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New rule that after give OPT and collecting 1k deposit from a buyer, seller have 7 days to back out and refund the buyer. If the seller already offered OTP to a buyer, can the seller also at the same time offer another OTP to another buyer without first cancelling OTP and refund the 1st buyer? Because OTP is just a pc of paper, no need go through HDB, so seems like nobody can really check if the seller offered multiple OPTs at once, not even HDB. If seller can do that, then this is a big problem. Gamblers can get interest free 7 days $1K loan from many sellers by putting up his flat "for sale". Give 10 OPTs equals $10K/7days loan liao, take the money go casino and punt. Then 7 days later tell all the buyers he not selling. All the buyers won't know that this seller gave out multiple OTPs anyway. Or better yet, i put up my flat for sale every week, then every week collect and spend the deposit money, next week collect more money to pay off the 1st week refund plus more spending $, and continue like this week after week, a new Ponzi scheme.

Folks, Have a quick question and hope you could share some info if you happen to know the procedure. Have emailed the enquiry to HDB last week but received no reply. A few years ago, Mr X was single and bought a HDB flat together with his parents. The owners of this flat are Mr X and his parents. Mr X has been paying the monthly installments using his CPF. 2 other younger siblings are the occupants of the house. Mr X got married and now intends to buy a HDB flat with his wife. He intends to pull out his name (together with his cpf) from his old flat and the 2 younger siblings will take over Mr X

Hi, Like...toilet of course, ceiling, tiles etc....something along this line. Any advice appreciated!!!! House-hunting is tiring..... Rgds.

How to go about changing carparks? Do I need to cancel my current one and reapply? Or can they just do a transfer?

Based on today's news, they are working to ease the shortage. Before they use the excuse of increasing season parking fees, I would like to reprint the following article from 2002 when they increased the fees by 11-20%, and also to remind HDB that there are some motorists with good memories with regards to such increases HDB carpark operations are profitable Business Times May 28, 2002 SINGAPORE BY Lee Han Shih CONTRARY to popular belief, the Housing and Development Board does not lose money on its carparks. In fact, it is making good profits out of them. HDB, which houses 85 per cent of Singaporeans, is also the nation's biggest carpark operator. As a rough guide, it builds three parking lots for every four flats in its estates. It now manages more than 640,000 car, motorcycle and lorry lots. Operationally, these are highly profitable. In financial year 2000-01, HDB made $87.1 million from its carparks - half of that 'contributed' by motorists' parking fines. The year after, profit eased to $80 million. Yet, despite these figures, HDB carparks are officially losing money. Early this month, National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan told Parliament the carparks lost $99 million in financial year 2000-01 and $105 million in FY2001-02. To reduce these losses, HDB has no option but to raise parking charges by 11 to 20 per cent come September, the minister told fellow MPs. Mr Mah bears the brunt of a rising storm of protest over the rate hike. But some have rallied around him. Among them was Wee Kiat Sia, head of HDB's carpark section. In a letter to the Straits Times, Mr Wee said: 'The HDB residential carparks are heavily subsidised as current charges are way below the cost of providing these carparks.' So are HDB carparks a money spinner or money loser? It depends on how you tally up the cost. Costs for projects such as carparks, MRT lines and power stations come on two levels: developmental (money spent to build them and to service loans) and operational (money spent running them). Operationally, HDB carparks are profitable. But when interest payments are included, they plunge into the red. HDB borrowed perhaps $4 billion from the government to buy state land and to build carparks. Servicing these loans is the single biggest expenditure item for HDB carparks - and the reason they are in the red. When the carparks suffered a $83.6 million deficit in FY 1999-2000, interest paid to the government was $175.1 million. In FY 2000-01, the deficit was $99 million and the interest payment $186.1 million. Taking away cost of interest, the carparks are immediately profitable: $91.5 million in 1999-2000 and $87.1 million in 2000-01. When Mr Mah and Mr Wee talk about deficits and the need to raise rates, they include both developmental and operational costs in their computations. This is not always the case with government projects. Take the MRT, for instance. The cost is split into two: MRT Corporation (now part of the Land Transport Authority) carries all developmental expenses, including interest payments; while SMRT runs the rail system. This allows SMRT to show a profit and go for a listing. If SMRT were to bear both developmental and operational costs, it would run at a loss, there would be no IPO - and fares would have to be raised sharply to cover its deficit. Can the same approach be applied to HDB carparks? If the government shoulders the building cost, the carparks will be profitable and there will be no need to hoist parking fees. But it is not fair for the government to subsidise motorists at the expense of those who take public transport, Mr Mah told Parliament. This leaves HDB with the full responsibility of running the carparks and making ends meet. Even if one accepts this, there are other solutions apart from raising parking charges. Why, for example, is it still paying the government 4.5 per cent interest when it can refinance its loans at better rates? At 3.75 per cent, its interest cost would be cut by $31 million a year - the exact same amount it would get from the parking rate increase. Thus, a simple refinancing of its loans would do away with the need for the unpopular rate hike. But a bigger issue is land cost. HDB may have overpaid for the land it bought for the carparks. Hence the deficit every year. When a private landlord overpays, he lives with the losses, as it would be suicidal to try to pass the cost to customers. (If, say, Ngee Ann City upped its parking fees to $10 an hour, motorists would take their cars and their business to Paragon and Mandarin Hotel.) As a monopoly, HDB has the luxury of being able to raise rates and make them stick. Car owners in housing estates may complain, but they have no other place to park. So they have been made to pay for HDB's mistake. From this perspective, Mr Mah is not wrong to say there is subsidy for HDB carparks. It is just that the subsidising has been passed from the government to hapless motorists.

hi guys.... quick questions... i already got a BTO... now building should get by next yr i think... but i got some spare cash ( abt 200 -300k) ... looking to maybe buy a condo for investment purposes... and rent out while i probably stay in hdb any creative ideas to work around the new rules?

This month is my last installment on my 5room hdb. Took me 8 years. Sibeh happy.

My carpark is rather small and is packed to the limit. double yellow lines, no parking area etc are all filled up also. Middle of the carpark also got cars. Even police reserved lots also parked. Only handicapped lots no cars nia. But, I realised that over the year, summons are never issued to season holders (I am one of them). However, I did see that those w/o valid season tickets and park illegally were summoned instead. At least the HDB or summon people in my area show flexibilty and understands the lack of parking space and hence "allowed" us to park illegally and no summons. Hopefully, this will carry on.... Else must look for MP to resolve it.

having a discussion on this with non-chinese colleagues (slow day today).... how is the body brought down from the apartment to the ground floor? (obviously for cases of natural death at home). some said the body is placed seated in a lift, alone and sent down. other family members wait downstairs to collect. is this true?

Major govt dept with big budgets and talents. but they operate like fish markets. Not enough parkinig lots than start to build? Worst than buying grocery. When we buy grocery, we try to keep enough stocks. LTA over release COE in the past few years. HDB did not respond to build more parking lots. Like that anybody also can be gehment.

Lets say if my new work place do not have any more season parking lots, then just across the road there is hdb, am I allow to purchase season parking for HDB there or only residents at the area have the rights to purchase them? Of course, provided there is vacant lots according to HDB. Thanks everyone in advance!

Should one fully paid off all his outstanding HDB loan if he has already accumulated enough in CPF account? or keep paying monthly installment and use the excess to earn interest from the CPF special interest rate? let say he has 20 more years of loan to clear.

Just came across this news today on Straits Times... Now HDB also control us from buying overseas properties unless u declared and yor HDB ownership is more than 3 years... WTF? Whats overseas properties got to do with HDB rulings... CB... The government so scare that pple all go buy overseas properties if they dont have other alternatives? So scared that the money will go to other countries instead to our HIGHLY PAID Ministers? Next Mon, sure got alot of pple around complaint abt this nonsense rule.... Cant wait for this coming election.. Time to make my vote...Hopeless.

I was thinking how to profit from the new rule. Discussion with my friends and colleagues. Fact: It seems that gov is restricting people from owning two or more properties from Monday onwards. Also limiting HDB from being rented out easily (HDB must stay 5 years, cannot rent out etc etc). So there will be generally be a reduced rental units on the market come 2011 as people are not easily allowed to buy extra units. Fact: The problem is that RENTAL from FT/PR/new citizens are supporting the rental market for the past 5-7 years. If there were no rental support from this group, I cannot believe how the hell speculators are able to rent out their extra units to earn rental incomes for the past years. So how can this rental demand going to disappear from now onwards? I mean there WILL still be incoming FT/PR/new citizens yearly right? If these group of people are NOT able to find available HDB/Condo rooms to rent, where will they go to? So if suddenly the 'poor' are prevented from owning 2 or more extra properties, then I forsee there will be a lack of spare HDB/CONDOs for rental come 2011 onwards.....HOW? I think rental rates will shoot up the roof when available rental units are cut due to lesser people owning 2 or more properties. It will be a vivcious cycle, as it will then become worthwhile to once again for speculator to risk to buy additional properties to earn the higher rental income. So looking at the impending reducation of HDB/CONDO units for rental purpose. So I have come to the conclusion that I will ask my father mother myself to divorce and separetely each buy additonal HDB. And rent it out to FT/PR in 2011. HUAT AH.

I'm driving another car, just for a day or two. Can I just put my HDB Season Parking RFID tag on this car? Or is that something I should do?

Since OPC seldom drive on the road, its fair enough they pay lower COE & road tax. However, they spend most of their life occupying the carpark lots, I suggest HDB should increase season-parking charges for OPC to be at least double. Its irritating OPCs always "chope" all the best lots for long periods of time, normal cars always no place to park

It wasn't that long ago that HDB gave real subsidies for the purchase of a public flat cos their mission statement was to build affordable public housing and ensure everyone has their own home. If land and building costs was $100K they sold for less than that. Now that was a real subsidy. Anyway, most land were acquired by the govt cheaply or it was in their hands all along. Effectively HDB did not suffer financially. I dun even know when they suddenly made a 180 degress turn and converted to giving "market" subsidy instead. Land and building costs may have increased to $200K but hey, the neighbouring block is selling at $400K so letz offer the BTO flats at $300K, and yes we are giving a "market" subsidy of $100K. Effectively HDB should be making lotz of money but somehow they can report books in the red. The sudden change actually affected all citizens of Singapore but I dun remember seeing this change of national policy being put on the table for discussion or feedback. What happened? I miss the HDB of old ...........................

As per topic. Who can I complain to to get them to remove the trees totally? Since May, I have seen whole branches breaking off and landing on cars parked during rain. "They" came and did some trimming, but now still the branches are falling after rain. Best is remove the trees from the CP totally, after all, these trees only contribute birdshit but not much shade for the cars. So, who to call regarding trees in HDB estate open air carparks?

Was talking to someone the other day who was balloting for some BTO projects in Punggol. 5 room is 90sqm niah and cost over 600K. That is over 600 per sqft. If he is telling the truth, then really wtf....we are screwed up down left right, plus front and back. So expensive, wondering who still snap up those units, our foreign talents??? Its worst than mickey mouse house, I call that bee hive concept. The worker bee work till die...sounds familiar isnt it??? And then the hive still taken away to extract the honey... And please dun start the crap of comparing with Hongkong lah, Japan lah.

Instead of building more carparks, or add in MSCP in matured estates, they increase night parking charges, KNN... URA/HDB genius idea

Now only I learned that parking at Fire Engine access in HDB estate is "free"! Saw this van who have been parking for "free" in front of this HDB block for past one year, but no action taken. Then I called HDB car park division. Said they will send officer to check. Next day called HDB car park again, said the officer checked and found that the area is under TC care so they cannot issue summon. Conclusion, the driver can continue to park for "free" since TC don't usually do they checking at night and after all the driver have been parking there more than 1 year without any problem... already saved more than $1k!

Hi everyone, Speed humps as you might already have known (or explicably choose to ignore for some reasons known only to you), are supposed to force you to slow down for the purpose of safety. I have observed a good many times that some cars have been very enterprising, deliberately circumventing the hump entirely by zipping through empty parking lots that are perpendicularly adjacent to such speed hump(s) in question. The concrete blocks or compacted bricks that are used as foundations for these parking lots are simply laid on with little or not cementing. When you drive very quickly through them, the result is nothing too nice. Broken bricks and bricks which are torn up from their otherwise nice arrangement. And because of your refusal to drive through the hump or rather the properly designated driveway, the lot(s) are now a permanently mangled mess which makes parking sometimes a chore and even a risk because some of these displaced bricks are now jutting out dangerously with sharp ends. I am sure your tires will find them inviting. Please i urge you once again. Stop such a practice which inconveniences the rest of the motoring community. Thanks

http://news.asiaone.com/News/The%2BStraits...0212-49187.html http://www.wctc.org.sg/S&CC.html are we paying too much for our stay in HDB flats (applicable to those staying in HDB) i keep getting this feeling but without concrete evidence that the answer is YES

OVERNIGHT PARKING AT HDB CAR PARKS WITH NIGHT PARKING SCHEME Thank you for your email of 17 Jun 10. 2 Motorists are advised to use the night parking coupons if they need to do overnight parking as the $2 night parking coupon is designed specifically for use for night parking from 10.30 pm to 7 am the next morning. However, we do exercise flexibility on occasions where you do not have the night parking coupons ready. You may use the day coupons (e.g. 4 pieces of 50 cents or 2 pieces of $1) to make up for the $2 night parking charge. 3 The correct way to display parking coupons is to tear them all of the same time if you are using more than 1 coupon to cover the night parking charge of $2. 4 If you need any general information on general short term parking, you could visit our website : www.hdb.gov.sg. To reach the short term parking information, please go to Living in HDB flats>Car Park Facilities>Short Term Parking. 5 If you have further questions, you can contact me at Tel No. 64902347. (signed) LEW WAI LENG, PHOEBE (Ms) ADMIN EXECUTIVE for DEPUTY DIRECTOR (CAR PARKS) HOUSING ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT ****************************************************************** Alright this clears all the doubts and debates. We can use coupons of other denominations to make up $2 for night parking. But must start from the same time! Do take note for normal day parking or hourly night parking, the start time of the 2nd coupon should be at the end time of the 1st coupon so on and so forth. Not all coupons start same time ok?

I have a suggestion about HDB prices. What do you guys think? Just let PRs buy new HDB flats from HDB without or much less subsidies. The main problem with the current HDB fiasco is that HDB thinks that the BTO is a good system that can react to demand easily and adjust supply accordingly. However they let out the millions of PRs who also need to buy HDB. This demand is not accounted for by HDB and it just spill over to resale and pushing up the retail prices of HDB. The resale supply is kind of fixed and the only way to increase resale supply is by pushing up the prices so you entice owners to sell their HDB. This is very bad as HDB prices will just go up and up. The day the HDB allows PRs to buy new flats, I think the HDB prices will stabilize. This solves the problem and yet allow HDB flat prices to be market priced and not artificially controlled. We still have a willing buyer willing seller market but the main difference is that the supply is much more responsive to demand changes, not just citizen but also PRs. Artificially controlling the HDB prices will have a lot of problems in creating different classes of citizens, etc.