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REAL ESTATE

Things to know before you consider North Gaia EC

The tender for the exec condo (EC) land at Yishun Avenue 9 was awarded to Sing Holdings Limited, after it persented the leading bid of $373.5 million, claimed the Real estate as well as Advancement Board (HDB) on Friday 20 Nov. Introduced up for sale on 30 Apr, the 99-year leasehold land has a location of 21,514.0 square meter and also a maximum gross floor location of 60,240 sqm. It can produce as much as six hundred real estate units. The tender for the site closed on 29 October, with 7 quotes obtained.

The North Gaia EC is located in close proximity to a plethora of amenities. It is down the road from Junction Nine and is also surrounded by numerous established schools.

Despite being in a location that is removed from the hustle and bustle of the city centre, the new EC at Yishun is relatively accessible via major expressways such as TPE, CTE & SLE.

North Gaia EC location map
Source: North Gaia EC north-gaia.com

The new EC @ Yishun Ave 9 is also family-friendly since it is nearby Chongfu Primary School, Northland Primary School, Chung Cheng High School and Yishun Junior College. Khoo Teck Puat Hospital and a community hospital nearby will help to fulfill the healthcare needs of the residents.
Why invest in North Gaia? Efficient layout & design allows flexibility in customization. Walking distance to the food court, markets and convenient stalls. Great rental potential with close proximity to G.E.M.S International School + Seletar Aerospace Park. Free 1 Year Shuttle Bus To Yishun MRT & Bus Interchange. Within 1km To Yishun Integrated Mall with Interchange/ North Point City. Near Health care center; Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, the Yishun Community and Yishun Pond was revamped with a three-storey lookout tower. The Yishun site is quite large, and experts expect that it will build approximate 600 units. It’s also expected to enjoy beautiful secene of the Khatib Bongsu nature park, once NParks completes it.

North Gaia EC is also near emerging growth areas such as the Woodlands Regional Centre and the Seletar Aerospace Park which will offer more job opportunities closer to home. The Woodlands Regional Centre is earmarked as the largest economic hub in northern Singapore and the authorities plan to introduce new spaces for business, industry, and research and development in the next decade.

The name Yishun is a Mandarin romanisation of Lim Nee Soon, a prominent industrialist who made his fortune from the rubber and pineapple plantations he found in this place. Yishun planning area is divided into sub-zones namely Khatib, Lower Seletar, Nee Soon, North Land, Springleaf, Yishun Central, Yishun East, Yishun South and Yishun West. Springleaf and Nee Soon subzones are private housing estates in Yishun.

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REAL ESTATE

The new Condo at Tanah Merah Kechil Link

MCC Land won the bidding process for the 8,880 square metre site at Tanah Merah Kechil Link, next to Tanah Merah MRT terminal, among complete 15 proposals, with the highest possible by MCC Land (Singapore) at $248.99 million. This equates to a land rate of about $930 per sq ft per plot ratio (psf ppr).
The Tanah Merah Kechil Link parcel, which is stated for domestic with industrial usage on the first floor, can possibly generate around 265 units and 2,000 square meter of commercial room.

The Tanah Merah Kechil Link condo is located beside the Tanah Merah MRT terminal and within close closeness of Changi Business Park. Without shopping center around the MRT station, there would certainly be strong need for stores and food as well as beverages outlets. The closeness to the Tanah Merah MRT station on the East-West Line (EWL) offers uncomplicated accessibility to commercial centres in Tampines and also Paya Lebar, in addition to neighboring Changi Business Park, the Changi Airport and interesting future advancements in Changi East. It is additionally a straight train ride to significant work centres in Raffles Place and also Jurong East on the EWL.

Resource: Tanah Merah Residence at Kechil Link https://tanah-merah-residence.com/

Tanah Merah Kechil Link location map

The arrangement for business area is appealing as neighboring features are limited. The domestic growth at Tanah Merah Kechil Link is likely to be introduced in late 2021 when purchasing need could enhance alongside an anticipated financial recovery. These work nodes, just a few mins from the upcoming Tanah Merah condo parcel by means of the MRT, will bring jobs closer to houses and create brand-new opportunities for citizens. For investors looking for stable rental revenue, these commercial centres must provide a fairly substantial and also steady swimming pool of renting demand.

Tanah Merah Residence at Kechil Link perspective

Tanah Merah’s food is wonderful. Someone did a review on an electrical outlet in East Village offering takoyaki drenched in mouthwatering nacho cheese, public’s interest in the food scene over at Tanah Merah has stimulated.

It is not all work and also no play either. People living in the East, occasionally called the Easties, will certainly attest that Eastern Singapore is a lot of fun as well as possibly has several of one of the most preferred eateries in the country– from East Coast Road to Joo Chiat as well as Katong, from Old Airport Road to Simpang Bedok. Foodies, be advised. There will be no absence of delicious dining/supper options for future locals of the new Tanah Merah advancement. There are additionally lots of education and learning organizations in the vicinity of the Tanah Merah parcel, hence reducing the commute to colleges – which can suggest some added time in bed or to grab a fast morning meal. These institutions include St. Anthony’s Canossian Primary as well as Secondary, Bedok Green Primary and Secondary, Anglican High School, Bedok View Secondary School, Bedok South Secondary School, Temasek Secondary School, Temasek Junior College, ITE College East, Singapore University of Technology and Design.

The name “Tanah Merah” appears in the seventeenth century (1604) map by Manuel Godinho de Erédia on Singapore, composed as Tana Mera. This place name is most likely to have actually been an essential reference factor for the orang laut (sea individuals) in their activities in the area. Old maps likewise show the presence of Tanah Merah Road as early as the 1840s, which extended from Kallang River to Changi Point. Now, the road ran primarily along the original path but was relabelled Geylang Road, Changi Road and also Upper Changi Road, with an area between Siglap Road and also Tanah Merah Kechil Road shed after the hills of Chai Chee and also Bedok were levelled, and also an additional brief section shed under Changi Airport.

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REAL ESTATE

Tampines St 62 EC, not to be missed out

2 99-year leasehold sites used as part of the Government Land Sales Program have each brought nine proposals at state tenders on Thursday.

One is a land parcel for a residential housing development with commercial area on the 1st floor, located next to the upcoming Lentor MRT terminal on the Thomson-East Shore Line; and also one more is a site for an exec condo (EC) real estate along Tampines Street 62. ECs are a public-private housing hybrid.

For the EC site in Tampines St 62, the leading proposal of S$ 422 million or almost S$ 659 psf ppr offered by a consortium making up a Qingjian Realty as well as Octava Pte Ltd joint venture and Santarli Realty.

Probably people think the Tampines St. 62 EC price is high, time to think about Canninghill Piers which will be sold around $3,000.

The Tampines St 62 EC project is roughly 1 km from the Pasir Ris MRT station, near nature parks such as Tampines Eco Green Park as well as Tampines North Boulevard Park. It is likewise located in the direction of the south of Tampines Meridian Junior College. Nearby institutions are Poi Ching Primary School, Gongshang Primary, Elias Primary, and so on.

From: Tampines St 62 EC https://tampinesnorth-ec.com/

Tampines St 62 EC location map

Tampines has had a number of HDB Build-To-Order launches in the past couple of years, supplying a huge pool of possible upgraders to ECs.

Tampines North blueprint

REASONS TO BUY Tampines St 62 EC? Assistant supervisor of research study and also working as a consultant stated a strong selling point is the plot’s closeness to the upcoming Tampines North MRT station as well as facilities in Tampines community.

The present average transacted prices for new EC houses marketed by developers in 2Q2021 is $1,154 psf. This colony rate will make all the existing EC projects relatively inexpensive comparative.
The positive top proposal reflects a favorable outlook on EC costs along with solid expectation for residential developments as a result of realty companies’ decreasing supply of unsold units.
Real estate companies have always been positive about ECs, due to the fact that these are a few of the a lot more in-demand residential or commercial property types. ECs are a cross between public and also private real estate; they are just HDB properties for the very first 10 years, and also are completely personal after that.

Tampines is the third-largest brand-new town in Singapore by area, covering over 2089 hectares of land, as well as likewise is the third most inhabited new community, adhering to Bedok as well as Jurong West. It is the local centre for the East Region.

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Property Related

Is another condo in Tanah Merah Kechil Link worth buying?

Tenders for Tanah Merah Residence at Kechil Link area closed with bids ‘over expectations’. The tenders for 2 confirmed-list residential area under the Government Land Sales (GLS) programme for the very first half of the year closed on 29 October 2020. Both 99-year leasehold land parcels – at Tanah Merah Kechil Link and also Yishun Avenue 9 – offered for sale by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and also the Housing Board (HDB) specifically, were the very first GLS tenders to close since the pandemic started. Amidst the recession, the proposals were typically over expectations, experts state.

The condo in Tanah Merah Kechil Link is for a mixed property growth, with the very first floor stated for commercial area. An eye-catching attribute of this parcel is its place straight in front of the Tanah Merah MRT terminal– it is the closest to the terminal’s entry compared to the surrounding apartment developments. Currently, the Tanah Merah MRT terminal is one station from the Expo MRT interchange terminal which is additionally connected to the Downtown Line. The Expo terminal will also be connected to the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) which will additionally boost the availability to the city and northern parts of Singapore when the TEL prepares from 2024.

Resource from Tanah Merah Residence at Kechil Link https://tanahmerah.residencessg.com/

Tanah Merah MRT

The promote decentralisation– amid renovation in public transport – has attracted several business to establish their existence in local industrial hubs such as in Paya Lebar and Tampines. As an example, the Tampines Regional Centre has come to be a location for many banks’ back-office features, while Paya Lebar has actually become a dynamic live-work-play location with growths consisting of incorporated growth Paya Lebar Quarter, Paya Lebar Square and SingPost Centre. Not neglecting the bustling Changi Business Park close by, which is home to many modern technology companies and monetary services firms.

On the other hand, serious consumers will not have to look much for some retail therapy, given that the project will certainly offer business shops on the very beginning. Past that, there are lots of various other retail offerings as well as event areas around such as the Singapore Expo, Changi City Point, Bedok Mall, Bedok Point, East Point, as well as certainly the large Jewel Changi Airport, which not just houses an extensive mix of F&B, retail and also way of life options however additionally the 40-metre high HSBC Rain Vortex– the globe’s tallest interior waterfall.

Tanah Merah East Living

Compared with the various other GLS websites for the very first fifty percent 2020 for both the confirmed and as well as book lists, the Tanah Merah Kechil Link land parcel also has the smallest GFA, which would certainly require less capital need as well as therefore, less monetary risk to create.

Future home owners looking to rent out the unit to expatriate family members would be heartened to know that there are 2 international schools – Nexus global institution in Aljunied and also United World College South East Asia (East Campus) in Tampines– that are a short car ride away.

The name “Tanah Merah” appears in the seventeenth century (1604) map by Manuel Godinho de Erédia on Singapore, composed as Tana Mera. This place name is most likely to have actually been a crucial reference factor for the orang laut (sea individuals) in their activities in the area. Old maps likewise show the presence of Tanah Merah Road as early as the 1840s, which stretched from Kallang River to Changi Point. Currently, the road ran mostly along the original route however was renamed Geylang Road, Changi Road as well as Upper Changi Road, with an area in between Siglap Road as well as Tanah Merah Kechil Road shed after capitals of Chai Chee as well as Bedok were levelled, and another brief section shed under Changi Airport.

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Uncategorized

Things to know before you consider Yishun Aveneue 9 EC

The tender for the exec condo (EC) land at Yishun Avenue 9 was granted to Sing Holdings Limited, after it sent the leading proposal of $373.5 million, said the Real estate and Growth Board (HDB) on Friday 20 Nov. Launched offer for sale on 30 April, the 99-year leasehold parcel has an area of 21,514.0 square meter and also a maximum gross flooring location of 60,240 sqm. It can generate approximately 600 real estate units. The tender for the site closed on 29 Oct 2020, with 7 bids got.

The Yishun EC project is located in close proximity to a plethora of amenities. It is down the road from Junction Nine and is also surrounded by numerous established schools.

Despite being in a location that is removed from the hustle and bustle of the city centre, the new EC at Yishun is relatively accessible via major expressways such as TPE, CTE & SLE.

Yishun Ave 9 EC location map
Source: Yishun Ave 9 EC https://www.yishunec-sg.com/

The site is surrounded by many amenities to create a pleasant living environment. A short drive to Northpoint City, the latest mega integrated mixed project and transportation hub in Northern Singapore, a favourite haunt for the nearby residents. It offers many retail outlets, food and beverage, food courts, additional choices for grocery shopping, clud & library. The residents will enjoy the convenience of amenities with cinemas, restaurants, supermarket, and eateries.

yishun EC dummy perspective 3

ECs are often said to “make money” right after the 5 year Minimum Occupation Period (MOP). Some believe prospective buyers are easy to find for resale ECs– only the 1st batch of buyers are faced with the MOP, and the theory is that any buyers would be purchasing closer to the date of full privatisation.

Parc Botania

The Yishun site is really big, and experts expect that it can yield roughly 600 units. It’s also expected to have a good view of the Khatib Bongsu nature park, once NParks completes it.

Yishun, formerly known as Nee Soon, is a town located in the northeastern corner of the North Region of Singapore, bordering Simpang and Sembawang to the north, Mandai to the west, the Central Water Catchment to its southwest, Ang Mo Kio to its south, as well as Seletar and Sengkang to its east.

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REAL ESTATE

Believing Parc Greenwich proximity to centers and features…

Believing concerning Parc Greenwich proximity to centers and features as well as URA’s future innovations in the north-east area, Parc Greenwich is anticipated to obtain a high demand. Parc Greenwich is around 900 m away from Fernvale LRT Station and The Seletar Shopping shopping mall. Parc Greenwich is about 900 m away from Fernvale LRT Station and also The Seletar Buying shopping mall. It is a brief range stroll from the upcoming Fernvale LRT and also with features such as shopping malls, healthcare centers, and colleges within the area. It is a brief variety stroll from the upcoming Fernvale LRT and also with facilities such as purchasing malls, clinical centers, as well as institutions within the location.


Image Source: https://www.parc-greenwich-ec.com

Amongst the greatest rewards of being a PARC GREENWICH owner is the substantial choice of facilities close by.

Thinking about Parc Greenwich proximity to facilities and also functions and URA’s future innovations in the north-east area, Parc Greenwich is prepared for to get a high need. Being a home established by the decent Frasers Residential or industrial residential property indicates the development will certainly enjoy big success. The 480 systems of Parc Greenwich are set to be highly in-demand by customers looking for comfortable residences in a soothing setting readily available to the city.

Seletar Shopping Center and also Greenwich V deal lots of retail choices, together with basics like food store and restaurants. A brief drive away is Punggol Town. It consists of a library, hawker center, childcare center and also an excellent choice of health solutions.

Parc Greenwich is around 900 m away from Fernvale LRT Terminal and also The Seletar Shopping shopping center. It is likewise positioned directly accoss The Greenwich V Shopping Center.

Parc Greenwich is approximately 900 m far from Fernvale LRT Terminal as well as The Seletar Shopping center. It is a brief array walk from the upcoming Fernvale LRT and with features such as shopping center, medical care centers, as well as institutions within the location. Taking into consideration Parc Greenwich distance to centers and centers as well as URA’s future developments in the north-east area, Parc Greenwich is anticipated to obtain a high demand.

PARC GREENWICH, situated on Fernvale Lane, at the crossway of Greenwich V at the idyllic Seletar Hills and also the ever dynamic Fernvale, with an approaching park next door, is a residence in an Urban Town. Parc Greenwich is prepared for its residents ‘fulfillment as a household, a location with a plethora of facilities for families to bond, a pledge of a considerable future.

Property Highlights

  • Unblocked Landed Views
  • North-South Orientations with Reduced as well as Appealing Quantum
  • Nestled in Tranquil and also Serene Environment within the Landed Enclaves
  • Proximity to Renowned Schools like Rosyth School, Nan Chiau School, Mee Toh School, CHIJ St. Joseph Convent
  • Within 9 mins stroll to Fernvale LRT, The Seletar Shopping center & the upcoming Fernvale Square (An Integrated Area Center).
  • Short 13 minutes drive to The CBD.
  • Brief 11 minutes drive to The Orchard Purchasing Belt.
  • Straight contrary Greenwich V Shopping center that includes Cold store, Food Court, Childcare Centre, Pet Dog Shops & Clinics.
  • Problem Free Link to TPE, CTE, KPE expressways & significant roadways.
  • Trip on the upcoming 2 MEGA IMPROVEMENT– The Seletar
  • Aerospace Center & The Punggol Digital District.
  • Full Personal Condominium Condition after 10 years.
  • As long as $30K Federal Government Grants if you are a First-Timer.
  • High quality Item at 20%– 25% Lower Entry Price as compared to the New Private Condominiums.

In relation to colleges around the area, mother and fathers can pick from a wide variety of leading surrounding colleges of all degrees. They consist of Mind Buttons Kindergarten, PCF Sengkang Day Care Center, Support Green Primary Institution, Hougang Key School, Sengkang Eco-friendly Key Institution, Fernvale Main School, Yio Chu Kang Main Institution, Pei Hwa Senior High School, Hougang Secondary School, Sengkang Senior High School as well as Nan Chiau Senior High School.

Prepared with a collection of lavish facilities, this improvement is the supreme option for your desire house in the city. A few of this interesting areas consist of leisure facilities like the BARBEQUE health club, area and lap pool.

Discovered in Sengkang Fernvale Enclave, Parc Greenwich Executive Condominium is simply throughout Greenwich V Shopping center as well as depends on an unique enclave. Functions are all accessible in the Fernvale estate, boosting advantage for locals.

Travelling comfortable with the bordering associated bus stops in addition to MRT and also LRT stations, that consists of the closest Fernvale LRT, Thanggam LRT, Tongkang LRT, Layar LRT and Serangoon North MRT. Closed connection to preferred schools such as Rosyth Main College, Nan Chiau Secondary School, Fernvale Key School, Sengkang Environment-friendly Main College, Hougang Main Institution, Pei Hwa High School.

The spectacular landscape of this advancement welcomes its future citizens with a numerous plant. With its area bordered with imposing structures, it helps to provide the home owners a break from the busy setting. Tranquility as well as serenity within its buildings.

HDB has actually given the Parc Greenwich EC web site to Frasers Residential or commercial home Ltd offered under the Federal government Land Sales program (GLS). Parc Greenwich is purposefully located at Fernvale Lane along Yio Chu Kang Road in the North East side of Singapore.

Deal with costs surfaces of chic and streamlined as well as huge layout that is meticulously created with deluxe and sophistication in mind. Each personal area is fitted with finest of fittings and also completed with you in mind.

The programmer Frasers House won the tender after sending out the greatest bid of $286.5 million, equating to $555 psf ppr. Coming close was a quote from a consortium in between MCC Land (Singapore) and Sing Holdings Residential. They submitted a bid of $285.1 million comparable to $552 psf ppr.Out of the 7 prospective buyers, a quote from a partnership led by Evia Residential or commercial property came last at around $500 psf ppr.

Nestled in the relaxing and peaceful environments of the Northern-Eastern Area of Singapore with unrivaled connection and also features for large benefit, people call it their benefit to get a kick out of a big collection of centers that provide continual minutes of joy and the masterfully established popular typical gardens and pool.

Parc Greenwich EC lies in the Optical Character Recognition in District 28, lots of features are within strolling distance. It is a brief array walk from the upcoming Fernvale LRT as well as with centers such as buying malls, clinical centers, and also colleges within the area., situated on Fernvale Lane, at the crossway of Greenwich V at the ideal Seletar Hills and the ever before dynamic Fernvale, with an approaching park next door, is a house in an Urban Town.

Parc Greenwich web site covers concerning 1.87 hectares or 17,129.9 sq m with a maximum GFA of 47,964 sq m. When finished, the advancement is prepared for to house around 500 modern-day housing systems and also is anticipated to climb 15 floors high. The EC will include centers such as a club, gym, tennis court, swimming pool, and also far more.

For car owners, roads such as Yio Chu Kang and Sengkang are at your doorstep. Significant expressways like the Seletar Expressway (SLE), Central Expressway (CTE), and Tampines Expressway (TPE) are quickly offered allowing people to connect to other components of Singapore easily.

Schools within 1km of Parc Greenwich include Fernvale Main College and Sengkang Green Key College. Within 2km there is Anchor Green Key School, Fern Environment-friendly Key School, Hougang Main College and also Rosyth School.

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REAL ESTATE

Are You Mentally Ready to Move to Singapore?

Singapore is in Southeast Asia. Depending on where you're coming from, it can very well be the other side of the world. Indeed, this part of the globe attracts people from all four corners of the globe.

First-world living standards

It's easy to see why. Singapore offers first-world living standards. This comes with the territory because the average income in Singapore is comparable to living in California. That's how much money people on average make in Singapore.

Accordingly, you get first-world amenities. On top of that, Singapore is notoriously clean. Indeed, in the 60s and 70s, Singapore gained notoriety as a "fine city." That is a play on words.

Fine City

The reason why Singapore looks so "fine" is that if you smoke in public and drop the cigarette butts or throw it away casually without using the appropriate trash receptacles, you get fined.

Indeed, it got so stringent that if you were chewing gum, you could get fined. Why? There's a tendency for people to leave chewing gum on the concrete or the sidewalk. That makes it much harder to clean up.

Safest Place

It's paid off. Singapore is not only one of the cleanest cities in the world. It is also one of the safest. It doesn't take much effort to go on YouTube and look for proof.

Many videos show people leaving out their expensive laptops, as well as mobile gadgets like smartphones and tablets in a public place. Maybe it's a coffee shop, or some sort of outdoor bar, whatever the case may be.

A lot of people (we're talking about thousands of people they have today) pass through these areas. What do you think happens?

If you're living in any other part of the world, chances are somebody else will have themselves a brand-new laptop and mobile devices. That's pretty much the long and short of it but not so in Singapore. It's quite shocking.

The person would come back the next day, and his stuff would be right where he left it. It's as if nothing happened. Alternatively, from time to time, people would take this stuff and give it to the Lost and Found department of that establishment.

Be mentally ready prior to moving to Singapore

Given these factors, it's no surprise that a lot of people want to live in Singapore. The question is, are you mentally ready to do so?

Maybe you're being sent by your company to this part of the world. Maybe you work for a multinational corporation with its regional headquarters in Asia, located in the lion's city of Singapore. On the other hand, perhaps you're a graduate student looking to put in some academic credits so that you can complete your degree.

The National University of Singapore is one of the highest-rated international universities, at least for this part of the planet. Whatever your reasons may be, please understand that pulling up your roots and living somewhere for several years, is not as easy as you think.

It's easy to get excited about the prospect because it looks like a fantastic adventure. However, you have to look at the big picture. You have to look at your mental readiness. We're not just talking about dollars and cents.

I'm sure that if you are reading this article, you probably already have that figured out. Maybe your company's sending you or perhaps you have enough scholarship or student loan money to take care of your day to day needs.

Instead, I'm talking about something more substantial. I'm talking about your psychology and your mindset. Keep an open mind regarding the following.

Treasure at Tampines Condominium

Are you ready to truly live on your own?

The exciting thing about moving out of your parents' place when you go to college in America is the fact that they are only a phone call away. Seriously if you need money or if you need physical comfort and assurance, your folks are only a phone call away.

You just need to pick up that phone and dial in, and you're good to go. Not so, if you live thousands of miles, if not tens of thousands of miles from the people who love you the most. Are you ready to cut that emotional umbilical cord?

If you are in your 30s or older, you probably wouldn't have any problems. With this issue, you are entirely independent.

However, if you have just moved out of your parents' place to go to college and your first job right out of college is an assignment in Singapore, this can be an issue. The key question here is, are you willing to go very far away?

The upside to this is that you learn emotional independence, which is a crucial part of maturing into an adult.

This way, you learn the coping skills that you need so that you become fully independent of your parents, at least on an emotional level and prepares you for financial independence as well.

the M condo club

Are you looking to grow culturally?

You'd be surprised as to how many people move halfway around the world and remain 100% culturally virgins. By "virgins," I'm not talking about sexual virginity. I'm talking about cultural openness.

It really would be a shame for you to move to a very different culture located very far away from you, and not have that culture have some sort of impact on you or at least open your eyes to a different way of looking at the world.

It really would be quite sad. It's like going to Tokyo on vacation and insisting on eating only at McDonald's. You could have eaten at McDonald's right before you left Omaha, Nebraska. You could have done that all day every day at home.

Here you are in Japan, of all places. Shouldn't you be exploring what Japan has to offer? Shouldn't you at least check out the ramen houses as well as the different types of sushi and sashimi?

That's the kind of tragedy that you're looking at. Unfortunately, a lot of people who go to Singapore for long term stays, they never really venture out of their cultural bubble.

Singapore delivers a tremendous amount of culture because it's right in the middle of Southeast Asia. Southeast Asia is not homogeneous. India influenced some parts and other parts are influenced by China.

Throughout it all, there's a tremendous amount of local indigenous culture. Filipino culture is also prevalent in Singapore because there are a lot of Filipinos there. The same with Malays of Malaysia.

There are a lot of Indonesian cultures and a lot of Chinese or at least Southern Chinese culture. That's a lot of learning to explore, with its matching sights and sounds and eccentricities.

You have to understand that if you want to mature as a person, you have to look at another person's eyes and not only see the reflection of yourself, but you see that person ultimately.

If you look at it enough times from many different angles, you quickly conclude that while we come in many different packages in terms of skin color, hairstyles, outward culture, deep down inside, we are the same.

It really would be sad if you rob yourself of that opportunity. Keep these two tips above in mind.

Preparing to go to Singapore is one thing if you're looking at it purely from a logistical perspective but adjusting to make a move culturally and psychologically is another matter entirely. Again, I'm going to ask you the question, are you ready to move to Singapore?

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REAL ESTATE

What are the Different Housing Types in Singapore?

Housing type is whether a unit is government-subsidized or not, as well as the extent of government subsidies. You have to understand that Singapore is operating on two levels.

Public housing scheme and Private property market

On the surface, it's very tempting to think that Singapore is the hub of freewheeling capitalism in Southeast Asia, if not the whole world. How come?

Singapore ranked as one of the most accessible places to do business. Think about that for a second.

Given the over 200 countries in the world and the thousands upon thousands of cities in the world, Singapore comes out at the top when it comes to doing business. They're able to do this year after year, and almost decade after decade.

That's how capitalism friendly and business-friendly Singapore is. Very few jurisdictions on the planet have this great mix of ease of doing business, less government regulation, and low taxes.

Indeed, very few cities or jurisdictions could even come close to what Singapore has reached in terms of growth. It's no surprise that Singapore is greatly rewarded for it. We're talking about billions of dollars of private foreign direct investments in this Southeast Asian lion city.

This has created a fantastic job market. It has also propelled Singapore's living standards to a very high degree. We're talking about Singapore, the only first-world country in Southeast Asia.

If you come from Manhattan, New York, or Los Angeles, the west side, or any other highly developed part of the world, you would feel right at home. All the First World amenities that you've grown accustomed to, you can find in this country. Sounds incredible, right?

It has another side as well, which most people don't know. Believe it or not, Singapore is heavily subsidized because its public housing accounts for around 80% of all housing units.

When told this exciting fact, a lot of people are flat out confounded because they are just so impressed with what I told you earlier about Singapore.

In their minds, Singapore's housing subsidies almost sounds like socialism, which is kind of hard to square with Singapore's freewheeling capitalistic culture. Everything screams capitalism. What's going on?

It has to do with the fact that the Singapore government has to deal with market realities. If it required everyday rank-and-file Singaporeans to buy their homes in the free market, most people, as much as they would like to, will not be able to.

They just simply don't have enough money. Since given the tremendous amount of demand for real estate in Singapore, real estate prices are just out of reach for the lots of Singaporean.

This is where the government steps in. They built a lot of well designed, beautiful looking public housing.

Usually, when you hear the term "public housing" and you're from the United States or even Australia, or Europe, you start thinking of buildings with faded paint or cracking concrete. You think of crime. You think about the wrong side of town, or the people forced to live in these areas. You think of frustrated people. That's the typical mental image that a lot of people have about public housing.

That's very different in Singapore. Singapore also has another rule when it comes to public housing. While the government will not hesitate to subsidize a public housing building, it will do so only if the resident is the owner.

In other words, they encourage an ownership mentality. This is the reason why public housing in Singapore doesn't look like public housing pretty much everywhere else. You don't see graffiti. You don't see seemingly bombed-out looking buildings.

People don't set fire to the buildings because they don't care. That's the kind of mentality you get when people are not owners of the property.

Early on, the authorities in Singapore figured out that when people own their unit, although the government heavily subsidizes it, they tend to take better care of it. There is such a thing as the pride of ownership.

This is what's so awesome about Singapore housing. It kind of defies all the standard rules of real estate markets throughout the rest of the world. With that out of the way, here is the quick breakdown of the housing types in Singapore

Public Housing Scheme

The housing development board (HDB) governs our public housing. The typically offered units are studio units, two to five-bedroom flats. There are also housing types called the three-generation apartments where an extended family could live. The government also subsidizes exclusive flats.

Finally, the government will help you design, build, and sell your unit. It is quite impressive, the array of selections as far as housing goes and it's all government-subsidized.

Want to know how some best HDB looks like? The Pinnacle@Duxton is a 50-storey residential development in Singapore's city center, next to the business district. All seven connected towers are collectively the world's tallest public residential buildings. Pinnacle@Duxton was conferred the 2010 Best Tall Building (Asia and Australasia) award by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, as well as the 2011 Urban Land Institute's Global Awards for Excellence.

Pinnacle @Duxton - HDB in Singapore
Pinnacle @Duxton - HDB in Singapore

Private-public housing projects

Increasingly, Singapore has been exploring private-public arrangements. These are usually involved in Executive Condominium.

Executive Condominium, or EC, is a type of public housing in Singapore. First built in 1999, EC is a hybrid of public and private housing. They resemble private condominiums and are enclosed within a gated compound with security, amenities like swimming pools, clubhouses, playgrounds and so forth. EC are built and sold by private developers, but at a price lower than private homes because their land prices are subsidised by the Government. Additionally, buyers can take Central Provident Fund (CPF) grants to pay for an EC bought from a developer. As such, an EC is subject to certain regulations that apply to Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats. Buyers' monthly household income must not exceed $16,000, in order to qualify for an EC.

So far, it's been working because there's been a lot of demand for executive condominium.

Piermont Grand Executive Condominium

Fully private properties

For this type, there's absolutely no government funding, and it's all free market. The downside to this, of course, is that since it is market-driven, the units are quite expensive.

Guess what? The price is not sinking. It almost always keeps trending upward. That's how popular Singapore real estate units are.

What are we talking about here? We're talking about apartments, condominiums as well as landed properties.

If you are thinking of getting a landed property, they are available in bungalow units, cluster units, townhouses, high-class bungalow, sharp house, and terrace or semi-detached buildings.

Penrose Condominium
Categories
REAL ESTATE

Condo in Singapore – the complete guide

It's straightforward to summarize Singapore as basically a condo city or high-rise city. After all, you just need to look at the buildings and get this impression.

The danger here is that if you look at all these residences buildings in a very densely populated area, you might end up with the mindset that once you've seen one densely packed, high rise residential building, you have pretty much seen them all.

Indeed, it's common for a lot of visitors to assume that Singaporeans are just living in generic housing units that aren't at all that much different from each other. However, there's a lot more going on than what you can see.

Most Singapore housing units are flats. The condo portion of these city-states is less than 15% of all the housing units. That is less than 15%, at least when you're counting in terms of the population of Singapore.

Believe it or not, a relative minority of people live in apartments and condominiums, but the vast majority live in government-subsidized flats. That's kind of a shock to a lot of first-time visitors to Singapore.

This part of the world made quite a reputation for itself as the hub of freewheeling and unhindered capitalism in Southeast Asia, if not the world. It is what it is when you're looking for condominiums.

It's easy to think that everybody is living in condominiums in Singapore because of all the high rises. That's not true. Even within 20 condos themselves, there's quite a bit of distinction.

Affordability of Condo in Singapore

You just have to look closer and break down the numbers. First of all, we're going to analyze condos in Singapore by category. The primary categorization method that I use is the same one as what most people use. I am, of course, talking about affordability.

It doesn't matter whether you are a high-end executive sent by a multinational corporation as part of your multi-year contract in Singapore, or you're a graduate student from Middle America looking to complete your studies in this part of the world.

Affordability will still be part of the picture. Of course, the more money you have or, the more your company subsidizes you, the less of an issue it is. However, it is still such an important factor that I've used it as my primary categorization method.

With that out of the way, there are three categories when it comes to Singapore condos: mass market condos, middle-market condos, and high-end condos. Let's start with the mass level condos.

Mass market condos

These are the most affordable because they cost you around 900 to 1100 Singapore dollars per square foot. When it comes to amenities, you can get the most basic package.

We're talking about a gym, security structures like a closed-circuit TV, centralized monitoring, guards and of course, a swimming pool. In other words, these are the low end, basic packages of amenities.

Where would you find mass consumer condos? They're usually concentrated in the districts of Bishan, Tampines, and Jurong. Examples are Treasure at Tampines, Parc Central Residences, and Dairy Farm Residences.

Condo in Singapore

Mid-market condos

If you have a little bit more money and you have more and more discriminating tastes, you might want to consider mid-market condos. They're a little bit more expensive than mass market condos.

You get what you pay for by having a lot of higher-end amenities at that and a different environment because working-class people do not surround you. Instead, you get to surround yourself with professionals and young couples who are just starting.

Where can you find these condos? They usually are concentrated in districts like the East Coast, Newton, and Bukit Timah. Some examples are JadeScape, Penrose, One-North Gateway Residences.

High-end condos

If you have a bit more money to spare on purchasing your condo property, and you want the very best amenities (we're talking about premier class amenities) in terms of size and selection and quality, you need to look at high-end condos.

These usually cost more than 2000 Singapore dollars per square feet. Where are these condo buildings located? The crown jewel of condos is the central district. Just a little bit of a warning, though.

While I did mention that the prices start at Singapore 2000 per square foot, a lot of condo buildings in the central district of Singapore are in such high demand. You're going to pay way more than 3000 Singapore dollars per square foot.

I'm just letting you know ahead of time, so you don't get your hopes up. Depending on the budget you have, it is worth it. The central district is an excellent investment. It is also a great place to live in because it is centrally located, and everything is there. Just to name a few, The M, Kopar at Newton, Leedon Green.

Other great places to consider are Marina Bay and Orchard, which is where Orchard Road is. It is one of the most famous streets in Singapore.

Types of  condo

There are these six different types of condos. Let me just quickly describe them for you or correlate this with the main income-based category of condos so you can get a broad understanding of what's available and what you should go for.

Studio type

These are very small, and they have an open layout. Given the small size, the studio type condos are also the most affordable.

Bedroom

The bedroom condo type is trendy. These can range from one to four bedrooms. They provide quite a bit of privacy because they divide up the floor plan.

Loft

These are bedroom units or specialized units that have elevated bedrooms that you access by stairs. These units tend to have high ceilings.

By level

This is a relatively latest innovation recently introduced to Singapore. The best way to describe them is they are like two-story houses At one story you have some of your bedrooms as well as your kitchen and living room and then the second story is where you have another living room and then some bedrooms.

Penthouse units

These are the most expensive because you get a beautiful view. A lot of these penthouse units have their pool. These are at the very top of the condo, and they can cost you quite a bit more money than other condo units further down the building.

Dual-key units

This looks like a one condo unit, but it has separate entrances. The best analogy to this is it has two flats on one floor. They also can be a combination of different types of condos. One could be a studio, and the other could be a two-bedroom unit.

 

Categories
REAL ESTATE

Key Statistics for People Thinking of Living in Singapore

If you are reading this, chances are you are thinking of relocating to Singapore, at least temporarily.

Probably you're a graduate student looking to complete your studies in a discipline related to Southeast Asia.

Maybe as a financial services worker, your employer sent you on a short-term assignment to this part of the world. Whatever your situation may be, living in Singapore is a once in a lifetime experience.

Not only do you get to enjoy the fantastic cosmopolitan first-world living standards of the Singapore city proper, but you are within throwing distance, so to speak, of some of the very best attractions in Southeast Asia.

You are going to find yourself in a strategically located part of the world. If you hop on a plane, you're only a few hours away from Australia, Southeast Asia, and China.

If you are willing to ride on that plane for a few more hours, you'll find yourself in Japan, Korea, India, and even the Middle East. That's how strategically located Singapore is. Also, Singapore is one of the cleanest, major cities in the world.

This is quite an accomplishment because Singapore has millions of residents. With that said, before you dive in, it's probably a good idea to wrap your head around some critical statistics about Singapore living.

As the old saying goes, "If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail." This is the case with relocating to any place in the world, much less Singapore. You don't want to invest all that time, effort, and money going from where you are to a place you don't know.

You're going to be rolling the dice. You don't know what you're up against or if you're going to have a good time there. Most importantly, you don't have an idea of the cost profile of living there.

By getting some necessary information on what it's like to live in Singapore, you can at least give yourself some data that you could use to make a truly informed decision. Besides this post, you can always find the latest households statistics here.

 

singapore-guide-hdb-ec-condo

Most of Singapore's housing is government-subsidized

The funny thing about Singapore is that it operates on two levels. On the surface, and this is the part that most of the world knows, Singapore seems to be the hub of freewheeling capitalism.

In other words, people from all over the world find themselves here to work in the finance industry or some other high-powered industry trying to make their fortunes. The foreign direct investment in Singapore is in the billions on a year to year basis.

Its finance industry is one of the hottest on the planet. People make millions of dollars, indeed.  High net worth people from all over the world take out a second or third home in Singapore precisely because of its low tax rates.

Singapore, at this level, seems to want to attract people who are serious about making money, but the other reality to Singapore is that it is actually government subsidized. The government funds almost 80% of people who live in flats.

The agency is involved in the housing development board, which makes up for the bulk of "native" Singapore residents. Without these government subsidies or price support, Singapore, house-ownership would practically be non-existent.

That's how expensive the local real estate market is. The good news is if you are Singaporean by birth, or if you are a permanent resident, you can take advantage of this subsidy program.

For the longest time, you can only get one unit and have the government-subsidized it. If you want to sell that and move into another, you're going to be on your own.

13% of the population of Singapore live in apartments and condominiums

Roughly 13% to 13.9% live in condominiums and apartments, which is mostly the expatriate community and wealthier Singaporeans or upper-middle-class Singaporeans. Most of this property type is not government-subsidized basically.

If you buy a condominium, you're sending a message to people around you that you have the means and the money to do so. Even better you can get a subsidy from the government if you want to purchase an executive condominium, e.g., Parc Central Residences is one of them to be launched in H2 2020.

Less than 6% live in landed properties

The general concept for real estate properties such as house and lot or land is that you live in a separate residence that doesn't touch other properties, and you own the land underneath it. It has a title called the freehold domain or freehold title.

Given Singapore's minimal footprint, it is not a shock that less than 6% of Singapore's people live in the typical type of real estate holding, which is you own a house and then the land underneath it.

Only 6% of people get to enjoy this. As you can well imagine, the price of such properties is quite high. Well you can have a good reading on the difference between freehold and leasehold properties here.

The Singapore government encourages house-ownership

While Singapore does dabble in socialism by subsidizing 80% of the housing of its people, it does so with an exciting twist. Early on, Lee Kuan Yew, the founder of modern Singapore, wanted to foster an ownership mentality among the Singaporean population.

He understood that when people don't own the property that they're living in, they tend to let it fall apart. There are many examples of this. You only need to look at the United Kingdom, where there are a lot of council houses and public housing.

He wanted a different model for Singapore, so the focus is more on subsidy, but with house-ownership. It has paid off quite a bit because Singapore is one of the few heavily urbanized areas in the world that doesn't show signs of matching urban decay.

When you compare Singapore to places like Chicago, where there's a lot of public housing, the contrast could not be starker. There are lots of housing projects in Chicago that have just completely gone into disrepair.

Some have even been burned out. Not so in Singapore, and you can thank house-ownership for that fact. Keep these essential statistics in mind as you plan to move to Singapore and buy or rent your place.