WHICH gives you better returns in terms of capital gains? Freehold or leasehold? Neither really. The evidence is inconclusive. Some years back, I made several comparisons. Depending on the period analysed or property cycle selected, you can declare one better than the other. What this really means is: You do get what you pay for. There is some confusion in the market which only benefits unscrupulous...
General
Mass market and mid-tier projects dominated the private residential market last year. Sales recovered at a healthy clip - with 14,725 units changing hands for the whole year. That is a shade off the 2007 peak of 14,811 units, according to figures released by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA). Observers said foreign buyers, mostly from China, contributed to the strong sales. Colin Tan, head of...
An exciting development near Marina Bay New Downtown and a short drive to Resorts World Sentosa. ALTEZ, soaring 62 storeys, is situated in the Central Business District, next to Tanjong Pagar MRT Station. Location: Enggor Street (Tanjong Pagar) Tenure: 99 years leasehold Year of Completion: 2014 Total Units: 280 Unit Types: 1 bedroom ~ 527 - 635 sqft 2 bedroom ~ 750 - 929 sqft 1-2 bedroom loft...
Singapore's private property market is continuing to show signs of declining interest. Data released Friday from the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) showed that just 481 units were sold in December, the fifth straight month of decrease. The figure is a 20 per cent drop, compared to the previous month's sale of 600 units. It is also the second lowest number of monthly sales in 2009, after January's...
The luxury housing sector is expected to lead the way for the Singapore property market this year, according to real estate broker Savills. Savills is forecasting that prices in the luxury segment will rise 15 per cent in the year ahead. However, prices in the mass market and mid-end properties could see values move up by about five per cent. Last year, despite the deep economic recession, private...
More businesses may consider expanding in Singapore, thanks to the supply of office space entering the market. With office rentals in Hong Kong expected to rise sharply, analysts said that is another reason why companies may find it more cost effective to hire in Singapore. The office property sector within Asia is expected to see considerable growth in supply over the next three years, according to...
Singapore's investment property market seems to be shrugging off the global financial crisis and is staging a robust comeback. Property consultant C B Richard Ellis said Singapore's investment market performed much better than expected in 2009. It said total real estate investment sales came in at S$10.2 billion. While the figure is 43 per cent less than the S$17.9 billion number set in 2008, it is still...
Mainboard-listed Natural Cool Holdings said its unit has told its property at 29 Tai Seng Avenue to Emirates Tarian Capital for S$53 million. After the deal is done, Natural Cool Investments will leaseback the property for 10 years at an annual average rent of S$4.74 million. Natural Cool's CEO, Joseph Ang, said the sale is in line with the firm's efforts to adopt an asset-light strategy. He added that...
A new road network will be built progressively in the new downtown Marina Bay area as part of the Land Transport Authority's new developments in 2010. This is to serve upcoming developments such as the Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort and the Marina Bay Financial Centre. Motorists travelling to the Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort can soon use a new bridge and road. The Bay Bridge connects directly...
The Housing and Development Board (HDB) will launch two Executive Condominium (EC) sites for sale on January 15. The sites, located in Sengkang and Yishun, will yield a total of about 900 units. Each site has a lease term of 99 years. The plot of land at Sengkang is located near to Buangkok MRT station with a land area of 19,000 square metres and a maximum permissible gross floor area of 57,000 square...