Which location to buy?

[buyer75]

Am planning on buying a property in the near future (6months)...budget under $1mill, looking for 1000 to 1500 sqft of space...so apprx 650 to 1000 psf max.

Also a bit confused on whether 99 or freehold? any suggestions?

My locations in order of preference as follows...anyone thinks otherwise?

basic parameters Im looking at are
1. convenience to work (under half-hr) via mrt/bus/busplus/cab.
2. peaceful/serene enough environment.
3. decent facilities & ambience in and around the condo.
4. Good layout of the unit...higher ceilings etc.
5. At least 2 + maids area.

Heres the locations..

1. Newton / River Valley(hopeful)
2. Bukit Timah (end)
3. Tanjong Rhu/ Meyer / Amber / Katong
4. Clementi
5. Yio Chu Kang
6. Upper Bukit Timah

[good luck]

Good luck.  On your low budget at todays rising prices you would be looking at resale HDB only or older 99 yr condos with short remaining leasehold.   

Bishan/Ang Mo Kio/Toa Payoh HDB's are nice established estates.  You would get a 5 room there for around 500k to 700k.

Dont you realise that HDB's in some areas are now selling at over 1 million ?

[wait]

wait 6-12 months. You will have a much bigger selection at 20-40% discount

[boo hoo]

Isn't it sad? Work hard and save like crazy and find out u can only buy HDB. I hope the government does something soon.

[Wind-up]

Maybe not working hard enough nor saving hard enough.

If you plan to buy...on a rising market.....

Give us a break. The market is falling. By all means throw your money away. Wait 9 months and today's prices will fall at least 40%. Even Developers and media "Experts" now accept falling prices.

With so many Expats scheduled to leave due to banking sector problems, those leases which remain open due to the stubborness of Agents and LLs, will now remain open long-term and apartments not sold will incur long-term vacancy maintenance costs. Some Developers will accept smaller profits and sell at greatly reduced prices and move on relatively unscathed and wiser but unless they do so soon there will be no buyers available.

We are heading into a recession tunnel and the smart ones have their lights on already.

[Compensation]

Maybe not working hard enough nor saving hard enough.

If you plan to buy...on a rising market.....

Give us a break. The market is falling. By all means throw your money away. Wait 9 months and today's prices will fall at least 40%. Even Developers and media "Experts" now accept falling prices.

With so many Expats scheduled to leave due to banking sector problems, those leases which remain open due to the stubborness of Agents and LLs, will now remain open long-term and apartments not sold will incur long-term vacancy maintenance costs. Some Developers will accept smaller profits and sell at greatly reduced prices and move on relatively unscathed and wiser but unless they do so soon there will be no buyers available.

We are heading into a recession tunnel and the smart ones have their lights on already.

If prices do not fall 40% and instead rise 10%, are you willing to compensate OP the loss of 10%. If not, then just keep your opinions to yourself.

[gambler]

Maybe - if he compensates me 40% when prices fall

[Yawn]

Another property debate. Yawn.

What debate? The posters are unilaterally belting out their hopes and dreams.

[boo hoo]

Well, the market is made of individuals transacting based on their hopes and wishes and their assessment of what's going to happen.

So anyone that asks us to keep quiet and indemnify unknown parties for foregone profits (its a ridiculous cincept and I don't think counsel is going to sign off and provide a legal opinion on that) need to stuff it, or should go take the other side of the trade (which unfortunately they cannot do since this is an internet message board, and so the shouting continues).

[So.]

Should I buy a GCB?

[some advice]

OP asks a legitimate question and you a55holes jump all over his/her back.

Look, if I need a place to move into in the next 6 months and I find something I like and at a reasonable price which I can afford, I'll buy it!  A home is something other than an investment. Something which you money-obsessed people do not understand.  It must be tough living lives like yours, always calculating this and that to see if it is a worthwhile investment or if it is a waste of time.  On your deathbed you'll probably realise that you can't take it with you and you'd spent your entire life being calculating and scrooge-like and not being happy at all.

In answer to your question OP, you can get something with a comfortable size within your budget in these places:

3. Tanjong Rhu/ Meyer / Amber / Katong
4. Clementi
5. Yio Chu Kang
6. Upper Bukit Timah


If you are hoping for something under a million, with 3 bedrooms and 1500 square feet in Bukit Timah, Holland, Newton, or River Valley, you can forget about it for the time being.  I don't know if prices will ever drop to the level at which the ideal apartment size in those areas cost under a million.  If you, like some posters here think they will, then by all means wait for it.  If you're like me, impatient to move in and start a family and get on with life, then find the best one you can afford right now, buy it and don't look back.

These losers here will probably never get around to buying anything in their entire lives as they constantly wait for the next lower bottom in the market.

[exactly]

Why take your advice from people who have probably never owned property and probably never will.

Fence sitters get nothing.  Always calculating, losing out, missing opportunities, waiting for crashes that never happen.

Take their advice at your peril.  These people were the same ones who told us a few years back 'dont buy, just rent because its a real bargain' and what happened - the market took off in a big way.

They are still here telling everyone not to buy and that like in 2003, 'everything is going to crash'

By all accounts,property sales are picking up again and as the poster above says, if you can afford to buy and find a place you like, just go for it, get on with your life and enjoy your new home. Over time, it will always grow in value so you will not lose out either way.

Dont take advice from penny pinching losers who own nothing or who have worthless properties in the US which they are lumbered with.

[boo hoo]

I love the smell of napalm in the morning - smells like people trying to dump their properties as DPS comes due.

[boo hoo]

Btw, I own property, have a seven digit bank account, securities worth seven digits and ZERO debt.

Nothing makes me happier than a bunch of illiquid clowns who paid at the peak and overextended themselves buying a few properties.

[hey boo hoo...]

you indonesian?