Recent blog posts - Property Launches & Investments

The Live-Work-Play Lifestyle Is Not Just For City-Dwellers Anymore- North Park Residences in Yishun Central

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Wednesday, 28 January 2015 in Property News

Experience that coveted live-work-play lifestyle at North Park, a new mixed-use development by Fraser Centrepoint Homes. A combination of residential and commercial units will be contained in a single 99-year leasehold

Experience that coveted live-work-play lifestyle at North Park, a new mixed-use development by Fraser Centrepoint Homes. A combination of residential and commercial units will be contained in a single 99-year leasehold, located in District 27’s Yishun Central. North Park Residences will be a twelve-storey address built on top of the new Northpoint City, right next to what is currently the Northpoint Shopping Centre.

Yishun: Up-and-coming Town

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Wednesday, 28 January 2015 in Property News

Set in the northern part of the island, Yishun is considered as a far-flung mature estate with an older demographic profile.

But interest in this sleepy town looks set to be reviving for two reasons.

In the land use plan, "A High Quality Living Environment for all Singaporeans", of the latest population white paper, Yishun is one of 3 estates slated for rejuvenation in the first stage of HDB’s Remaking Our Heartland (ROH) programme.

Citi Analysis- Property Analysis 2015

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Wednesday, 28 January 2015 in Property News

Navigating 2015 — 2015 is shaping up to be challenging for Singapore real estate,
given our expectation of weaker growth in the various sub-segments compared to
2014. We remain relatively cautious on the sector, but now favour developers over
S-REITs. Our preferred developer is CapitaLand. Our preferred S-REIT is AREIT.

Vacated prime sites await word on their future

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Wednesday, 28 January 2015 in Property News

AS A number of prime sites get vacated, the authorities are working out what use they should be put to.

For example, it was announced last month that the Central Manpower Base (CMPB) is moving out of Depot Road to Upper Bukit Timah.

The Ministry of Defence (Mindef) will continue to have a presence at the site as the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) will remain at the Depot Road camp.

Meanwhile, plans for the site after CMPB moves out are being finalised.

As risks loom large, growth takes an uncertain course

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Wednesday, 28 January 2015 in Property News

SINGAPORE: The Singapore economy is officially expected to grow 2-4 per cent this year: the exact same forecast as a year ago for 2014. But this range could mean either a pick-up in growth or further slowdown in 2015 - and it's anyone's guess given the diverse range of risks to growth, both domestic and external.

Advance estimates last Friday put Singapore's 2014 growth at 2.8 per cent - in the lower half of the government's forecast range and significantly slower than 2013's 3.9 per cent. For now, market economists expect some improvement in 2015, with a median forecast of 3.2 per cent growth this year.

Seletar Airport to be rebuilt in upgrading plan

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Wednesday, 28 January 2015 in Property News

Seletar Airport, which currently handles mainly private and pilot training flights, will be torn down and rebuilt to expand its operations, as part of a bigger plan to increase the efficiency of Changi Airport.

The upgrade - slated to start next year - will see the new Seletar Airport equipped to handle more traffic, thereby allowing Changi Airport to make better use of its runways.

This will ultimately boost Singapore's position as a hub for intra-Asian and global air travel.

New carpentry campus opens in Yishun

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Wednesday, 28 January 2015 in Property News

SINGAPORE - Aspiring carpenters now have a new training ground, as the furniture industry's first carpentry training centre was officially opened on Tuesday.

The 4,500 sq foot (418 sq m) campus in Yishun Industrial Park was opened by the Singapore Furniture Industries Council (SFIC) Institute and the National Trades Union Congress' Employment and Employability Institute. It comes with two classrooms and eight workstations that can be used by 32 people at a time.

UPDATE 1-Singapore central bank eases monetary policy in unexpected move

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Wednesday, 28 January 2015 in Property News

* MAS unexpectedly eases monetary policy to counter low inflation

* Move joins other global central banks as oil plunge threatens deflation

* Singapore dollar slides on surprise easing

(Adds detail from statement, analyst comments)

SINGAPORE, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Singapore's central bank on Wednesday unexpectedly eased monetary policy ahead of its scheduled review in April, in a move that extends decisive shifts by global policymakers to counter deflationary pressures and slowing growth.

Singapore Dollar Slumps Most Since 2010 on Monetary Policy Shift

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Wednesday, 28 January 2015 in Property News

(Bloomberg) -- Singapore’s central bank unexpectedly eased monetary policy, sending the currency to the weakest since 2010 as the country joined global policy makers in shoring up growth amid dwindling inflation.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore, which uses the currency as its main policy tool, said it will reduce the slope of the policy band for the island’s dollar in an unscheduled policy statement Wednesday. It also cut the inflation forecast for 2015, predicting prices may fall as much as 0.5 percent.

MAS reduces slope of monetary policy in sudden move

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Wednesday, 28 January 2015 in Property News

SINGAPORE — Singapore’s central bank today (Jan 28) reduced the slope of its monetary policy band in an unexpected easing of policy ahead of its scheduled review in April.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) also cut its inflation forecast for the year for both headline consumer price index (CPI) as well as core CPI (excludes the cost of accomodation and private road transport).

“Since the last Monetary Policy Statement in October, developments in the global and domestic inflation environment have led to a significant shift in Singapore’s CPI inflation outlook for 2015,” the MAS said in a statement.

Two golf courses to be phased out by 2024

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Wednesday, 28 January 2015 in Property News

SINGAPORE — The Government has announced the fate of golf clubs here, after days of speculation over which of the golf courses with leases expiring within the next 10 years will have to make way for redevelopment.

Of the nine golf clubs with leases expiring within the next 10 years, two — Keppel Club and Marina Bay Golf Club — will not have their leases renewed. Three others — Tanah Merah Country Club (TMCC) and National Service Resort and Country Club (NSRCC) and Singapore Island Country Club (SICC) — will have their leases extended but they will be giving up part of the land they now occupy.

The remaining four will have their leases extended with no change. Of the four, however, Orchid Country Club’s lease will not be further renewed after 2030.

Singapore: Asia Aerospace Hub

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Wednesday, 28 January 2015 in Property News

The Singapore Airshow is Asia’s largest and one of the most important aerospace and defence exhibitions in the world. Despite being a platform of choice for industry leaders and high-level government and military delegations to network, forge partnerships and do business, it is also a springboard into the thriving Asia-Pacific region.

Singapore has achieved a strong reputation as a global air hub. With over 450 accolades, Changi Airport is widely recognised as one of the world’s best international airports. As of 2013, the industry achieved a record

output of over $8.7 billion, and employed over 19,800 workers.

Incentives case grips Singapore property market

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Tuesday, 27 January 2015 in Property News

Developer's S$2.4m furniture vouchers debacle looks set to reveal how banks will be protected in case of a property market collapse

Perks used by property firms in Singapore to entice buyers of luxury flats are under scrutiny after a bank sued a developer for allegedly conspiring with borrowers to inflate about S$182 million of home loans.

With Singapore's real estate market on the slide, developers regularly try to court potential home buyers by offering incentives ranging from small cash rebates to discounts on cars, rather than cutting the sales price.

JTC improves industrial property indices to better reflect market landscape

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Sunday, 25 January 2015 in Property News

The revisions include expanding the indices’ geographical coverage to the whole of Singapore, from just the central region previously, and including new property types.

SINGAPORE: JTC Corporation has revised the methodology it uses to compile price and rental indices for industrial property in Singapore, in a move to provide more comprehensive data coverage and introduce greater transparency into the market.

Singapore’s house prices are now falling

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Friday, 23 January 2015 in Property News

Singapore's housing market continues to decline, despite a reasonable rate of economic growth. The private residential property price index dropped 0.75% during the year to Q1 2014, in contrast with the 3.5% annual rise seen y-o-y to Q1 2013, based on figures released by the Urban Urban Authority (URA). When adjusted for inflation, house prices fell by 1.68% over the same period.

Gold Price Today $1,264: What Caused the 2.5% Rise

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Friday, 23 January 2015 in Property News

A shocking move Thursday from the Swiss National Bank sent the gold price today soaring to $1,264.80 – a four-month high.

Switzerland's central bank surprised gold markets when it scrapped a three-year-old cap on the franc. The safe haven currency, along with safe haven gold, surged on the news.

Spot gold was up $33.60, or 2.76%, to 1,264.60 an ounce just before noon. It closed up $30.30, or 2.5%. That was the yellow metal's highest price since Sept. 8.

The Swiss franc also enjoyed a robust rally.

Deflation in 2015?

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Friday, 23 January 2015 in Property News

Investors are asking if deflation in 2015 is a real concern.

The answer is, at this point, a convincing yes. A confluence of market factors point to this harsh economic reality.

But Americans aren't as familiar with deflation as they are with inflation. Few were even alive the last time America experienced deflation.

"There has been no episode of persistent deflation in the United States since the period from 1927 to 1933," notes author and CIA economist James G. Rickards in his book, The Death of Money.

The Next Subprime Crisis Has Already Started

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Friday, 23 January 2015 in Property News

Reading about what's going on in the subprime auto lending space is a lot like reading about drive-by shootings.

Unless you're a subprime borrower, or live in a neighborhood where drive-bys are happening, you probably don't know much about either or think they affect you.

But if you listen closely there's muffled financial "gunfire" already in your neighborhood.

And it's much closer to your doorstep than you think.

Here's what you need to know…

Private rental prices drop for 11th consecutive month

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Wednesday, 21 January 2015 in Property News

A. Non-Landed Private Residential Rental Market

Private rents continued to fall. According to the SRX Property Price Index for Non-landed Private Residential Rentals, rents posted a drop of 0.8% in December compared to November. Non-landed Private Residential units in all three sectors (CCR, RCR and OCR) saw decrease in rents of 1.2%, 0.6% and 0.3% respectively.

Largest decline in HDB resale prices since 2002

Posted by Property Launch Invest on Wednesday, 21 January 2015 in Property News

Resale prices for HDB flats continued their decline in Q4 2014 — a result of a
convergence of measures imposed last year and an increased supply of new flats.
According to data from HDB flash estimates released today, resale flat prices fell 1.4 per
making the overall decline of prices for 2014 at 6.1%.

PROPERTY LAUNCHES & INVESTMENTS

Property Launches & Investments

The revisions include expanding the indices’ geographical coverage to the whole of Singapore, from just the central region previously, and including new property types.