374 households of the newly-completed Tivela precinct in Sengkang Central are among the first to benefit from a more extensive warranty scheme. The Housing and Development Board's (HDB) ASSURE 3 was introduced for new flats launched for sale from 2005. It covers selected defects in the units for between five and 10 years from the completion date of the flats. Fixing defects such as spalling concrete,...
There’s no place like home. Buying your first home is exciting and here we look at what you need to consider in making the right decision. Firstly, know why you are buying your first property. Perhaps it is because you want your own space away from parents, family or flat-mates – you want your independence. You may want to enjoy your own style, hobbies, your way of living and not be compromised into...
And how it can seize the opportunity and surge forward WE NOW have a perfect storm with the perfect ingredients — easy liquidity, poor alignment of incentives, inadequate assessment and management of risks, greed, and lack of due diligence. The surge of the energy price — a bubble of its own — was the catalyst. To fight inflation, the United States government hiked interest rates. The housing...
STB, URA and building owners making plans for special lighting WITH the world's first Formula 1 night race to be beamed to350 million fans globally, Singapore authorities are pulling out the stops to ensure the downtown skyline forms a blazing backdrop. The reason why that will be a challenge: The race circuit's 1,500 light projectors, which are four times brighter than average stadium floodlights, so...
Tennis, futsal, yoga, dance and space for visiting parents too IT MAY not be publicly funded, but the Singapore Institute of Management (SIM) is shaping up to offer some students a varsity experience not unlike that of the three local universities. Hostel living will now become part of the SIM education, after the tertiary institution officially opened its new campus yesterday. Formerly an army camp, the...
The new Khoo Teck Puat Hospital in Yishun is on track for opening in 2010 despite a hike in construction costs, says its CEO Liak Teng Lit. Commenting on the progress, Mr Liak said the structure of the hospital will be completed by the middle of 2009. Mr Liak said, "The lift shaft has reached level 3, basement is almost completed. So part of the hospital is now at level 1. From now on, every 3 weeks or...
Singapore's first private aviation show at Seletar Airport, which will be held next week, is targeted at ultra high net worth individuals, with over US$30 million in liquid assets. 200 tycoons and business leaders mostly from Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore will be in town for the MillionaireAsia Private Aviation Show and the Formula One Grand Prix as well. Singapore has one of the fastest rates of...
The collapse of Lehman Brothers is set to hit Asian office rental rates. Banks are traditionally the largest users of Grade A office space in the region, and they are likely to cut back on expansion plans and even consolidate current operations in the year ahead. In the region's major office markets, Tokyo's prime rentals are leading the decline. Others are expected to follow suit over the next 12 to 18...
For the first time, Singapore has clinched top spot as the best place for meetings and businesses, beating global players such as Paris and Vienna. The Union of International Associations (UIA) Global Rankings also gave Singapore top billing as the number one Asian country for meetings, a position Singapore has held for the past 24 years. The Singapore Tourism Board said the country accounted for 22.5...
When two dormitories housing 6000 foreign workers sprung up in the private estate of Jalan Kayu in 2005, it led to a flood of complaints from residents. Manager of Tee Up Dormitory, Kelvin Low, said, “Initially, they hope not to see any foreign workers around the estate. This is unrealistic expectation.” 3 years down the road, not only have foreign workers become a common sight here, they are even...