Guides

4 Essential Tips To Get Your Home Ready To Sell In 2021

I have to be brutally honest here. Your home is not the only one in the market. There are plenty of choices available and buyers can be nitpick on the smallest of issues and walk away. I have seen this…

• 8 Apr 2021
• 7 min read
• 0

5 Expat Enclaves And Their Rental Rates + All-Inclusive Rental Rates List

Expat enclaves are an unofficial part of the Singapore real estate industry; but that doesn’t change the reality on the ground. Some parts of our island are just more popular among groups of foreigners than others. Whether you’re a foreigner…

• 5 Apr 2021
• 10 min read
• 0

The Trend of Commission Cashback – Why It Happens And Why It Can Be Harmful

This article below by The Business Times provided a look on the practice of commission cashback – or better known as agents sharing new launch commissions with their buyer. The reason this happens? Developers have to sell their units but…

• 4 Apr 2021
• 5 min read
• 4

PPVC Construction : Why It Matters For Investors (The Good, Bad, And Ugly)

Let’s roll back time to the year 2017.  You are a savvy property investor, and have realised that the property market has bottomed out. So you believe it is now the right time to start buying your investment property. You’ve…

• 3 Apr 2021
• 5 min read
• 5

4 Potential New Housing Sites Cleared (Balestier, Bedok, Jurong, Toa Payoh): Which Will Be Best?

Just this week, HDB has put out tender documents regarding four sites for housing. As these sites are in mature areas, there’s already a buzz about which of them hold the most promise. The sites are in Balestier, Bedok, Jurong…

• 31 Mar 2021
• 6 min read
• 0

Why Old, Strata Malls Matter More Than You Think

Queensway Shopping Centre, Katong Shopping Centre, Golden Mile Tower…these old malls are often disregarded, or even considered eyesores. When it comes to “important old buildings”, Singaporeans tend to think of shophouses or historic bungalows; the concept of an old strata-titled…

• 25 Mar 2021
• 6 min read
• 0

10 Free Property Research Tools To Boost Your Chances Of Buying The Right Property

For such a small country, Singapore sure has a lot of property options and nuances – which can certainly be overwhelming for new home buyers and first-time investors. It doesn’t help that you can sometimes find contradictory information, from different…

• 24 Mar 2021
• 10 min read
• 4

5 Commonly Overlooked Factors When Buying A Resale Condo

One of the most common questions from new home buyers is “will there be gains?” This usually sets off a long spiel on where the closest MRT station is, how many malls are nearby, etc. We probably don’t need to…

• 19 Mar 2021
• 7 min read
• 0

68 New Launch 1 Bedroom Condos And Their Worst Case Possible Rental Yields

2021 will prove to be an interesting year. In the aftermath of Covid-19, it’s not certain if and when foreign tenants will be returning to Singapore. At the same time, a new surge of HDB upgraders means there are stronger…

• 18 Mar 2021
• 7 min read
• 2

How To Invest In Property: 5 Contrarian Ideas To Get You Started

“When everyone else is buying you should be selling, and when everyone is selling you should be buying.” That seems to be the most common perception of what “contrarian” investing means. Over the years, this term seems to gain in…

• 16 Mar 2021
• 7 min read
• 0

SERS: What Is It, Where Has It Happened, And What Are Your Odds?

The Selective En-Bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) is often considered the next big “HDB lottery winner”, next to a central region BTO flat. In fact, one of the reasons many Singaporeans want a central region flat is because they believe there’s…

• 14 Mar 2021
• 5 min read
• 0

Why ABSD For Developers Needs To Be Tweaked And How It Affects You As A Home Buyer

Most home buyers are familiar with the concept of Additional Buyers Stamp Duty (ABSD) as it applies to them. What’s less commonly known is that property developers also have to pay ABSD; and this added tax shapes multiple decisions. From…

• 12 Mar 2021
• 7 min read
• 2

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

Selling Your Home On Your Own? We Breakdown An Ex-FBI Negotiator’s Book Into 5 Key Takeaways (Part 1)

Call it manipulation, call it persuasion.  Whichever way we look at it, negotiations have long been and will continue to be an inherent part of our daily life.  You might not actually know you are doing it, but you are…

• 7 Mar 2021
• 7 min read
• 2

URA Changes Development Charges: What Does It Mean To Property Buyers?

For most home buyers, Development Charges (DC) are not something we’d consider important. This is something the property developers pay for, right? But long-time investors and market watchers know better – not only are developer costs ultimately passed down in…

• 1 Mar 2021
• 6 min read
• 0

Shoebox Versus Resale Flat: Which Is A Better First Home?

So you’re a “sandwiched Singaporean”, and earn enough to buy a small private home or a resale flat; but not a BTO. It’s a common conundrum for those who earn just above the income ceiling for new flats. Before you…

• 26 Feb 2021
• 8 min read
• 2

Humility Is The Greatest Investment Strategy. Here’re 5 Reasons Why.

I listened to the story with fascination as the property agent shared with me the story about how his seller turned down a record price for his unit. Why? Because the buyer had remarked that “the kitchen was ugly”. I…

• 24 Feb 2021
• 7 min read
• 0

If You Invested $10,000 In Bitcoin, Tesla Or The ‘Best’ Singapore REIT 2 Years Ago, What Would That Be Today?

“Passive Income”  Or in other words, investing in assets and making free money while you sleep.  To the new investor, the idea itself might seem ludicrous. But to weathered tycoons, this very sentiment is the driving lifeforce behind massive oceans…

• 22 Feb 2021
• 7 min read
• 0