News

$2 Million Dollar HDB: Is The Agent Really To Blame?

If you have an unrealistic boss, ask a realtor how to cope. The often-overlooked benefit(?) of being a property agent is that, after a while, you learn to accommodate a wide range of delusions. Realtors have, for instance, the ability…

• 12 May 2024
• 4 min read
• 0

Is This The Right Way To Cut Property Agent Numbers?

One way to lower prices is to take out the middleman, right? It used to be a no-brainer for me. But over the years, I’ve been forced to admit that some middlemen (and related fee collectors) are indispensable. Like when…

• 5 May 2024
• 5 min read
• 0

Can Your HDB/Condo Really Last 99 Years?

Have you considered what your condo or HDB flat will look like, after 99 years? This question is partly inspired by Life After People, which is a series I highly recommend. And while the scenario isn’t quite the same, one…

• 28 Apr 2024
• 3 min read
• 0

Would You Sell Your Home To Retire On A Cruise Ship For $300k In Singapore?

Do you like cruises? Do you really really like them, to the point you can stay on that ship for months or years?  Then you’ll be glad to know you can, in fact, buy a cruise ship cabin and live…

• 21 Apr 2024
• 5 min read
• 0

Should You Buy This Sentosa Condo At A 40% Discount?

Yet another luxury condo fire sale You’ve probably heard: The prices at The Residences at W Singapore Sentosa Cove are being slashed by over 40 per cent. But as great as that may sound, here are a few things that…

• 14 Apr 2024
• 5 min read
• 0

Are New Launch Condos About To Get Cheaper?

I think now we can be sure the rejected bid for Marina Gardens Crescent wasn’t an isolated event.  I’m talking about the one lonely bid that was made for a prime central site, which got turned down for being too…

• 8 Apr 2024
• 5 min read
• 1

Here’s Why Some New Launch Condos Sell Better Than Others

Bigger condo projects tend to sell better these days News reports have a whole host of reasons why Lentor Mansion managed to sell 75 per cent of its units, despite slower sales of projects like The Arcady at Boon Keng…

• 31 Mar 2024
• 5 min read
• 0

Here’s Where The Future MRT Stations May Be

An educated prediction on future MRT lines These are some interesting – and well-researched – speculations on MRT lines that we may see in future. Some of the future areas to think about, for me, are the Long Island project…

• 24 Mar 2024
• 5 min read
• 0

How Do We Still Have Fake Property Listings In 2024?

How is it that searching for a home online in 2024 is the same as 2008 It is the year 2024.  I can create a photo of a cat riding a motorcycle in the fields of Timbuktu with a click…

• 17 Mar 2024
• 4 min read
• 2

Are We In A Property Buyer’s Or Seller’s Market?

The theme for the 2024 property market is “good news, bad news” It’s almost as if the universe wants to perfectly balance the forces that push property prices up, as well as down; so I’m not surprised that 2024 has…

• 10 Mar 2024
• 4 min read
• 0

Is This New ABSD Rule A Sign?

Changes to ABSD for developers are a sign of the times. When we started seeing runaway prices after Covid, there was a sense of “not this again,” and most market watchers had flashbacks to 2009 to 2013, or the 2017…

• 3 Mar 2024
• 4 min read
• 0

Why I Look For Old Malls Before I Buy Property

I look for old, “run-down” malls when I shop around for property The typical response I get to this is “siao ah, what’s so good about that.” But hear me out: old, strata-titled malls are a more valuable amenity than…

• 25 Feb 2024
• 4 min read
• 0

Are Singapore Property Prices Set To Drop In 2024? Here’s A “Surprising” Prediction

This may not come as a surprise to most, but according to a report by Savills prime properties (e.g., the high-end luxury stuff, like you’ll find in our Core Central Region) might dip by around 3.9 per cent this year….

• 12 Feb 2024
• 5 min read
• 7

This $92 Million Dollar Lawsuit Exposes A Problem In Singapore’s Property Market

The notorious furniture rebate deal UOB is suing a developer over 38 units at the Marina Collection. The developer allegedly gave rebates of 22 to 34 per cent, resulting in UOB now claiming $92 million in losses from the loans….

• 4 Feb 2024
• 4 min read
• 3

Buying Land At A 30% Discount At Marina South: A Good Deal Or A Sign Of Weak Demand?

Sometimes, winning comes with a sense of apprehension That’s how I would feel, if I were the consortium of developers that won the recent bid for a Marina white site. GuocoLand, Intrepid Investments and TID Residential recently put in a…

• 28 Jan 2024
• 4 min read
• 0

Do We Really Need 35,251 Property Agents In Singapore?

All hail the digital generation (of property agents) As of this year, we have around 35,251 property agents, up from 34,427 last year; which when we consider how much they like flyers, makes it amazing there are any trees left. …

• 21 Jan 2024
• 5 min read
• 0

Will We Start Seeing More 60-year Lease Condos Soon?

There are two types of people who buy freehold properties, and they don’t realise they should hate each other. Not until the en-bloc meeting happens.  You see, for some people, the benefit of a freehold condo is they think that…

• 14 Jan 2024
• 5 min read
• 2

Here’s Why You Should Consult An Architect Before Buying A Landed Home (Don’t Make This Same $18m Mistake)

Sometimes, not being seen as a property expert is an advantage In a recent case, a buyer’s attempt to sue a real estate agency over an $18.6 million Good Class Bungalow (GCB) didn’t go well. The issue? A drainage reserve…

• 8 Jan 2024
• 4 min read
• 0