Singapore’s private property market is on the rise after years in the doldrums. It looks like the boom times are back for real estate, given strong demand from locals and expatriates alike. There is talk that it is just speculation behind the frothy market, with reports of investors flipping purchases for hefty profits and anecdotal evidence of wealthy expatriates snapping up a half dozen or so luxury...

A home that draws energy from the sun, breathes with the wind and drinks from the rain. It’s the stuff of dreams, for an environmentalist at least. Situated at the prestigious Sentosa Cove, this gem of an eco-home was dreamed up by a Singaporean doctor, who only wants to be known as Dr Lau. When the home, now in its final design stages, is completed in about a-year-and-a-half, it will boast...

Recently, the condominium I live in was sold en bloc and an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) was held. Several points came up during the meeting: • The CSA (Collective Sales Agreement), a huge legal document, did not need to be explained to the owners before they were asked to put their signature to the agreement. The owners were expected to know and understand the CSA beforehand as it was posted to...

One by one, her neighbours started moving out of the 39-unit condominium at Surrey Road and by Tuesday last week, the Gans were the only ones left — and left without a clue. “We have had neighbours moving out since March and a kind neighbour told us that the deadline to move out was April 10. I was shocked. I had not been notified if (the en bloc sale proposal) was successful or not,” Mrs Gan Beng...

It is true that rents have been increasing at an exponential rate over the past year. But if the injection of 600,000 potential additional units does not halt the spike and rents continue to rise, it is not an issue of supply and demand. I put it down to kiasuism. There has been an enormous increase in industrial activity in Jurong in support of the current demand for oil and related products. This has...

Market-watchers are expecting to see fierce bidding for a high-end luxurious penthouse near Orchard Road. The unit at The Boulevard Residence is scheduled to be up for auction next month. It is the last of only two super penthouse units at the premium freehold project developed by SC Global Developments and Guocoland. The auction is by invitation only and will be jointly conducted by Christie's Great...

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said Singapore's economy is expected to grow annually at around 5 per cent or maybe more over the next five years. Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, he said the growth forecast for this year is 4.5% to 6.5%. Mr Lee also saw the next three to four years as good growth years. On balance, he said, unless there is a disaster, Singapore will be doing OK. Mr Lee added...

You may have heard of the family in China who stayed put in their house refusing to budge when their building was slated to be torn down for a new development. Here in Singapore, a family claim they have been left completely in the dark about their condominium's en bloc sale. And, the time is ticking before the condo has to be demolished.Chin Siew Yin and her family moved into the Lincolnsvale...

Last month, when German Peter Hartmann’s two-year lease on his One Chatsworth apartment expired, the landlord told him his new rent would be $13,500 — a spike of 80 per cent. The sales director, who had been paying a rent of $7,500 a month for the District 10 five-room apartment, was shocked. “The reason they gave was that the market has changed. It seems to me that there is no legal limit,” said...

Dubai Investment Group (DIG) is buying a 10% stake in Sesdaq-listed Sing Holdings. DIG is subscribing to a placement of 27 million new shares in Sing Holdings at 43 cents each. This is part of the 40 million new shares that Sing Holdings is placing out. The deal marks DIG's maiden investment in a listed property company in Singapore. The group has investments worldwide in financial, industrial, real...