Commentary

Debunking Leasehold Decay: Are Old Condos Actually Underrated Or Are Freehold Condos Still The Best?

In our last deep dive, Ryan talked about how most condos in Singapore hardly last more than a couple of decades before they go en bloc. The magic number? 19 to 24 years. So naturally, that leads us to the…

• 30 Aug 2023
• 7 min read
• 1

We Tried To Eliminate Property Agents In Singapore: Why We Failed & The Challenges New Platforms Face

Here we go again: a couple of websites have sprouted up that seek to replace property agents. It’s not the first time we’ve heard the story, and in most cases, the same thing happens: the platform that tries to replace…

• 15 Aug 2023
• 9 min read
• 14

This Rare Condo Has Both 99-Year And 993-Year Leases: We Explore Unusual Mixed-Lease Properties In Singapore

For most properties these days, it’s a clear-cut case of them being freehold or leasehold. But head back into the 1970s or 80s, and you’ll find things weren’t so neat back then. For reasons we no longer fathom (but are…

• 14 Aug 2023
• 4 min read
• 1

Is The $16k EC Income Ceiling Too Low? A Look At How New EC Prices Have Risen And Why It Should Be Raised

The income ceiling for Executive Condos currently stands at $16,000. But there has been discussion lately over whether it’s time to raise this income ceiling, along with that of BTO flats. It doesn’t surprise us to hear it: amid rising…

• 3 Aug 2023
• 7 min read
• 9

How Grand Dunman “Helped” To Sell The Continuum: The Hidden Influence Of Price Anchoring In Real Estate

Imagine intending to buy a stock, but it’s jumped from $50 to $100 since you started tracking it. Suddenly, $50 becomes your anchor point, making $100 seem costly. But is $100 truly expensive? It’s hard to tell. If the company’s…

• 2 Aug 2023
• 6 min read
• 0

Why DBSS Flats Are Defying The Odds: Achieving Record Million-Dollar Prices Despite Past Criticisms

Approximately a decade ago, when the Design, Build and Sell Scheme (DBSS) came to an end, the event was largely met with nonchalance. From property blogs to casual conversations, the consensus seemed to favour the scheme’s termination. For most people,…

• 24 Jul 2023
• 7 min read
• 1

From The 70s To The Present: The Evolution Of Singapore’s Condo Layouts

Our tastes as homeowners have changed over the years, and so have regulations. From the experimental era of the ‘70s, to the developers “min-maxing” profits with giant air-con ledges in the early ‘00s, condo unit layouts have seen many trends…

• 19 Jul 2023
• 10 min read
• 0

How To Lower Property Prices In Singapore: More Loan Curbs Or ABSD?

The Additional Buyers Stamp Duty (ABSD) is seen as a core component of cooling measures. Every time prices creep too high, we see the government ramp up ABSD – most recently on 27th April 2023, when the ABSD on foreign…

• 27 Jun 2023
• 7 min read
• 1

Singapore Vs Vienna Public Housing: Is Vienna Doing It Better Than Singapore (And What Can We Learn)

Imagine a city where public housing doesn’t just meet basic living standards, but can be architectural masterpieces as well, scattered in prime locations throughout the city. And no, we’re not talking about Singapore. Welcome to Vienna, Austria, where public housing…

• 21 Jun 2023
• 9 min read
• 0

Can An Old Condo Perform Better Than A New Condo? Here Are 3 Real-Life Examples

A common sales pitch is that newer condos tend to outperform older ones; whether due to the shiny newness factor, having newer facilities, or maybe a more suitable, modern layout. Some seasoned property investors have also disputed this, however, with…

• 22 May 2023
• 7 min read
• 0

Do We Still Need Property Agents In 2023?

With property portals and the HDB resale portal now so established, buyers and sellers alike have started to wonder: why do we still need realtors? Has Proptech evolved to the point where we can cut out the middlemen? The answer…

• 3 May 2023
• 9 min read
• 1

What’s With The Rising Defects In New Launches In 2023?

Perhaps it’s due to tough construction issues during the Circuit Breaker, or perhaps it’s just slipping standards due to the rush, but we’ve been hearing an inordinate number of complaints about recent new launches. While we don’t want to point…

• 26 Apr 2023
• 5 min read
• 1

I’ve Been A Landlord For 18 Years: Here’s Why I Don’t Rent To Singles And Only Families

Co-living has been a roaring trend since last year, with many landlords adding rooms to get as many tenants as possible. There’s always one or two contrarians, however, such as SK, who absolutely refuse to follow the crowd. A landlord…

• 16 Apr 2023
• 6 min read
• 0

New Housing For Low-Income Singles: We Share What Some Older Singaporeans Think

We’ve had some time to think of HDB’s new pilot rental housing scheme: the Single Room Shared Facilities units. While this is a new kind of flat, the concept is not entirely new – it’s somewhat comparable to co-living. But…

• 14 Apr 2023
• 4 min read
• 0

Will Rental Rates Drop Soon? Here’s What Landlords (And Tenants) Need To Know

As a landlord, if you had the choice between a short and a long lease – which would you choose? On the surface, it seems like such an obvious answer. Who wouldn’t want to have a longer lease? But over…

• 7 Apr 2023
• 6 min read
• 0

My Experience Staying In A Ground Floor Unit: Here Are The Pros And Cons To Know

‘When buying my first property, I was cautioned by my realtor: “Either you buy very high, or buy very low – don’t buy in-between.” This saying suggests that – whilst most people acknowledge higher floors are better – there are…

• 6 Apr 2023
• 7 min read
• 2

Could This Be The Real Reason Why ACS Moved? Uncovering The Future Potential Of Newton/Novena

There’s been a lot of talk over the moving of ACS Primary from its Barker Road location, to Tengah. However, the attention so far has been on brand obsession issues, the age-old complaints of elitism, and the discussion on whether…

• 4 Apr 2023
• 5 min read
• 2

Can Every HDB Flat Be A Valuable Nest Egg For Retirement? Not Everyone Agrees. Here’s Why.

We’ve heard some angry arguments bounding around lately, both for and against HDB flats as retirement assets. The root of this seems to be a recent incident when it was claimed that “Every HDB flat will be a valuable nest…

• 27 Mar 2023
• 6 min read
• 5