HDB wins UN Public Service Award for home ownership programme
Singapore’s public housing agency – Housing and Development Board (HDB) – has been given the United Nations Public Service Award. HDB said the award is in recognition of the Home Ownership Programme, which has successfully provided over 80 per cent of Singaporeans with affordable quality flats, of them 95 per cent own these homes. Describing … Read more
HDB launches Build-To-Order project in Marsiling
The Housing and Development Board (HDB) on Tuesday launched a Build-To-Order (BTO) project called Straits Vista @ Marsiling. The project is located near the Woodlands Regional Centre, and is served by Woodlands MRT station and bus interchange. HDB advised potential buyers to plan ahead for their housing needs, since BTO flats take a few years … Read more
HDB upgrading pace will continue despite rise in construction costs
National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan said the Housing and Development Board (HDB) is containing construction costs as much as it could even though they have gone up significantly recently. HDB is doing this by simplifying some of the projects or by combining them so that there are more economies of scale. A recent example … Read more
Singapore is top Asian city with highest quality of living
Singapore has come out tops in Asia for having the highest quality of living, according to an annual survey by consulting firm Mercer. The study was based on a number of factors including the political and social environment, medical and health considerations, public services and transportation, and housing. Globally, Singapore is ranked 32, after climbing … Read more
Developers to unveil more modestly-priced condos
Dakota slated for preview this month at under $1,000 psf average, lower than earlier indicated Developers are getting ready to release mass- to mid-market condos, encouraged by the response to modestly-priced developments recently. City Developments Ltd (CDL) previewed Shelford Suites about a week ago at an average price believed to be around $1,550 psf, although … Read more
No more cheap mortgages as banks raise rates
Hike of up to 1 percentage point for some fixed rate packages to 3.98% THE days when you could lock in cheap mortgage rates or the first year or two seem to be over, now that banks have quietly jacked up rates for new fixed-rate loans. Just five months ago, banks were dangling teaser rates … Read more
Good investment deals in Thai market
THAILAND offers some of Asia’s best real estate investments. High-quality contemporary properties in prime locations continue to drive prices and build the country’s position regionally, but players say government barriers for overseas buyers are crimping growth. Royal Phuket Marina: The resort towns of Phuket and Pattaya are the most popular locations outside Bangkok for foreign … Read more
Viet market seen hurting S’pore firms
Analysts say they may end up with unsold homes given slowing sales of late SINGAPORE developers in Vietnam are likely to be affected by a cooling residential property market and tighter government regulations, research houses say. Keppel Land, CapitaLand, Guocoland, Fraser & Neave, Allgreen and Chip Eng Seng are six developers with residential projects in … Read more
China property market set to cool
Developers face credit squeeze, falling sales and lower prices A CREDIT crunch, dwindling transactions and falling prices in some hot markets add up to trouble for China’s real estate industry, a key pillar of growth for the world’s fourth-largest economy. Although official figures show investment in property still grew 32 per cent in the first … Read more
Singapore is safest place in Asia: Mercer rankings
It takes 9th place for personal safety; 32nd for quality of living IN THE global quest to woo foreign talent, a good 30 cities are placed above Singapore in terms of quality of living, going by consulting firm Mercer’s latest rankings. But solely on ‘personal safety’, Singapore is in the top league with the best … Read more
