New launches for ECs have crossed a new high in 2022. North Gaia EC located in the edge of the Yishun estate is now being sold at an average of $1302 PSF. That is a significant price. For reference, North Park Residences – the Yishun condo that is located directly above Northpoint Shopping Centre and directly opposite Yishun MRT – was launched at $1263 PSF back in 2017. But that was a fully private condo without the constraints and limitations of an EC – plus it is located in one of the most convenient locations in Yishun. This where we are on the pricing of Executive Condominiums in Singap ..read more

  You might have seen the various headlines about how the HDB resale price index has been inching upwards since end 2020 with the trend continuing to 2021. You might also have seen the ever-increasing COV (Cash Over Valuation) that more and more buyers are paying in order to secure a flat in the resale market. What does all this mean in this current post-pandemic period? Does this mean that 2021 is the best time to sell your HDB flat? Let’s explore the reasons behind the sudden surge in demand that helped some sellers achieve record-breaking Cash Over Valuations and transaction prices ..read more

I’ve been getting queries from readers who are keen on the idea of purchasing an EC instead of a private condo. Some of them believe that purchasing an EC in the resale market that had just fulfilled MOP is a good idea as it is considered a cheaper option as compared investing in a private property. There is also a belief that an EC is a better stepping stone towards private property ownership. There are definitely advantages of upgrading to an EC over a private property: Lower entry price You don’t have to pay Additional Buyer Stamp Duty(ABSD) even if you stay in your HDB flat till your EC ..read more

Being a property agent for the past 13 years, I have seen all the weird and interesting behaviour from investors during the various periods when significant rulings were put in place. I remembered seeing a high net worth investor buying 10 units simultaneously and selling the Option To Purchase (OTPs) just a few hours later with significant markup. And people actually flocked to him to buy! It was the Wild West and cowboy town for a while before the government stepped in to regulate all the processes. If you think 2020 is a “new normal” because of the pandemic, agents like us had our own “new ..read more

The current pandemic has given me a lot of time to reflect. With the partial lockdown in Singapore and no viewings allowed, it has given me the time to review my writing and the people I have met in the process. I have been in the property line for more than 13 years. For those thinking of joining – I can tell you this is a tough industry. Our knowledge needs to be regularly updated, rules and regulations are always changing and our prospects and clients are becoming more savvy. And best of all – your sales commissions will only come in 3 to 9 months later! No such thing as a regular pay cheq ..read more

About 11 years ago – I was assisting clients to sell their private properties. The property market was buoyant with soaring prices. Both local and foreign Investors back then regarded Singapore property as a safe haven. They were flooding the property market. You are able to invest 2 or more properties without having to incur additional buying stamp duty (ABSD) You just needed to be a guarantor and show the banks the available funds to qualify for a mortgage loan. In those days – you are also able to make a quick profit and exit the market in the shortest possible time without having to incu ..read more

  I previously wrote about Looking for Capital Gains? A Comparison of New Launch vs Resale Condos  on the difference between a new launch property and a older properties in terms of capital gains. It actually received a lot of attention. Some of the feedback from my readers was that they still preferred an older property as compared to a new launch property. You may wonder why some people still prefer to invest in older properties? New properties have a more modern and creative appearance with latest fixtures and fittings. So what might be so attractive about older properties that p ..read more

I still remembered this incident despite it happening more than 2 years ago. Back in 2017, I was handling a case where there was a water seepage leakage at the windows whenever thereʼs a heavy downpour with strong winds. This happened at one of the condominiums at Holland area. After assessing the problem by the management contractor, we are certain that the seal of the windows from outside had actually worn off that allowed the rainwater to seep through the windows. However the water was contained at the window tracking and did not splash out to cause any damage to tenantʼs belongings. A cou ..read more

Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to meet up with this gentleman who is in his early 50s. During the meeting, I found out he owns 3 properties! Within his portfolio, he has: 1 bedder private condo unit located at Geylang (he recently sold it) 1 bedder private condo unit located at Sims Drive (currently still holding) 5-room HDB flat located at Serangoon that was fully paid off Not bad right? Financially, I thought he was doing well. Most of us don’t even own 2 properties – let alone 3! He met up with me looking to whether it was possible to restructure his property portfolio. 55-Year ..read more

Disclaimer: This article is merely providing an opinion and not an advice to buy. Please do your own thorough research before you make a decision. Parc Clematis has been launched this year after Parc West went through the en-bloc process in early 2018. (This was before the July 2018 cooling measures) In this case, the developer had paid $850 psf per plot ratio. The starting prices at Parc Clematis is currently at average of $16XX PSF. My interest in Parc Clematis is from my experience in serving owners and landlords who owned properties around the area. So I have some level of familiarity wit ..read more