HDB flat buyers pay less cash upfront
House-hunting for soon-to-be-married Jolyn Toh used to be a discouraging affair as prices were out of her reach. But things are looking up for the engineer. Just six months ago, home-owners in Bukit Batok, where she is looking to buy an HDB flat, used to demand nothing less than $50,000 cash upfront. In the last … Read more
Jurong General Hospital to be located near MRT, bus interchange
The new general hospital in Jurong will be located in Jurong East, within walking distance from the Jurong East MRT station and bus interchange, Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan announced after a ministerial walkabout in Geylang Serai on Sunday. The hospital will also be easily accessible via the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) and the Pan-Island … Read more
Industry players welcome CaseTrust for real estate agencies
The consumer watchdog wants to reduce the growing number of complaints against property agents and real estate agencies. So it is developing a CaseTrust Accreditation Scheme for the industry. This could be introduced by the middle of 2008. Estate agencies who wish to apply and attain the CaseTrust status will be subjected to a more … Read more
BCA Gallery showcases development of Spore’s built environment
A new Building and Construction Authority (BCA) Gallery was opened on Friday to showcase the past and latest technology used to erect buildings in Singapore. Located at Braddell Road, the gallery’s interactive exhibits show what it takes to erect buildings in Singapore since the post-war period. There is also a sensory garden – an outdoor … Read more
What if my condo’s en bloc sale fails?
Defaulting parties stand to lose their deposits and can be sued for non-completion of the sale; it’s also risky to buy a new home before a collective deal is closed Some owners of condominium units may still be keen on selling en bloc, but developers’ interest in collective sale sites has more or less dried … Read more
Goodbye, en bloc sales
Pender Court. Finland Gardens. Tulip Garden. Makeway View. These were all attempts to sell an estate en bloc which fell through, all within this month. But even as the en bloc fever cools, not all the affected residents are getting hot under the collar. Many told The Sunday Times that they were disappointed to miss … Read more
Doc, 53, has to finance 2nd home
Dr Chia Kiat Swan is decidedly philosophical about the recent purchase of his second home. The medical doctor had bought a landed property – he declined to say where – thinking that it could be paid for with the $2.5 million he expected to get from the collective sale of his Tulip Garden apartment. Instead, … Read more
He’s glad that 2-year saga is finally over
Mr Micky Sim was overseas when he first heard that his estate, Finland Gardens, was going to be sold en bloc two years ago. The first thing he did was to call his contractor who was renovating the unit he had recently bought there. ‘I cut back by at least 30 per cent. Forget about … Read more
Couple’s dream turns to nightmare
From en bloc dreams to endless nightmares – that was how Madam S.L. Chia and her husband described their experience these past two years. It became a nightmare because the promised $1.1 million from the sale of the couple’s Finland Gardens flat never came, as the deal became snagged in a dispute. They were still … Read more
Deal’s off but she still lucked out
For housewife Jane (not her real name), the no-go on the en bloc deal at Tulip Garden, where she has a flat, proved a blessing. Worried about spiralling home prices when talk of a collective sale started last year, she liquidated all her stocks in August to help pay for a $3 million apartment near … Read more
