anything pasal HOUSING

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Singapura : 23 Januari 2008        
  
HDB SEDIA FLEKSIBEL TETAPI PERMINTAAN SUKAR DIRAMAL

LEMBAGA Perumahan dan Pembangunan (HDB) akan bersifat fleksibel dalam membuat perancangan bagi membangun flat-flatnya dan bersedia menambah bekalan sekiranya kadar permintaan flat di beberapa kawasan lebih tinggi.

Namun, Menteri Negara (Pembangunan Negara), Cik Grace Fu, berkata bahawa agak sukar bagi pihaknya meramalkan secara tepat permintaan bagi flat-flat HDB untuk tempoh tiga tahun akan datang.

'Sebagai contoh, bagi program jualan HDB, kami menjual 5,700 flat pada 2006. Bagi 2007, program jualan telah menawarkan 13,000 flat, lebih dua kali lebih besar daripada yang ditawarkan pada 2006. Bagi 2008, untuk enam bulan pertama, kami menjangka kami akan menawarkan 6,000 flat, iaitu bilangan yang hampir serupa dengan 2007,' ujar Cik Fu.

Beliau berkata demikian ketika ditanya mengenai program jualan flat HDB dan sama ada ia mencukupi bagi pembeli kali pertama, terutama mereka yang baru berumah tangga.

Menurut Cik Fu, secara purata, pasangan yang baru berumah tangga dan memohon di bawah Skim Bina Ikut Tempahan (BTO) perlu menunggu sekurang-kurangnya tiga tahun.

Namun, kadar itu juga bergantung pada lokasi.

Beliau memberikan contoh flat-flat yang ditawarkan di Telok Blangah Tower, sebuah kawasan yang amat popular dan berdekatan Sentosa Cove.

'Bagi 400 flat yang ditawarkan, lebih 7,800 telah memohon. Namun, sekiranya anda melihat projek lain yang ditawarkan pada masa yang sama iaitu pada Oktober lalu, di Punggol Lodge misalnya, 516 flat ditawarkan, dan kami menerima 1,600 permohonan.

'Bagi flat serupa di Sengkang yang ditawarkan September lalu, bagi 698 flat, 1,300 telah memohon. Lantas peluang mendapatkan flatflat HDB bergantung pada lokasi,' ujar Cik Fu.

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Average cash above valuation for HDB flats up 30% in Q4
By Yvonne Cheong, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 25 January 2008 2036 hrs



SINGAPORE: HDB resale prices have gone up by a better-than-expected 17.5 per cent in 2007, the fastest rate since prices soared by 25 per cent in 1996, latest official figures by the Housing Development Board (HDB) showed.

Most homes in Singapore have appreciated to the highest levels since 1996. The price of a three-room HDB flat was an average of S$149,000 in the last quarter while a five-room flat in Marine Parade fetches an average of S$598,000.

Islandwide, the median price for an HDB flat was S$340,000.

Cash above valuation has also risen to an average of S$22,000, up from S$17,000 in the third quarter.

Knight Frank's director for consultancy and research Nicholas Mak said, "It basically means that transacted prices are actually growing at a faster rate than the valuation. The effect can be quite positive for the private property market because it means that sellers of HDB flats will have more cash in hand for the down payment of their purchases of private properties. So that could lead to an increase in the demand for private properties."

Rental prices have also gone up by S$100 a month for flats with four rooms or more. For instance, executive flats in Bishan are being let out for as much as S$2,200 a month.

Analysts said this is clearly a spillover-effect from the private property market.

Rents of private homes went up by 41.2 per cent in 2007. The increase in rents and sales prices, however, slowed to 6.8 per cent in the last quarter.

"In terms of prices of private homes, we realised areas that actually had the best performance in the fourth quarter (was) actually the fringe areas

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$19m waterfront oasis to be built in Woodlands
By Mok Fei Fei, 938LIVE/Channel NewsAsia's Chio Su-Mei | Posted: 26 January 2008 2054 hrs







SINGAPORE: Come 2010, Woodlands residents can enjoy seafront recreational amenities right at their doorstops.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) has unveiled a S$19m design plan to build a coastal promenade and park in their neighbourhood.

Woodlands will certainly live up to its name with URA's "Woodlands Waterfront" proposal, where more lush greenery, trees and woods will be planted.

A nine-hectare park will be created from vacant land along the coastline, featuring playgrounds, picnic areas and nature trails to cater to different recreational needs.

Right next to the park is a 1.5-kilometre long promenade that will offer unobstructed views of the Johor Straits.

To allow visitors to be closer to the water, an old jetty connected to the park will be refurbished as well.

On why the waterfront idea was mooted, head of the project at URA, Wan Khin Wai, said: "In Woodlands today, you'll find that this is one of the towns that are located along the coastline. However if you're inside of it, you can't appreciate the coastline. So, this project offers residents (the chance) to get to the coastline and have recreational activities there."

The Woodlands Waterfront proposal is part of URA's overall vision to raise the standard of living here, said its director for conservation & urban design, Ler Seng Ann.

"Singapore is an island, surrounded by water on all sides. The waterfront is an important asset. So, in the planning of parks and waterbodies plan, we have capitalised on all these so that we can generate recreation space for Singaporeans to enjoy."

A Woodlands resident, Mrs Chow, is looking forward to the new amenities. "The plan's very good because so far, we don't have any of these things around our area. If you want to have this kind of places, we have to travel all the way to the east side."

Construction of the Woodlands Waterfront will begin by the middle of this year and is expected to be completed by the middle of 2010.

The Woodlands Waterfront is also something Dr Tony Tan, an ex-MP of the area, will definitely look forward to as it was his dream to have it.

"He shared his dream of using the waterfront....bring in water sports, water activities, and let the residents enjoy the waterfront and have a good view of Johor Baru, our closest neighbour. It has been one of his (Dr Tony Tan's) dreams for Sembawang," revealed Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan, who is an MP for Sembawang GRC. - CNA/938LIVE/ir

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590 blocks in 58 sites selected for new HDB upgrading programmes
By Satish Cheney, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 04 February 2008 1845 hrs



SINGAPORE: A total of 590 blocks in 58 sites have been selected for the next batch of HDB upgrading programmes.

The exact list has not been disclosed but HDB said these blocks would benefit from programmes such as the Home Improvement Programme (HIP), Neighbourhood Renewal Programme (NRP) and the Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP).

HDB said the number of HIP projects has been increased from two to four due to strong public support. Eight NRP and 52 LUP projects will also be offered.

Some areas will benefit from more than one programme.

HDB has also agreed to requests from some MPs for six of the Main Upgrading Programme (MUP) sites selected in previous years to switch to the new programmes as they have not undergone polling.

Residents from about 30 blocks in these sites will be able to enjoy one or a combination of the new programmes.

Details of the selected sites will be announced soon.


- CNA/so

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Singapura : 5 Februari 2008         
         
590 BLOK DIPILIH BAGI PENINGKATAN

Libatkan 58 estet termasuk skim baru hasil saranan forum HDB

SEKITAR 590 blok di 58 estet perumahan awam dipilih bagi menjalani program peningkatan selanjutnya oleh Lembaga Perumahan dan Pembangunan (HDB).

Ini termasuk skim-skim peningkatan baru - Program Peningkatan Rumah (HIP) dan Program Pembaharuan Kejiranan (NRP) - selain Program Peningkatan Lif (LUP) yang sedia ada.

HIP dan NRP pertama kali diumumkan Perdana Menteri Lee Hsien Loong di rapat Hari Kebangsaan tahun lalu menyusuli usul-usul di sebuah forum HDB Heartware.

HIP menumpukan peningkatan asas dalam sebuah flat manakala NRP adalah projek peningkatan estet melibatkan dua atau lebih kawasan perumahan.

Dalam tinjauan yang dijalankan selepas pengumuman itu, sekitar 98 peratus responden melahirkan sokongan bagi HIP manakala 92 peratus bersedia memberi cadangan bagi projek-projek NRP di kawasan mereka.

Malah, pindaan terhadap Akta Perumahan dan Pembangunan yang membolehkan HIP dilaksanakan telah pun diluluskan oleh Parlimen pada 21 Januari lalu.

Dalam kenyataannya semalam, HDB berkata bilangan projek HIP telah ditambah daripada dua sebelum ini kepada empat memandangkan sokongan kuat orang ramai terhadapnya.

HDB juga akan menawarkan lapan projek NRP dan 52 projek LUP.

Bahkan, beberapa estet akan ditawarkan dengan lebih daripada satu program untuk memenuhi keperluan khusus estet itu, mengurangkan keadaan kurang menyenangkan bagi penduduk dan menyelesaikan LUP menjelang 2014.

'Para penuduk di sekitar 590 blok di 58 tempat akan menerima manfaat daripada program-program peningkatan baru ini,' kata HDB.

Selain 58 estet itu, HDB juga bersetuju dengan permintaan menukar Program Peningkatan Utama (MUP) enam estet kepada program baru memandangkan estet- estet tersebut belum menjalani pengundian.

Para penduduk dari sekitar 30 blok itu akan menikmati satu atau kombinasi program-program baru itu.

Mengulas pemilihan estet itu, Menteri Negara (Pembangunan Negara), Cik Grace Fu, berkata pihaknya telah mendengar maklum balas para penduduk di forum HDB Heartware itu dan telah menyertakan maklum balas mereka dalam program-program baru tersebut.

'Saya gembira dengan sokongan kuat bagi HIP dan NRP. Kami gembira membawa program baru itu kepada lebih ramai penduduk.

'Pemerintah juga kekal dengan rancangan menyelesaikan LUP untuk semua blok yang layak menjelang 2014,' kata Cik Fu.

Butir-butir tentang estet yang dipilih akan diumumkan secara progresif oleh para penasihat kepada badan akar umbi masing-masing.

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Singapura : 7 Februari 2008         
  
PEMILIK FLAT DALAM EKUITI NEGATIF BERKURANG

Oleh
Suryani Omar

JUMLAH pemilik flat jualan semula HDB yang terperangkap dalam ekuiti negatif kini berkurang disebabkan kenaikan semula harga flat jualan semula HDB.

Malah, mereka yang masih dalam ekuiti negatif juga berada dalam keadaan lebih baik berbanding beberapa tahun lalu.

Pemilik yang berada dalam ekuiti negatif bermakna mereka yang membeli flat mereka pada harga yang lebih tinggi berbanding nilai flat mereka hari ini.

Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif PropNex, Encik Mohamed Ismail Gafoore, menganggarkan sekitar 10 peratus daripada pemilik flat HDB jualan semula masih berada dalam ekuiti negatif.

'Ini adalah mereka yang membeli semasa harga flat tersebut tinggi iaitu semasa 1994, 1995 dan 1996, dan sehingga kini, ia belum mencapai harga yang sama atau lebih baik.

'Sekiranya harga flat mereka hari ini mencapai harga yang mereka bayar, ia masih tidak bermakna mereka akan terkeluar daripada ekuiti negatif.

'Ini kerana apabila mengambil kira jumlah faedah yang terpaksa dibayar bagi pinjaman flat mereka, mereka masih dalam keadaan tersebut,' jelas Encik Mohamed Ismail.

Indeks harga flat HDB jualan semula mencapai paras tertinggi dalam suku keempat 1996 iaitu 136.9 mata.

Indeks itu mencapai 121.7 mata dalam suku keempat tahun lalu. Ia adalah paras tertinggi sejak suku keempat 1997.

Penolong Naib Presiden ERA, Encik Eugene Lim, pula berpendapat hari ini, sekitar 10 hingga 15 peratus daripada pemilik flat HDB jualan semula masih terjerat dalam ekuiti negatif.

'Tetapi mereka dalam keadaan lebih baik hari ini disebabkan harga flat jualan semula yang telah meningkat berbanding dua tahun lalu,' tegas Encik Lim.

Beliau memberi contoh seorang kenalannya yang membeli flat eksekutif di Pasir Ris dalam 1996 pada harga $520,000.

Hari ini, flat itu hanya bernilai sekitar $450,000, kata Encik Lim.

'Tetapi dua tahun lalu lebih teruk lagi. Ia hanya bernilai sekitar $360,000.'

Encik Mohamed Ismail dan Encik Lim menganggarkan dua tahun lalu, sekitar 30 peratus daripada pemilik flat HDB jualan semula berada dalam ekuiti negatif.

Nasihat mereka kepada pemilik flat yang masih dalam ekuiti negatif ialah agar mereka terus menetap di flat yang sama dan menunggu sehingga harga mencapai paras lebih tinggi.

Encik Mohamed Ismail menganggarkan harga flat jualan semula HDB akan meningkat 10 peratus tahun ini.

Encik Lim pula meramalkan kenaikan antara 5 peratus dengan 10 peratus.

'Indeks harga flat jualan semula flat HDB mungkin tidak akan mencapai rekod yang dicatatkan dalam 1996 pada akhir tahun ini, tetapi sekurang-kurangnya ia tidak jauh berbeza dan harga lebih tinggi, jadi kerugian pemilik flat lebih rendah berbanding jika mereka menjual sekarang,' ujar Encik Mohamed Ismail.

Ejen hartanah bersama PropNex, Cik Dayangku Rozarita Jais, atau lebih dikenali dengan nama Roza Sure Bagus, berpendapat antara sebab pemilik rumah masih berada dalam ekuiti negatif ialah mereka mengambil pinjaman yang besar dengan tempoh yang lama.

'Ini menyebabkan kadar faedah yang perlu dibayar amat tinggi. Jadi ia memakan masa yang lama untuk mereka keluar daripada ekuiti negatif walaupun pasaran hartanah sekarang dalam keadaan lebih baik,' kata Cik Roza.

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New HDB upgrading scheme won't add much more to resale prices
By Tan Hui Yee, Housing Correspondent


The outgoing Main Upgrading Programme (MUP) involves overhauling the insides of flats with new toilets, doors and extra rooms, as well as the common areas of the blocks and precincts. -- ST PHOTO: LAU FOOK KONG

PROPERTY industry experts say Housing Board upgrading works that are carried out under a newly-introduced programme will make older flats easier to sell.

However, the premium on resale prices will be quite a bit lower given that upgrading under the new Home Improvement Programme (HIP) will be smaller in scale, they say.

Still, the cost of upgrading to home owners will be less too under HIP than under the previous programme, they note.

The HIP and another programme, the Neighbourhood Renewal Programme (NRP), are the newest kids on the block in HDB's two-decade long upgrading scheme.

Devised to stretch the government dollar over many more households and to pay closer attention to residents' views, they will be rolled out soon in up to 12 locations islandwide, including Yishun and Tampines.

The outgoing Main Upgrading Programme (MUP) involved more extensive work as it overhauled the insides of flats with new toilets, doors and extra rooms, as well as the common areas of the blocks and precincts.

The MUP proved a gold mine for people like Mrs N.L. Chan, who bought her four-room flat in Holland Close for $290,000 in September 2006, when her estate was in the last throes of the upgrading programme.

Just eight months later, she sold it for $330,000 as she had to move closer to her daughter in Dover Crescent.

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More colonial bungalows up for rent


ATTRACTIVE HOMES: The Singapore Land Authority is leasing out four colonial homes and two semi-detached houses following strong demand for the first five released last month. It will put another eight properties up for rent next month. -- ST PHOTO: LIM WUI LIANG

The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) will be leasing out four of these colonial bungalows this month, along with two semi-detached houses.

The properties are in Maida Vale and Brompton Road in Seletar, Gibraltar Crescent in Sembawang and Lornie Road near Bukit Timah.

This comes on the heels of a sizzling response to five similar properties the SLA put on the bidding block last month. They drew 75 bids in all and were rented out for about double the guide rents.

All these form part of the SLA's stock of 2,360 black-and-white homes - properties ranging from apartments to bungalows dating back to the 1930s and are inherited from British colonial days.

Demand for these state-owned buildings has traditionally been very strong, partly because of relatively low asking rentals.

Monthly guide rents for the latest batch of homes, for example, start at $1,800 for a 1,367 sq ft semi-detached house in Brompton Road. They go up to $6,600 for a Gibraltar Crescent bungalow with 7,212 sq ft of built-up area and 16,145 sq ft of land.

Mr Ku Swee Yong, director of business development and marketing at Savills Singapore, thinks the homes can fetch even more.

'These guide rents are extremely attractive. Normally, you would be able to get at least double the price, if the properties are in good condition,' he said.

Last month, the SLA rented out three apartments in Clemenceau Avenue North at between $1,856 and $2,500 - double their guide rents of $960 to $1,110. Two more bungalows in Alexandra Road and Dover were let for $20,258 and $15,100, also about twice the guidance.

The guide rents are decided by the SLA's valuers, who take into account the property's last rental, location, condition and whether it comes with a swimming pool, air conditioning and furnishings.

All the properties are in move-in condition and are regularly maintained by SLA-appointed managing agents.

The homes, which come either unfurnished or partially furnished, are located in areas such as Sembawang, Alexandra Park, Adams Park, Telok Blangah, Bukit Timah and Woodleigh Park.

The SLA will put another eight properties up for rent next month, including in Bukit Timah and Newton. Another 11 are in the pipeline between April and June.

Monthly rents range from $400 for a small apartment to more than $20,000 for a black-and-white bungalow.

About 91 per cent of the homes are currently occupied, a rise of about 6 per cent over a few months ago. Most are let for two years, although tenants are normally allowed to renew their leases when they lapse.

Deirdre Dempster, for instance, is planning to extend her lease at a black-and-white bungalow at Goodwood Hill when it runs out in August. The 40-year-old, who is in marketing, has been living there for four years with her banker husband and two kids.

'I love it. I wouldn't trade this house for anything,' she said. 'What attracted me was the area and the grounds, and there's a lot of character and history attached to these properties. I hope they don't tear them down.'

Interested tenants can bid for this month's properties via the SLA's new open bidding system. An open house will be held for the homes, and bids will be accepted for a week after the date of the viewing.

ANYONE with a hankering for a home with lots of nature and space, and does not mind living some distance from town might want to take note.

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Singapura : 12 Februari 2008         
         
HDB LANCAR JUALAN 278 FLAT DI 13 ESTET MATANG

LEMBAGA Perumahan dan Pembangunan (HDB) semalam melancarkan penjualan 278 flat empat bilik dan lebih besar di 13 estet matang.

Daripada jumlah itu, 194 unit adalah flat empat bilik, 64 jenis lima bilik dan 20 eksekutif.

Flat-flat berkenaan terletak di Bedok, Bukit Merah, Geylang, Tampines dan Toa payoh.

Dalam satu kenyataannya semalam, HDB berkata penjualan setiap dua bulan itu adalah yang kedua pada tahun ini selepas tawaran pertama melibatkan 1,099 flat lebihan daripada undian Sers di Bedok, Clementi, Queenstown dan Jurong West.

HDB berkata kerana sambutan amat menggalakkan bagi flat-flat baru dan terbatasnya jumlah flat yang ditawarkan, pihaknya berharap orang ramai akan juga menimbangkan flat-flat di estet tidak matang.

'Terdapat bekalan flat-flat baru yang lebih daripada cukup di bawah penjualan Bina Ikut Tempahan (BTO) bagi memenuhi permintaan sekarang,' kata HDB.

Lembaga itu memberi contoh, daripada 698 unit flat empat bilik di bawah projek BTO di Coral Spring@Sengkang yang ditawarkan pada September lalu, sekitar 200 unit masih belum terjual.

HDB telah meningkatkan program pembinaan flat sejak tahun lalu dan akan menawarkan 4,500 flat baru BTO pada enam bulan pertama tahun ini.

Mengenai penjualan flat setiap dua bulan itu, HDB menyatakan sehingga kini pihaknya telah mengadakan lima penjualan bagi 3,500 flat empat bilik dan jenis lebih besar di bawah gabungan sistem undian dan pilih sendiri flat.

'HDB kini sedang menyemak program penjualan setiap dua bulan memandangkan ia telah berjalan hampir setahun,' tambah HDB.

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HDB to review eligibility criteria for Public Rental Scheme
Posted: 15 February 2008 2013 hrs



SINGAPORE : The Housing and Development Board (HDB) is reviewing the eligibility criteria for the Public Rental Scheme.

National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan said this is to ensure that the heavily subsidised rental flats are targeted at those who are genuinely poor and without other housing options.

More details on the review will be announced when ready.

Mr Mah disclosed this in a written answer to a question by Member of Parliament for Tanjong Pagar GRC Baey Yam Keng.

Mr Baey had asked for an update on the demand for the scheme and the measures to address increasing demand for rental flats.

Prior to 2003, there were 2,300 eligible applicants a year. This went up to 4,700 in 2007.

According to Mr Mah, the increase was mainly due to the raising of the income ceiling for applicants from $800 to $1,500 in 2003. - CNA /ls

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2-room HDB households will continue to get GST offset package, Workfare supplement
TWO-ROOM Housing Board households will continue to benefit from the GST Offset Package and the Workfare income supplement to help them cope with inflation this year.

These benefits will be equal to 12 per cent of their annual incomes, said Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

'Even if we exclude the benefits that they cannot use to meet their immediate expenses - in other words exclude the Post-Secondary Education Account top-ups for their children who are still in school, and the CPF component of WIS - the benefits add up to an average of 8 per cent of their incomes,' he said in his Budget speech in Parliament.

'The 8 per cent exceeds any increase in their overall cost of living that might be expected this year, and this is before counting any additional benefits that this year's Budget will provide them, and any growth in wages that they may get in 2008,' he explained.

Even four-room and five-room households will receive significant benefits this year as a result of what was announced last year, which will offset at least a good part of the increase in costs of living they experience this year.

The Minister said inflation, due to rising oil and commodity prices, is a major uncertainty in the global economy, and a concern for the Government.

After a period of very low inflation over the last 10 years, it has re-emerged and is now an economic problem everywhere in the world.

'The basic factors which have led to these price increases are not expected to go away soon. The demand for food especially has continued to rise globally, especially with the rapid growth of the middle classes in China and India.'

'This is part and parcel of expanding global prosperity, but it is happening at a time when food supply is constrained because of bad weather, and more agricultural land is converted from producing food crops to producing bio-fuels,' said the minister.

'We therefore have to brace ourselves for a period of relatively higher inflation globally, which will affect the prices of the goods we import. We cannot say how long it will last, but we have to expect that it will remain high, in the first half of this year especially. For example, China's worst winter in 50 years will likely add pressure to prices of certain foods in the next six months.'

He said inflation is expected to rise to 4.5 per cent to 5.5 per cent this year, and it will be higher in the first half of the year than the second.

The relatively high 'headline' Consumer Price Index (CPI) numbers are partly due to the GST increase in July last year.

But he said compared with prices last September, there has been little further increase due to the GST change.

'The GST change has caused only a one-off increase in prices, and not continuing price increases,' said Mr Shanmugaratnam.

Singaporeans have also not been materially affected by the GST increase, because the Government has provided the majority of citizens with substantial offsets, which more than make up for the increased spending on GST by most families.

'Lower-income families are in fact receiving offsets which are several times larger than their higher GST payments,' said the minister.

Click here for our Budget 2008 web special.

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Feb 17, 2008         
HDB housing remains affordable: Mah
By Alvin Foo

Property prices may be on the rise but HDB flats still remain very affordable for the average Singaporean, National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan emphasised on Sunday.

That's because families have access to subsidies which can go as high as $88,000 for some households, he noted.

And flats are still cheap enough for families to be able to fund their mortgage instalments entirely from Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions - without the need to stump up cash.

Mr Mah made these points at a Chinese New Year dinner at the Tampines East Community Club on Sunday.

With HDB resale prices rising about 17.5 per cent last year, he said he is well aware that younger Singaporeans are becoming increasingly concerned about the affordability of HDB flats.

He reiterated the Government's commitment to providing affordable public housing and said that there were two ways to achieve this.

One was to give big housing subsidies to help newly-weds buy their first HDB flat. The other was to provide mortgages at a concessionary interest rate.'

In terms of subsidies, an Additional CPF Housing Grant (AHG) was introduced in March 2006, provided lower-income families with an additional grant of between $5,000 and $20,000 to buy their first HDB flat.

The income ceiling for this grant was raised from $3,000 to $4,000 to allow more families to benefit. And the grant limit was also increased by $10,000 so that the highest tier grant is now $30,000.

Mr Mah said: 'A recent Ministry of Finance simulation estimated that the typical young low-income household could enjoy housing subsidies worth about $88,000.'

Read the full report in Monday's edition of The Straits Times.

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Singapura : 18 Februari 2008         
         
SEMINAR JUALAN SEMULA DALAM BAHASA MELAYU

HDB GEMBIRA SAMBUTAN MENGGALAKKAN

Oleh
Saini Salleh

SEMINAR Jualan Semula dalam bahasa Melayu yang julung-julung kalinya akan dianjurkan HDB Sabtu ini mendapat sambutan amat menggalakkan.

Menurut jurucakap HDB, kesemua 100 tempat yang disediakan bagi seminar separuh hari dan merupakan sebuah projek percubaan itu telah kehabisan.

Jurucakap itu ketika dihubungi kelmarin berkata: 'Kami gembira kerana usaha kami mendekati masyarakat Melayu mendapat sambutan baik. Kami akan meneliti maklum balas yang diterima mengenai seminar ini dan membuat penilaian sama ada terdapat keperluan bagi sesi secara tetap.'

Seminar itu berlangsung di Punggol Room, besmen 1 HDB Hub di Toa Payoh, dari 9.30 pagi hingga 1 petang.

Jurucakap HDB sebelum ini menyatakan seminar itu diadakan menyusuli maklum balas positif dan banyaknya pertanyaan menerusi telefon daripada pemanggil Melayu hasil satu laporan mengenai ura-ura HDB untuk mengadakan seminar tersebut, yang disiarkan Berita Harian November lalu.

Ceramah itu akan disampaikan oleh dua pegawai jualan semula berpengalaman HDB.

Panel seramai empat pegawai akan juga melayan sebarang pertanyaan dalam sesi soal jawab kemudiannya.

Antara isu yang akan disentuh dalam seminar itu adalah:

# dasar dan prosedur berkaitan jual beli flat;

# perancangan kewangan bagi bakal pembeli dan keperluan mendapatkan surat kelayakan pinjaman HDB (HLE);

# peraturan berkaitan keperluan opsyen untuk membeli; dan

# kesulitan yang tidak diduga dalam urus niaga flat jualan semula.

Setiap peserta dikenakan bayaran $25, termasuk cukai barangan dan perkhidmatan (GST).

fatz2

Singapura : 18 Februari 2008        
  
BAYARAN TUNAI ATAS HARGA TAKSIRAN FLAT 'CERUT' PASANGAN MUDA

Oleh
Nazri Hadi Saparin

MEREKA meminjam $10,000 daripada sebuah syarikat pinjaman dan $10,000 lagi daripada keluarga.

Akhirnya, pasangan Encik Syed dan Cik Nora, kedua-duanya berusia 20-an tahun, berjaya mendapatkan sebuah flat empat bilik di kawasan timur Singapura.

Meskipun pencarian sebuah flat berakhir sudah, pasangan yang enggan nama sebenar mereka disiarkan itu dicerut kebimbangan.

'Kami bimbang soal hutang. Hutang dengan keluarga boleh ditangguh, tetapi dengan syarikat pinjaman mana boleh?' kata Encik Syed, yang mendirikan rumah tangga awal tahun lalu.

Encik Syed dan isterinya telah cuba memohon untuk flat secara langsung daripada Lembaga Perumahan dan Pembangunan (HDB) tetapi tidak berhasil.

Justeru, mereka mengambil keputusan membeli flat daripada pasaran terbuka, yang hampir kesemuanya kini memerlukan wang tunai di atas harga taksiran (COV).

Berdasarkan perangkaan Julai hingga September lalu, median COV bagi kawasan-kawasan 'kurang popular' seperti di Sengkang dan Punggol mencecah $18,000.

Menurut ejen-ejen hartanah, keadaan itu belum banyak berubah.

Permohonan flat empat bilik dan lebih besar secara langsung daripada HDB dibuka sekali setiap dua bulan dan kos membelinya boleh dibiayi sepenuhnya melalui pinjaman rumah.

Pembeli ditentukan menerusi sistem undian, tetapi permintaan sering melebihi bekalan.

Sebagai contoh, kelmarin, 2,200 pembeli memohon untuk 278 flat di estet-estet matang seperti Bedok, Geylang dan Toa Payoh pada hari pertama permohonan.

Pada Disember lalu, permohonan bagi 316 unit flat di Hougang, Sengkang dan Punggol menarik seramai 5,147 pemohon.

Permintaan yang meningkat menyebabkan flat lebihan HDB merosot daripada lebih 10,000 kepada 2,200 dalam masa sekitar empat tahun.

Meskipun HDB meningkatkan tawaran flat Bina Ikut Tempahan (BTO), pasangan seperti Encik Syed dan isteri berkata ia tidak dapat memenuhi keperluan mereka yang memerlukan flat dengan segera.

Lantas, keadaan ini memaksa beliau dan isterinya berpisah dengan wang tunai $20,000.

Kesulitan yang dihadapi Encik Syed dan isterinya turut dialami ramai pasangan muda Melayu, menurut beberapa ejen hartanah.

Mereka berkata secara umum, tuntutan COV lebih menjejas pasangan muda Melayu yang membeli flat kali pertama.

Ini kerana mereka tidak mempunyai simpanan wang tunai yang mencukupi, menurut Pengarah Pemasaran Kanan ERA Realty Network Pte Ltd, Encik Noor Haidi Abdul Malek.

'Kini, busuk-busuk pun, pemilik flat meminta $10,000 (COV). Saya sering menasihatkan pasangan muda supaya terus cuba membeli flat secara langsung daripada HDB,' kata beliau.

Pengarah Bersekutu Kanan PropNex Realty Pte Ltd, Cik Dayangku Rozarita Jais, menjelaskan antara lain, tuntutan COV itu adalah hasil kemasukan ramai Penduduk Tetap (PR) dalam pasaran jualan semula.

Kelonggaran undang-undang bagi membolehkan pemilik hartanah privet membeli flat HDB juga meningkatkan permintaan.

Satu lagi pasangan muda, Encik Muhammad Fariz Zainal, 27 tahun, dan Cik Sallynawati Mohamad Hassan, 24 tahun, juga kian pasrah.

Mereka telah dua kali memohon flat secara langsung daripada HDB, tetapi gagal.

Flat-flat yang mereka tinjau di kawasan Sembawang dan Woodlands pula menuntut COV antara $20,000 dengan $40,000.

'Kami masih ingin membeli flat secepat mungkin, tetapi kami tidak mahu terburu-buru, takut menyesal di kemudian hari,' ujar Encik Fariz, seorang jurutera.

fatz2

10,000 applicants for 278 flats
By Tan Hui Yee, Housing Correspondent


The 278 flats offered in this launch are located in highly coveted mature towns and surrounded by amenities. Most of them are four-room flats, with 84 five-room and executive units. -- ST PHOTO: FRANCIS ONG PG

ALMOST 10,000 people have applied for 278 surplus flats offered by the Housing Board in mature estates like Toa Payoh, Tampines and Bedok.

By 5pm on Monday - hours before the midnight deadline for applications - there were about 36 applicants for every flat available. This is the highest subscription rate recorded so far for such exercises.

Most of the surplus flats offered in this batch are already completed, with the rest expected to be ready by 2011.

Property consultants had expected a flood of applicants as buyers are increasingly being turned off by high asking prices in the HDB resale market.

The surplus flats also appeal to buyers not wanting to wait three to four years for the HDB's build-to-order flats, which the Board is putting out in greater numbers this year.

About 4,500 of them will be offered from January to June alone.

Resale prices of HDB flats rose 17.5 per cent last year, while the median cash-over-valuation amount paid in transactions rose to $22,000 in the October to December period (2007), compared to just $17,000 in the previous quarter.

The 278 flats offered in this launch are located in highly coveted mature towns and surrounded by amenities. Most of them are four-room flats, with 84 five-room and executive units.

Four-room flats are going for $141,000 to $398,000, while five-roomers cost $218,000 to $532,000.

The few executive units available will cost $333,000 to $470,000.

fatz2

HDB flat still very affordable for average S'porean
Some get up to $88k in subsidies, says Mah Bow Tan; also flats still cheap enough for families to use CPF for full mortgage payments
By Alvin Foo

PROPERTY prices may be on the rise but HDB flats still remain very affordable for the average Singaporean, National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan emphasised yesterday.

That is because families have access to subsidies which can go as high as $88,000 for some households, he noted.

And flats are still cheap enough for families to be able to fund their mortgage instalments entirely from Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions - without the need to stump up cash.

Mr Mah made these points at a Chinese New Year dinner at the Tampines East Community Club yesterday.

With HDB resale prices rising about 17.5 per cent last year, he said he is well aware that younger Singaporeans are becoming increasingly concerned about the affordability of HDB flats.

He reiterated the Government's commitment to providing affordable public housing and said there were two ways to achieve this.

One was to give big housing subsidies to help newly-weds buy their first HDB flat. The other was to provide mortgages at a concessionary interest rate.

In terms of subsidies, an Additional CPF Housing Grant (AHG) introduced in March 2006, provided lower-income families with an additional grant of between $5,000 and $20,000 to buy their first HDB flat.

The income ceiling for this grant was raised from $3,000 to $4,000 to allow more families to benefit. And the grant limit was also increased by $10,000 so that the highest tier grant is now $30,000.

Mr Mah said: 'A recent Ministry of Finance simulation estimated that the typical young low-income household could enjoy housing subsidies worth about $88,000.'

He also revealed that HDB's records show that recent buyers of new HDB flats use only about 20 per cent of their monthly household income to service their housing loans.

'This means that families can service their housing loan entirely from their CPF Ordinary Account contribution, without any cash outlay,' he noted.

In any case, rising resale prices seem also to have stabilised for now so there is no need for buyers to rush in at this point, said Mr Mah.

'The HDB Resale Price Index grew by only 1 per cent last month, and we expect prices to grow at a more moderate pace in 2008,' he added.

Mr Mah also noted that the proportion of resale transactions with a positive cash over valuation, as well as the median cash over valuation also dipped marginally last month.

He said HDB will continue to monitor the situation closely.

[email protected]

fatz2

Spruce-up time for 650 HDB flats in Tampines
Govt to pay most of the bill; work under home improvement scheme to start before year-end
By Jessica Jaganathan

SEVERAL hundred Tampines residents are expected to be among the first to have their flats spruced up in a new Housing Board scheme that will see the Government foot most of the bill.

Six blocks in Tampines Street 21 will be upgraded under the Home Improvement Programme (HIP), Minister for National Development Mah Bow Tan announced yesterday.

The work, scheduled to start before the end of the year, will focus on mending weathered concrete and replacing waste pipes.

Once at least 75 per cent of flat owners vote for the upgrading, this essential work is compulsory. But this will be fully paid for by the Government, said Mr Mah, also an MP for Tampines GRC.

The HIP will give residents the choice of opting out of certain upgrades, including repairs to toilets, front doors and rubbish chutes, which will be subsidised at 90 to 95 per cent. The bill to owners would then be between $550 and $1,375 for the full package.

Residents living in the 25- year-old blocks, which house about 650 flats, welcomed the HIP.

'I have water dripping down in the toilet, and I've complained to the town council about it, so I'm glad something is being done,' said real estate agent Maria Mansoor, 43, who lives in a five-room flat with her family of six.

Retiree Choy Wai Han, in her 60s, who lives in a four-room flat with her husband and son, was relieved to hear the news, but wanted to know how much the non-essential upgrades would cost.

Said Madam Choy: 'As long as I can pay in instalments, and the price is reasonable, I'm all for it.'

Currently, about 300,000 flats islandwide are eligible for HIP upgrades.

[email protected]

LoLiPoP

Ini kerana mereka tidak mempunyai simpanan wang tunai yang mencukupi, menurut Pengarah Pemasaran Kanan ERA Realty Network Pte Ltd, Encik Noor Haidi Abdul Malek

asben sepupu aku nih
dah naik pangkat ye nak?

isssh harga umah menjulang

deaf4ever

[quote]Originally posted by LoLiPoP at 19-2-2008 02:29 PM


asben sepupu aku nih
dah naik pangkat ye nak?

isssh harga umah menjulang

LoLiPoP

tu yang best option la, tapi ko tgk je, beli from HDB, demand outweigh supply beb..tu lagik ksiao..

plan aku, save $$ sket