Recent blog posts - Property Launches & Investments

3 Main Variables of a Housing Loan that Affects Investment Viability

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Tuesday, 12 November 2013 in Property News

Your ability to finance your property acquisitions is essential to expanding your real estate portfolio. And unless you are a master at sourcing for creative financing opportunities, you are going to be getting a housing loan to fund most of your purchases. It is therefore essential knowledge to understand the basic variables affects your housing loan and ultimately, you. The 3 variables are the interest rate, amortization breakdown, and the loan quantum. A noteworthy change in any of these variables can materially alter your cash flow projections which will shape the feasibility of your property as a rental investment.

Govt mulling master plan for underground spaces

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Tuesday, 12 November 2013 in Property News

SINGAPORE: Singapore National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan said the government is considering the possibility of developing a master plan for underground spaces.

The purpose is to find out how practical underground plans can complement the above-ground master plan to make the city more exciting and liveable.

Foreigners can buy Malaysian properties worth RM1 million or more, double from now

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Tuesday, 12 November 2013 in Property News

MALAYSIA'S government has doubled the minimum value of properties that foreigners could buy to RM1 million (S$391,310), from RM500,000 currently.

Announcing this when presenting the 2014 Budget, Prime Minister Najib Razak said this was among a slew of measures being implemented to temper the sharp rise of homes in the country.

He said foreign buyers of Malaysian properties would have to pay 30 per cent in real gains property tax (RPGT) if they were to sell their units before five years.

The tax is at 5 per cent if the unit is sold after that period.

Source: 25th October 2013

Warm reception expected for Westwood EC site

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Tuesday, 12 November 2013 in Property News

PROPERTY consultants agree that the executive condominium (EC) site in Westwood Avenue will be warmly received, but getting them to agree on their pricing expectations is another matter.

That site was one of two released for tender yesterday by the government, the other being a 99-year leasehold residential site in Lorong Lew Lian.

With the Westwood site, the cost per square foot per plot ratio (psf ppr) cited as likely by consultants ranged from $285 to $380.

Warm reception expected for Westwood EC site

High Speed Rail for North Region Homes

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Monday, 11 November 2013 in Property News

” The upcoming high-speed rail link project between Singapore and Malaysia is expected to boost property prices in both countries, according to property analysts. ”

This is good news for people who are living in the northern region such as Woodlands, Yishun and Sembawang! This means that they do not need to head to Golden Mile/Boon Lay or Changi Airport to head to Malaysia anymore. They take the High Speed Rail which is about 400km to reach KL in just 90 mins.

Freehold Property: Why It’s Not as Great as It Seems

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Monday, 11 November 2013 in Property News

Singaporeans get traditional when it comes to property. We want the land we pay for, and 99 years won’t cut it. We want our descendants holding on to it, long after the Great World War of 3012 when humanity is living off roaches and lichen. But freehold property is a monstrous cost; and are we being practical, or buying an overpriced security blanket?

In this article, I examine how freehold property has conditional value. Depending on your situation, it may not be the best choice:

Buying a home: freehold vs leasehold

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Monday, 11 November 2013 in Property News

THE question of whether to own freehold or leasehold property seems a perennial one, with pros and cons shifting with market cycles and new trends. Here, we examine the issue from the perspective of both a home owner and investor, and see how both tenures perform in rising and falling markets as well as in collective sales.

The chief attraction of 99-year leasehold property is that it is typically priced lower than a comparable freehold property. As a result, they are popular with HDB upgraders as entry-level private properties. Most mass-market homes are 99-year leasehold condominiums, with prices ranging from $500 per sq ft to $900 per sq ft. A typical family-size apartment could cost anything from $600,000 to $1.2 million.

Part of Keppel Port Terminal to make way for Circle Line Stage 6

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Monday, 11 November 2013 in Property News

In a joint announcement on Wednesday, the Land Transport Authority and Singapore Land Authority said a parcel of land at PSA Corp's Keppel Terminal will be acquired to facilitate construction for the extension of the train line.

Work starts on Changi Airport's T4 which is slated to open in 2017

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Monday, 11 November 2013 in Property News

Work has started on Changi Airport's Terminal 4, which opens in 2017. The new facility, which is being built where the Budget Terminal was, will be able to handle up to 16 million passengers a year.

The capacity boost and other projects in the pipeline will prepare Changi for strong growth expected in Asia-Pacific's air travel market, said Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew at T4's ground-breaking event on Tuesday.

More hospitals to serve the north by 2020

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Friday, 08 November 2013 in Property News

To serve the needs of a fast-growing population and support new developments in the area, more public hospitals will be built in Singapore's northern region by 2020, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said.

Speaking at yesterday's ground-breaking ceremony for Sengkang General and Community Hospitals (pictured), Mr Gan noted that his Ministry is looking at a few areas for the next hospital, with Woodlands being a possibility. While the exact location is unconfirmed, demographic needs will be a key consideration.

Developer building homes for rich Chinese in Singapore

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Friday, 08 November 2013 in Property News

China's largest mainland-listed developer, China Vanke, is building residential units especially for wealthy Chinese in Singapore and raising debt in the city’s currency.

According to media reports, the move comes amid efforts by the Chinese government to rein in property prices and minimise the risk of a bubble that could destabilise its financial system.

Last week, Vanke sold S$140 million of four-year notes with a 3.275 percent coupon, revealed data from Bloomberg.

Condo units shrink with buyers' budgets

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Thursday, 07 November 2013 in Property News

SINGAPORE - Homes across the board are feeling the squeeze as developers downsize apartments to find ways to keep overall prices within the reach of buyers.

"The smaller the better" notion gained prominence - or notoriety - with the rapid proliferation of shoebox apartments, some now as tiny as the 258 sq ft cubby holes at Suites @ Guillemard, the equivalent of 2½ carpark spaces.

But the shrinking of two- and three-bedroom apartments has started to draw attention too.

Executive condominium land price hits all-time high

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Thursday, 07 November 2013 in Property News

SINGAPORE — The price of executive condominium (EC) land has hit a record high as developers bid aggressively in anticipation of strong demand for such hybrid public-private housing, casting doubt on the Government’s efforts to moderate bidding by having site tenders close at the same time.

For the first time, the tender for three EC sites closed on the same day yesterday, but the top bid for a site in Jurong translated to S$418.53 per sq ft per plot ratio, breaking the S$400 psf ppr barrier and the previous high of S$392.45 psf ppr more than two years ago. The other two tenders for sites in Punggol also attracted strong bids.

Works on three Thomson Line stations to start next year: LTA

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Monday, 04 November 2013 in Property News

SINGAPORE: The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has awarded four contracts worth S$1.04 billion for three stations and the adjacent tunnels on the Thomson MRT Line, and for the line's Mandai Depot.

In a statement on Friday, LTA says the works will start in the first quarter of 2014.