Recent blog posts - Property Launches & Investments

Singapore cuts land supply in first half 2016 land sales programme

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Friday, 18 December 2015 in Property News

The revised programme will comprise four sites on the confirmed list, which will be launched for sale on set dates, and 12 sites on the reserve list.

SINGAPORE: The Government has cut the amount of land it plans to sell in the first half of next year, the Ministry of National Development (MND) said, as property prices remain subdued.

Its revised programme will comprise four sites on the confirmed list, which will be launched for sale on set dates, and 12 sites on the reserve list, which will be put up for tender when a developer has offered an acceptable price.

Good Entry Point to Buy District 10 Freehold Condo

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Thursday, 17 December 2015 in Property News

Condo prices in the suburbs, or the Outside Central Region (OCR) has caught up quickly over the past few years

Freehold condominium prices have stagnated since the roll-out of cooling measures. On the other hand, prices have not dropped significantly because of two factors. Firstly, condo prices in the suburbs, or the Outside Central Region (OCR) has caught up quickly over the past few years; Secondly, freehold residential properties in prime locations still carry strong value propositions in buyers' minds.

Buying a EC in the North of Singapore

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Thursday, 17 December 2015 in Property News

Properties near to MRT had shown good returns compared to other developments which are further. Does it mean these developments do not give you good returns as well?

With high quality, GreenMark Awards for Building and Construction, CDL City Developments offers 2 Executive Condominiums with varies and flexible layouts, with water and energy efficiencies.

Interest rates rise: what does the Fed decision mean for you?

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Thursday, 17 December 2015 in Property News

Rate hike is the first since 2006 and reflects recent comments by chair Janet Yellen that underpinning of US economy is finally healthy

Is something big happening at the Federal Reserve this week?

Federal Reserve announces first rise in US interest rates since 2006

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Thursday, 17 December 2015 in Property News

US central bank signals end to seven years of a monetary policy that began amid the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression

The Federal Reserve raised interest rates on Wednesday, ending an extraordinary period of government intervention in the financial markets that started at the height of the recession.

Singapore speculative buyers kicked out of property market

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Sunday, 13 December 2015 in Property News

Sub-sales are now a thing of the past.

Eight rounds of cooling measures have done a good job of curbing speculative property buying in Singapore, according to this chart from Credit Suisse.

Singapore private home prices fall to lowest in 4 and half years

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Sunday, 13 December 2015 in Property News

SINGAPORE - Prices of Singapore's private homes fell for the eighth straight quarter to 4-1/2-year lows due to government-introduced cooling measures, indicating sluggish property markets will add to deflationary pressures in the city-state.

The third-quarter private residential price index fell 1.3 per cent from the previous quarter to 142.3, with prices dropping across all market segments, Urban Redevelopment Authority data showed on Friday. The index was at its lowest since the first quarter of 2011.

Private property prices would have been 30% higher without cooling measures: Study

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Sunday, 06 December 2015 in Property News

SINGAPORE — Had the various property curbs since the recovery from the global financial crisis not been implemented, private housing transactions, prices and mortgage loans could have been higher by as much as a third from what they are now, an analysis by the Monetary Authority of Singapore has found.

The central bank also found that tax measures, such as the Seller’s Stamp Duty (SSD) and the Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty (ABSD), had a larger impact on transactions and prices compared to lending and land supply measures. Examples of lending measures include loan-to-value (LTV) limits and the Total Debt Servicing Ratio (TDSR) framework.

What awaits stocks in 2016?

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Sunday, 06 December 2015 in Property News

The property market is about to hit bottom.

Policy-battered property developers will likely heave a sigh of relief once 2015 draws to a close. Analysts expect that some cooling measures might finally be eased in 2016, which in turn might provide a much-needed boost to beaten property stocks.

Private property prices have fallen by about 8% from their peak in 2013. Analysts expect that some cooling measures will be eased once prices have fallen by 12% to 15%, which is likely to occur either in the second half of 2016 or early in 2017.

A GST hike is almost inevitable, warns PwC

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Thursday, 03 December 2015 in Property News

Government funds will be increasingly stretched.

It might not happen this year or in the next half-decade, but Singapore will eventually have no choice but raise its goods and services tax (GST) to meet increased social spending.

A report by PwC highlighted that Singapore needs increased tax revenue in the long run as income tax receipts fall in tandem with the ageing population.

Singapore property prices fall 8.2% from previous peak

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Thursday, 03 December 2015 in Property News

Government cooling measures continue to impact on Singapore’s real estate sector, so where next for the region’s investors?

Summary:

Property values in Singapore have fallen by 8.2% from the market’s peak in September 2013
Fitch Ratings points to government cooling measures and a market saturated with supply for the slowdown in growth
With returns having slid for eight consecutive quarters, many Asian investors are looking for alternative assets in international property markets such as the UK

Is the Singapore property market slump likely to end any time soon?

Singapore property prices fall 8.2% from previous peak

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Thursday, 03 December 2015 in Property News

Government cooling measures continue to impact on Singapore’s real estate sector, so where next for the region’s investors?

Summary:

Property values in Singapore have fallen by 8.2% from the market’s peak in September 2013
Fitch Ratings points to government cooling measures and a market saturated with supply for the slowdown in growth
With returns having slid for eight consecutive quarters, many Asian investors are looking for alternative assets in international property markets such as the UK

Is the Singapore property market slump likely to end any time soon?

Singapore property prices fall on higher supply, lower immigration: Fitch

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Saturday, 28 November 2015 in Property News

FITCH Ratings said in its latest Asia-Pacific Structured Finance Chart that Singapore's private residential property prices have fallen 8.2 per cent from its peak in September 2013.

The fall has mainly been driven by tighter policy controls aimed at cooling the housing market. Fitch believes if immigration rates remain low with vacancy rates and property supply remaining elevated, property prices will continue to soften.

Singapore banks face risk from weaker credit, FX moves

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Saturday, 28 November 2015 in Property News

Weaker corporate balance sheets and currency market volatility pose risks to Singapore lenders, though the local banking system remains resilient, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said Friday.

Non-performing loans have increased, and moves in emerging Asian currencies "could exacerbate foreign currency mismatch risks for banks in Singapore," the Singapore central bank said in its annual financial stability report.

MRT boon for 3 sleepy parts of Singapore

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Sunday, 15 November 2015 in Property News

Redevelopment potential around Keppel, Cantonment and Prince Edward stations

The areas around three new MRT stations announced last week may be sleepy now, but expect this to change down the track.

Redevelopment potential is ripe near the sites of Keppel, Cantonment and Prince Edward stations, experts say. The trio will be part of the sixth stage of the Circle Line, to be completed in 2025.

Keppel Station is to be in Keppel Road, near Keppel Distripark and Keppel Terminal; while Cantonment will be integrated with the old Tanjong Pagar Railway Station. Prince Edward will be at one end of Shenton Way, near Palmer Road.

Singapore's sluggish 3rd quarter property markets

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Wednesday, 04 November 2015 in Property News

All key indicators are down in the doldrums, except one.

Private home prices continue their downhill struggle, as declines continued across all segments of the private residential property market.

The drop in the price index was slightly more than the 0.9% drip last quarter.

According to a release by the Urban Redevelopment Authority, prices of non-landed properties fell 1.2%, 1.6%, and 1.6% for the Core Central Region (CCR), the rest of the Central Region (RCR) and Outside Central Region (OCR) respectively.

These were all greater compared to the declines of 0.6%, 0.6%, and 1.1% respectively in the previous quarter.

Here's more:

S P Setia’s global push

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Wednesday, 04 November 2015 in Property News

Having launched two projects in Singapore, the landmark Battersea Power Station in London and a luxury condominium in Melbourne, what does Malaysia’s giant property developer want to do next?

Malaysia-listed property giant S P Setia was not going to let a PSI reading of above 200 threaten the topping-out ceremony of its Eco Sanctuary project on the afternoon of Sept 28. It was held at the rooftop of one of the three 24-storey condominium blocks at its “nature-inspired” Eco Sanctuary on Chestnut Avenue. The panoramic views of the surrounding greenery and city skyline were shrouded by a thick haze. “On a clear day, you can see Setia Sky 88 in Johor Baru on one side, and Marina Bay Sands on the other,” says an S P Setia staff performing the role of emcee.

5 Things a property investor should remember

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Wednesday, 04 November 2015 in Property News

The property market has cooled down a fair bit. Singapore has seen two consecutive years of price declines. Malaysia, meanwhile, has seen transaction volumes drop significantly and prices stagnate. Popular overseas investment destinations such as Melbourne, Sydney and London appear to be near their peak, with large incoming supply. The gap between buyers’ and sellers’ expectations is still too big and there does not seem to be much good news on the horizon for either party.

Chart of the Day: Here is solid proof that current property price downturn is still incredibly mild

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Wednesday, 04 November 2015 in Property News

Price drops were drastic in past crises.

Singapore’s property price index has been falling steadily for the past eight quarters, but analysts from RHB Research argue that the current market downturn is still substantially mild compared to past price downtrends.

Private property prices have declined by some 7% from its peak in mid-2013. This is a far cry from steep price drops seen during the past two down cycles, which occurred during the Asian Financial Crists (AFC) in 1997-1998 and the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) in 2008.

Rising interest in luxury condos

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Thursday, 22 October 2015 in Property News

With these properties currently trading at significant discounts to historical peaks, a long-term strategy of investing now will reap rewards later.

THE Singapore luxury condo market has seen better days, with prices and volumes remaining well below the peaks last seen in the pre-Global Financial Crisis (GFC) property boom. Developers are still left with a substantial amount of unsold inventories and cooling measures have put a lid on demand. Hence, prices and volumes have remained soft. However, the luxury condo market is showing signs of thawing, with transaction volumes slowly creeping up, amid depressed prices, since the second half of 2014. In this article, we define luxury condos as non-landed private residential units located in the Core Central Region (CCR) that have transacted at prices above S$4 million.

PROPERTY LAUNCHES & INVESTMENTS

Property Launches & Investments

Redevelopment potential around Keppel, Cantonment and Prince Edward stations

With these properties currently trading at significant discounts to historical peaks, a long-term strategy of investing now will reap rewards later.