99 years, 999 years, and Freehold: Defining the terms A freehold property can be held by the owner indefinitely. A 99 year leasehold property reverts back to the state, upon the expiry of its lease. A holdover from the Colonial era are properties with 999 year leases. This is, for all intents and purposes, similar…

One problem with property investment is that, unless you’re very rich and a big-time investor, it’s hard to practice. It’s not like small time fiddling with stocks, where you can afford to make several dozen bad trades before you smarten up. So for small time investors with, say, one or two places to let out,…

It’s not everyday you walk into a makeshift building, and walk out with a seven-digit bill that will take you 25 years to pay. But you know what? That’s exactly what happens at show flats – and to protect you first-time buyers especially, we’ve compiled the list of things to minimise regret. Be prepared before…

Property agents in Singapore have changed a lot of over the years. No longer do many wear “the uniform” (i.e. Polo T and a lanyard); and with CEA in charge, the days of quietly collecting commissions from mortgage bankers, interior designers, etc. are long past. But we notice they’ve developed a series of polite statements…

There’s been a lot of griping by HDB flat owners this year, and who can blame them? For years, we’ve assumed HDB flats are retirement assets – and now that bubble has been burst. Well don’t make the same mistake! Here are some resolutions to keep to for the new year: 1. You will consider…

Even though the en-bloc fever had mostly died out by 2018, there were still some notable en-bloc sales. This gives owners of old condos some hope, that developers are still interested despite rising Development Charges and taxes. More importantly, it gives future buyers some clue on which areas to keep an eye on; if a…

Cooling measures may be great for buyers, but they’re terrible news for some sellers – there’s little you can do if prices start to drop due to cooling measures, or if the economy tanks. Sometimes though, you have no choice and must offload your property, even if times are bad. When that happens, minimise the…

There are a ton of new launch condos out there right now, and you’ve to feel a little sorry for condo developers, who paid top dollar for en bloc and GLS sites only to have the government slap an extra round of cooling measures in July. In any case, 2018 has been a roller-coaster year…

Christmas is around the corner, and more and more Singaporeans are choosing to do their shopping online instead of at shopping malls. In fact, many of those who still go to Orchard Road are there for window shopping; to see and feel items before buying them — often for cheaper — online. This of course, isn’t…

2019 will be an intriguing year for property developers. While there’s still a lot of moaning about the cooling measures, there’s also a lot of fantastic upcoming projects/land parcels that have the potential to become highly sought after, even after taking market conditions into account. Potential property buyers who want to stay ahead of the…