HDB

Where Do These Million-dollar Flats Keep Coming From?

It is quite crazy if you were to think about it. The very first HDB flat to hit this magical million dollar mark was an executive apartment at Block 149 Mei Ling Street in Queenstown. This unit was sold for…

• 13 Nov 2020
• 6 min read
• 0

What Is Cash Over Valuation (COV) And Why Would You Pay It?

We’re seeing a resale flat revolution. As of Q3, resale prices are rising at their fastest pace since around 2012, and transaction volumes are at a 10-year high. We have a more detailed discussion of this in our previous article. …

• 9 Nov 2020
• 6 min read
• 0

HDB BTO Launch November 2020: We Review Each Launch Site

It’s that time of year again: gather your payslips and IRAS tax forms, because the next batch of BTO flat sites are up. This batch of BTO launch sites comes hot on the tail of the giant August 2020 launch…

• 3 Nov 2020
• 9 min read
• 0

I Lost $19,950 Cancelling My BTO Application, Here’s What Happened

*Correction: November 4 2020An earlier version of this article misstated the loss of downpayment at 10 per cent, and not 5 per cent, as clarified with HDB. It was something our participant was not aware of, and it should have…

• 2 Nov 2020
• 7 min read
• 1

How Covid-19 May Have Ended Up A Boon To Resale Flats

HDB resale prices and volumes have seen a sharp rebound as of Q3 2020. After almost seven straight years of decline, it seems as though resale flats may have found their way back into home buyer’s preferences.  Here’s how the…

• 26 Oct 2020
• 6 min read
• 0

How Do You Pick An HDB flat That Will Hold Its Value?

It’s hard not to see HDB owners frowning this past decade. Ever since the last property peak in 2013, resale HDB flats have mostly been locked in a long downward trend, with little light ahead: the dream of SERS, the…

• 24 Sep 2020
• 8 min read
• 4

EC vs Resale Flat: How Much More Can You End Up Paying?

Google ECs versus resale flats, and you’ll encounter any number of sites warning you that resale flats have poor appreciation compared to executive condos. This is actually true. We’ve said in previous articles that, for over almost a decade, resale…

• 21 Sep 2020
• 7 min read
• 0

Couldn’t Get Your BTO Flat Of Choice? Here Are 5 Alternative Steps To Take

The BTO launch exercise is over, and the dust has settled. Amid the debris, you get the dreaded email, telling you in a few curt lines that your application is unsuccessful. Before you throw something at the screen, know that…

• 20 Sep 2020
• 6 min read
• 2

Removing The Income Ceiling For BTO Flats: Is It Fair Or Crazy?

In recent news, MP Gan Thiam Poh (Ang Mo Kio GRC) raised the suggestion that we should remove the income ceiling for first-time buyers of BTO flats. This was based on his interaction with young couples, who told him they…

• 8 Sep 2020
• 6 min read
• 0

Is Buying A BTO Flat First A “Waste Of Time”?

If your property investment plan ends with “…and then my children will own 10 condos”, you probably grasp the idea of wealth progression in property assets (and if you don’t, there are several hundred YouTube ads that will force-feed it…

• 7 Sep 2020
• 7 min read
• 0

Resale HDB or Condo: Comparing Floor Plans for Young Couples

Let’s get real. Purchasing a home is daunting, especially for young couples that are priced out of buying a BTO and can only “afford” to look at a resale HDB or condo. Yes, this is for the sandwiched crowd out…

• 25 Aug 2020
• 8 min read
• 3

Should You Buy A Newly MOP-ed Resale HDB Or BTO If You Plan To Upgrade In 5 Years? (We Analyse 14 Years Of Transactions)

62 months. That’s how long you might have to wait for if you’re one of the buyers looking at the UrbanVille @ Woodlands HDB BTO project. Is it any wonder then, that many young buyers are pushed to look for…

• 17 Aug 2020
• 9 min read
• 2

Should You Buy A Resale Flat Or New Launch Condo First?

Even with HDB income ceilings raised ($14,000 per month for new flats and $16,000 per month for Executive Condominiums), there’ll always be a group of sandwiched Singaporeans who’ll feel trapped.  These are the ones who earn too much to buy…

• 17 Jul 2020
• 7 min read
• 6

HDB BTO Launch August 2020: We Analyse Each Neighbourhood

Thanks to Covid-19, the HDB launch exercise in May was cancelled. This has led to HDB combining May’s offerings with August, so we now have the biggest BTO launch exercise to date. It’s the first time you’ll have eight different…

• 27 Jun 2020
• 9 min read
• 6

We Analysed 22 Recent HDB MOP Estates To Find Out Which Has Made The Most Money

Most investors and property agents are inclined to delve into the condominium market.

• 12 Nov 2019
• 10 min read
• 3

HDB Conservancy Charges – All the costs in one place

If you are looking to buy a HDB or already own one, one of the costs that you will have to contend with as a homeowner is the HDB conservancy charges. In June 2018 this year, it was announced that…

• 24 Aug 2018
• 3 min read
• 0

HDB VERS – Good news? Here is everything you need to know

If you have not watched the National Day Rally 2018 yet, VERS might just be the next buzzword that you will have to learn about. So if you are staying in an HDB, this would probably be something that you really…

• 20 Aug 2018
• 3 min read
• 0

Population density of Singapore – How crowded is each HDB estate?

Read Karl Lee Soule’s answer One of the many things that expats comment on upon reaching Singapore is often how crowded it is. With a population of 5.6 million and land area of only 719.9 square kilometres (current population density of…

• 5 Jul 2018
• 4 min read
• 0