The new general hospital in Jurong will be located in Jurong East, within walking distance from the Jurong East MRT station and bus interchange, Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan announced after a ministerial walkabout in Geylang Serai on Sunday. The hospital will also be easily accessible via the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) and the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE). Jurong General Hospital, which will serve...
The consumer watchdog wants to reduce the growing number of complaints against property agents and real estate agencies. So it is developing a CaseTrust Accreditation Scheme for the industry. This could be introduced by the middle of 2008. Estate agencies who wish to apply and attain the CaseTrust status will be subjected to a more stringent criteria. The scheme will also raise the requirements for an...
A new Building and Construction Authority (BCA) Gallery was opened on Friday to showcase the past and latest technology used to erect buildings in Singapore. Located at Braddell Road, the gallery's interactive exhibits show what it takes to erect buildings in Singapore since the post-war period. There is also a sensory garden - an outdoor extension of the gallery - which has access for the handicap. The...
Supply of homes, vacancy rates up, but buyers discouraged by high prices THE lacklustre property market seen in the first quarter of this year is likely to persist, with developers expected to launch more projects in the months ahead, increasing the supply of new homes even as buyers stay away. The prices of homes in both the private and public sectors rose at a much slower pace in the first quarter...
IT HAS been his home for about 30 years, one he bought with his late parents. His two daughters attend school close by and they have pleaded with him not to sell the apartment. His is a familiar dilemma for minority dissenters caught up in en bloc deals across Singapore. Some have, like him, fought determinedly to cling to their homes. But in one respect, 52-year-old business consultant Ken Lee has gone...
Straight-talker Dr Tony Tan has never been afraid to air contrarian views on the country's economy CRYSTAL ball-gazing is a risky business. Miss the mark and it's egg on your face. Hit the bullseye and acclaim follows. Of course, whether there is a reaction at all can depend on who you are and whether people even remember what you'd said. With Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam, people remember. They will recall the...
Prices of private residential properties increased by 3.7% in the first quarter of this year from the last quarter of 2007. Analysts said this could be due to the price discounts offered by developers for some units in the suburban areas. Dr Chua Yang Liang, Head of Research & Consultancy, Jones Lang LaSalle, said: "Here and there there are some anecdotal evidence of them giving some kind of rebates....
Prices of HDB resale flats rose by 3.7 percent in the first three months of this year over the previous quarter. The rise in the Resale Price Index (RPI) was lower than the 5.7 percent increase in the fourth quarter of last year. Resale transactions fell by about 6 percent, from 6,750 cases in Q4 2007 to about 6,360 in Q1 2008. The median Cash-Over-Valuation (COV) amount among all resale transactions in...
The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) has rejected the highest bid for the residential site at Choa Chu Kang Road/Woodlands Road. In a press release out on Friday, the URA said the price offered was too low. The top bid came in at S$61 million, which works out to about S$1,750 per square metre of gross floor area. There was only one other offer at S$45.6 million. The land parcel - offered on a 99-year...
A luxury villa with lavish recreational facilities and private security. A spacious landed home featuring a personal basement and attic. A prestigious District 11 address. Step inside Hillcrest Villa and be magically taken to a tropical wonderland. Enjoy the sights of charming greenery and timber décor while you relax on the Timber Promenade, or find some inner peace at the Meditation Deck. Stroll...