Finance

The Hidden Cost Of Homeownership: How A $1M Home Could Lead To $300K In Interest Alone Over 10 Years

One of the least interesting property topics is financing. Home loans are dry, complicated, and don’t make for easy reading; which is why home loan interest rates are often overlooked. In fact, you’ve probably heard by now that rates are…

• 25 Jul 2023
• 5 min read
• 0

How To Get Money Out Of Your Home Without Selling It: 4 Creative Ways To Do It

It’s a story we come across surprisingly often: someone has a fully-paid up flat, condo, or perhaps even a $6 million bungalow (you can read about a real-life story here). However, they lack sufficient income as retirees or are facing…

• 14 Jun 2023
• 7 min read
• 2

Should You Pay Off Your Existing Home Loan In 2023?

In 2023, mortgage interest rates are a key concern. This is a steep difference between the tail end of 2008 to 2021 when the average interest rate seldom broke past two per cent (it’s three per cent and climbing at…

• 9 Feb 2023
• 5 min read
• 0

Are You In Danger Of Negative Cash Sales? Here’s How Much Your HDB Has To Appreciate To Avoid It

With resale flat prices at record highs, there’s a tendency to assume negative cash sales won’t happen right now. But it’s not always true that selling your flat right after MOP will yield sufficient cash for a condo down payment,…

• 14 Jan 2023
• 6 min read
• 0

“I Paid Down My Home Loan Early” 4 Homeowners Share How They Are Working Around Rising Interest Rates

With interest rates now sitting at over four per cent, and the potential for further hikes on the horizon, Singaporeans homeowners are beginning to feel the heat. From reaching CPF withdrawal limits, to questioning home affordability, Singaporeans are still feeling…

• 24 Nov 2022
• 5 min read
• 1

Beware Rising Home Loan Rates In 2022: We Breakdown Exactly How Much It Will Cost You As Interest Rates Increase

The era of cheap home loan rates has ended. From the Global Financial Crisis, through the turbulent Trump administration, and through Covid, Singaporeans have managed to enjoy low-interest loans for over a decade; but what are the practical implications of…

• 3 Nov 2022
• 6 min read
• 0

5 Key Consequences Of Rising Mortgage Rates In 2022

The median interest rate for home loans is set to double in as little as six months, and it would seem the era of cheap mortgages is coming to an end. Apart from a predictable rush for HDB instead of…

• 4 Jul 2022
• 6 min read
• 0

Your Monthly Interest Payments Are Set To Spike In 2022: Here’s What You Need To Know

Since around 2008/9, bank home loans have been significantly cheaper than HDB Concessionary Loans. Homebuyers have been warned repeatedly that bank loans could one day be pricier than HDB loans again – but that concern has been diminished, after being…

• 23 Mar 2022
• 7 min read
• 0

5 Practical Ways To Manage Rising Home Loan Interest Rates In 2022

The United States Federal Reserve is indirectly behind home loan interest rates in Singapore. During the ’08 financial crisis, and Covid-19, they set interest rates to record lows, making home loans cheaper than ever in Singapore. But starting this March,…

• 1 Mar 2022
• 6 min read
• 1

5 Common Financing Issues For HDB Upgraders (And How To Solve Them)

Ever since 2019, HDB upgraders have made up the bulk of private home buyers. A combination of rising demand, with record-high resale flat prices, has further made the past 2 years seem like an ideal time for those seeking condo…

• 25 Feb 2022
• 6 min read
• 3

Should You Rush Your Home Loan Repayment Before Interest Rates Rise?

Mortgage interest rates are on the way up in 2022. Yes, we’ve heard this before, way back in ’18, but that doesn’t mean the prediction was inaccurate. Covid-19 was unforeseen and prolonged the period of low rates. But with the…

• 7 Feb 2022
• 7 min read
• 1

Is The New DBS Reverse Mortgage Loan Good For Asset-Rich, Cash-Poor Retirees?

DBS and CPF have tied up, to create the new DBS Home Equity Income Loan. This helps older Singaporeans to monetise their property assets, without having to sell. The concept behind this loan isn’t new (banks have tried selling reverse…

• 17 Aug 2021
• 6 min read
• 0

Unable To Meet TDSR & MSR Limits? Here Are 6 Things You Can Do

You’ve got your income documents, your bank statements, your valuation…and then the email comes saying your loan application is rejected. The TDSR and MSR can be shockers, especially to home buyers who purchased their property long before these rules. While…

• 8 Jun 2021
• 6 min read
• 0

3 Easy Methods To Conduct Your Own Property Valuation In Singapore

Is valuation an art or a science? It’s an age-old question that has been asked many times, and while you’d get a mix of different responses depending on who you ask, I think most would agree that it is definitely…

• 30 May 2021
• 7 min read
• 0

How Much Would It Take To Pay Off Your Flat By 30, 40, 50 or 55?

For many Singaporeans – heck, for many people across the world – paying off the mortgage early is a common aspiration. We get it too: most of us don’t like the thought of owing money, especially on something as major…

• 18 May 2021
• 5 min read
• 0

When Should You Consider Using A Home Equity Loan? Here Are 6 Reasons To Do So

You’ve seen the ads, or maybe had it suggested by a mortgage banker or two: take out a home equity loan, and you could be sitting on a six-digit pile of cash a few months later. Sounds too good to…

• 13 Apr 2021
• 7 min read
• 0

5 Handy Ways To Use Your Property For Retirement Planning

It’s quite common to hear that “property is a good retirement asset”. But in practice, not every homeowner is clear on the role of their property in their retirement portfolio; many don’t have considerations beyond selling and downgrading, or even…

• 10 Mar 2021
• 7 min read
• 0

How Does 2020’s Low Interest Rates Impact Your Property Purchase?

If you have been on the lookout for a home this year, you’ve probably heard this many times by now. Now is a good time to buy, as the costs of borrowing money is so much lower. Put simply, a…

• 12 Nov 2020
• 6 min read
• 0