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just met a casual friend who returned from austrailia for holiday.. apparently, he bought a property via this company called central equity during a roadshow in sg a couple yrs back for about A$350k.. seems like it has appreciated to some A400k now (and its just empty plot of land).. but he's going to rent it out for A$2k/mth when the house is scheduled to finish building by Q4 this yr..

My fren is beoing this piece of property in JB, pretty near the 2nd link. Wonder any bros here have thoughts on buying property in cowboy's land? http://www.eastledang.com/

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/singapore-propert...-100958749.html HUAT ARR!

Two words: Caveat emptor... From ST Forum: http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/...ory_815411.html Beware of property cycles Published on Jun 27, 2012 IT WORRIES me that home sales in the suburban sector, in particular, are continuing their run-up even now ('Home hunters still in buying mood'; yesterday). My concern is that the average working middle-class buyer is jumping into the market now after missing out on the bull run that has been going on since 2006, with a brief respite in 2008. Many cannot afford the full cost of the properties and therefore go for new launches, where they pay only a small deposit. Many are not trained in financial investment and economics, and their late entry may put their finances in peril. Being from the capital management industry, I wish to point out to these late investors that much institutional (smart) money has long left the real estate markets in Singapore and Asia. The price indices of real estate in Seoul, Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai have peaked simultaneously. International capital has flowed out of the Bric (Brazil, Russia, India and China) emerging markets since early this year, causing their currencies to fall almost 12 per cent on average. Market risks have been increasing since the beginning of the euro credit crunch late last year. I hope those who are buying properties for speculative investments or for their own use will consider these developments. They should understand that markets rise and fall regardless of how benign interest rate cycles seem to be. To safeguard genuine home buyers, the Government should implement more measures limiting foreigners to buying only new high-rise properties from developers that can be resold only to Singaporeans. A similar policy has enabled Australia to escape most of the property bubbles affecting much of the world. If bubbles are absent, Singaporeans will be less tempted to buy reactively and follow the undesirably hard-to-reverse boom-bust cycles. Ed Cheong

Just curious about this CPF accrued interest thingy. Assuming man and wife bought a HDB now for $500K. They fork out $250K each from CPF account to pay off the flat in full. Every year they are accumulating accrued interest 2.5% to CPF for using that $500K CPF $. 10 years later, the accrued interest (compounded) is $140K. If they sell the flat for $640K, then every cent goes back to the CPF, no cash balance left for them to pocket. But if they sell their HDB for $500K (say due to property downturn), they will still owe $140K of accrued interest to CPF. What happens then? They need to fork out $140K in cash to put in CPF? If no cash savings how? Cannot sell? Monthly installment to pay back CPF using cash?

Can anyone advise if my wife, a Malaysian, is allowed to own foreign property? The property is not for residence but shophouse instead.

question on pte property buys.. currently have a HDB flat still paying CPF loan, and have stayed more than 5 yrs. if i buy a pte condo now, but with no intention to sell off my HDB flat. Decided to pay the necessary downpayment with a combination of cash and CPF, and pay the remaining 60% via a bank loan. Let's say 4 yrs down the road, i decided to sell my HDB flat, whereby the proceeds will go back to my CPF. At that point of time, will i be able to pay off my bank loan using the CPF proceeds? And if there were to be any unpaid loan balance, i will then pay off with cash or take a new bank loan package? pls advise.

Hi all, Advise needed, Pros and Cons... Thanks

I'm just typing out my thoughts here. You guys can comment on it. Criticisms are welcome. The two of have ~400K cash + CPF. My parents are ok to help us out a bit, but I'd much rather not involve them..... Budget is .....1.2-1.5 million. 1.5 is pushing it a bit. 1.2-1.3 is quite comfortable. The private market is going down now (finally), so I definitely won't commit within the next, say, 3 months. Most likely end of this year or beginning of next. This will be purely for investment. I'm hoping to buy a freehold so there's no depreciation of property value in the long run. After looking at the different region, it seems that central region still has the biggest grow potential. Another ~7.8 sqkm of commercial space, compared to 15 sqkm currently. That's >50% of growth. In comparison, all the others will have 150-200k more sqkm. Only west side has 750k sqkm more planned. But then, this is all 2008 master plan..... http://www.ura.gov.sg/MP2008/central_page4.htm . Central area also has lots of growth, but the units there are too expensive for us. So, with this central region as focus, I'm thinking east coast area, along, say, Meyer road or a bit more to the north. There's another MRT being looked at that should be near there. 1 or 2 more expressways that will benefit that area. And then the new gardens that should make the place quite attractive to live at..... So.....what do you guys think of my reasoning?

http://business.asiaone.com/Business/My%2B...209-326719.html

We may be looking for office/Storage space soon. Any property website that has huge listing on what's available on the rental market?

Business Times - 11 Apr 2012 You may have to splash out more for that M'sian property KL could raise floor price for foreigners purchasing homes By PAULINE NG IN KUALA LUMPUR SINGAPOREANS looking to buy properties in Malaysia may see the bar raised. Malaysia is mulling a two-fold increase to the floor price of residential properties purchased by foreigners in a bid to prevent prices from spiralling too rapidly. The possibility of a revision to existing guidelines to raise the minimum price to RM1 million (S$417,000) from RM500,000 was flagged by The Star. In a report yesterday, the local daily cited unnamed sources as saying that the measure was 'in the pipeline', with a forthcoming announcement to be made by Nor Mohamed Yakcop, minister in the Prime Minister's department heading the Economic Planning Unit. It did not say when it would be implemented. One of the sources told The Star that selected growth corridors such as Iskandar Malaysia might be less affected by the proposal, in that a lesser minimum threshold might be applied - RM800,000 for example - to assist with their development success. The government has continued to come under pressure over affordability issues despite recent measures to cool the property market. Pushing the floor price up for foreign buyers - especially in landed properties - could be a welcome move in the eyes of young middle-class Malaysians frustrated with soaring real estate prices when starting salaries have advanced little in two decades. Many believe that foreigners have little difficulty stumping out RM500,000 for homes because their currencies tend to be much stronger. Property consultants say they were aware of the possibility of the new rules, but believe that the move is still at the proposal stage. 'It's a flyer to check public response. Not all states will agree,' Malaysia Property Inc chief executive Kumar Tharmalingam told BT. Foreign buyers of Malaysian property come mainly from China, Singapore, Japan and South Korea, the newspaper said. Even so, foreigners only account for an estimated 2 per cent of the residential market which saw robust growth last year. The volume and value of properties sold last year was the highest in the past five years, according to the Property Market Report 2011 by the Finance Ministry's Valuation and Property Services Department, rising by 19 and 22 per cent respectively from a year ago. Landed property remain popular. They recorded the biggest jump in prices last year, with link houses in Kuala Lumpur registering gains of 8-13 per cent, according to the 2011 property report. Following a revision in lending guidelines this year that benchmark an applicant's criteria to meet his loan obligations against his net rather than gross income, bankers and property players have reported slower loan applications and a softer market, with the rejection rate estimated at 20 per cent. Some reckon that the central bank ought to have tightened lending criteria a year or two ago as ample liquidity and easy credit terms encouraged speculators to buy with a view to flipping the properties before the payments were due. Owing to high take-up rates, developers continued to build and to raise prices. But going by the assortment of auction notices found around the suburbs, many borrowers appear to have defaulted on their loans, especially those taken for apartments.

heard only ar, don sue me. scenario : - I want to sell my house. i use an agent. the agent found me a potential buyer. but he don bring the buyer to me(yet). the agent call his colleague( lets call him Mr B) to approach "my" potential buyer and tell the buyer he got a suitable house n want to act as the buyer agent. so when the sales is concluded. my agent will get his com from me. Mr B will get his com from the buyer and share with my agent. Y do that? because nowadays agent can only collect com from 1 side... so by introducing an agent to the buyer, he get more $.... anyone met this type of agent before?

I think most interested in properties have already read this article. http://www.asiahomepreview.net/2012/02/25/437/ Your opinions on this article? My opinion: I agree that an 'excessive price fall' is unlikely. I'm thinking of 8-10 percent. PAP really don't want the bubble to burst. They want to let it slowly deflate. The article does not account of foreigners leaving. And of all those that came, how many plan on actually buying and staying here for good? Definition of foreigners? PRs only? Or including EP/WP? It is ridiculous to include foreign labourers in his number of foreigners, but maybe he excluded them already?

Private home resale prices drop in Feb By Lynda Hong | Posted: 28 March 2012 2250 hrs SINGAPORE: Prices of resale private homes are 0.8 per cent cheaper in February than in the previous month. This is according to the NUS Singapore Residential Price Index (SRPI ). Still, analysts expect overall prices to rise by between 0.5 and three per cent in the first quarter. Since January, the market for new private homes have been abuzz, with eight in 10 buyers being locals. In December last year, the government introduced cooling measures like the Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty (ABSD). Back then, many had predicted property prices to go down by as much as 15 per cent. ERA key executive officer Eugene Lim said: "The measures are working in the sense that foreigners... [during the] pre-ABSD days make up almost 20 per cent of the market. Today, they account for less than seven per cent of transactions, as far as new home sales are concerned." Excluding executive condominiums, nearly 2,413 new private homes were sold in February, more than a third from January's. But in the secondary market, where it includes the resale market and the more speculative resale of uncompleted private units, it is a quieter affair. While private new home sales have spiked up in the last two months, experts noted the resale and sub-sale markets have been slow, and that should stablise the property price index in the first quarter of this year. Jones Lang LaSalle research head Chua Yang Liang said: "In the first, second quarter, we are going to continue to see that kind of disparate, two-market behaviour, top and new sales and resale. "New sale markets tend to... do better because of the conditions in there -- the financing and progressive payments. "You don't really need to make immediate payment, except according to the construction phase. Interest rates remain fairly low for now, and that is going to be more helpful for both markets. OrangeTee research director Tan Kok Keong said: "We are likely to see more launches, as well as strong sales, unless there are instances of sharp economic shocks externally. "In terms of pricing, I do think that developers are pricing it at lower end of market expectations, so I do think that prices will continue to climb, but on a moderate level, meaning you are looking at one to two per cent price increases, going forward, in the primary market." With more Government Land Sales sites being taken up by developers, the supply of new private homes should meet demand. And that is a major price stabiliser for many analysts.

HIgh end, completed, leased out 28 March 2012 Straits Times A SIGNIFICANT number of recently built new homes, many of them luxury units, are languishing unsold, as wealthy potential buyers watch nervously as global economic confidence ebbs and flows. Ever pragmatic, developers have turned to a logical solution to keep the cash coming in: They are leasing out unsold apartments at projects that have been completed. This way, the developers earn some income until buying confidence returns to this elite part of the market. About 25 projects have at least 10 units unsold, and a large number are upscale projects in the prime districts of 9, 10 and 11, which include the Orchard, River Valley, Bukit Timah and Tanglin areas. The figures were released by property consultancy Savills Singapore, and were based on an analysis of the Urban Redevelopment Authority's fourth-quarter data. Projects with units remaining unsold include Reflections at Keppel Bay, with 290 units unsold; Hilltops in Cairnhill Circle, with 208 units; Scotts Square in Scotts Road, with 74 units; and The Clift in McCallum Street, with 63 units available as at the end of last month. While upmarket homes were very popular with buyers with the means to buy them during the boom of 2007, the segment has been quiet in recent years, with prices languishing below their peaks and sales slowing to a trickle. City Developments Limited (CDL) is one developer that has chosen the leasing option. It said that last year it stopped active marketing for its 228-unit The Residences at W Singapore Sentosa Cove and diverted its efforts towards leasing instead. The project has 207 unsold units. A spokesman said CDL is awaiting the completion of the 240-room W Singapore Sentosa Cove Hotel and the retail component of the Quayside Isle Promenade in August before ramping up its publicity campaigns for The Residences at W. 'When completed, the Quayside Isle will be home to trendy cafes, fine dining restaurants, speciality shops and entertainment spots and bars,' he added. Keppel Land also said last week that 154 unsold units at Reflections will be set aside as corporate residences while the remaining 136 will be open to buyers. The average rent for these fully furnished units is about $9,500 a month. But Keppel said that the decision to set aside units for corporate leasing at Reflections followed a similar move at its previous project, the 969-unit Caribbean at Keppel Bay completed in 2004, where about 170 units were earmarked for lease. More than 200 units were still unsold when the project was completed. These units were sold many years after completion at a higher price, as the market moved up, benefiting the company. However, not all developers are jumping on the leasing bandwagon. KOP Properties chief executive Leny Suparman said the company has no plans to lease out the remaining units at its 58-unit The Ritz-Carlton Residences in Cairnhill Road, with 39 units unsold. 'The project has been completed for less than six months, and we are continuing to receive much interest from buyers. Therefore, we are not considering leasing at this point,' she added. Experts add that some developers prefer to keep their unsold apartments empty, as some wealthy buyers prefer purchasing brand-new units. But Mr Ong Kah Seng, director at consultancy R'ST Research, said the leasing out of unsold units is 'feasible', especially in a weakened market where the rental income can partially defray holding costs or delays in developer sales proceeds. This is typically an option if the developer expects market sentiment for the segment to remain cool for more than six to nine months. A lease of less than one year can then be considered, he added. Mr Alan Cheong, director of research and consultancy at Savills, said that if a developer had already recovered its costs but saw further sales to be challenging, it may consider leasing instead to maintain a good cash flow. 'Developers can't cut prices,

I'm considering acquiring a service apartment for long term tenant leasing. Location is Chengdu South at the new CBD area. As I'm new to overseas property purchase, I'm wondering what are the pitfalls of such a purchase?

"My ex blur blur gf said...it is quite a practice now that directors would 1st take up units in their co project and engage property agents to re-sell them....so on the one hand..the project is declared SOLD OUT...on the other hand..activity goes on "post launch" as usual in hunt for kan cheong buyers. No noe how come our gov is never aware of this." quote from another forum is this true

She is not the only one as many of us are also constantly bombarded by these calls, day and night. Some are not deterred by or ignorant of the foreign ring tone when they dial the number My response to all the cold-calls is very simple: NOT INTERESTED and then I just hang it up. From ST Forum: http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/...ory_762460.html Helpless against property brokers Published on Feb 3, 2012 THERE has been no let-up in property agents representing agencies like ECG, ERA and HSR haranguing me on whether my property is for sale. I have been plagued by calls because they got hold of my phone number. They also know where I live. Once my child answered the phone and they asked for my name... and now they know that as well. Each time I have asked them to remove me from their list, or to speak to a supervisor, or for an e-mail to unsubscribe, all to no avail. These agents have stock answers ready such as: sorry, the managers are all out or have gone home; sorry, they do not know the e-mail addresses; sorry they do not have a number in the office I could call. While I can unsubscribe from receiving SMS messages, I cannot get them to stop calling me. Li Zhenyi (Ms)

To MY property experts I got introduced to buy a shop unit in this new shopping complex http://onesouth.huayang.com.my/location_map.html Any one knows anything about this? How reliable is this developer? How good is this area? If I rent the shop, what's the rental yield?

From ST Forum: http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/...ory_751908.html Multi-property owner speaks up Published on Jan 5, 2012

"http://www.propertyguru.com.sg/property-management-news/2012/1/32057/s-pore-property-prices-to-decline-12-5-in-2012?cmp=topc&src=fp" this time don't know how many people are going to jump down from their overly inflated HDB flats bought within these few years..850k HDB flat in marine parade?

After since the passing of new stamp duty, i havent see price drop, how long will it take to drop? 1 quarter? or 2? or is it Singapore property sibei hot till foreigner kanna charged 10% still willing to buy???

Unit at The Marq sets S$6,850 psf record 20 Dec 2011 PropertyGuru The recent cooling measures which require foreigners buying private property in Singapore to fork out an additional 10 percent stamp duty, is expected to curb skyrocketing property prices. And if recent transacted prices at certain luxury developments are anything to go by, the new measures could not have come at a better time. A prime example is The Marq on Paterson Hill. The latest deal involved a 2,950 sq ft unit on a high floor which was sold to a European buyer for a whopping S$6,850 psf, a new record for Singapore