For those who need a new place to live after their properties have been sold en bloc, there are three options available. First, they could choose to rent. With rising sale prices, it may be better to wait until supply increases — when a large number of properties are completed in 2009 or later — before making a purchase. Second, they could buy another property with the cash from the sale. The third...
The Government may have raised the ante for the property sector with a string of warnings, but analysts don’t expect official measures to follow any time soon to cool investor fervour. A sense the Government remains sanguine about the market, and the impending supply of homes over the next year or so, are reasons the property sector has yet to feel the heat, they said. Describing recent Government...
I am renting out my apartment for the first time and am not very sure exactly what the agent’s job involves and what services I am actually paying for. Firstly, I understand that the tenant does not have to pay any commission if his monthly rental is above $2,500, with the landlord instead having to pay the full commission to the agent. I would like to know why there isn’t a cap on such commission to...
The chance to own an upscale home in Sentosa Cove is fast drawing to a close. Today marks the sale launch of four bungalow plots on the luxurious waterfront district. As they are among the final few batches of land parcels left for the master developer to sell later this year, prices may set fresh records, analysts said. Since Sentosa Cove Pte Ltd (SCPL) started in late 2003 to sell parts of the...
The current buoyant property market is creating a new set of problems for would-be buyers and tenants. We now hear of unscrupulous agents. Many are becoming greedy. They do not want to work on a co-broke basis, be it a sale or rental. They want the commission from both parties for themselves. Moreover, there are instances of agents acting against the interests of buyers by pitting one buyer against...
The Azure. The crown jewel of Sentosa Cove. At the very tip of the exclusive enclave of Sentosa Cove, surrounded by unhampered 180 degree sea views, in an exquisite splendour all its own is The Azure. A condominium that is like no other in Singapore of just 116 precious units. A privilege to own, a luxury to reside in, a pleasure of experience daily, an outstanding investment that grows more valuable by...
Keck Seng Pte Ltd, the owner of Keck Seng Tower, has decided to put its leasehold 18-storey office building at Cecil Street up for sale. No reserve price is set, but Colliers International, the property consultant responsible for the tender exercise that starts today, said there’s an indicative price of about $2,000psf — which could bring the price tag to above $240 million based on its 116,586sqf of...
A consumer finance company in Japan recently started offering lower mortgage interest rates to “intelligent” customers. One might wonder if banks here have missed a trick, given the premium that society here places on “intelligence”. GE Consumer Finance Company, a subsidiary of an American industrial and financial conglomerate, is giving discounts to people who have good English or computer...
… but buying your own home ensures you’re not at the mercy of fluctuating rental prices, says VASU MENON BUYING a home is probably one of the most important financial decisions an individual will make in his lifetime, especially since the outlay is significant and the decision involves a long-term commitment. But if you plan to stay in your country of residence for the long haul and make it your...
Sense of satisfaction Singaporeans get with home ownership comes at too high a price, argues CHARLES TAN IT’S a topic that became a popular conversation piece a few years ago when homeowners found themselves caught in the nadir of the property slump and “negative equity” entered the layman’s dictionary. “Buy or Rent?” went the question. For almost everyone, this was ridiculously rhetorical....