Commentary

Making $1 Million Dollars In Profit From An HDB: Why Pinnacle @ Duxton May Be The Most Unique Property In Singapore

Pinnacle@Duxton remains the poster child of the “lottery effect” – the proof that certain desirable BTOs go on to make a killing for their lucky owners. In fact, it is probably Singapore’s most profitable HDB project (for its residents). When…

• 25 Sep 2023
• 5 min read
• 0

How Bad Are Singapore’s 5 Worst Google-Rated Condos? We Take A Closer Look At The Reviews (Part 2)

Before making any purchase today, anyone’s first instinct would be to turn to Google for online reviews, and condos are no exception. However, any review system is bound to have its flaws, along with a kernel of truth. When it…

• 21 Sep 2023
• 6 min read
• 2

The Difficult Relationship We Have With Condo Security Guards In Singapore

Over the past week, we were looking for condos that had negative reviews, and the possible reasons. It occurs to me upon reading the comments, that a lot of this revolves around “rude security guards”, or “rude management” (and for…

• 7 Sep 2023
• 5 min read
• 0

Singapore’s Worst-Rated Condos On Google: Are They Really That Bad?

Most home buyers know that online reviews have to be taken with a pinch – nay – a heaping spoonful – of salt. Depending on the platform, these can be gamified or even fake – there are even businesses online…

• 4 Sep 2023
• 8 min read
• 0

Is This The End Of Real Estate Agents As We Know It? Here’s How AI Can Transform Real Estate

Besides insurance agents, property agents are often one of the most “hated” professions. Whether it’s the hefty commissions or the sometimes less-than-transparent practices, many people have dreamed of a world where tech could completely replace the traditional property agent. But…

• 2 Sep 2023
• 9 min read
• 2

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