HDB correspondence on public newsletters

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March 22, 2006
Three new sites in Jurong for en-bloc redevelopment
THREE sites in the Jurong area have been selected for the Selective En-bloc Redevelopment Scheme (Sers), which demolishes old blocks and offers residents replacement flats nearby.

They are Blocks 5 to 10 in Yung Ping Road/Yung Kuang Road; Blocks 180, 181, 182 and 184 in Boon Lay Drive; and Blocks 216, 217, 219 and 220 in Boon Lay Avenue.

The blocks are between 30 and 33 years old, comprising 1,873 sold flats.

The Housing and Development Board (HDB) will build about 630 units of new Studio Apartments, 3-room, 4-room and 5-room replacement flats at Kang Ching Road.

These are for flat owners of Blocks 5 to 10 in Yung Ping Road/Yung Kuang Road.

HDB will also offer about 220 units of available 3-room, 4-room and 5-room flats in Tah Ching Road as additional rehousing options.

The replacement flats should be ready by the end of 2010. They are located near Taman Jurong Neighbourhood Centre.

As for the affected flat owners in Boon Lay Drive and Boon Lay Avenue, HDB will offer a total of 1,635 units of new 4-room and 5-room premium flats at Jurong West Street 64 and Jurong West Street 93.

The flat owners will also be offered 394 units of existing 3-room and 4-room flats at established precincts in Jurong West Town.

As part of the redevelopment of the Sers sites, the 8 rental HDB shops at Block 183 Boon Lay Drive and Block 218 Boon Lay Avenue will be cleared.

Tenants will get an ex-gratia payment of $60,000 per tenancy and a 10 per cent discount on successful bids for other HDB rental commercial properties
 

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March 22, 2006
Boon Lay site to have $720m mixed development
Project includes a new mall, air-conditioned bus interchange and a 620-unit condominium

By Joyce Teo
Property Correspondent
A $720 million integrated project is being planned for a site next to Boon Lay MRT Station, with a mall that will be amalgamated with the existing Jurong Point to create the largest suburban mall in Singapore.

Planned for completion in 2008 to 2009, the 99-year leasehold project will feature an air-conditioned bus interchange, a 620-unit condominium targeted at HDB upgraders and a 290,000 sq ft mall.

It will be developed by Prime Point Realty Development, which is a venture between Lee Kim Tah Holdings, Guthrie GTS and TMW PCCW, a German investment fund managed by Pramerica Real Estate Investors (Asia).

Lee Kim Tah and Guthrie also own the existing Jurong Point mall.

The integrated project will be linked to the popular 410,000 sq ft Jurong Point from basement two through to level two. Currently, Jurong Point already attracts around three million visitors a month.

Starmall Property Management, the property manager of Jurong Point, told The Straits Times that average rentals at the new mall are expected to be around $11 per sq ft (psf), comparable to current rents at Jurong Point and just below rents at Tampines Mall.

The new mall, when combined with Jurong Point, will offer a total lettable space of more than 700,000 sq ft. This will create the biggest mall in the heartlands, Starmall said.

Tampines Mall, another popular suburban mall, has a net lettable space of about 321,700 sq ft.

Vivocity in the HarbourFront area, which will be Singapore's largest mall when it opens later this year, will have a lettable space of 1.1 million sq ft.

Revealing details of its plans for the Boon Lay site, Starmall said the air-conditioned bus interchange will be on level one of the integrated project. Level two is likely to be taken up by a hypermarket.

Level three is where condo facilities, such as a swimming pool and tennis courts, as well as the 12 blocks of apartments will be built.

Called The Centris, the condo is expected to be completed by mid-2009.

The bulk of the 620 units planned are two- to three-bedroom apartments, with the rest being four-bedroom units. The apartments will range from 800 sq ft to 1,500 sq ft.

Prime Point is planning to launch The Centris in September, but may hold a preview as early as June.

But market-watchers noted that the property market recovery has not quite filtered down to the HDB upgraders' market, which will cap the price The Centris can fetch.

Unless the upgraders' market picks up substantially, Prime Point is likely to sell many of the apartments there for around $500 psf, they said.

Property consultancy Knight Frank's research director, Mr Nicholas Mak, added that some of the recent transactions in the Lakeshore and Lakeholmz area have averaged between $480 and $520 psf.

'But this project is quite unique. The only other similar one is Compass Point in Sengkang,' he said.

joyceteo@sph.com.sg
 

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Coming soon: More upgrading carrots

40 per cent of precincts yet to be announced by MPs

Thursday • March 23, 2006

Tor Ching Li
chingli@newstoday.com.sg

IF you think you're hearing the word "upgrading" more often these days, you haven't heard all.

While National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan had announced in November last year that a whopping 64 precincts — 50 per cent more than the previous year — have been chosen for some form of upgrading in the financial year which ends this month, around 40 per cent of these projects have yet to be announced by MPs to their wards.

All six approved Main Upgrading Programmes (MUPs) — located within Ang Mo Kio, Toa Payoh, Queenstown, Telok Blangah and the opposition-contested Bedok (East Coast GRC) and MacPherson wards — have yet to be announced.

And only 28 out of 43 Lift Upgrading Programmes (LUPs) and nine out of 15 Interim Upgrading Programme Plus have been revealed to residents of affected blocks.

Said an MP who does not want to be named: "The Government would have to calibrate these announcements. If you announce it too early people will forget, announce it too late and the news may not catch fire. You can expect the MPs to maximise their mileage for the upcoming general elections."

Added Mr Charles Chong, MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC: "If you are going to make such an announcement, what better time to make all these announcements than before the elections?"

But while cynics may think the announcements were delayed to coincide with the upcoming General Election, the Government Parliamentary Committee chairman for National Development Dr Amy Khor (Hong Kah GRC) said that technical reasons could be a factor.

"The MPs could be doing their groundwork to find out what items residents want to see included in the MUP. It is a more complex process than announcing a LUP because residents have to co-pay," she said.

For MUPs, which improves older estates and enhances spaces within each flat, the Government pays as much as 93 per cent of the cost.

Another three sites in Jurong have been identified for the Selective En Bloc Redevelopment Scheme yesterday, bringing the total number of projects to 64 since the scheme was introduced in 1995.
 

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jq75 said:
March 20, 2006
Make HDB flats more readily available for divorcees

I refer to the HDB's reply "HDB treats single divorcees as singles" (ST, Feb 24) in reply to Teo Seng Han's letter "HDB flats: Don't overlook single divorcees" (ST, Feb 15).

Single divorcees who are 35 years old or older but have not met the five-year minimum occupation period (MOP) for new HDB flats or resale flats bought with the CPF Housing Grant for Family are not allowed to retain their existing HDB flat under the Single Singapore Citizen scheme.

Single divorcees have to dispose of their existing HDB flats by resale in the open market if they have met the MOP, or return the flats to the HDB at the prevailing compensation prices if they have not completed the MOP.

Couples may go through a period of separation before they become legally divorced.

While it is understandable for the HDB to support the national pro-family policy, its policies may have no impact. How many people will base their decisions on divorce on the HDB's housing policy for divorcees?

It may even have the opposite effect of encouraging people to buy as a single first and defer marriage in view of the rising divorce rates in Singapore.

It is hard enough for a marriage to fail. Why penalise them further by denying their housing needs?

As Mr Teo said, being advised to rent a room or live with relatives may hardly be a viable option for some divorcees.

The last thing we want to do is drive divorcees to get married again quickly just to fulfill their housing needs.

The role of the HDB is to provide affordable housing.

Instead of tendering a few hundred of its 9,000 flats that have remained unsold for many years to a commercial company to rent out to foreigners, why not make them available to the divorcees or others who may need them more?

I understand there are over 3,000 rental flats that have been vacant for years. The HDB should consider making them available to those in need, like needy single divorcees.

Quiting marriage is not a crime. We should help the divorcees to get on with their lives instead of penalising them.

Leong Sze Hian

--------------------------

Help them, don't penalise

Change HDB housing policy for divorcees, separated singles

Thursday • March 23, 2006

Letter from LEONG SZE HIAN

I refer to the Housing and Development Board's policy for divorcees and separated singles.

Divorced singles who are 35 years or older, but have not met the five-year minimum occupation period (MOP) for new or resale HDB flats bought with the CPF Housing Grant for Family, are not allowed to retain their existing HDB flat under the Single Singapore Citizen scheme.

Separated singles have to dispose of their existing HDB flat in the open market if they have met the MOP, or return the flat to the HDB at the prevailing compensation price if they have not completed the MOP.

Couples may normally have to go through a period of separation before they become legally divorced.

While it is understandable for the HDB to support the national pro-family policy, its policies may have no impact whatsoever on "pro-family" — because how many people will base their decision on whether to divorce or not on HDB's housing policy for single divorcees and separated singles?

It may even have the opposite "non pro-family" effect of encouraging people to buy as a single first, and defer marriage, in view of the rising divorce rates in Singapore.

Being advised to rent a room or live with relatives is hardly a viable option for some divorcees. The worst thing we want is to drive divorcees to quickly get married again, just to fulfil their housing needs.

Instead of recently tendering out a few hundred of its 9,000 flats that have remained unsold for many years to a commercial company to rent out to say foreigners, why not make them available to Singaporean divorcees or others who may need them more?

Quitting marriage is not a crime. We should help them to get on with their lives, instead of penalising them for their most basic need of a home to live in.

Leong Sze Hian
 

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jq75 said:
Why did flat valuation drop by $35,000 in seven months?

Friday • March 17, 2006

Letter from Wong Teck Tian

I am writing to find out why there was such a big difference in the valuation prices of my HDB five-room flat in Toh Yi Drive.

Property Agency Orange Tee valued it at $368,000 in June last year. Last month, another agent, CKS Property, valued my property at $333,000.

Within a period of seven months, there was a tremendous drop of $35,000 in the value of the property.

My questions are as follows: How can the valuation price of my unit drop so much within such a short period of time and how can there be such a big difference when both agencies that valued my property were appointed by the HDB?

If this continues, the market value of five-room flats in my estate may one day become equivalent to that of four-room units.

According to the method of valuation by the HDB-appointed agencies, my property was valued using the direct comparison method, whereby a comparison is made with sales of similar properties in the vicinity or in similar localities.

I don't think this is fair to some owners as there are sellers so desperate to sell their units that they settle for lower prices.

The valuer should also consider the internal condition of the house. HDB should value a flat on a case-by-case basis.


-----------------------------

Market prices the basis for valuation

Flat value dropped due to different market conditions


Friday • March 24, 2006

Letter from Joan Chan
Director (Valuation), CKS Property Consultants
and Marcus Oh
Executive Director, OrangeTee.Com

We refer to the letter, "Why did flat valuation drop by $35,000 in seven months?" (March 17), from Mr Wong Teck Tian, regarding the valuation of his HDB five-room flat in Toh Yi Drive.

The valuations for Mr Wong's flat was carried out by Orange Tee in June last year and CKS Property Consultants in February this year for the purpose of obtaining a mortgage loan and withdrawal of CPF monies for the purchase of a HDB flat.

On both occasions, bona fide sales between willing buyers and willing sellers for similar flats in the vicinity were used as a basis to determine the value of the flat. Adjustments were made to reflect the location of the unit, floor level, size, orientation, age and renovation. This is an established valuation principle and methodology in the industry.

As the two valuations were done at different times, the market conditions and the most recent sales during the two periods could not be exactly the same.

In particular, in June last year, the transactions for similar flats in the preceding four months were between $340,000 and $396,000, while in February this year, the transactions for similar flats in the preceding four months were between $320,000 and $330,000.

Hence, it is only natural that there is a difference in the value of the flat assessed.

We would like to assure Mr Wong that we have done our valuation professionally and our valuations are reflective of market conditions for the respective periods.
 

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jq75 said:
Hitting that $8k HDB ceiling

Does income limit take inflation into account?

Tuesday • March 21, 2006

Letter from Eunice Ng Zhi Wei
Letter from Alan Koh
Letter from Leong Kum Chuen

I belong to the group of couples described in Peter Heng's letter, "Re-examine income ceiling for HDB flats" (March 16).

My boyfriend and I — a young graduate who has just entered the workforce — have a combined starting salary of $8,000.

The Housing and Development Board's income ceiling should be reviewed.

Firstly, HDB stated previously that the $8,000 income ceiling was in place to ensure that subsidised public housing was available only to a target group of citizens. But has the ceiling ever been adjusted to compensate for inflation?

A couple who earned $8,000 10 years ago might have been able to afford private housing then — I dare not say the same for couples today.

Secondly, recent reports revealed the existence of millionaires living in HDB flats. Perhaps it is time to question the utilisation of income as a barometer of one's ability to afford private or public housing.

While my boyfriend and I may exceed HDB's income ceiling, settling down soon is a dream currently beyond our reach, for we have only just begun to repay our years of accumulated student loans and parental debts.

Lastly, I would like to point out that creating an exception for young couples within the 21 to 30 age group has several advantages — not only can it aid the HDB in reducing the glut of unsold flats, it can also help the young to set up home and start a family, thereby promoting rootedness in Singapore.

Lifting limit makes it harder for lower-wage earners

If a couple can have financial difficulties when they earn $100,000 annually, I would advise them to find a financial adviser to manage their finances, rather than put the blame on HDB.

If HDB relaxes the income ceiling, won't it become more difficult for most young couples to get a flat since more people will be allowed to buy a new flat?

The rules restrict the high-income earners from competing in the balloting exercise with the majority of young couples who do not earn as much.

I feel HDB has done the right thing in setting an income ceiling to give young couples earning lower incomes more chances of owning a new house.

The reason given by higher-income earning young couples — that they are supporting their parents and can't afford a condo — isn't valid.

After all, if couples can earn more than $8,000 a month, they should be able to buy a resale flat with ease, and in their choice location too.

Young graduate but sole breadwinner for family

I couldn't agree more with Chua Hua Ling's appeal ("Relax income rules to help young couples", March 18 –19).

My fiancée is the sole breadwinner of her household. Her dad passed away before she completed her undergraduate course in the late 1990s.

She had to fend for her family by giving tuition while studying full time. Fortunately, she saw herself through her undergraduate course and she has been working full time now for four years.

Her mum is a retiree with little education. Her younger brother is still in full-time National Service (NS). With only one parent now, my fiancee can only claim tax relief of $5,000 for her mother (those with two dependent parents can claim up to $10,000).

We have had to postpone our wedding in the hope that her brother can contribute when he finishes his NS.

The Government should look into areas such as tax relief and income ceilings that can help those like us a little more.


-----------------------------------------


Income ceiling for subsidy to stay

Friday • March 24, 2006

Letter from LEONG CHOK KEH
Deputy Director (Policy and Property) for Director (Estate Administration and Property), Housing & Development Board

I REFER to the recent letters on the income ceiling for HDB flats.

The objective of subsidised public housing is to assist citizen families to own their homes. As our public housing subsidies are limited, they are targeted at those who need help, with more allocated to those in greater need.

At the current income ceiling of $8,000 per month, close to 90 per cent of citizen households qualify for subsidised public housing.

Families with household incomes exceeding $8,000 per month have various housing options. For example, they can purchase a resale HDB flat from the open market. Resale HDB flats are not subject to the $8,000 income ceiling.

Since the vast majority of citizen families can qualify for subsidised public housing, HDB has no intention to revise the income ceiling at this juncture. We thank the writers for their feedback.
 

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The Electric New Paper :
TOP OF BLOCKS
HDB prices in these estates are sky-high. Why are they so special?
WHICH Housing Board estate is the most sought after and has the highest resale prices?

By Tay Shi An

27 March 2006
WHICH Housing Board estate is the most sought after and has the highest resale prices?

The answer may surprise many who might pick Marine Parade (for the sea view), Bishan (for its good schools) or Toa Payoh (many amenities).

The undisputed king of HDB estates is Queenstown, which covers the Holland Village, Tanglin Halt and Queenstown areas.

This emerged after The New Paper on Sunday analysed over 7,500 HDB resale transactions from December last year to mid-March this year.

Queenstown commanded the highest average resale prices of four-room, five-room and executive flats in Singapore. Its nearness to the city was the top reason.

The average resale price of its four-room flats was about $313,000. That's almost $100,000 more than the average price of all four-room resale flats that changed hands during the same period, which was almost $233,000.

As for those who live in executive flats in Queenstown's Mei Ling Street, the market price of units there was about half a million dollars.

Based on the average resale price, the other top HDB estates are Bukit Merah, Marine Parade, Toa Payoh, Bukit Timah, and the Central Area.

Property agents say the top reasons for an estate's attractiveness is its proximity to the city and good amenities.

Flats farther from the city but close to an MRT station or a busy town centre are also much sought after.

Throw in a sea view and the price may beat that of flats in the city.

The four-room flats in Bukit Merah fetched an average price of $306,000 while the five-room units went for $387,000 on average.

Some top estates also threw up surprises - a five-room flat in Toa Payoh Lorong 2 was recently sold for about $500,000.

The results come as no surprise to property industry players like Dennis Wee Properties director Chris Koh.

He said: 'In real estate, location is what makes these estates emerge tops. They are near the city and people find them convenient.'

For less central estates like Marine Parade and Bukit Timah, Propnex CEO Mohamed Ismail said they are valued because they meet a niche demand.

He said that Marine Parade dwellers tend to relish a seaside lifestyle, while the few Bukit Timah HDB flats are prized by those who like the area, but do not want to buy landed property.

Mr Koh said that flats in estates like Bishan and Clementi also fetch premium prices.

An HDB spokesman said that transacted resale prices are set by 'willing buyers and willing sellers'.

Factors taken into account include the market value of the flats, size, floor height, renovations, orientation, age, lease term, availability of facilities or amenities nearby, and prevailing market conditions.

A Toa Payoh resident, who gave her name only as Madam Wee, 36, agrees.

Since 2001, she has lived in a five-room flat next to Toa Payoh MRT station with her husband and five young children.

She said: 'We've thought of selling our flat but are reluctant because we like it very much.'

She likes the estate's central location and the HDB Hub.

'Anytime we need anything, we can go down and get it,' she said.

But Mr Koh added that there will always be demand for flats in the more 'affordable' estates.

For instance, Woodlands and Jurong West, which have lower average resale prices, have the highest total number of resale transactions for three-, four- and five-room and executive flats.

Each estate also has its own appeal. For example, Woodlands flat dwellers may be those who visit Johor often.

PROFITS VARY

Owning a flat in a lower-valued estate need not mean you earn less profit if you sell your home, said Mr Ismail.

He gave this example: If you bought a five-room flat in Tampines from HDB 20 years ago for $100,000 and took out a loan at 4.5 per cent interest, you end up paying $150,000 for it.

If you sell it at $300,000 today, you would make $150,000.

If you bought a five-room Toa Payoh flat from HDB 20 years ago for $180,000 and took the loan, you end up paying $270,000, including interest.

If you sell it at, say $400,000 now, you would make $130,000 - less than the profit for the Tampines flat.
 

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HDB parking charges: Readers suggest some flexible options

A day, night season parking system would be economical How about Sesame Street-styled baby parking coupons?

Wednesday • March 29, 2006

Letter from Michael Chua Kheng Hwee
Letter from Basil Lee

The current monthly charge of $90 by the HDB for parking at its multi-storey car parks at new towns such as Sengkang and Punggol is hefty.

Most of us who drive would only park our cars there at night as we have to drive to work during the day. It is a waste to pay $90 a month for parking only at night most of the time. It would therefore be good if the HDB can implement a season parking system where motorists can choose either day or night season parking. The HDB can then charge accordingly, preferably $45.

They should also implement a whole day parking charge of $2 or $3, similar to the current night parking charge of $2 from 10.30pm to 7am.



I have two babies to drop off at my parents-in-law's place for baby-sitting everyday. Even though I spend less than 10 minutes dropping them off, and likewise picking them up, I have to utilise $1 worth of coupons daily.

This can be rather painful when you find yourself running out of coupons every 10 days and having to purchase a new book for $10.

Can the Government provide us with "Baby Parking Coupons" entitling parents to pick up their babies?

These should ideally be in variations of 5 minutes (Elmo-shaped), 10 minutes (Big Bird-shaped) and 15 minutes (Ernie-shaped). We can approach Sesame Street to partly sponsor the project.

Perhaps this is what we need to inject a bit of "life" into Singapore?
 

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April 1, 2006
First batch of housing agents, firms get quality tag
185 agents, 161 agencies receive accreditation certs


By Tan Hui Yee
THE scheme to put a badge of quality on housing agents is gaining pace, as almost half the estimated 10,000 agents here are working in accredited agencies or have passed professional examinations on their own steam.

Yesterday, the first batch of 185 housing agents and 161 agencies received their accreditation certificates.

But questions still remain on how effective the push for accreditation will be, because the Government does not intend to make it compulsory.

To get an accreditation certificate, agents must either have a degree or diploma in real estate studies, or have passed a professional examination called the Common Examination for House Agents (Ceha). But they can still practise now if they put off taking these, as long as they work for an accredited agency.

An agency seeking accreditation this year must be licensed and needs to have 40 per cent of its agents with professional qualifications. The percentage will be slowly raised until 2009, when every one of an agency's agents will have to be accredited.

But even if a licensed agency does not meet the 40 per cent Ceha quota now, it can still operate - as an unaccredited one.

The Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore, which licenses agencies, told The Straits Times it believes the market will push agencies towards accreditation.

Its spokesman said: 'We believe that over time, discerning Singaporeans will recognise that agents from accredited agencies can provide better and more reliable services.'

All in, there are now 1,340 licensed housing agencies and an estimated 10,000 housing agents.

More applications for accreditation are coming in, said the chairman of the scheme's accreditation board, Dr Lim Lan Yuan.

He added that the Singapore Institute of Surveyors and Valuers, and the Institute of Estate Agents, which run the scheme, will run a public education drive to make consumers aware of the benefits of using accredited agents.

The scheme was initiated by these two bodies in 2004, in response to complaints against the practices of unqualified agents.

Complaints still leapt 43 per cent between that year and last year. The Consumers Association of Singapore received 672 complaints against housing agents and agencies last year.

And last year's cashback deals, where agents colluded with buyers and sellers of HDB resale flats to over-declare their prices, also tarred the image of the industry.

Mr Mohamed Ismail, chief executive of the PropNex group of agencies, said the scheme would give consumers peace of mind knowing that they would have recourse if something went wrong with their transaction.

The four-month-old Singapore Accredited Estate Agencies scheme will mediate in disputes and nudge the agencies into getting more of their employees to pass professional examinations.

It will also take action against agents and their agencies if they breach its code of conduct.

More information about the scheme and accredited agencies can be found at www.saea.org.sg

tanhy@sph.com.sg
 

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Prices of older HDB flats hold up thanks to location, upgrading

03 April 2006 2030 hrs



SINGAPORE : Some 11 percent of all HDB flats in Singapore are at least 40 years old, but despite their age, their prices appear to be holding up well against newly-built flats.

Location is one key factor, but analysts say renewal and upgrading works are also helping.

The age of the property is often an important factor to consider when buying a home.

But when it comes to older HDB flats, the location could well offset that consideration.

And consultants say it is one key factor that is helping older HDB flats stave off price erosion.

Said Nicholas Mak, director of research, Knight Frank, "We have to look at variety of factors; not just simply the age of the flat, but also the location, the amenities, proximity to school and also proximity to employment."

So mature flats aged 40 or above can fetch more than new flats in outlying areas.

For example, a 31-year-old flat in Marine Parade can cost about the same as a six-year-old, five-room flat in Sengkang which has double the floor area.

Said Mohamed Ismail, CEO, PropNex Corporation, "So far, in the mature estates, the price appreciation has been stronger. Today a property, at Central area -- let's say Queenstown, or Bishan, or Redhill, or Marine Parade -- commands a higher price compared to a newer estate, even though it is much older when compared to newer estates like Sembawang, Sengkang, and other outer areas like Pasir Ris."

Older estates like Kallang, Old Airport Road, Toa Payoh, Rumah Tinggi, Bukit Ho Swee are about 40 years old.

Next come the outer areas, like Tampines and Bedok, which are more than 20 years old.

Another factor is the estate renewal programme.

Said Mr Mohamed, "Because of our island being land-scarce, even though the estate becomes older, our government initiative of continued upgrading programmes, and the amenities that come with it, always favours matured estates, because people want to stay closer, to their parents, in-laws. They are always in demand."

ERA says that residents at Clementi, where the town centre is to be re-developed, could see prices lifted by between 10 and 20 percent.

Said Eugene Lim, assistant vice president, ERA Realty, "Clementi is a HDB town that was built many, many years ago, and the existing facilities at the town centre are very dated. With the redevelopment in the town centre, generally all the residents in Clementi will benefit."

Location and amenities aside, industry players also note that there is that "old-estate" charm in older estates which newer ones cannot replicate overnight. - CNA
 

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HDB scraps tender for unsold flats
Concerns over 'zero, negative commission' prompt decision
:s13:

By Daryl Loo
IN AN unexpected move, the Housing Board has withdrawn a tender calling for housing agents to help sell 400 surplus flats in the resale market.

The HDB said yesterday it will not award the contract, citing concerns raised by market players about 'negative and zero commission bids'. Instead, it will call a new tender later after it has 'addressed these concerns'.

When the tender closed in December last year, two of the 15 bidders offered to sell the flats for zero commission. Another two offered to pay the Housing Board commission. The other 11 agencies offered to charge the HDB sales commission of 0.2 to 1 per cent on each flat sold.

The unsold flats in Jurong West, Bukit Panjang, Choa Chu Kang and Sengkang are part of the 9,000 surplus flats the HDB has been saddled with for the past five years, a legacy of overbuilding and a sudden drop in demand during the Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s. It had planned to appoint at least two agents to handle sales this year.

The agencies that offered to work commission-free were RH Housing and HDB subsidiary EM Services. ERA Realty and Singapore Multiple Listing Services (SMLS) submitted 'negative bids' of -0.01 and -0.05 per cent respectively. This meant, for instance, if they sold a flat for $200,000, they would pay the HDB $20 and $100 respectively.

The Straits Times reported then that some rival bidders were angered at what they felt was an unfair gimmick. Mr Albert Lu, managing director of bidder C&H, said he had expressed his concerns to the HDB. 'If agencies do not charge HDB any commission, then they will have to charge buyers more so they can make a profit,' he said.

Mr Mohamed Ismail, chief executive of bidder PropNex, added: 'The industry norm is to charge the client about 2 per cent commission. It will be really strange if you actually pay the client for every deal done.'

ERA Realty president Jack Chua yesterday explained that both his firm and SMLS had made negative bids as a 'tendering strategy' designed to increase revenue. SMLS is a franchisee of estate agency Coldwell Banker, a sister company of ERA. RH Housing and EM Services could not be reached for comment.

National Development Government Parliamentary Committee chairman Amy Khor felt the HDB was wise to withdraw the tender and review its terms. 'A tender may appear competitive when companies bid low, but the motivation becomes suspect when companies ask for zero commission. You would not know if they are acting in the client's best interest,' she said.

The HDB first experimented with this new sales method in May last year. It appointed EM Services to sell 100 units on the resale market, and nearly all the units were snapped up in two months.

darylloo@sph.com.sg
 

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HDB resale market seen flat for year: analysts

04 April 2006 2108 hrs

SINGAPORE : Prices of HDB flats have spiked down since the Housing Development Board's anti-cashback measures came into effect one year ago.

As an indication, the HDB index of resale flats has fallen by a sizeable 4.8 percentage points and analysts say they are not expecting much upside this year.

Back in the first quarter of 2005, the HDB resale index stood at 106.7.

But that was before the HDB clamped down on the cashback scam under which some HDB home-buyers fraudulently inflated the purchase price to get a larger loan quantum for their flat.

The impact of the measures was clear to see. At the end of the next quarter, the HDB resale index fell by 5.1 points.

After dipping a further 0.4 point in the third quarter of 2005, the index has been edging up again.

But analysts say they don't see much upward potential and do not expect gains of more than half a percentage point for this year
.

"The previous buffed-up level caused by the shady cashback deals has been taken out of the market. Right now, what we are seeing is actual supply and demand conditions. We may continue to see a flat market for the rest of the year because there is a lot of supply in the market. HDB is still trying to clear its unsold stock of flats. Generally, people will take this opportunity to upgrade from smaller flats to bigger flats,” said Eugene Lim, assistant vice president of ERA Realty.

While 3-room flats were in great demand during the lean years, ERA says people are now opting for 4-room and 5-room flats again as the economy improves.

The price gap between 4-room and 5-room flats has also narrowed to as little as $50,000.

For example in Woodlands, a 4-room flat costs about $220,000 but a 5-room flat costs just $50,000 more.

Likewise in Tampines, a 4-room flat can cost $250,000 but $50,000 more will get you a 5-room unit.

Another incentive to go for the bigger 4-room and 5-room flats is that HDB concessionary loans are available only for people who upgrade, such as those who sell a 3-room unit to buy a 4-room or bigger flat.

Those who stick to same-sized flats or downgrade have to settle for loans at market rates with private banks.

Analysts also say that another reason why HDB resale flat prices will not stir much this year is that valuations on prospective HDB transactions are now done by a list of HDB-approved valuers resulting in a more disciplined environment.

- CNA
 

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HDB scheme grounded

Board shares concerns raised about private sector bids to market its 400 unsold flats

Tuesday • April 4, 2006

Jasmine Yin
jasmine.yin@newstoday.com.sg

IT started off with a bang, but ended with a whimper.

Despite strong interest from the private sector, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) has decided not to award a tender it called last December to let the private sector sell 400 units unsold flats on the resale market.

The reason?

The HDB said it shared the "concerns" raised by various market players about the zero or negative commission bids — received from four out of the 15 bidders — which warrants "closer examination".

Under the scheme, some 400 units in Jurong West, Sengkang, Bukit Panjang and Choa Chu Kang were to be offloaded in the market, via the private agents.

These formed part of the 9,000 flats that the HDB had completed more than five years ago but could not sell due to oversupply.

Agencies such as PropNex Realty quickly responded, some offering sweeteners such as renovation packages in their bids, although they have to market the flats, negotiate sales and bear the cost.

But the most novel carrot they dangled — zero commission from HDB or even paying the board a cut of the resale price — fell flat.

The four agencies that offered such zero or negative commission bids were ERA, SML, RealtorHub and EM Services, a subsidiary of the HDB.

One market player who wrote in to HDB to express concern was C&H managing director Albert Lu, whose firm also took part in the tender.

Mr Lu argued that by offering such bids, these four agencies were restricting themselves to a select group of buyers — those who go directly to the brokers — in order to earn commission from them.

"You would not want to close the deal if you earn nothing," said Mr Lu.

This also means that these agents would be turning away legitimate buyers who engage other housing agencies, or buyers who prefer to go directly to HDB.

PropNex's chief executive Mohamed Ismail also expressed similar concerns, but said he was glad that the HDB was looking into the matter.

"The drawback in this is that consumers who have expressed interest in the flats will now have to wait a little longer," he said.

The HDB has said that it would call for a re-tender at a later date after it has addressed these concerns.
 

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The Electric New Paper :
Design flaw? Then why must I pay more?
MPs tackle lift-upgrading issue

YOU'RE a young newlywed with a promising career, riding the 1980s boom.
By Clarence Chang

05 April 2006
YOU'RE a young newlywed with a promising career, riding the 1980s boom.

You buy your first home - a new HDB flat in the suburbs.

The design of your block is the envy of many - just two units facing each other, with no corridor on your floor.

Privacy and exclusivity guaranteed.

No lifts? No problem for sales executive Josephine Yap, 48.

She has lived with her 50-year-old husband, a taxi driver, and their 17-year-old daughter in Block 448, Bright Hill Drive since it was first built in 1989.

Fast forward 20 years later.

You're nearing retirement. Your knees are buckling.

No lifts? Big problem.

Your landlord since day one, the HDB, now says it'll try to build lift shafts so lifts can stop at every floor at your now ageing block.

But because it's a 'segmented block' with no common corridors and so few units per lift shaft, it'll cost you more than your neighbours living in so-called 'normal blocks'.

Fair or foul?

For Mrs Yap, it's definitely the latter.

'I understand it's important to have co-payment from residents. But why must I pay more just because my block is designed this way?' she told The New Paper.

WORTH DOUBLE

In 1989, the flat had cost $100,000 then and it's now worth more than double.

The Yaps took out a 20-year mortgage for the unit, which means they have three more years to go on their loan repayment.

While most four-room flat owners in non-segmented blocks would co-pay $1,200 at most for lift upgrading, Mrs Yap expects to be charged the maximum $3,000 if her block was ever chosen for the programme.

The HDB allows home-owners to co-pay for the upgrading either through their CPF or in cash. Although the Yaps say they have no problems using their CPF savings to pay the $3,000, they still feel that the amount is too high.

Although there are no exact figures, segmented blocks - a peculiarly 1980s phenomenon - are often located in older housing estates like Ang Mo Kio, Bedok and Yishun.

NOW A PAIN

In Mrs Yap's immediate neighbourhood in Upper Thomson, there are 10 such blocks with lift and corridors connecting only the sixth and 10th floors. Mrs Yap lives on the third level.

Clearly, for elderly residents among the nearly 1,000 affected households, what was once a much sought-after home has now become a pain.

Said Mr Wong Yuk Song, 63, secretary of Thomson citizens consultative committee: 'At that time, these blocks were attractive. But with an ageing population today, residents keep asking: When will we get lift upgrading? And if we get it, must we pay through the nose?

'I wouldn't call it a structural deficiency on HDB's part, but this configuration is not our fault.'

One person who did use the words 'structural deficiency' was the area's MP, Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC's Leong Horn Kee, who raised this thorny issue in Parliament.

HDB, Mr Leong argued, should pay to rectify such structural problems - or over time, there will be 'discrepancies' within precincts if some blocks can have lift access and some can't.

'Would that be acceptable?' he asked rhetorically.

And if it was HDB which allocated such flats to residents, added Ang Mo Kio GRC's Dr Tan Boon Wan: 'Shouldn't HDB take responsibility? They've designed that, and that's a defect.'

The Government's answer: Surely residents already knew what they were buying into.

'There's high possibility that people who live in those blocks are second-time owners, third-time owners, who have bought those flats from the resale market. Meaning... they were actually making informed decisions,' said Parliamentary Secretary for National Development, Dr Maliki Osman.

So if we're talking about fairness, he stressed, is it fair to blame the Government for a personal choice you'd made?

'There must be shared ownership, partnership. If we just take away all the responsibilities from them, it's as though we're telling them... the Government is responsible for everything you're facing today. I don't think that's fair.'

UNIQUE DESIGN

After all, Dr Maliki pointed out, these residents have already enjoyed years of extra privacy, thanks to their block's unique design.

On HDB's end, he pledged, it'll continue to scout for newer technologies to keep retrofitting costs in check. With lift upgrading set to be a hot button at the upcoming elections, the issue's bound to crop up again.
 

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Bishan-Toa Payoh Town Council unveils estate upgrading plan

05 April 2006 2150 hrs

SINGAPORE : Bishan-Toa Payoh Town Council has launched its $200 million estate renewal programme for the next five years.

Residents can look forward to a $3 million sports park as well as more elderly and disabled friendly features.

The sports park which will contain a soccer field and volley ball courts.

This is in line with its ‘Bishan Active’ concept to provide a platform for more community-based activities.

There will also be more gardens and sheltered public areas for performers.

"We are also providing a comprehensive approach to accessing of amenities and facilities for the disabled, elderly and young children. We believe these are things that people are looking forward to, based on feedback we've received over the past few years," said Zainudin Nordin, MP for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC.

Bishan-Toa Payoh, a matured estate, has been upgraded several times over the past decades.

While residents are generally happy, some are hoping for more.

"I am also a senior citizen, I'll look forward to lift upgrading because I am quite disappointed having seen blocks which are younger than mine being upgraded first," said one resident.

"There should be more facilities for children and youths. Currently there are few places for them to hang out," said another.

"Maybe they can build things like BBQ pits because most of the time we have to go to places like East Coast Park which is quite far away," suggested a third.

So far, at least 10 town councils have launched their 5-year estate renewal plans ranging between $160 million and $1 billion.

This latest announcement by the Bishan-Toa Payoh Town Council will bring the total cost of such upgrading programmes to over $5 billion.

And with election talks in high gear, will this upgrading plan influence voters at the nearby opposition ward of Potong Pasir?

"I would not link the Bishan-Toa Payoh development to Potong Pasir because I think that is a unique constituency. At the end of the day, it's up to the residents to choose the candidates during the election," said Zainudin Nordin.

The exhibition on the upgrading programme will be held at the Bishan Bus Interchange till Friday and near the Toa Payoh Amphitheatre next week.

- CNA /ls
 

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jq75 said:
HDB parking charges: Readers suggest some flexible options

A day, night season parking system would be economical How about Sesame Street-styled baby parking coupons?

Wednesday • March 29, 2006

Letter from Michael Chua Kheng Hwee
Letter from Basil Lee

The current monthly charge of $90 by the HDB for parking at its multi-storey car parks at new towns such as Sengkang and Punggol is hefty.

Most of us who drive would only park our cars there at night as we have to drive to work during the day. It is a waste to pay $90 a month for parking only at night most of the time. It would therefore be good if the HDB can implement a season parking system where motorists can choose either day or night season parking. The HDB can then charge accordingly, preferably $45.

They should also implement a whole day parking charge of $2 or $3, similar to the current night parking charge of $2 from 10.30pm to 7am.



I have two babies to drop off at my parents-in-law's place for baby-sitting everyday. Even though I spend less than 10 minutes dropping them off, and likewise picking them up, I have to utilise $1 worth of coupons daily.

This can be rather painful when you find yourself running out of coupons every 10 days and having to purchase a new book for $10.

Can the Government provide us with "Baby Parking Coupons" entitling parents to pick up their babies?

These should ideally be in variations of 5 minutes (Elmo-shaped), 10 minutes (Big Bird-shaped) and 15 minutes (Ernie-shaped). We can approach Sesame Street to partly sponsor the project.

Perhaps this is what we need to inject a bit of "life" into Singapore?


No need to introduce shorter parking coupons

Thursday • April 6, 2006

Letter from ENG SOH SENG
Deputy Director (Car Parks)
for Director (Housing Administration),
Housing & Development Board
PETER TAN GUAN LEONG
Deputy Director (Land Administration, Car Parks),
Urban Redevelopment Authority

WE REFER to the letters by Michael Chua Kheng Hwee and Basil Lee ("HDB Parking: readers suggest some flexible options", March 29).

Parking charges are levied to recover the cost of providing and maintaining car parks, and to regulate parking demand. Season parking charges are currently priced at a concessionary rate lower than the equivalent normal hourly parking charges.

Besides the monthly season parking ticket, motorists also have a choice of whole-day parking coupons. The whole-day parking coupons are available in two denominations — $10 or $16.50.

They are cheaper than the normal hourly parking charges and allow the holder to park in all URA/HDB coupon parking places during the car park coupon operational hours. Both types of coupons are also valid for overnight parking in car parks implemented with the night parking scheme.

For short-term parking, motorists can display parking coupons for coupon parking car parks or use carparks installed with the Electronic Parking System (EPS) using ERP technology. The current 30-minute block for coupon parking is a practical base rate that provides sufficient time for most motorists to complete the activities.

We are also implementing progressively the EPS to charge motorists by the minute, in more of our car parks where feasible.

Hence, there is no need to introduce parking coupons with shorter durations. The HDB and URA are therefore unable to implement the suggestions. We thank both writers for their feedback.
 

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For sale, but buyers are few

Flats in Bukit Panjang area are sold below valuation due to transport woes


Friday • April 7, 2006

Vinita Ramani
vinita@newstoday.com.sg

WHEN 49-year-old factory worker Loke Seow Wah bought an executive flat nearly five years ago at Segar Road's Block 468 with her sister, she hoped it would bring the family closer together.

Another sister, Madam Loke Jie Hui, also relocated two years ago to a five-room flat in Block 474 with her 44-year old husband Henry Chong Wan Hon, an SIA storekeeper, and their two sons.

The extended family chose the area because SMRT bus Service 920 would take them to the string of facilities at Fajar LRT station. The amenities include 30 shops, one supermarket as well as two food courts.

Besides, their elderly parents enjoyed living near the nature reserve.

Instead, the bus service was stopped soon after the LRT began operations because the cluster of blocks from 465 to 472 and 473 to 484 are within the requisite 400m from Segar and Fajar stations.

"We depended on that bus service because with elderly parents or health problems, even a 15-minute walk is difficult. Most taxis don't come into this area because it's too isolated, which means more money to call a cab," said Mdm Loke Jie Hui.

And factors like that are playing into the valuation of property in the area, according to analysts. "The Bukit Panjang area in general has a greater proportion of sellers than buyers. Even if people buy in that area, they don't stay there, so it looks unoccupied and empty," said Mr James Lee, of James Lee Realty.

Mr Lee, who just sold a flat valued at $280,000 for $265,000, said that executive flats valued at about $350,000 would incur a loss of about $20,000.

"It's supposed to be subsidised housing but people are losing money instead."

According to Mr Eric Cheng, director, senior division of Propnex, 60 per cent of the five-room flats in the Bukit Panjang area are selling below valuation price, compared to the national average of 40 per cent below valuation.

"Buyers compete for units in really matured estates such as Tampines or Clementi and you can sell a five-room flat in Tampines at $300,000 in under three months.

"But a buyer's rate in areas like Senja, Bangkit or Segar is really low. So a home owner may end up waiting as long as five months before selling below valuation," he said.

Meanwhile, developments are on the way in the newly carved out Bukit Panjang Single Member Constituency (SMC), which has a population of 30,400 voters under incumbent MP Dr Teo Ho Pin.

They include a primary school that will be built at Bukit Panjang Ring Road opposite Block 449A by the end of next year and an 800m covered walkway from Segar Road to Fajar station.

Singapore Democratic Party chairman Ling How Doong is likely to contest in the SMC in the upcoming General Election.

But what about the desire for bus services by the residents of Segar, which used to be under the Holland-Bukit Panjang GRC before the electoral boundaries were redrawn this year?

"Although the Segar area doesn't fall within the new SMC, we are working very hard to see if a feeder bus can service that area. But we also have to make sure that the 40,000 commuters who use the LRT are not short-changed if a feeder starts up.

"We cannot let the LRT become a white elephant. So it is a complex issue," said Dr Teo.
 

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HDB to spend S$110m to upgrade rental blocks

07 April 2006 1710 hrs

SINGAPORE : The Housing and Development Board will be spending S$110 million in the next three years to upgrade rental blocks.

It will also build more studio apartments for the elderly.

Alfonso Goh is one of the first senior citizens in Singapore to stay in an integrated studio apartment; homes like his occupy the same floor as three-, four-, and five-room flats.

Alfonso made a tidy sum for his retirement by downgrading from his three-room flat to his apartment at Eunos Crescent, priced at S$75,000 for 45 square metres.

He said, "I don't need to do any renovation. The bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, everything is ready, even the lighting -- all are ready. Last time, for studio apartments, the whole block would be studio apartments. But here the layout is just like a condo, mix around with three-, four-, five-room flats. So I feel quite happy. I can mix around with other people."

Nearly all the integrated studio apartments offered for sale at this block have been taken up, and HDB says it will build another 400 studio apartments at Queenstown, Jurong West and Bishan to cater to the needs of an aging population.

But pricing for these studio apartments has yet to be revealed.

Those renting can also look forward to better living conditions.

Eight-thousand households in 40 rental blocks have already benefited from the Rental Flat Upgrading Programme.

Residents are not required to pay for improvement works within their flats and at their blocks.

Another 6,500 households are expected to benefit from this programme over the next three years, at a cost of S$110 million to the government.

The income ceiling for residents to qualify for a rental flat is S$1,500 per household.

Families who make S$800 or less pay rent of about S$30 a month, while families who make between S$800 and S$1,500 a month pay about S$60.

HDB is also rolling out incentives to help low-income families become home owners.

It is building more two-room flats, which will be priced at about S$70,000.

And it is also undertaking what it calls a special project to convert 180 executive and five-room flats into two- and three-room flats.

Block 302 B Anchorvale Link at Sengkang has been earmarked to undergo this conversion; there are 80 executive flats there and some have already been sold.

HDB is currently discussing the buy-back of these units with their owners for the purpose of conversion.

Three vacant blocks at Jurong West Blocks 990 A-C are also scheduled to be converted into 100 two-room units, from 50 five-room units.

The converted units at Jurong will be available for sale by the fourth quarter of this year, while the units at Sengkang will be ready for sale next year.

Said National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan, "The two-room flats that we have at the moment are all for rental. The stock of two-room flats is actually almost non-existent. When I announced in Parliament that we are going to rebuild two-room flats, we received quite a lot of requests asking where can we buy it, when can we buy it.

"Even if you start building tomorrow, you can't get the first flat ready for occupation and sale. Minimum is two years. So this is the reason why we wanted to find a way to speed it up, and these special projects achieve that objective."

He added, "It also kills two birds with one stone because some of these converted flats, the larger flats have also not been sold. They are part of our stock of about 8,000 unsold flats at the moment."

Mr Mah said the HDB would exercise maximum flexibility when existing flat owners have difficulty servicing their loan instalments.

HDB will evaluate each case and allow them to reduce or defer loan instalments, or extend the loan repayment period.

HDB may also grant another concessionary loan for the purchase of a smaller flat if the household is unable to obtain a bank loan.

Mr Mah says that some Singaporeans may be cash poor but most are definitely asset rich.

National statistics show that the average Singaporean owns a house worth S$154,000, after deducting the cost of mortgage. - CNA
 

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April 8, 2006
HDB to offer 80 more 2-room flats in Sengkang
It will convert executive flats into smaller units to help meet growing demand

By Tan Hui Yee
MORE two-room flats are to be provided to meet growing demand for these low-cost homes.

The Housing Board will offer another 80 of these units, which it plans to convert from executive flats in a Sengkang block that has stood largely empty since it was completed six years ago. HDB is trying to buy back the three flats it sold in the 80-unit block before proceeding with the conversion.

The 80 two-room flats will be available next year and are in addition to the 100 converted units in Jurong West - to be made available by year end - and another 90 in Sengkang to be built from scratch and made available in about three years. Prices have not been confirmed for the converted units.

HDB announced earlier this year that it was resuming construction of the 45 sq m one-bedroom flats - after a break of about 20 years - to expand housing options for the poor.

Then, it decided to speed up the process by converting more flats in its surplus stock of 8,000 units.

The smaller units are in demand from those on low incomes, as well as from owners of large flats seeking to downgrade.

National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan stressed yesterday that the Sengkang and Jurong West conversions would be a one-off exercise to create two-room flats quickly, not the start of a concerted programme to reconfigure large unsold flats into smaller, and potentially more saleable units.

Each of the 80 Sengkang units will be converted into one 2-room flat and one 3-room flat.

Together with newly introduced housing grants for the poor, ranging from $5,000 to $20,000, the smaller flats give a leg up to low-income households looking to own homes.

The new two-room flats to be built from scratch in Sengkang will cost $70,000 each. A family with an income of $1,000 a month, which buys the flat with a housing grant of $20,000, will pay just $200 a month for its housing loan, Mr Mah said, after a visit to a mock-up of a converted flat in Sengkang.

HDB will also help flat owners facing financial hardship by deferring their housing loan repayments, or extending the repayment period, for example. It helped 30,000 owners last year.

tanhy@sph.com.sg
 
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