SINGAPORE - Housing Board resale flat prices rose for the 17th consecutive month, climbing at a faster pace of 1.3 per cent in November compared with October, according to flash data from real estate portals 99.co and SRX on Thursday (Dec 9). Last month's resale prices had lodged the highest monthly growth since February this year when price rose by 1.4 per cent, and were 13.8 per cent higher than in November 2020, data showed. Price hikes were seen in both mature and non-mature estates and across all flat types. November also saw 29 HDB resale flats changing hands for at least $1 million, the highest number of million-dollar flats sold in a month, smashing the previous record of 26 such units in August. The most expensive flat sold last month was a $1.268 million five-room Design, Build and Sell Scheme unit at City View @ Boon Keng. The 29 million-dollar flats made up 1.1 per cent of last month's total resale transactions. This brings the total number of such flats to 223 in the first 11 months of this year, in what has already been a record year for million-dollar flats. There were 82 million-dollar flats for the whole of last year. November's record high number of million-dollar resale flats sold comes in the same month as the launch of the first Build-To-Order (BTO) project under a new prime location public housing (PLH) model, which subjects buyers to stricter home ownership criteria. ERA Realty head of research and consultancy Nicholas Mak said the stricter restrictions for the Rochor BTO flats under the PLH model may have "turned some potential buyers away from this type of flats to the resale market", thus contributing to the increase in million-dollar HDB flats transactions. The highest transaction price in non-mature estates was $970,000 for a five-room loft unit at Treelodge @ Punggol, the data from 99.co and SRX showed. In recent years, only six units in Punggol have been sold for more than $900,000. Property analysts are widely expecting the robust performance seen in the HDB resale market to continue into 2022, largely on the back of fears of further construction delays in BTO projects after the detection of the Omicron variant. The highest transaction price in non-mature estates was $970,000 for a five-room loft unit at Treelodge @ Punggol. PHOTOS: AFFINITYMOTIONS PROPERTY SINGAPORE TV/YOUTUBE Mr Mak said the emergence of Omicron has shown that the Covid-19 pandemic will take much longer than expected to resolve, which may further boost prices of HDB resale flats. "The increase in HDB resale flat prices is caused by the mismatch in supply and demand, which, in turn, is caused by the supply chain disruption and delays in the construction industry that are induced by the pandemic," he said. "Unless the construction delays of BTO flats are resolved, the mismatch can cause HDB resale flat prices to rise by 7 per cent to 12 per cent in 2022." More on this topic Related Story Million-dollar HDB flats in S’pore: Where are these units located? Related Story Five-room Bishan HDB flat sold for record $1.36m in 3 days In November, a total of 2,586 HDB resale flats changed hands, an increase of 3.2 per cent from the month before. Ms Christine Sun, senior vice-president of research and analytics at OrangeTee & Tie, said some buyers may have turned to the HDB resale market as the completion periods can be "quite long" for some of the new BTO launches, especially projects in the mature estates. For example, the Rochor BTO project is expected to take around six years to be completed; and Queen's Arc in Queenstown, from the August BTO sales exercise, is estimated to take more than five years to be ready. HDB has said that the longer build time for these project is due to site constraints and the tall building heights. The latest curbs on new applications for workers holding S Passes or work permits to enter Singapore via the vaccinated travel lanes may also have a knock-on effect on the construction time of ongoing BTO projects and may turn more people to the HDB resale market, said Ms Sun. Some buyers may feel uncertain about the completion periods of BTO projects, as these "could be impacted" by the changes, she said. She anticipates HDB resale flat prices to rise by 10 per cent to 12 per cent this year, with prices continuing to climb, although at a slower pace of between 8 per cent and 11 per cent next year as some price resistance sets in. Official HDB data says resale prices rose 9.1 per cent for the first nine months of 2021, while data from SRX shows that prices gained 9.2 per cent in the year to November. Huttons Asia chief executive Mark Yip expects this year's price gains to potentially be more than 13 per cent, marking the best performance for the HDB resale market since 2010. More on this topic Related Story Median price of 5-room resale flats in Queenstown now $926,000 Related Story 960 Rochor BTO flats launched under prime location model; HDB to claw back 6% of resale price
SINGAPORE - A total of 4,989 Build-To-Order (BTO) flats across seven housing projects in five estates were launched for sale by the Housing Board (HDB) on Wednesday (Aug 11). This was the third sales exercise for the year, with a median waiting time of just over four years for flats to be completed. A highly anticipated BTO project is Queen's Arc in Queenstown - one of the most sought-after mature housing estates in Singapore's oldest town - where 610 three-room and four-room flats are on offer across two blocks. The site is next to Alexandra Hospital and is bounded by Queen's Crescent and Queensway Drive. This is the first time in nine years new flats are being launched in Queenstown. The last BTO project launched there was the 1,179-unit Ghim Moh Edge project in November 2012, which sits next to the future housing land parcel that will be carved out from Dover Forest. The prices then started from $310,000, without grants, for a three-room flat and $450,000 for a four-room flat. According to official HDB data, there have been at least seven units in Ghim Moh Edge that have changed hands for at least $1 million. The most recent inked deal was $1.07 million for a five-room unit in April this year. In Queen's Arc, prices start from $382,000, without grants, for a three-room flat and $540,000 for a four-room flat, making them the most expensive units in a mature estate in this launch. Buyers will also have to wait more than five years for these flats - the longest wait in this launch - as the project is estimated to be completed in the third quarter of 2027. HDB said the long waiting time is mainly due to additional preparation works required for the site as well as the design of the project. "One of the residential blocks in the project, at 39 storeys high, is taller than most of the other BTO projects. Hence, a longer construction time is required," said HDB. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the waiting time for a standard BTO flat was about three to four years. For the first time in 10 years, the non-mature estate of Jurong East will get its first new flats. A total of 569 two-room flexi, three-room and four-room flats are on offer at Toh Guan Grove, which sits near the upcoming Toh Guan MRT station on the Jurong Region Line. Toh Guan Grove sits near the upcoming Toh Guan MRT station on the Jurong Region Line. PHOTO: HDB Prices start from $237,000 for a three-room flat and $347,000 for a four-room flat. The estimated completion date is in the first quarter of 2026, so buyers have to wait about four years for their homes. The last BTO launch for Jurong East was Teban View in September 2011, where some 518 three- and four-room flats were released for sale. Prices then started from $158,000 for a three-room flat and $271,000 for a four-room flat. More on this topic Related Story HDB to release site locations of upcoming BTO projects 3 months before launch, instead of 6 Related Story Almost 50% more BTO projects launched in mature estates in 2020 than in 2017 In the current August launch, there are two BTO projects in the mature estate of Tampines. The bigger project is Tampines GreenQuartz, where 1,613 two-room flexi, three-room, four-room and five-room units are on offer on a site close to Tampines West MRT station on the Downtown Line. Prices start from $244,000 for a three-room unit, $352,000 for a four-room unit and $485,000 for a five-room flat. Tampines GreenQuartz. PHOTO: HDB These flats are estimated to be ready in more than four years, in the second quarter of 2026. The smaller project is Tampines GreenJade, where 546 four- and five-room units are on offer, on a land parcel next to Bedok canal that overlooks Bedok Reservoir. Prices start from $342,000 for a four-room flat and $475,000 for a five-room unit. The waiting time is about 3.5 years, as these flats are slated for completion in the third quarter of 2025. Tampines GreenJade. PHOTO: HDB The smallest BTO project in this launch is Towner Residences in the mature estate of Kallang/Whampoa. A total of 316 three- and four-room flats are on offer on a site along Towner Road, next to the Central Expressway. The project includes a block of rental flats. Prices start from $336,000 for a three-room flat and $500,000 for a four-room flat. These flats are slated for completion in just under four years in the fourth quarter of 2026. Towner Residences in the mature estate of Kallang/Whampoa. PHOTO: HDB There are two BTO projects available in the non-mature estate of Hougang. The smaller project is Kovan Wellspring with 586 two-room flexi, three-room and four-room units on offer. It will be integrated with the new Paya Lebar Kovan Community Club. It is located on a site next to Heartland Mall and Kovan MRT station on the North-East Line. Prices start from $289,000 for a three-room flat and $413,000 for a four-room flat. Kovan Wellspring. PHOTO: HDB Buyers have to wait about 4.5 years for these flats, which are estimated to be completed in the third quarter of 2026. The bigger project is Hougang Citrine, with 749 two-room flexi, three-room, four-room and five-room units along Hougang Avenue 3. Prices start from $199,000 for a three-room flat, $324,000 for a four-room flat and $392,000 for a five-room unit, making them the most affordable in this sales exercise. Buyers will also have the shortest wait for these flats - around three years - as the project is slated for completion in the first quarter of 2025. Hougang Citrine. PHOTO: HDB Applications for the flats close next Tuesday (Aug 17) at 11.59pm on the HDB flat portal. The flats will be allocated through balloting. On Wednesday, National Development Minister Desmond Lee said in a Facebook post that many BTO projects have been delayed beyond their original estimated completion dates, as the construction sector has been hit hard by Covid-19 . However, he assured home buyers that HDB is working with contractors and other agencies to reduce construction delays and will keep buyers updated on the completion date of their new flat as construction progresses. In November, 4,400 flats will be offered in towns such as Choa Chu Kang, Hougang, Jurong West, Kallang/Whampoa and Tengah. Another 2,000 to 3,000 flats will be offered in towns such as Geylang, Tengah and Yishun in February next year. The exact location of these projects and the number of flats at each site will be released only three months ahead of its launch. More on this topic Related Story Most S'poreans want more subsidies, strict criteria to keep flats in prime areas affordable Related Story BTO flat buyers affected by delays may be able to cancel booking without penalties
SINGAPORE - Home buyers affected by Build-To-Order (BTO) construction delays may be able to cancel their flat booking without penalties. They can appeal, and the Housing Board will consider each case depending on the individual circumstances. For instance, there could be buyers hoping to cancel their BTO booking to get a resale flat to meet urgent housing needs, the Ministry of National Development (MND) said in various written parliamentary replies on Monday (July 5). "We recognise the challenges faced by flat buyers given the Covid-19 situation and HDB will consider waiving forfeiture based on an assessment of the flat buyers' specific circumstances," said MND. Typically, buyers who cancel their flat booking will have to forfeit either their option fee which ranges from $500 to $2,000, or the 5 per cent of the flat purchase price paid in advance, depending on which stage of the process they are in. In addition, they have to wait out a one-year period before they can apply for another subsidised unit, either BTO or a resale flat with grants. "These measures are in place to ensure that buyers are serious when they buy a flat and do not deprive others with urgent housing needs of the opportunity to do so," said MND. However, if buyers are successful in their appeal, the HDB will waive the financial penalty and the one-year wait out period. "The waiver of the one-year wait out period will allow first-timer families with urgent housing needs to receive housing grants if they decide to buy a resale flat," said MND. Eligible buyers can receive up to $160,000 in grants when they purchase a resale flat. Many BTO projects are facing delays of up to one year or more, as the construction industry continues to grapple with a manpower shortage caused by tighter border controls during the Covid-19 pandemic. While buyers could appeal for a waiver of forfeiture earlier, this is the first time the MND has said HDB will consider waiving the penalties for BTO buyers affected by construction delays. In its replies, MND said it is also looking at ways to increase the supply of temporary housing to support affected flat buyers. More on this topic Related Story Home buyers sad, disappointed over longer BTO delays due to Covid-19 Related Story Home buyers fret as some BTO flats may be delayed by a year or more First-time applicants waiting for their BTO flats can apply for temporary housing under the HDB's Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS). Demand for such interim housing had almost doubled during the pandemic. Last year, HDB had received 2,350 applications for a PPHS unit, but there were only 160 available flats. "Given the limited supply of PPHS flats, we are considering how to fine-tune allocation to give priority to families in greater need of temporary housing," said MND. For low-income households with no family support and no other housing option, HDB will consider offering interim rental housing on a case-by-case basis, said MND. Affected flat buyers are encouraged to find alternative housing arrangements with family members, relatives or on the open market. More on this topic Related Story Longer waiting time for homes, increased costs due to tighter Covid-19 curbs Related Story 85% of BTO projects face delays of 6 to 9 months; 43,000 households affected A buyer who wanted to be known only as Ms Low is among those who successfully appealed to cancel her BTO flat booking earlier this year. Ms Low, 27, and her husband had applied for a five-room BTO flat in Tampines GreenVines via open booking last March, thinking that construction would be swiftly completed as the project had been launched in 2018. It was their sixth try, after the first five attempts did not yield a queue number. "When HDB first notified us of the nine months delay after the circuit breaker period, we were already thinking of cancelling the BTO flat. But it wasn't easy to get one so we decided to wait," said Ms Low, who works in a bank. "But when we heard news of even further delays, we decided we need to get a resale flat so we engaged a property agent while submitting the appeal to cancel the BTO at the same time." The couple had been living apart since their wedding last October. Ms Low said her appeal took around two months in what she described as a "tedious process". But she considers herself lucky to secure the full waiver. They have since bought a resale four-room flat in Canberra and are waiting for renovations to be completed. "Because of all these delays, we now have to throw our savings on a resale flat which is more expensive than a BTO flat. But if we held on to the BTO flat, we would have to delay our plans to start a family till much later." More on this topic Related Story BTO project delays dash hopes of moving in, starting families Related Story Demand for interim rental flats under HDB scheme doubled last year amid BTO construction delays
SINGAPORE - The trio accused of assaulting a teenager who was later found dead in a Clementi flat will be remanded for psychiatric observation at the Changi Prison Complex Medical Centre. A district court heard on Tuesday (May 25) that one of the alleged offenders, Chee Mei Wan, 41, is represented by lawyer Azri Imran Tan. Lawyer Kate Loo represents another alleged offender, Lim Peng Tiong, 62. The pair and Huang Bocan, 29, are accused of using a wooden pole to cause grievous hurt to Ms Huang Baoying, 19, in a unit at Block 602 Clementi West Street 1 at around 11pm on May 4. Huang Bocan is the teenager's brother and he is represented by lawyers Josephus Tan and Cory Wong. Huang Bocan and Lim are Singaporeans while Chee is a Singapore permanent resident. According to the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore's records, Lim is one of two owners of the flat where Ms Huang's body was found. Court documents did not state the relationship between Lim, Chee and the teenager. In an earlier statement, police said they were alerted to the case at around 6.30am on May 5. Officers arrived at the flat and found Ms Huang lying motionless inside. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The cases involving her three alleged attackers have been adjourned to June 15. For voluntarily causing grievous hurt, an offender can be jailed for up to 10 years and fined or caned. Chee cannot be caned as she is a woman. More on this topic Related Story Man accused of hurting sister found dead in Clementi flat may face more charges Related Story Two more charged after teenager found dead in Clementi flat
SINGAPORE - A man has appeared in a district court after his 19-year-old sister was found dead in a Clementi flat on Wednesday. Huang Bocan, 29, was charged on Thursday (May 6) with one count of voluntarily causing grievous hurt to Ms Huang Baoying at around 11pm on Tuesday. The Singaporean man allegedly used a wooden pole to hit her in the flat at Block 602, in Clementi West Street 1 that evening. In an earlier statement, police said that they were alerted to the case at around 6.30am on Wednesday. Officers arrived at the flat and found the victim lying motionless inside. She was pronounced dead at the scene. When The Straits Times visited the unit early Thursday morning, a man who appeared to be in his 40s, was seen leaving the three-room flat with letters in hand. He declined to speak to the media. Neighbours said they did not know who lived in the flat and that its occupants kept to themselves. More than a dozen police officers were at the scene from around 7am on Wednesday, according to the neighbours. A 79-year-old-retiree, who only wanted to be known as Mr Ng, living two doors away from the unit, said: "There were about 15 police officers and six police cars. They barricaded the unit and a body was carried out at around 2pm on Wednesday afternoon." Huang will be remanded at Central Police Division and his case has been adjourned to May 12. Anyone convicted of voluntarily causing grievous hurt faces up to 10 years in jail and can be fined or caned. More on this topic Related Story Woman injected 'favourite' son with insulin in murder-suicide plan after childhood rape by brother Related Story Courts & Crime: Read more stories
SINGAPORE - More than 190 families whose flats are facing construction delays have requested for interim rental housing from the Housing Board, as some housing projects have been hampered by work delay as well as labour and supply shortages due to Covid-19. In response to queries from The Straits Times, the HDB said it had received 194 such requests from flat buyers affected by construction delays. Of these, 131 households are already living in their rental units and 39 households will be moving in or getting their units soon. The remaining 24 households withdrew their requests for the units. Among the 194 families who made the requests are 17 future home owners of a Build-To-Order (BTO) project in Punggol who are facing a one-year delay after the HDB terminated the services of the building contractor last August. The HDB said 14 of them are already living in their allocated rental units while the remaining three households will be getting their units soon. The affected housing project, called Waterway Sunrise II, has 1,014 units across seven blocks. The original estimated completion date was the first quarter of this year for Block 653A, and the second quarter of this year for the remaining six blocks. Home owners will now get keys to their flats only in the first or second quarter of next year. The building contractor, Lian Ho Lee Construction, was fired by the HDB for not being able to meet project milestones. The project has been handed over to a new building contractor, Expand Construction. "Construction works at Waterway Sunrise II are making steady progress, and there are no further changes to the project completion timeline," the HDB told ST. Flat buyers will be kept updated on the revised completion date through My HDBPage as construction progresses. The HDB previously said that some BTO projects would be delayed by about six to nine months beyond their estimated completion dates due to Covid-19, although it would strive to reduce the delay where possible. Flat buyers who are unable to find alternative accommodation with relatives or from the open market, while waiting for their flats to be completed, may apply for interim rental housing from the HDB via its website. Under the scheme, the average monthly rent for a one-room and two-room flat is about $300 and $400 respectively, depending on flat location, said the HDB. More on this topic Related Story BTO flat buyers in Punggol face one-year delay after HDB terminates building contractor's services Related Story 89 BTO projects have resumed works; only 1 site pending approval: HDB A check on the HDB website showed that two-room flats are available in Sumang Lane in Punggol and Canberra Street in Sembawang. Three-room and four-room flats are available under the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS), which is another HDB scheme that provides families with interim rental housing. A future home owner at Waterway Sunrise II, who wanted to be known only as Ms Tay, is among those who have successfully applied for a two-room interim rental flat. "As newlyweds, we prefer to have our own space and privacy. Because we managed to get this rental flat, we can still stick to the plan of having a kid this year," said the 30-year-old, who works in retail. Ms Tay has bought a washing machine, fridge and bed that will also be used at her new BTO flat when it is ready next year. "We were able to choose between a few locations and we picked Punggol so that we can get used to living in this neighbourhood before we move into our BTO flat next year," she said. More on this topic Related Story HDB to launch 17,000 BTO flats in 2021, including in Bidadari, Queenstown and Geylang
SINGAPORE - When Madam Lim Ee Chin, 81, realised that her neighbour's flat was on fire, she rushed to help put it out without a second thought. Alarmed by the billowing, acrid smoke and the sound of several loud explosions, she dragged buckets of water from her bathroom and passed them to her next-door neighbour Aisyah Villegas to put out the flames. She never once considered her curved spine and heart trouble. Speaking in Mandarin, Madam Lim said: "I was worried that if their house burnt down, they would have no place to stay." She was also afraid the fire would spread to her flat. Worried about Madam Lim's safety, her sister Loh Guet Wah, 68, who lives with her, said she tried to get her to leave the flat, but Madam Lim refused. Both women are not married. For her courage, Madam Lim is one of the nominees for The Straits Times Singaporean of the Year award this year. The senior citizen was watching TV in the living room of her 12th-storey flat in Block 917 Jurong West Street 91 at about 11.20pm on Aug 9, when the fire broke out next door. More on this topic Related Story Despite language barrier and health challenges, 81-year-old woman helps neighbour in HDB flat fire Related Story 81-year-old gets award for helping put out fire Madam Lim, with the help of other neighbours, put out most of the fire before firefighters from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) arrived. After they left, she spent the next few hours mopping up her flat. For her efforts, she became the oldest recipient of the SCDF Community First Responder Award on Aug 27. The award is given to members of the public who lend a hand to those in trouble. SCDF, in a Facebook post on Sept 10, said: "Despite her age, she did not hesitate to help put out the fire... Madam Lim's action exemplified bravery and in her own words, the kampung spirit." It added that her actions helped cut down on the damage and injuries caused by the fire. Her neighbours showed their appreciation by giving her mooncakes and a patterned mask. Since the blaze, three of the five people living in the flat that caught fire have moved out, and Madam Lim misses chatting with them in the corridor, where she often saw them, she said. After working in a tin factory for 36 years, Madam Lim retired two years ago and now spends most of her time at home, going out mainly to buy food and visit the doctor. More on this topic Related Story Cai Yinzhou: Separated from his parents, he empathised with migrant workers affected by Covid-19 Related Story Zulkifli Atnawi and Project Hills: They help other rental flat residents who are in need Madam Loh, who does administrative work for an audit firm, said her mother adopted Madam Lim at a young age, but her sister did not change her surname. Said Madam Loh: "When I am not feeling well, she will buy food for me. I'm vegetarian, so it's harder to find food I can eat, but she will go and look for it." She said that when they were children, Madam Lim would take her and their other five siblings on excursions to places like Haw Par Villa and the Botanic Gardens. "She helped to raise me," said Madam Loh. More on this topic Related Story The Straits Times Singaporean of the Year 2020: Nominees with extraordinary contributions Related Story The Straits Times Singaporean of the Year 2020: More inspiring stories