HDB Reviews Pasir Ris ONE DBSS Review: A Fantastic Location With Obvious Flaws

23 min read

Project:	Pasir Ris ONE
HDB Town	Pasir Ris
Address:	530A-D Pasir Ris Drive 1
No. of Units:	447

Pasir Ris ONE could just be one of the most infamous HDB’s in recent times.

It has been criticised the moment residents moved in – and for a multitude of reasons. These include workmanship issues such as tiles popping off, cracked window panes and stains on doors.

It even sparked outrage when residents saw how narrow the common corridors were. While the developers stated that it was in line with safety regulations and that all of these were available for buyers to find out prior to their purchase – there was clearly a misalignment in the expectations set versus the reality that residents came to face.

This was one of the many reasons why the HDB decided to scrap the DBSS altogether, with Pasir Ris ONE being the last one of its kind.

So while this may have been the last DBSS launched, it certainly isn’t the first to cause such a raucous amongst residents. DBSS Trivelis and Centrale 8 also made headlines for quality issues despite the higher-than-average prices that buyers had to pay. Perhaps you could chalk it down to high prices = higher expectations.

That being said, Pasir Ris ONE did derive its name from being just one minute away to the MRT, hawker centre and White Sands mall – extremely desirable attributes that got buyers interested to begin with, and still remains a strong buying factor to date.

So is Pasir Ris ONE as bad as it seems, and should you give this project some serious consideration?

Let’s find out in our usual customary HDB tour!

Pasir Ris ONE DBSS Insider Tour

As with all the HDB reviews, I’ll be starting off at the main entrance where you’ll be greeted with the name of the DBSS – Pasir Ris ONE.

Turning left into the development would immediately bring you to the first drop-off point. At first glance, it may seem that the drop-off point is very conveniently located at the entrance, meaning it should be quicker to alight or get into your pick-up, right?

Unfortunately, this is not the case here. Vehicles turning left would still need to make a 3-point turn so as to drive in the correct direction on the side of the drop-off point. You can actually see a dead end service road here where I expect most vehicles to be doing their 3-point turns. This does pose a concern, especially if multiple cars are trying to do this during peak hours!

I would certainly have preferred a standard roundabout here as shown above, and it’s all the more apparent when most HDBs (especially the newer ones) are quite well laid out and have provided an arrival area that does not just look impressive, but is very functional too!

Another immediate downside here are the lack of seats near the front of the arrival porch. It’s not common for HDBs to lack seating areas near or at a drop-off point, so this omission is quite glaring. Those who are waiting for their pickup would have to contend with seats found further in.

At the very least, the drop-off area here is sheltered, but this is pretty much the bare minimum in my books.

Since we’re at the topic of the drop off porch shelter, I would like to highlight how unfortunate the design is here. While design is a subjective thing, what is certain is that the views from the units on the 2nd floor just behind this shelter is partially blocked.

Now I am not an architect or an engineer, but I have seen thinner shelters that could do the job – some transparent and some opaque. But I do think being practical is more important than looking good.

Instead, what you have here is this really thick and grey shelter that looks disproportionately big to the entire drop off porch, blocking the views from the 2nd level units.

As a matter of fact, one resident who purchased the 2nd floor unit here quipped that if he had known it was going to be blocked, he would have purchased a unit on the higher floor!

Perhaps it’s not so much the actual design of the shelter, but the way it’s connected to the walls that makes it less seamless.

It certainly does not inspire the same feel as how the marketing brochure showcased it:

If you look closely at the drop off area and the immediate block it’s connected to (block 530A), you’ll also notice a small gap here. This means that in the event of heavy rain, it’s likely that you’ll need to cross this narrow pathway that looks like a makeshift shelter, contributing to the feeling that this drop off shelter was very much an afterthought.

I have never been this negative about a drop off shelter before, and unfortunately the 2nd drop off was not much of an improvement.

There’s clearly a lack of seats, so the elderly folks staying here should confirm their pick up is coming soon or risk having to stand around for a while. The shelter is able to fit 2 cars at a time which is pretty decent, and unlike the first drop off, this one has a decent sheltered walkway to blocks 530C and 530D.

However, you can see from the photos that the drop off porch here is simply too near to the lower level units – especially the first floor.

Anyone at the shelter can have a decent conversation with the owners on level 1 without having to raise their voice – a clear design flaw. And to say that privacy is compromised is an understatement here! Even with appropriate blackout curtains drawn all day long, the incessant slamming of car doors and motorcycles riding by is enough to significantly reduce the quality of life for anyone staying there.

I have seen a similar situation in Natura Loft DBSS, where the 1st floor units were really close to the sheltered walkways. However, the difference between Natura Loft’s and Pasir Ris ONE’s 1st floor units seem subtle, but it makes a significant difference. Here’s why:

Natura Loft’s elevated grounds ensure that only residents would be going by – not motor vehicles. Since it’s elevated, walkways along the 1st level units are on the same level as the facilities – which is actually higher than the road. Residents returning from the market would go through the carpark instead of through the facilities, reducing the footfall going by the 1st floor units at Natura Loft.

These are the subtle yet significant pointers that you can’t quite capture without touring the grounds, so it’s always important to visit the site and get a feel of the space when purchasing a home.

In Pasir Ris ONE’s case, the block entrance, walkways and drop off points are located on the same level as the 1st floor units where you can expect higher footfall and traffic.

Let’s move onto the carpark. There are 2 entrances to Pasir Ris ONE along Pasir Ris Drive 1 – one of it is located near block 530A (construction of the Cross Island Line going on there now), and another entrance along the service road shared with the HDB block 531 – 536 and the Pasir Ris Town Park carpark.

To guide drivers or visitors here are these directional signs which can be found at the entrance and along the service road.

Some signs are clearly in need of some maintenance/upkeep as it has faded off.

The carpark here is of a multi-storey variety which is really common for HDBs. I do like the grey and white facade here. It kind of reminds me of the grey and white theme going on at Pinnacle@Duxton, though that HDB has an underground carpark instead.

Residents hoping for a direct connection from the carpark to their unit would be sorely disappointed due to the lack of link bridges here.

Link bridges are important since it saves you the hassle of taking the lift twice to get to your unit. In this case, residents would need to head to the ground level, walk to their block, then take the lift up.

But at least sheltered walkways are provided between the carpark and blocks 530A and 530B.

Heading into the carpark, you’ll find it to be quite bright and airy given the numerous air wells in between, and it houses 8 floors in total.

From my visit here during the day, it’s clear that there are ample carpark lots here, so residents and their guests would not have to worry about a lack of carpark space.

From here, you will find that many lower floor units here (especially from blocks 530A and 530B) are too close to the carpark. Not only are they close, they also directly face the carpark which is a huge privacy concern.

Like the drop-off point, residents having a direct and close facing to the carpark will have to endure sounds emitting from cars driving in and out each day.

You can even see someone putting up large plants along the balcony to provide some privacy. I would not really consider balconies facing the opposite block without anything interesting in between to be a lifestyle product. Bluntly speaking, it’s pretty much an expensive utility yard to me.

There is 1 lift per carpark lobby which should be more than enough, and on a positive note – it’s quite clean and well-maintained too!

If you’ve been following my HDB reviews, you would have noticed my glowing impression of City Vue @ Henderson and SkyParc@Dawson’s carpark rooftop garden which features facilities like playgrounds, walking paths, and fitness areas – all amidst nature.

At Pasir Ris ONE, the carpark rooftop garden is pretty much non-existent which is a little disappointing to say the least.

Over here, the developers have simply laid artificial grass on the rooftop. While I do appreciate the move as it is certainly more calming to the eyes, you should know that it isn’t an accessible area at all.

To me, this is a wasted opportunity for what could perhaps have been a community garden, a garden trail or just a place to exercise. It even looks big enough to house a hard court like the one at City Vue @ Henderson. I suppose the upside to this is that residents on the lower floors would not have to worry about privacy or noise issues.

At this point, you’d probably realise that not all DBSS facilities are the same. Natura Loft DBSS features a very decent rooftop garden, while Trivelis’s carpark rooftop is pretty much just an open area with more lots. In this case, it is good to consider how important such development facilities are to you, since everyone has different lifestyle needs.

Of course, having a carpark rooftop garden is more of a bonus than a given. In fact, this “rooftop garden” trend has really only started for the newer HDBs, so let’s check out what the ground floor facilities have to offer!

First up – we have the preschool within the development. This one is located at block 530C. Any young family would really appreciate having a preschool located nearby, so I am happy to see one here!

The looks of this preschool does leave me wanting though. There’s a lack of colourful drawings or cartoon pictures outside which would make the place seem more approachable, but that’s just my opinion.

Right opposite the childcare centre is the playground. I’ve always liked the idea of having the playground just opposite which makes it more convenient and safer for outdoor playground activities to be conducted.

The playground here is quite decent and relatively well-maintained! It even has a nice curvy slide that looks like lots of fun for any child.

There’s also some seating area at the playground, though it is unsheltered with no other seating areas around.

Unfortunately, this is the only playground at Pasir Ris ONE. I am more accustomed to seeing more than 1 playground in HDB developments, so this was a surprise to see here.

There is also a rock-climbing structure here, but this is classified as an adult fitness area, not so much a place for children. And next to that is an adult fitness area which is really basic, as it comes with just one piece of equipment.

Like the playground, this is the only adult fitness area of the development featuring just one lonely-looking piece of equipment. It is really lacklustre by HDB standards.

Finally, you’ll find the elderly fitness area. Unlike the adult fitness area, this one features 4 equipment spread across a pretty wide space!

But like the playground and adult fitness area, there is only one elderly fitness area, so again this is really not great to see.

One playground, one adult fitness area (with one equipment), and one elderly fitness area. They’ve really put the one in Pasir Ris ONE!

Jokes aside, further down towards block 530D are 2 barbeque pits. When Pasir Ris ONE was just built, the barbeque pits here received flak for being poorly built (just so you know).

And they are completely right to be furious! The barbeque pits here have a very peculiar design where the fire pit area is just too high for a person of average height to do a barbeque safely without being too close to the fire.

It’s almost comical just looking at it!

Another issue with this barbeque pit is how close it is to the units. Anyone who has a gathering here would undoubtedly affect the lower floor units to a great extent. This was an issue that I noticed in Natura Loft too, however, it does seem a lot closer here than in Natura Loft. Moreover, the number of units immediately around the barbeque pits here is higher too.

Next, we have the precinct pavilion which is located at block 529C. There is only 1 in the development here, which is perfectly normal for most HDBs. It’s got quite an open setting since it’s sort of in the middle of the development, and also hosts ample seating and electrical points too. There’s even a vending machine at the corner!

The only gripe I have of this place is the lack of fans.

On the other hand, I do like the flooring here. Pavilion spaces are usually concrete, which has a very raw feel. However, this one sports a woody look which does make it a little bit more welcoming.

Now that we’ve toured the ground floor facilities, let’s check out the common corridors!

Heading into the development, you’ll find that the pathways here are wheelchair-accessible. However, it may be a little bit uncomfortable given how narrow it seems (and dark in some cases, looking ahead!).

Moving in, you’ll reach the lift lobby area. There are 2 lifts shared among 6-11 units per level, and the design here is pretty decent! You can see that the tiles here follow the facade of the development which is a nice touch.

Looking around, it’s clear that the area is in need of some maintenance, with stains along the white concrete structure being a common sight, so hopefully the Town Council would engage in a repainting of the project soon.

The common corridors here are known to be atrociously narrow, and on my visit, I can confirm that this is truly the case. There’s absolutely no space for residents to put their shoe racks or personal belongings without breaching SCDF’s minimum walkway width regulation.

The narrow corridor also increases the likelihood that the gates would clash when both residents are trying to enter or leave at the same time. While the odds of this is low, it could be annoying over a longer period – especially during peak hours when people leave around the same time.

Pasir Ris ONE is not alone in this though, as we have also discovered in Trivelis where the corridor is pretty narrow too. As such, there is a claustrophobic feeling navigating around here, one that potential buyers would need to get comfortable with should they choose to call this home.

There also isn’t much space for residents living in the corner units to put their usual shoerack without infringing into the neighbour’s area. With the smaller unit sizes here (which we’ll get to) and lack of common space, prospective buyers should really think about these points before committing to a purchase here.

Pasir Ris ONE Location Review

Pasir Ris ONE’s location is probably where it shines the most – and is likely why there is still a demand for flats here despite the multiple shortcomings I’ve pointed out earlier.

The DBSS development is just a 1 to 3 minutes walk to Pasir Ris MRT station, and the journey is mostly sheltered. While this walking time depends on the block that you stay in, nonetheless, 1-3 minutes is the true definition of being within walking distance!

Residents can also look forward to the integration of the Cross-Island Line at this station too. However, it is still quite some time away before this materialises – about 11 years from now! So those looking to buy might have to put up with this construction noise over the next few years.

In addition to MRT accessibility, Pasir Ris ONE is also located right opposite the Pasir Ris Temporary Bus Interchange.

Apart from its convenience to public transportation, residents here can also look forward to the easy access to the Park Connector!

The Park Connector network here is quite extensive, with Pasir Ris ONE situated right along the Tampines Park Connector. This connects to Bedok all the way to the beach along East Coast Park, allowing families here to enjoy a safe and enjoyable outing that’s (nearly) free of charge.

The Park Connector also extends to the Loyang Park Connector that brings you straight to Changi Beach Park as well as the Changi Food Centre.

Apart from the Park Connector, Pasir Ris ONE is close to the Pasir Ris Park, promising an abundance of greenery and nature to residents living here.

I would in fact go so far as to say that for those looking to stay in the east, the location at Pasir Ris ONE is one of the best. It’s not just close to the MRT, but amenities all around as well as greenery (Park Connector + Parks). The increased connectivity given the upcoming Cross Island Line also makes this area a lot more desirable in time to come!

Public Transport

Bus station	Buses Serviced	Distance From HDB (& Est. Walking Time)
“Opp Pasir Ris Stn Exit A”	359, 403, 89	200m (1-3 min walk)
“Aft Pasir Ris Stn Exit A”	359, 403, 89, 89A	250m (1-3 min walk)

Closest MRT: Pasir Ris station; 1-3 min walk which is mostly sheltered.

While the bus services immediately outside is not so diverse, residents can simply walk to the bus interchange directly where a diverse network of buses can take you to places like Punggol, Serangoon, Toa Payoh, Novena and the CBD.

There is also a bus stop just outside which is sheltered all the way through.

Those intending to head to the CBD should take the MRT though, as the duration by bus is usually over an hour – whereas it’s around 45 minutes by MRT.

Private Transport

Key Destinations	Distance From HDB (& Est. Peak Hour Drive Time)
Raffles Place	25.5 km (24-40 mins drive)
Orchard Road	21.4 km (24-40 mins drive)
Suntec City	18.3 km (20-30 mins drive)
Changi Airport	6.5 km (8-14 mins drive)
Tuas Port	57.8 km (55 mins – 1 hr 30 mins drive)
Paya Lebar Quarters	14.4 km (16 – 30 mins drive)
Mediaopolis	30.1 km (30 -45 mins drive)
Mapletree Business City	28.5 km (28 – 45 mins drive)
Tuas Checkpoint	48.5 km (45 mins – 1 hr 10 mins drive)
Woodlands Checkpoint	34.2 km (40 mins – 1 hr)
Harbourfront Cluster	29.3 km (24 – 45 mins)
Punggol Cluster	9 km (10 – 26 mins)

Immediate road exit:
Pasir Ris Drive 1.

Summary:
For those looking to stay in the east, Pasir Ris ONE is a very convenient location. The upcoming Cross Island Line also promises increased connectivity. Those working around here, especially at the Changi Cluster would find traveling to work a breeze.

Groceries

Name of Grocery Shop	Distance from HDB (& Est Time)
NTUC FairPrice (At White Sands Mall)	280m, 4-min walk.
Sheng Shiong (At Costa Ris HDB)	650m, 8-min walk

Schools

Educational Tier	Number of Institutes
Preschool	1
Primary School (Within 1KM)	2
Secondary School	5
Junior College	1
Polytechnics	1

Little Preschool – Within the development

Elias Park Primary School – 850m (11 min walk)

Casuarina Primary School – 1.1 km (13 min walk)

Meridian Secondary School – 700m (9 min walk)

Hai Sing Catholic School – 800m (9 min walk)

Loyang View Secondary School – 1.3 km (16 min walk) or 2.0 km (7 min drive) or 16 min by bus.

Pasir Ris Crest Secondary School – 1.5 km (18 min walk) or 1.9 km (6 min drive) or 13 min by bus.

Dunman Secondary School – 2.7 km (33 min walk) or 3.5 km (10 min drive) or 36 min by bus.

Tampines Meridian Junior College – 1.9 km (24 min walk) or 2.1 km (8 min drive) or 16 min by bus.

Temasek Polytechnic – 5.1 km (13 min drive) or 34 min by bus.

ITE College East – 7.4 km (14 min drive) or 29 min by train.

Additional Pointers

• Very close to a major mall

It’s not often that my HDB reviews mentions the proximity of a development to a major mall, so I am very pleased to say that Pasir Ris ONE made the cut! For those who have served National Service, you’d probably be well aware of White Sands Shopping Mall, the rendezvous for any new recruit!

This mall comprises 6 levels of lifestyle and dining options, with well-known store names such as Challenger, McDonald’s and Guardian. With this level of convenience provided, I can overlook the fact that there aren’t any retail shops located within the Pasir Ris ONE development.

That being said, White Sands is the first and only major mall that has served Pasir Ris residents for many decades – which is considered small considering the 150,000 residents that live here. This brings me to my next point!

• Upcoming amenity at Pasir Ris 8

Residents can look forward to more amenities with the upcoming Pasir Ris 8 Integrated Development.

The new Pasir Ris mall (name pending approval) will span 4 floors from B2 to L2 and cover almost 375,000 sqft of net lettable space with ~170 shops. For context, this will be more than double that of the existing White Sands Shopping Mall and even bigger than Tampines Mall. With this upcoming amenity (and the Cross Island Line accessibility), I can safely say that the area would only be getting more exciting in the years ahead!

Besides the retail component at Pasir Ris Mall, the development will also integrate your healthcare and children’s needs with a Childcare on L1 and a Polyclinic from B2 to L2 within the mall.

Pasir Ris ONE HDB Site Review

Pasir Ris ONE houses 447 units in total across 4 residential towers, each between 13-14 storeys high. The development sports a black, grey, white, and blue colour tone.

This project is only 6 years old, but like I have highlighted during my tour of the common corridor, I do think that the facade is in need of some repainting works in certain areas.

As I was walking through the development, I also could not help but feel caved in. This is mainly due to how close the inner-facing stacks of Pasir Ris ONE are to either:

1. The Multi-Storey Car Park
2. Residential blocks from Pasir Ris ONE
3. Residential blocks from the older HDB across

Here are some photos to illustrate what I mean:

I have covered several HDBs that made a strong impression on being an open space, such as Waterway Cascadia. If coming home to a big development is of importance to you, then this could really be a dealbreaker.

Here’s a look at the estimated distance between the blocks. Measurements are taken from URA Maps.

Unless you are situated on the higher floor, residents of the inner-facing stacks have to be comfortable being so close to their neighbour or the multi-storey carpark.

Now a key feature of a DBSS project is in its balcony. All units with a balcony, and what makes Pasir Ris ONE DBSS even more special is that every single 4 and 5-room flat here comes with 2 balconies – one at the living room, and the other at the master bedroom!

This makes it perfect for those looking for the outdoor experience at home. Of course, a balcony is not for everyone, and not all balconies can be appreciated the same. Those that overlook great views and have good wind ventilation are, of course, prized more than others.

Now I’d like to highlight something really peculiar at level 1 – the external facade. Notice these iron rods along the balcony? Given it is on the ground level where foot traffic is high, these iron rods are added for security reasons, and do serve as a slight privacy barrier.

I would say that the design is in keeping with the overall look, however, it is rather unsightly. The bars resemble those found in prisons, and the short horizontal bars do provide foot support for anyone interested in climbing onto the second floor units which aren’t as protected.

Again this really looks like an afterthought. Scrolling through the marketing brochure, I can’t seem to find these “iron rod” grills along the 1st floor units, so I am led to believe that the first owners of these ground floor units were in for a rude awakening upon moving in.

Unit Mix

Block Number	No of Storeys	3 Room	4 Room	5 Room	Total
530A	13	25	76	26	127
530B	14	27	38	14	79
530C	13	26	85	25	136
530D	14	25	38	42	105
Total		103	237	107	447

Stack Analysis

Like Hougang Capeview, Pasir Ris ONE has a big disparity between the good and average stacks.

Due to its proximity to the MRT station, residents facing the west side would frequently hear the MRT going by. These are stacks 370, 372, 368, 350, 352, 354, 356, 380 and 378.

Moreover, these stacks would also have to contend with the Cross Island Line construction noise, as well as the traffic noise from the main Pasir Ris Drive 1.

On the other hand, residents in the north facing units that clear White Sands would be treated to both the greenery view from Pasir Ris Park, as well as the sea views beyond.

One downside though, is that it still faces a major mall as well as the upcoming Pasir Ris 8, so some construction noise should be expected in the next few years.

It would be best that those looking to buy units facing these potentially noisy sites visit at different times of the day, and not just on the evening of weekends! This allows you to really know how noisy it is during the day and night.

Those looking to have the least construction noise and have decent views should consider stacks 416 and 418. These are the only 2 stacks that have unblocked views towards D’Best Recreation Saltwater Pond and Pasir Ris Town Park. Units on the higher floors of stacks 404 and 406 should also get some decent views!

Pasir Ris ONE Price Review

Project	Lease Start Date	2 Room	3 Room	4 Room	5 Room	Executive
Costa Ris	2015	$315,333 ($623 psf)	$433,500 ($592 psf)	$550,421 ($550 psf)	$691,680 ($569 psf)	–
HDB Opp Costa Ris	1992	–	–	$467,500 ($418 psf)	$569,167 ($431 psf)	$750,000 ($484 psf)
HDB Opp Pasir Ris ONE	1992	–	–	–	–	$776,000 ($487 psf)
Pasir Ris ONE	2015	–	$506,750 ($724 psf)	$637,905 ($689 psf)	$792,990 ($702 psf)	–

There aren’t a lot of new HDB developments surrounding Pasir Ris ONE. The only project here is Costa Ris which has the same lease start date as Pasir Ris ONE – 2015. I have also put in the older HDBs opposite these respective HDBs for comparison.

It’s clear that units all flat types at Pasir Ris ONE are more popular than its similary-aged HDB peer – Costa Ris.

It’s not just higher in terms of price, but in terms of $PSF too. Here’s how their sizes compare:

Project	3 Room	4 Room	5 Room
Costa Ris	68 sqm	93 sqm	113 sqm
Pasir Ris ONE	65 sqm	86 sqm	105 sqm

DBSS are notoriously known to have smaller unit sizes, and Pasir Ris ONE is no exception. While the 4-room flat here is still larger than the 83 sqm that Trivelis has, the amount of indoor space here is quite lacking if you consider how both the master bedroom and living room has a balcony!

If you look at the Pasir Ris ONE layout, you’ll see that a lot of space has gone to both balconies. Sacrifices had to be made elsewhere, and you can clearly see this in both the common bedrooms that look only big enough to comfortably fit a single bed.

Moreover, the master bedroom directly faces the hallway which is not as desirable as Costa Ris’s layout, with some entryway allowance for privacy. There is also quite a bit of wasted space at the entranceway for Pasir Ris ONE. While an entranceway is not necessarily bad given it increases privacy and makes the space a little bit more exclusive, it is a concern if the amount of indoor space is already small as is the case with Pasir Ris ONE.

In addition, the dining area does look quite cramped given how narrow the wall is – the good news is that it isn’t structural, so those looking to open up more space could make do with an open kitchen concept.

Our Take

Pasir Ris ONE has gained notoriety for its quality issues (tiles popping), narrow corridors (evidently) and a misalignment of expectations vs reality (drop-off shelter/poor barbeque pit ergonomics). Its unit size and layout also look rather undesirable compared to standard HDB units.

And yet, if prices serve as an indication of demand, then it’s clear that Pasir Ris ONE is pretty much sought after. Despite many of its numerous shortcomings, it seems that buyers really care more about the positives of this development – mainly its excellent location right next to Pasir Ris MRT.

This does reaffirm my belief that there really is (as much as it sounds like a cliché) – a property for everyone.

Also, resale buyers today would not be too concerned about the quality issues affecting the units at this stage, considering how the 1st owner would have made the rectifications during the Defects Liability Period.

That being said, you can never be sure if something faulty is brewing – so I would recommend getting an expert to do a defects check so that you’re fully aware of the costs incurred should anything be fixed upon moving in/starting your renovations.

So if you are looking for a still new home with balcony spaces that’s situated in an excellent location in the east (and are willing to compromise on the size), then perhaps Pasir Ris ONE is truly for you.

However, if being close to Pasir Ris MRT is not a priority at all, then I would seriously consider other HDBs or DBSS.