THE bumper supply ramp-up of new land sites has allowed developers to keep their landbanks stocked up in the face of roaring home sales. Most big-gun builders have thousands of units in their landbanks. A landbank comprises unsold units – including executive condominiums – from projects with planning approval and estimated units from sites that […]
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Second-time buyers get a better shot at EC units
Last Friday news that second-time buyers of public housing units would be given more chances to purchase executive condominium (EC) units; the previous 5 per cent limit increased to 30 per cent of units in ECs will now be set aside for this class of house hunters. ECs are sold by private developers with condominium-like […]
Help for HDB ‘second-timers’ to buy flats
AFTER easing the demand crunch among first-time Housing Board (HDB) flat applicants, the Government will now help ‘second-timers’ – a group that includes a large proportion of HDB upgraders. It will change the rules to significantly boost their chances of successfully balloting for a new Build-to-Order (BTO) flat or executive condominium (EC) unit. Announcing this […]
More incentives to live with or near parents
STRESSING the importance of family ties as the bedrock of a strong society, the Government yesterday rolled out two new initiatives to encourage married children to live with their parents or near them in housing estates. The first is to strengthen the Married Child Priority Scheme (MCPS) to give higher ballot chances to married children […]
CDL has faith in luxury property sector
(Another interesting headline. The reporter used the word “faith”, as if implying that CDL is not basing their optimism on facts.) Straits Times – 01 Mar 12 Summary: The subdued sentiment has forced CDL to halt marketing its premium project The Residences at W Singapore Sentosa Cove. (Forced? Developers are never forced to stop marketing […]
Getting a home loan? Get reality check first
This is a very interesting headline. Read on to find out why. Straits Times today (01 Mar 12) Summary: Monetary Authority of S’pore (MAS) has mandated that from today, banks will have to provide potential borrowers with a fact sheet when discussing on credit facility. Objective: to help potential customers work through the nuts and […]
Development charges dip for non-landed residential use
Straits Times – 01 Mar 12 Summary: Charges that developers pay to enhance the use of a plot of land have finally been reduced or left flat for some sectors, as the slowing property market takes its toll (I think it’s more for the luxury prime areas, rather than the rest of Singapore.) The new […]
Sentosa Cove Bungalow fetches Record $39 M
Business Times – 01 Mar 12 Summary: A sea fronting bungalow at Cove Drive has changed hands at $39 million, a record absolute price for a bungalow in upscale waterfront residential district of Sentosa Cove – $2,448psf on land area of 15,929sqft. Surpasses the previous high of $36 million for a bungalow on Paradise Island that was transacted in […]
Condominium Review: Centro Residences
About this development: Tenure: 99 yr leasehold Developer: Far East Site Area: approximately 69,000sqft Location: Ang Mo Kio Ave 8 – just beside Ang Mo Kio Hub No. of levels: 34 storeys, with 2 towers No. of Units: 329 Pros: Excellent location – just next to Ang Mo Kio Hub (NTUC and many restaurants are […]
Green Lodge put up for collective sale, EOI at Oxley – Business Times 3 Nov 11
Green Lodge, a freehold development located on Toh Tuck Road, has been put up for collective sale. Separately, an Expression of Interest (EOI) exercise was launched yesterday for 71 and 73 Oxley Rise, a freehold site zoned for ‘commercial and residential’ use. The Green Lodge site has an asking price that is above $195 million, […]
Suites @ Newton is FOR SALE!!!
Suites @ Newton is now available at SPECIAL PREVIEW PRICES! 1-Bedroom only from $1,041,427! 2-Bedroom only from $1,224,853! Do not to miss such attractive quantum for a Prime D11 property!!! Prestigious Freehold Development @ D11 1 Surrey Road By Teambuild Land ~~~Newest Launch!~~~ ~~~Worth Considering!~~~ Reasonable Quantum! Project Information Location: District 11! 1 Surrey Road Singapore […]
Home Sales Unlikely to beat last year’s high – The Straits Times, 1 Nov 11
Summary Strong economy first 9 months but global economic uncertainty to take toll Sales of new private homes may come close to last year’s record high, but they are unlikely to surpass the figure with global economic uncertainty affecting demand, experts say. Homes sales for the first 9 months of this year came in at […]
Laguna Park, Henry Park Apartments up for collective sale – Channel News Asia 31 Oct 11
Laguna Park at Marine Parade Road is up for collective sale with a reserve price of S$1.25 billion. Together with Henry Park Apartments, which is also up for collective sale at between S$170 million and S$180 million, the total value of properties that have come up for sale in October has hit close to S$5 […]
Buffet of New Homes – The Straits Times, 31 Oct 11
Summary A large supply of mass-market homes is set to enter the market by the end of this year. These 99-year leasehold projects are mostly from the flood of suburban state land released by the government over the last year as it attempted to cool robust home-buying demand from first-timers and upgraders. At least 5 […]
HDB resale flat prices up 3.8% – Channel NewsAsia, 28 October 2011
Summary: HDB Resale Prices has increased by 3.8% as compared to the previous quarter Resale transactions fell by 10% from 6,581 cases in the second quarter to 5,903 cases in the third quarter. Overall increase from Q3 2011 is 11.6%, which is an all-time high, i.e. HDB resale prices has been increasing at an average […]
URA Released Real Estate Statistics for 3rd Quarter 2011
Check out my analysis of the data released! Please click on the picture below to enlarge the font size!
Have Property, May Not Profit – Sunday Times, 16 Oct 11, Invest Section, Page 37
Last Sunday, there was an interesting article about investing in property market in Singapore: Have property, may not profit – Sunday Times, 16 Oct 11, Invest Section, Page 37 In this article, the author, Mr Goh mentioned that he had met up with some old friends who are property investors, and they were musing about their […]
Summary of URA’s New Regulations on Singapore Property Market
The recent measures on 14 Jan 2011 imposed by the Singapore government had taken to ensure that the property market is sustainable has been pretty drastic. Check out the new regulations here. A Summary of URA’s regulations: 1. Holding Period for Seller’s Stamp Duties from 3 years to 4 years 2. Seller’s Stamp Duties imposed […]
From exuberance to caution
In just 12 months, Singapore has swung from Boom Town to seeing its slowest quarter in five years. ONE year ago, economic and business sentiment in Singapore was probably at an all-time high: The property market was on a roll, banks and finance houses went on a hiring spree, and the economy, flush with liquidity, […]
PROPERTY: Where to find homes at or below $600,000
They include executive condos as well as older private apartments in suburban locations THE property market has quietened considerably this year, but prices have yet to fall. Nevertheless, if you have a modest budget of about $600,000 for a home, your choices are not just confined to HDB flats. Some fairly new executive condominiums as […]
ME & MY MONEY: He makes room only for property investments
Door company Slide & Hide MD places his faith in real estate in S’pore and China, and blue-chip property stocks HE HAS worked in the construction industry for more than a decade and so it comes as no surprise to learn that Mr Andrew Lim, the managing director of door company Slide & Hide System, […]
Circle Line key to higher plot ratios: JLL
Study looks at how Master Plan 2008 could change landscape, usher in new initiatives (SINGAPORE) When Master Plan 2008 is unveiled sometime this year, certain areas are likely to see an increase in plot ratios. A study by Jones Lang LaSalle has tried to zero in on which areas could be allowed more intensive use […]
Market St Car Park may be redeveloped into offices
The total project cost could range from $1 billion to $1.5 billion CAPITACOMMERCIAL Trust (CCT) has been granted outline planning permission by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) to redevelop Market Street Car Park into an office tower that could cost up to $1.5 billion. Lynette Leong, chief executive of CCT’s manager CapitaCommercial Trust Management Ltd, […]
Rents for state-owned homes rise
(SINGAPORE) Now, you too can live like the colonial sahibs of old, as long as you are prepared to make the highest offer for monthly rental in an open bid. But be warned, rents of homes under the Singapore Land Authority’s (SLA) first bidding exercise held recently, increased by between 40 to 230 per cent […]
Land sales programme for 1H08 draws good reviews
Large supply of mass market homes but govt holds back on office sites THE government will release a batch of suburban residential land parcels in the first half of next year but property analysts are divided as to whether there will be enough takers for the homes coming up on the sites. And on the […]
Govt’s slate of land sales seen as prudent
List for H1 next year is roughly similar in scale to that for H2 this year (SINGAPORE) The Ministry of National Development is adopting a measured strategy in its Government Land Sales (GLS) Programme, offering up a slate for the first-half of next year that’s roughly similar in scale to the offerings for H2 2007. […]
Property players likely to zoom in on central locations
Topping the list is multi-use ‘white site’ not far from Bugis MRT DEVELOPERS, and eventually homebuyers, can take their pick from 21 plots that the Government will release for private housing between now and June. Property players, however, are likely to zoom straight in on the handful of land parcels that are more centrally located, […]
More land for mass market private homes released
The 21 residential sites will help meet demand and avert sharp price increases PRIVATE home buyers look set to be spoilt for choice after the Government unveiled an expansive programme of land sales for the first half of next year. The big winners will be mass market buyers, who include home buyers upgrading from HDB […]
Be vigilant about asset bubbles: Jackson Tai
Falling lending standards among key risks in Asia FALLING standards of lending due to intense competition among banks and ‘too much money’ driving asset prices up are some of the main risks to Asia’s financial industry, said outgoing DBS Group chief executive Jackson Tai last week. ‘Underwriting standards for loans and financings have deteriorated in […]
South Beach project to cost $2.5b: CityDev
(SINGAPORE) City Developments’ upcoming mixed-use project along Beach Road will cost some $2.5 billion in all – including the land cost of some $1.69 billion – the company’s chairman Kwek Leng Beng said yesterday. Mr Kwek was speaking to reporters after signing the building agreement for the site. CityDev, together with its partners Istithmar (part […]
2008 seen as year of mass market homes
Developers, consultants predict 10-20% hikes for this segment in 2008, high-end gains seen tapering to 0-10% (SINGAPORE) As the year draws to a close, developers and property consultants are cautiously optimistic about prospects for the Singapore property market next year despite the US sub-prime mortgage crisis and rising oil prices. For the residential sector, they […]
Wages keeping pace with household debt
Household balance sheet strengthened by rising property, equity prices SINGAPOREANS are a conservative lot. Despite strong wage growth, they are careful about borrowing too much. And with strong appreciation in property prices, the negative housing equity situation continues to improve. Household debt of $157.9 billion as a share of wages has continued to fall, from […]
Fewer sub-sales but value hits all-time high
Median Q3 sub-sale prices also hit record of $1,246 psf, up 25% year-on-year (SINGAPORE) The level of sub-sale activity may be just about half of what it was in 1995 but the value of subsale apartments transacted in the first three quarters of this year is already at an all-time annual high of $6.7 billion. […]
Fewer homes worth less than remaining loans as prices rise
Owners no longer in negative equity may be tempted to sell and cash in THE number of home owners in negative equity – where the property is worth less than the loan taken to buy it – has been slashed due to soaring real estate prices. Four years ago, about 13.7 per cent of owners […]
Property sales set for big drop in Q4
Early numbers show Q4 private property deals at $2.9b, nowhere near Q3′s $15.6b (SINGAPORE) Weakening market sentiment could have a bigger impact on property sales if early numbers for the Q4 2007 transactions are anything to go by. In a preliminary analysis of caveats lodged by DTZ Debenham Tie Leung (DTZ), the value of all […]
Where high finance meets high living
The new downtown will boast a casino, a financial hub, condos and retail areas TIRED of Orchard Road? Jaded by Clarke Quay? Finding Robertson Walk just a trifle same-old, same-old? For the Singapore consumer – probably among the most avid in the world – Marina Bay may be the next big thing. The new downtown […]
Oversupply looms in S’pore office sector: Citigroup
It downgrades two stocks with key exposure to sector – KepLand, CityDev SINGAPORE is in danger of seeing an oversupply of office space from 2010 onwards, Citigroup is warning. The bank’s research unit has also downgraded two Singapore stocks with significant exposure to the office market here – Keppel Land and City Developments. ‘The market […]
S’pore launches pushed back as developers gauge sentiment
Some projects being launched overseas first, others struggle to finish showflats (SINGAPORE) Developers here are holding back residential launches due to poor market sentiment – and in some cases are choosing to launch their projects overseas first as they wait for market sentiment here to recover. Launches are also being held back as showflats are […]
S’pore ranked 9th most costly Asian city for expatriates
SINGAPORE has risen 10 places in a new global survey of the most expensive places for expatriates to live. The Republic is closing the gap on higher-priced Hong Kong, which stayed at No. 79 in the survey, conducted by human resources firm ECA International. Despite the jump, Singapore, at No. 122, is still significantly cheaper […]
Property may be big gainer as real interest rates plunge
Mounting inflation makes it tempting to borrow, but things may change in the long run (SINGAPORE) Rising inflation may be starting to worry policymakers and the man on the street, but it has had an interesting side effect. It has pushed down the real interest rate dramatically and is expected to drive the property market […]
two cents’worth – Traits a good property investment should have
IT’S important to keep this in mind: It’s easy to get into properties, but very difficult and costly to get out. Hence you must get it right the first time and every time. Try to meet as many of the following criteria as you possibly can. Buy in high-growth areas These places experience traffic congestion. […]
Home sales dive in upmarket core, pick up elsewhere
Bourse turmoil, sub-prime problems cited for foreign investors’ caution (SINGAPORE) The private housing momentum is shifting decisively as sales and launches flag in the Core Central Region (where upmarket homes are located) but appear to be picking up in other areas. In the so-called Outside Central Region – which includes suburban mass-market housing locales […]
Soilbuild buys site for condo project
(SINGAPORE) Listed developer Soilbuild Group Holdings yesterday said that it bought a landed site off Meyer Road which it plans to amalgamate with Margate Mansion for a small luxury condominium project. The group’s latest purchase is 10 Margate Road. It paid $30.8 million for the 16,967 sq ft freehold site. Together with Margate Mansion, total […]
S’pore home price gains set to slow
Buyers holding back purchases on US sub-prime fears, says Frasers CEO (SINGAPORE) Singapore’s home prices will probably increase at a slower pace as buyers hold back their purchases amid the US subprime crisis, said Lim Ee Seng, chief executive officer of Frasers Centrepoint Group. Losses related to US housing mortgages have sapped consumer confidence, Mr […]
HORIZON TOWERS HEARING – ‘Penthouses cost $20m, $30m…where am I to go?’
Apportionment method is unfair, argue some penthouse owners (SINGAPORE) The minority owners of Horizon Towers who are objecting to the en bloc sale of the development took the stand for the first time yesterday, putting forth their reasons as to why the collective sale should not go through. Arguments on how the penthouse owners would […]
Property boom expected to continue
Robust economy, jobs growth, strong housing demand and en bloc sales proceeds are key drivers THE bullish sentiment in Singapore’s residential market continued into 2007 from where it left off in 2006. In the first nine months of this year, the market recorded a total of 29,331 sales transactions worth some $52 billion. This represents […]
Modest bidding for CBD office site as caution sinks in
Top offer of $779.42 psf ppr half of next- door site’s recent bid (SINGAPORE) The new-found caution surrounding the Singapore office market is now spilling over to the Central Business District. Reflecting this, a site at Marina View diagonally behind One Shenton yesterday attracted a top bid from Macquarie Global Property Advisors (MGPA) of $779.42 […]
Interest-only loans: the pros and cons
They make sense to short-term investors and individuals who are high income earners and in high tax brackets, says BEN FOK CONSUMERS are constantly bombarded with offers of loans, overdrafts, credit cards and instalment plans that promise instant gratification. We cannot avoid debt entirely, especially when it comes to acquiring the big ticket items, and […]
Essential homework before taking loan
KEVIN LAM discusses five key areas that your home loan banker would be looking very closely at THIS has been a special year for the property market. Not since the early 1990s has there been such euphoria about the property market – long queues at property launches, stories of someone we know making fast money […]
PROPERTY – Consider shop units for rental yields
Prime units offer yields of 3.5%-5% but they don’t come cheap, especially in Raffles Place, Orchard Road SHOPPING, already a national pastime, is becoming even more popular, if rising retail rents and capital values are anything to go by. Not only are the rents and values in the traditional shopping belt of Orchard Road on […]
