina Bay Got Real Estate Experts Totally Divided

Sometimes, real estate experts can be very divided on the same plot of land And it does show in things like bids. Take, for example, the Marina Gardens Lane plot: Kingsford Huray bid around $1,402 psf, while GuocoLand bid around…

• 3 Jul 2023
• 6 min read
• 0

Sneaky Tricks Property Agents Use To Sell Homes

Be wary of cherry picked property data I’ve seen quite a few property videos on YouTube lately; and while I’m not one to point fingers, some of them are showing price data that I just can’t corroborate. Some videos have…

• 25 Jun 2023
• 6 min read
• 0

How To Curb Our High Property Prices In Singapore (Hint: Follow Tokyo)

When the property market heats up, we start to look overseas But I don’t mean buying property abroad. Rather, comparisons start to be made. Why is Singapore so expensive? Why is rental cheaper in Vienna? Why don’t we follow rent…

• 18 Jun 2023
• 5 min read
• 0

My Biggest Miss: A $200k Joo Chiat Shophouse

A few articles back, I mentioned a missed opportunity on a Joo Chiat shophouse This was back in the 2000s when the family had a restaurant in the area. At the time, we faced a conundrum, one that’s relevant to…

• 11 Jun 2023
• 5 min read
• 0

The Reality Of Living In An Integrated Development

If you live in an integrated development, maybe it’s better to give up the car. After all, the whole point is that you’re connected to an MRT station and/or bus interchange. Also, having a commercial component invariably means busier roads…

• 4 Jun 2023
• 5 min read
• 0

This New Condo Rating System Is About to Shake Up Singapore’s Property Developers and Condos. Here’s Why.

CONQUAS is a way to rate developments, dating back to 1989 – but there have been a lot of changes since then. The latest upcoming change is a banding system, used to rate developers and the different projects. Do you…

• 28 May 2023
• 6 min read
• 2

New ABSD Rates In 2023: Here’s Everything You Need To Know About The Additional Buyers Stamp Duty In Singapore

The so-called “temporary” ABSD measure has now been with us for over a decade – and over the years there have been changes. The multiple revisions have, we notice, caused some confusion among buyers; and many first-timers get confused by…

• 23 May 2023
• 5 min read
• 0

An interesting URA Master Plan update…

A year ago, I mentioned SERS sites would probably be used for PLH housing in future. This is happening in relation to two Zion Road land parcels. URA has proposed an amendment to the Master Plan, showing two land parcels…

• 21 May 2023
• 5 min read
• 0

Is HDB Building In Secret?

HDB spoilers are even on Reddit now I’m referring to the cluster of 984 flats about to be built in Sin Ming. It was originally seen on Reddit when someone spotted the construction signage and posted pictures.  Now part of…

• 14 May 2023
• 4 min read
• 0

Should You Be Buying 1 Euro Homes In Italy?

Nothing makes you appreciate Singapore like an ACL injury. This week, I am hobbling around Italy with a busted knee after a fall. And don’t get me wrong, this place is great. There’s no greater sense of awe in realising…

• 7 May 2023
• 5 min read
• 0

A $100 Billion Dollar City Turned Into A Ghost Town

The world’s most expensive monument to overconfidence is nearer than you think… I’m talking about Forest City, a massive ghost town right across the causeway. This development is around 1,740 hectares (17.4 square kilometres), which is almost the entirety of…

• 30 Apr 2023
• 6 min read
• 3

Property Cooling Measures In Singapore: Will 60% Foreigner ABSD Really Affect Singapore’s Property Market?

April 2023 has brought a new set of property cooling measures in Singapore, and as has been typical for the past few – it was announced at a time close to midnight so that no one has any time to…

• 27 Apr 2023
• 5 min read
• 2

Should You Be Buying A $33k House In Japan?

If you’re tired of expensive housing in Singapore, you can always try buying one in Japan.  That’s been talked about lately, with news reports of countryside homes being as low as $33,000. It’s something that seems to come up every…

• 23 Apr 2023
• 5 min read
• 0

3 Surprising Upcoming Changes That May Affect Property Prices (And En Bloc) In 2023

Back in 2022, we were told that URA, BCA, SLA, and even the SCDF were going to acknowledge a new and shared definition of the term Gross Floor Area (GFA). That’s about to come into effect as of June this…

• 19 Apr 2023
• 5 min read
• 1

How Would Old People Affect The Future Master Plan?

An update to the Master Plan is in the works again.  As before, the Master Plan Review will be in gear over the next two to three years, and any property investor can tell you why that’s important: so you…

• 16 Apr 2023
• 5 min read
• 0

Is The 99-1 Loophole Illegal? We Clear Up 6 Common Property Misconceptions In 2023

As we head into 2023, some erroneous beliefs about the property market are starting to surface. Some are new, but many are from a few years before. This may be related to recent shake-ups and changes to the rules, such…

• 12 Apr 2023
• 6 min read
• 2