D02 Sky Everton

15/12/2021

❗️Property Cooling Measures❗️
WhatsApp Krystal 98731115 or Mel 97761891 if you have questions.

09/12/2021

22/01/2021

🇸🇬 Singapore 2020 GDP contracted 5.8%. Meanwhile, private property prices are estimated to have gained 2.2% and HDB prices up 4.8%.

Given the govt's view of the near future is "highly uncertain", this has set off alarms that they are not only watching the market closely but may introduce the next set of "cooling measures".

06/12/2020

What epidemiologists said about life after the vaccine:

🩺 "..I can’t imagine being in a crowd or attending any crowded events until 80% or more are vaccinated.”
- Julie Bettinger, associate professor, University of British Columbia

🩺 “The new normal will be continued masking for the next 12 to 18 months and possibly the next few years. This is a paradigm shift.”
- Roberta Bruhn, co-director, Vitalant Research Institute

🩺 “I think widespread availability of vaccines will result in the further relaxation of most precautions by mid-to-late summer 2021.”
- Michael Webster-Clark, postdoctoral researcher, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

🩺 “It’s hard for me to imagine that it will ever go back to our previous ‘normal,’ but I do think that new preventive measures that we’ve had to adopt, like masks, will feel normal in time. In that sense, I’m optimistic that life will settle into a new kind of normal.”
- Marilyn Tseng, assistant professor, Cal Poly

☘ Generally in line with our expectations in the New Year. We should be in a better place come 2H2021. However, it is unlikely we will return to pre-pandemic levels (if at all) for at least until well into 2022.

Meanwhile, we would have retained much of the pandemic precautions and lifestyles for the next couple of years. Many will continue to WFH. Many will have re-designed their lives and businesses around pandemic driven road blocks.

In housing, we still feel that people will continue to seek places closer to nature and not have to think about how fast they can get to work as a top priority. The need to be closer to parents/grown children or even bringing them to live together may support volume.

The government will continue to be cautious on the supply side. Demand side is supported by real needs, a high savings rate and low interest rates locally, and the appeal as a safe haven/strong currency/efficient public services to foreigners wishing to set up home &/or offices here.

Even though the 15 bids for Tanah Merah site was quite strong, we still expect prices to be subdued. The strong local demand is offset by the tapering in the PR population since 2010 and the slowing growth rate of foreigners in the population since 2016.

The one uncertainty is we still need much of the world (we depend on) to have the virus under control. We can not even think about getting back to a better tomorrow without that happening. The vaccine alone will not solve the problem because the logistics of how to get enough people vaccinated to reach herd immunity is an unknown.

There are other financial concerns at the government level with money supply and balance sheets.

But still, we are hopeful that the vaccine in the local population will be successful and then we will have a better view of how things will pan out thereafter.

Stay strong! 🤟

☘ Have a Wonderful Week Ahead! ☘

They are going to the grocery store again, but don’t see vaccines making life normal right away.

16/11/2020

🏠 A recurring theme for foreign buyers is that Singapore is a safe place for families. The nation is also gaining visibility as a politically stable spot in a region now marked by uncertainty and upheaval.
"We do see a recent pick up of high net-worth individuals and families moving to Singapore and relocating their family offices here as a safe haven jurisdiction amidst the uncertainty across the world."
"..this was a currency hedge."
"We are realistic that Singapore property doesn't rise that much but.."

FOREIGN buying has always been a major force driving real estate markets across the world, and Singapore is no exception. But increasingly, many in the property sector are observing that more foreign buyers now see their Singapore residential property as a home rather than just a quick flip. Read mo...

09/11/2020

🌐 Pfizer/BioNTech announced their COVID-19 Phase 3 prelim data suggests a 90% effectiveness (much better than expected). http://bit.ly/Pfizer_Phase3

🌐 U.S. timeline from here (assuming efficacy is confirmed over the next two months) suggests a vaccine could be available towards the end of the year (for front line workers first). General population towards 2Q2021.

🌐 Joe Biden is the U.S. President-elect (as per projections). It looks like they may not be able to flip the Senate (run-off Jan 2021). This result means the end of the tumultuous Trump years, but it is unlikely to unite a deeply divided country (as exposed by the Trump years).

✏️ Asset markets are rallying on both the Biden victory and the Pfizer news. However, if Biden can dial back the excesses of the previous admin, it will actually prove contractionary. Stability and getting the economy back towards pre-COVID levels will mean the withdrawal of monetary stimulus eventually. Addressing (or working in light of) the budget deficit will also constrain further spending(at least in the first couple of years).

✏️ So while we enjoy the knee-jerk reaction to good news, the hard work ahead will actually have a dampening effect. For starters, between now and 20 Jan 2021 swearing in of Joe Biden, the virus will continue to rampage through the U.S. (already setting records). Europe are also having a tough time. And we need our main trading/business partners to be on the same page in order to open up effectively.

✏️ While we should be in a better place come 2H2021 (watching the vaccine development), the reset will be one tough uphill climb.

☘️ In that regard, if you are able take advantage of low interest rates, you have about 3-6 months before further stabilization of financial indicators. And then please note that the bottoming out process will be protracted.

Stay safe 💕

Vaccine candidate was found to be more than 90% effective in preventing COVID-19 in participants without evidence of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection in the first interim efficacy analysis Analysis evaluated 94 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in trial participants Study enrolled 43,538 participants, with 42%....

25/10/2020

🌐 The news lately is that - 2 studies show sharp drop in mortality among hospitalized COVID19 patients—25.6% chance of dying at start of pandemic; now 7.6% chance. Drop across all groups, including elderly & w/ underlying conditions—physicians are getting better at treating (by Dr Eric Feigl-Ding citing http://bit.ly/SaferForNow).

🌐 There are at least 10 Phase 3 trials ongoing, lending hope that we will be in a better place come 2H2021. However, as Dr Eric Topol pointed out, there are still "unknowns about the immune response, reinfections and vaccines. Mask-wearing, hand washing and social distancing will need to continue for some time, citing http://bit.ly/Vaccine_Immunity).

✏️ Which put us in a place where it is getting better but still not quite there yet. To be sure, I am, as ever, positive that Singapore is in a better position than most to fight this virus.

However, due to our dependence on our trading partners to be on the same page, that uncertainty will color our own desired outcomes. In fact, the U.S. and Europe are experiencing a surge in COVID cases going into the winter months.

🏠 There is a lot of activity in the housing market. Plenty of buyers looking for bigger spaces. Sellers looking to down-size to pay off their mortgages. Others putting excess cash to work in a very low interest rate environment that looks set to last for another year or two at least.

I don't see it as an indication that all is well. It is an indication that people are adjusting and hedging in a dire situation.

Can the market go down? Possible, because we need the entire world to have the virus under control (which is still not the case yet). Can it get better? Good chance since much of the Western world is joining hands to work on vaccines and other treatments. And as indicated above, we have made good progress.

✏️ Bottom line: as always, buying a house is for the next 20,30,40 years. It takes courage to commit. And the counter-intuitive situation is that while central banks are pushing interest rates to zero, they are, in part, forcing savers and investors to hunt for decent returns in other asset classes other than leave it in bank deposits.

As a result, we see the price of gold surge. We are seeing crypto currencies on the move. And many of the world's richest (according to at least one report) are looking to add to their real estate portfolios.

✏️ We are not in the business of forecasting price appreciation as a goal in the property market. We are aware that many will not follow our philosophy.

The reason is that it is almost impossible to prove causation (even after the fact). And in most cases, most predictions are merely using past experiences to project into the future. It does not prove causation.

✏️ The better way, we feel, is to make sure that the fundamentals are still sound. In Singapore's case, the single variable is whether the government is willing and able to link national progress to housing values.

Since that practice is still ongoing (the last we checked), and as the SGD remains strong and our finances are in a good place, we will continue to say, private property will be at least a good store of value. Particularly in a very low risk environment.

If you eventually enjoy good price appreciation, that will be an added bonus for you and we will not take any credit for your own brave decision to take a risk with your hard earned money. 💕

More hospitalized patients are surviving than early in the pandemic. Improved treatments make a big difference, but so does flattening the curve to keep hospitals from overfilling, researchers say.

27/09/2020

👩‍🦰 Long Post
If we assume that future viral attacks are probable and that some form of telecommuting, further displacement via digitalization, contactless delivery of services and such are here to stay, we have to then consider at least two or three things out from here.

🖕First, we will very likely see the drive, to decentralize away from any central districts, gain more urgency. This is not only to discourage concentration, but it also allows for new designs that permits more ventilation, improvement in internal air quality, and development of self-sufficient nodes all over the island (so that you don't need to travel far for services of one sort or another).

And to do that you can re-configure existing infrastructure and buildings to some extent. But it will be 'easier' to do everything from the ground up and in that regard we can look forward to earmarked new towns and business districts (like the Jurong Lake District).

✌️Second, continuing the theme that your home will be the centerpiece of your life for some time to come, there are a couple of things that are ongoing. You are looking for space. Setting up your office or a fixed video conferencing location. Making space for your new 'hobbies', be it cooking, gardening, a place for the new bike and so on. Bespoke designs, houses with studies, dual-keys and just more space in general are in demand. In fact, I think many families are thinking if 2-3 generations can be housed together in case another unforeseen situation requires family members to be separated from their parents/grandparents (i.e. more space).

👌Third, even when we get to the vaccine, I think the government may continue to advice people to put on a mask when they have a transmissible infection. Have you noticed that the flu/cough is almost absent when we are all masked-up? It will also be likely that all of us will continue on this hyper hygienic protocol going forward. And on top of that, for those of you who have taken up something to improve your physical fitness/yoga/meditation, I'm quite sure that will continue too.

☘️ And as SG is working towards the City in Nature goal, and having experienced thousands of cars off the road, the hours spent commuting been converted to more time with our loved ones/ourselves, we get to experience "home is where the heart is" every single day.

As we live through this existential threat, I may not know how you feel, but every day seems like a gift. Every chance I have to put on my shoes and walk/run gives me hope. And every time I hear nature through the trees, I feel close to Source.

I may be pushing this, but I feel I'm more connected to the earth/nature like never before. Never thought work-life balance could look like this..

💁‍♀️ Did you?

P/s I'm also mindful that many of us have lost jobs, and none of the above means anything for now. My hope is that the govt can pivot to new policies, new industries, new ways of doing things that can create many new jobs. We are a small ship. We probably can make these bold changes.

In any case, my best wishes to you and may your road ahead be brighter and filled with good potential for you and your loved ones. 💕💕

🌐 Living With The Covid-19 Pandemic: 7 Property Trends To Watch For 2021

As we plan ahead for a post-pandemic landscape, our homes will become definitive extensions of our lifestyles; here are the property trends to note if you're searching for a new abode

25/09/2020

💁‍♀️ SG Household Balance Sheet as at 2Q2020.

25/09/2020

🌐 How close is a coronavirus vaccine?

"Scientists’ forecasts for when the first vaccine could present positive phase 3 trial results range from October this year, at the most optimistic, to mid-2021 at the most pessimistic."

Out of 300 candidates, nine are in phase 3 trials, with some hoping for emergency use approval this year

20/08/2020

☘️ Addressing many of the concerns out there:

🌘 Property is not so much a GDP cycle but rather a debt cycle. For all those who have the means, the current low interest rates are driving demand. In any case, in SG we have to look at just one critical variable: is the Govt able and willing to support the economy and households. We are one of the few countries that actually have reserves to draw upon. Most other countries have to borrow. We remain one of the only 10 countries that are still rated AAA by Standard & Poors. With de-globalisation and on-shoring, many Singaporeans are returning to add to the demand for property. With WFH (Work from home) been a feature for some time, many are also looking for more space to move into.

🌗Whenever there is large scale QE, it drives inflation worries. Afterall, the increase in money supply outpacing economic growth is inflationary. Gold prices are an indication for these concerns. Where savers are penalized while financial assets inflates. Many investment funds are looking for yields as interest rates rest near zero (with some places in negative territory). They are taking more risk in order to achieve reasonable returns. SG is a triple A rated country. It remains a safe haven for international investors. Many big funds (family offices included) have been setting up offices here.

🌖 Yes, I agree with you that we face an existential threat. But we are cautious optimists because we believe SG is in a better position than most to navigate our way out of this existential threat. The Govt is still supporting households and businesses. They will have to pivot to new businesses to replace those lost (like tourism and onsite F&B).

🌞 The thing to remember is that this pandemic will end. The vaccine will arrive. We estimate the world will be a safer place by 2H2021. Buying a house is a long-term investment. If you are buying something new, by the time you get your keys, you should be in a safer place coincidentally.

https://bit.ly/FB_Gardencitysg