wtf?! That's not true...is it? I don't think this is the case...
Google it.
wtf?! That's not true...is it? I don't think this is the case...
Not very keen yet. But weighing my options against Medini. I feel SG properties are like this: After a commoner pays the deposit and monthly mortgage, he has to live in a frugal manner. But the potential upside in future is there. Maybe not so soon, but years later.
Iskandar is relatively cheap cheap, after one buys, still got spare cash to eat and eat, relax, enjoy, don't have to worry too much about monthly expenses. But whether the property value can go up or not is very questionable.
Ok, maybe I exaggerated the part on "the sky's the limit". But I mean, like I said, who would have thought even HDB flats can hit S$800k to more than 1 million? If we all went back on a time machine to say 20 years ago, and you told people HDB flats are very valuable, will cost that kind of amount, I'm quite sure many would say you're crazy! But that is the reality today.
So.... I think Singapore private property prices have reached a new high which many are finding hard to accept, especially when you bought a nice 3 bedroom condo in a good location at say S$700k only less than 10 years ago. The same new one today of the same size may cost S$1.7 million. Naturally it's very hard to accept or see any upside to it.
But I think the government has brought in many new rich immigrants. Today, what we feel is grossly expensive, tomorrow someone with that kind of money will buy up that condo for S$1.7 million. 5-10 years down the road, that condo may very well hit beyond S$2 million and we see yet another new norm. I feel this is the direction Singapore is heading. It's whether we believe in the successful "Singapore story" or not.
FIRB rules, means many good properties not open to foreigners, also foreigners have to sell back to pr or locals only, the market is limited.
A lot depends on your entry timing as property moves in cycles...best to wait for a crash then go in when just recovering...I bought in 2002 and sold in 2010 my EC then bought landed terrace in 2010 when prices just recovering and it doubled in value to 2013....but must say I was lucky cause was not consciously going in at lows but needed to buy for marriage and later to be near a good primary school...
Singaporeans are very stretchable financially.
Even expensive you don't see prices dropping significantly.
Check out the COE, it's pretty insane. But with the bulk of people working in civil service with yearly bonus and others in mainly financial services, Singaporeans tends to be quite well off financially
I suspect most Singaporeans will adopt the "heck it, if I don't buy it now things will get even more expensive later and we will all be really screwed!" So they just suck it in and jump in to buy even if they can barely afford it. Govt definition of affordable is maybe this lor...barely affordable also still considered affordable...
Google it.
Govt is not stupid. They know the profiles of their own people. They know there are many rich citizens and PRs around.
Also, I think it's because many believe in the Singapore story -- the SG100 thingy or Singapore in 2030. It takes confidence in the government and country's economy to buy expensive properties. On the other hand, no matter how cheap and large properties in some 3rd world countries are being sold, people tend to hold back.
Govt is not stupid. They know the profiles of their own people. They know there are many rich citizens and PRs around.
Also, I think it's because many believe in the Singapore story -- the SG100 thingy or Singapore in 2030. It takes confidence in the government and country's economy to buy expensive properties. On the other hand, no matter how cheap and large properties in some 3rd world countries are being sold, people tend to hold back.
Govt is not stupid. They know the profiles of their own people. They know there are many rich citizens and PRs around.
Also, I think it's because many believe in the Singapore story -- the SG100 thingy or Singapore in 2030. It takes confidence in the government and country's economy to buy expensive properties. On the other hand, no matter how cheap and large properties in some 3rd world countries are being sold, people tend to hold back.
An average pair of working class graduate couple in their 40s could earn around S$250k per year, after deducting the CPF they can take home S$200k hard cash. Spending S$8k a month (enough? including a nice car and yearly holiday), they could save ~S$100k per year. In 3 years they can pay cash for a RM $1M house in Iskandar, so people are working very hard to entice these couples to úpgrade'to a S$1.5 M condo (which is only 6 times the household income, almost affordable) in sg so that money stay in Sg.
Those days of graduates earning that kind of $ per annum is over, only the top 10 percent grads can achieve that, many of my very capable young engineering grads eyes pop out when I told them as a grad one should be able to afford maid, condo and car in their late 30s, like what we achieved in my time. To them it seems so far off and impossible.
The cost of maid, condo and car have possibly doubled over the last 15+ years. Engineering industry salary have only increased by 10-20% over the same period. Manufacturing outputs have stagnanted or decline in several sectors. The government has already announced that going forward, the pace of economic growth and salary increment will slow. However the top 25% now should still be able to achieve that, versus probably top 50% in your era.
Those days of graduates earning that kind of $ per annum is over, only the top 10 percent grads can achieve that, many of my very capable young engineering grads eyes pop out when I told them as a grad one should be able to afford maid, condo and car in their late 30s, like what we achieved in my time. To them it seems so far off and impossible.