Sherwood Towers

23/11/2025

Government reviewing collective sales regime; reforms may be on the cards

Will older developments like Sherwood Towers and Bukit Timah Plaza stand a higher chance for Collective Sales in the future ?

What are your thoughts ?

Industry players have pushed to lower the threshold of majority consent to 70% from 80%, to spur redevelopment of ageing properties Read more at The Business Times.

16/08/2020

Commentary: Will COVID-19 spell the end of strata malls?

A makeover is long overdue for many strata malls. But many suffer from a fragmented management structure which disincentivises rejuvenation, say ...

04/05/2019

Under the draft URA Masterplan 2019, Beauty World area will have a future integrated transport hub and a new Bukit Timah Community Building, in addition to enhancement to pedestrian pavements and better connections to park, greenery and heritage. Going to be exciting for nearby resident and students!

Bukit Timah Community Building
Bukit Timah will have a new one-stop integrated facility with a Community Club, redeveloped market & hawker centre at the doorstep of Beauty World MRT station. It will also feature a range of new amenities such as an indoor sports hall, community library and elderly facility to enhance liveability.

https://www.ura.gov.sg/Corporate/Planning/Draft-Master-Plan-19/Regional-Highlights/Central-Region

22/07/2018

05/07/2018

In full: Govt raises ABSD, tightens loan-to-value limits in moves to cool property market

TODAY file photo
Published 05 JULY, 2018�
1. The Government announced today adjustments to the Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty (ABSD) rates and Loan-to-Value (LTV) limits on residential property purchases, to cool the property market and keep price increases in line with economic fundamentals.

Status of the Private Housing Market

2. After declining gradually for close to 4 years, private residential prices began rising in 3Q2017. Prices have increased sharply by 9.1 per cent over the past year. Demand for private residential property has also seen a strong recovery, as transaction volumes continue to rise.

3. The sharp increase in prices, if left unchecked, could run ahead of economic fundamentals and raise the risk of a destabilising correction later, especially with rising interest rates and the strong pipeline of housing supply.

4. The Government has therefore decided to raise ABSD rates and tighten LTV limits for residential property purchases.

Raising ABSD Rates

5. The current ABSD rates for Singapore Citizens (SC) and Singapore Permanent Residents (SPR) purchasing their first residential property will be retained at 0 per cent and 5 per cent respectively.

6. The Government will make the following changes to ABSD rates:
a. Raise ABSD by 10 per cent-points for entities; and
b. Introduce an additional ABSD of 5 per cent that is non-remittable under the Remission Rules1 (payable on the purchase price or market value, as applicable) for developers purchasing residential properties for housing development.

7. Table 1 summarises the adjustments to the ABSD rates.

8. For purchases made jointly by two or more parties of different profiles, the highest applicable ABSD rate will apply. However, full ABSD remission will continue to be provided for joint purchases of the first residential property by married couples with at least one SC spouse.

9. Married couples with at least one SC spouse, who jointly purchase a second residential property, can continue to apply for a refund of ABSD, as long as they sell their first residential property within 6 months after (a) the date of purchase of the second residential property, or (b) the issue date of the Temporary Occupation Permit (TOP) or Certificate of Statutory Completion (CSC) of the second residential property, whichever is earlier (if the property was uncompleted at the time of purchase).

10. There will be a transitional provision for cases where an Option to Purchase (OTP) has been granted by sellers to potential buyers on or before 5 July 2018, and this OTP has not been varied on or after 6 July 2018. For such cases, the current ABSD rates, instead of the revised ABSD rates, will apply if the OTP is exercised within 3 weeks of this announcement (i.e. exercised on or before 26 July 2018) or the OTP validity period, whichever is earlier.

Tightening of LTV Limits

11. LTV limits will be tightened by 5 per cent-points for all housing loans granted by financial institutions. These revised LTV limits do not apply to loans granted by HDB. Table 2 summarises the adjustments to the LTV limits.

12. The tightened LTV limits will apply to loans for the purchase of residential properties where the OTP is granted on or after 6 July 2018.

13. In line with the tightening of LTV limits for housing loans, LTV limits for mortgage equity withdrawal loans (MWLs) will be tightened as follows:
a. 75 per cent for a borrower with no outstanding housing loan for the purchase of another residential property; and
b. 45 per cent for a borrower with an outstanding housing loan for the purchase of another residential property.

14. The tightened LTV limits will apply to MWL applications made on or after 6 July 2018.

15. The Government will continue to monitor the property market and adjust our policies as necessary, to maintain a stable and sustainable property market.

01/07/2018

Which HDBs are fetching greater than $1,000,000?

[ST: 1 July 2018]

16/06/2018

ST 16 Jun 2018:
Airbnb study says non-tourist areas gain from listings

18/05/2018

[From BT: When en bloc fever distorts ‘lease decay’ principle of leasehold property - 18 May 2018]

17/05/2018

From BT: Extending lease for older HDB flats will have serious trade-offs - 18 May 2018

03/05/2018

[From ST: Reading into a Home Price Data - 3 May 2018]

Singapore residential property appears to be heading towards a 2-tier market where private properties continue to rise while public / HDB homes values stagnate or decline. Over time the gap will surely widen. Is that good or bad?