Finance

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

Is It Time To Refinance From An HDB Loan To A Bank Loan?

After almost seven years of consecutive decline, the HDB resale market seems to have turned a corner. They hit a 10-year high as of Q3 2020; and there’s a good chance the momentum will continue.  Perhaps you’ve been tempted into…

• 5 Nov 2020
• 7 min read
• 0

Margin Calls: Possibly The Most Overlooked Risk In High-quantum Properties

You could say that the Singapore private property market has left many people puzzled. Despite Singapore seeing its worst recession in over 55 years, home sales and prices are rising across the board.  HDB resale flats are at a 10-year…

• 30 Oct 2020
• 5 min read
• 0

Why Do Banks Even Bother Trying To Sell Home Loans With Higher Interest Rates?

You’ve called around to different banks and gotten all their interest rates, and now you have one burning question: why?  Why do some banks even bother trying to sell home loan packages, with interest rates way higher than all the…

• 8 Oct 2020
• 6 min read
• 1

How Much Must You Earn To Pay Off Your Property By 50?

Here’s a thought that will make any Singaporean heart turn cold: working past 50 to pay off a housing mortgage. Could you really still be attending 10 am presentations, and typing mind-numbing reports in your mid-50’s, all because of that…

• 6 Oct 2020
• 7 min read
• 0

The Underrated Advantage Of Paying Your Home Loan In Cash

Paying in cash when you can use CPF? There must be a method to this madness. And indeed, there’s a small demographic of home buyers who service that monthly loan out of their own pocket – even if they could…

• 29 Sep 2020
• 7 min read
• 0

Why Are Some Homeowners Being Advised To Take Lock-in Home Loans?

You’ve gone through all the terms and conditions, and you still can’t believe what the mortgage broker is telling you: go for a home loan package that has a lock-in clause. You can’t make sense of it – why take…

• 9 Sep 2020
• 5 min read
• 0

You Have Enough To Pay Off Your Home Loan Early; But Should You?

It is a miracle! For years you’ve slogged away at your home loan, thinking you were never going to get it paid. Then lo and behold, long before even your 55th birthday, you check the mortgage and realise: hey, you…

• 1 Sep 2020
• 6 min read
• 0

Loan to Value (LTV): How To Increase The Loan Quantum For Your Property

After five years, you’re ready to sell your flat and make the jump to a private property. Or perhaps you’ve got your heart set on an Executive Condominium, for which you need to use a bank loan. In both cases,…

• 12 Aug 2020
• 7 min read
• 0

Should You Take Up A Deferred Payment Scheme When Buying A Condo?

You’ve had your eye on that new launch condo for a long time; and now that it’s complete, you can even move in right after buying. Well, get ready to be introduced to the Deferred Payment Scheme (DPS) when you…

• 12 Aug 2020
• 6 min read
• 3

How You Can Compare Home Loans And Get The Best Deal

This is Part 6 of our 18-part first-time home buyer series. You may refer to the full table below: First Time Home Buyer Guide Financing Approval-in-Principle: Why It’s Your First Step for a Home Loan/Mortgage How Much Can You Borrow…

• 4 Jun 2020
• 7 min read
• 3

Understanding SIBOR, Board Rate, And Fixed Deposit Home Loans

This is Part 5 of our 18-part first-time home buyer series. You may refer to the full table below: First Time Home Buyer Guide Financing Approval-in-Principle: Why It’s Your First Step for a Home Loan/Mortgage How Much Can You Borrow…

• 4 Jun 2020
• 5 min read
• 0

Here’s How To Read Your Credit Report For Your Home Loan / Mortgage

This is Part 4 of our 18-part first-time home buyer series. You may refer to the full table below: First Time Home Buyer Guide Financing Approval-in-Principle: Why It’s Your First Step for a Home Loan/Mortgage How Much Can You Borrow…

• 3 Jun 2020
• 5 min read
• 0

How Much Income Do You Need To Get A Home Loan / Mortgage?

This is Part 3 of our 18-part first-time home buyer series. You may refer to the full table below: First Time Home Buyer Guide Financing Approval-in-Principle: Why It’s Your First Step for a Home Loan/Mortgage How Much Can You Borrow…

• 29 May 2020
• 7 min read
• 3

How Much Can You Borrow For A Home Loan / Mortgage?

This is Part 2 of our 18-part first-time home buyer series. You may refer to the full table below: First Time Home Buyer Guide Financing Approval-in-Principle: Why It’s Your First Step for a Home Loan/Mortgage How Much Can You Borrow…

• 29 May 2020
• 6 min read
• 0

Approval-in-Principle: Why It’s Your First Step for a Home Loan/Mortgage

Always get your Approval-in-Principle first.

• 28 May 2020
• 6 min read
• 0

Why It’s Never As Easy As “Just Refinancing” To A Cheaper Home Loan

Your eyes pop out a little when the mortgage banker shows you their rate: 1.2 per cent per annum? That’s less than half the interest rate your CPF accrues at. It’s “practically borrowing for free,” you’re told.  But then you…

• 14 May 2020
• 5 min read
• 2

Here’s Why A Property Valuation Is A Big Deal When Getting Your Home Loan

It’s every buyer’s worst nightmare: you’ve agreed on the condo price, you’ve put your old flat up for sale for this upgrade, and – at the crucial moment – you find you’re $50,000 short of the asking price, and the…

• 10 May 2020
• 4 min read
• 2