Guides

How Do The Additional Relief Measures For Developers Affect Home Buyers?

As of last week (9th October), property developers were granted another six-month extension to complete their projects. This is a second round of extension, with the last one being in May – altogether, property developers now have a full additional…

• 14 Oct 2020
• 6 min read
• 0

4 Practical Ways To Use Supply And Demand For Property Research

Supply and demand – it’s basic economics. It’s the reason why Hermes can sell $10,000 Birkin bags (which may sound incredulous to some), and yet still garner a long waiting list along with a booming resale market.  Or why certain…

• 10 Oct 2020
• 8 min read
• 2

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

How To Use The URA Master Plan To Do Your Own Research

You’ve just read the dozenth article, guide, blog post, etc. telling you to “check the URA Master Plan”. We even do that here on Stacked, as it’s good advice. But as you navigate to the URA home page, you may…

• 4 Oct 2020
• 6 min read
• 2

Neighbourhood Of The Week: Queenstown (District 3)

Queenstown is the first satellite town in Singapore. The entire concept of having a “self-contained” township, with its own council, amenities away from the city, etc. It all started here, as far back as the 1950s. In fact, Queenstown is…

• 2 Oct 2020
• 5 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

New OTP Re-issue Restrictions: What Does It Mean For Property Buyers?

As of today (28th September 2020), the URA has put a stop to the re-issuing of an Option To Purchase (OTP) to prospective home buyers. We can’t call it a sudden move, as just last month the URA was already…

• 28 Sep 2020
• 5 min read
• 0

Neighbourhood Of The Week: Bishan (District 20)

Bishan had a bit of a rough start, back in 1983. At the time, some Singaporeans swore off the area entirely, due to superstition; present day Bishan used to be Kwong Wai Siew Peck San Theng, one of the largest…

• 23 Sep 2020
• 5 min read
• 0

The New Norms Of Singapore’s Property Market In 2020

In the past two decades, Singapore’s property market has gone through a series of ups-and-downs; from a slew of new cooling measures, to worries about falling resale flat prices.  If the last time you bought a home was in the…

• 22 Sep 2020
• 8 min read
• 0

Do Resale Properties Really Cost More To Renovate?

If you’re choosing between a new launch and a resale property, you’ve probably heard the saying that “the resale will cost more to renovate”.  The theory is that, because you need to hack up the previous work, there’s added time…

• 19 Sep 2020
• 6 min read
• 0

Neighbourhood Of The Week: Bukit Timah (District 21)

Bukit Timah is the neighbourhood for the upscale nature lover / family own stay type. This is a prime area, where landed housing and private condominiums outnumber HDB flats.  Unlike Orchard or the CBD however, Bukit Timah is a green…

• 16 Sep 2020
• 5 min read
• 2

How Much Better Are Rental Yields For Compact Units?

Like many property buyers, you’ve probably had a chance to squint at a tiny floor plan of a compact unit (510 sq.ft. or under). Some of them are so small, you may have stayed in motel rooms that offer more…

• 13 Sep 2020
• 7 min read
• 3

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

The Stacked Guide for Foreigners Buying Property in Singapore

Singapore private property is both literally and metaphorically a safe port in the storm. This may be one of the few countries where demand for luxury properties can climb to 11-year highs, precisely because of economic downturns.  But despite its…

• 31 Aug 2020
• 6 min read
• 0

The Stacked Guide To Property Tax And Stamp Duties

Many first-time home owners overestimate the price of their first property. It’s probably due to constant conditioning over social media, news, etc. that remind you how “Singapore is the world’s most expensive city”, etc. But here’s the bit that’s often…

• 28 Aug 2020
• 7 min read
• 0

When Is It Actually Better To Pay The ABSD?

Tell someone you’re considering actually paying the Additional Buyers Stamp Duty (ABSD) on your second home, and watch as their eyes pop out. They’ll rattle off a whole bunch of reasons how you can avoid it – from buying dual-key…

• 23 Aug 2020
• 5 min read
• 0