News

Will We See An En-Bloc Revival In 2025 Because Of This New Rule?

There’s hope yet for the en-bloc scene for bigger properties, as of this week. The Government has announced planned revisions to ABSD deadlines for developers. These will be applied to “complex large-scale urban transformation developments,” in which ABSD deadlines can…

• 10 Mar 2025
• 4 min read
• 0

Is $525k For The New Mount Pleasant BTO Site Worth It? Here’s A Quick Review

The first BTO flats in the new Mount Pleasant estate are launching in October 2025. Consisting of around 1,500 new flats, it’s part of six planned BTO projects for this estate. Once all the projects are complete, Mount Pleasant will…

• 7 Mar 2025
• 4 min read
• 0

Why Some Homebuyers In Singapore Hate “Efficient” Layouts

“There’s no way it can compete with an older condo” is a sentiment I still hear these days. This is despite moves like GFA harmonisation, and developers implementing dumbbell layouts wherever possible. Among a certain group of Singaporeans, you’ll never…

• 2 Mar 2025
• 4 min read
• 1

Why Some Singaporeans Should Hold Off Buying A Home – Even With Grants

“Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.” That saying doesn’t have to mean surrendering your plans; it can also be about patience.  I’m reminded of it after Budget 2025 – one of the big changes is enhanced support for…

• 23 Feb 2025
• 4 min read
• 2

How Property Data In Singapore Can Trick You

We might be a little over-reliant on visuals, when it comes to property info. Recently, I came across a comment about some HDB-provided updates. This was on the topic of flat availability; a topic that, as most Singaporeans know, is…

• 16 Feb 2025
• 5 min read
• 0

Why Singapore Landlords Hold All The Power

For the most part, landlords have a strong advantage over tenants in Singapore. We have no formal rent control measures (at least not since 2001*), there is no specific tenancy resolution body (everything goes to the Small Claims Tribunal or…

• 9 Feb 2025
• 3 min read
• 0

Is Your Condo Management A “Hidden Dictatorship” In Singapore?

Don’t live in a dictatorship seems like common-sense advice, but sometimes that’s what local condo buyers get themselves into.  This week, I heard a story about a certain condo and dogs. I won’t name it, but it sounds a bit…

• 2 Feb 2025
• 2 min read
• 0

What Happens To Your Home Loan In Singapore If Your Spouse Passes Away?

There are some pretty hair-raising ideas out there, about what happens when one co-borrower passes on.  This was a source of panic for an acquaintance last week, when that exact thing happened. He’d been under the impression that, when the…

• 26 Jan 2025
• 4 min read
• 0

Property Cooling Measures In 2025: Here We Go Again

Much like the backside of a Secondary School delinquent, we’ve thickened our skin against the rotan of cooling measures. We just got a statement that the government is “not averse” to more cooling measures. But when I mentioned it to…

• 19 Jan 2025
• 4 min read
• 2

Is The $16,000 Executive Condo Income Ceiling Still Relevant In 2025?

“False ceiling” is now a term we can apply to an interior design feature, and the cash minimums for Executive Condos (ECs). Right now the income ceiling to buy one is $16,000 per month, up from $14,000 (the previous ceiling…

• 13 Jan 2025
• 4 min read
• 4

Would You Pay $900k For A 3-Room HDB? Let’s Break It Down

How much more would you pay for a very new (i.e., around five years old) resale flat?  You might figure it’s at a premium, since (a) you can move in immediately and skip the construction time, and (b) the lease…

• 5 Jan 2025
• 5 min read
• 2

Are More Property Cooling Measures Coming to Singapore In 2025?

Thanks to a recent newspaper article, many people are asking if new cooling measures have already kicked in.  Which is disappointing for so many reasons, not least being that so few read beyond the headline these days. Some of you…

• 29 Dec 2024
• 2 min read
• 1

Why This Potential New Singapore Property Rule Could Be A Good Thing For You In 2025

“I’m not sure I want the ‘old bird’ agent,” was the phrase that surprised me this week. In most situations, people would want a veteran on their side. Most of us prefer the older and more experienced doctor, the 20-year…

• 22 Dec 2024
• 4 min read
• 0

The Surprising Changes In Singapore Property Market Trends In 2024

Maybe there’s a use for those shuttered stores in old, empty malls. Integrated and mixed-use projects aren’t a new concept in Singapore; but here’s a spin we’re seeing in the US: turning some of those closed-down stores into small, single-bedder…

• 15 Dec 2024
• 5 min read
• 0

This Secret Hack Gets You The Best New Launch Units In Singapore

There’s a secret exploit for getting the exact unit you want at a launch  Here’s the thing, the real secret to getting a profitable property (other than identifying the right one) is to get a good ballot number. You may…

• 9 Dec 2024
• 4 min read
• 0

Why The $16,000 Income Ceiling For Executive Condos Is Too Low

The minimum down payment on an EC can be more than 25 per cent. Consider this: as of 2024, ECs have an income ceiling of $16,000 per month. Now along with this income ceiling, there’s a Mortgage Servicing Ratio (MSR)…

• 1 Dec 2024
• 4 min read
• 0

The Differing Sale Tactics Of Chuan Park And Emerald of Katong

Fast or slow: what’s the best way to sell a condo?  The answer seems obvious right? But not quite. Speed does count to some extent: condo developers work within tight time constraints – if the project isn’t completed and sold…

• 24 Nov 2024
• 4 min read
• 0

Why Are New Launch Condos In Singapore Selling Like Hotcakes Again?

I’m told that US politics is badly affected by the “echo chamber,” but perhaps our property market is as well.  The echo chamber effect happens when algorithms match you up to people with similar views and concerns, so you end…

• 17 Nov 2024
• 5 min read
• 0