Condo resale prices rise for 22nd straight month in May, more units sold

Condo resale prices rise for 22nd straight month in May, more units sold

Kumar Properties

Condo resale prices rise for 22nd straight month in May, more units sold

Prices of resale condominium units edged up for the 22nd straight month in May, with transactions rising as buying sentiment improved despite property cooling measures. In May, condominium resale prices rose 0.3 per cent, lower compared with April’s 0.7 per cent, according to flash figures from real estate portals 99.co and SRX released on Tuesday (June 14).

Compared with May last year, prices were up by 8.4 per cent, data showed. In May, prices of condominiums in the city fringes went up by 0.7 per cent and those in the suburbs rose by 0.5 per cent, while those in the core central region fell by 1.2 per cent.

Huttons Asia chief executive Mark Yip said the successful launches of two projects in the city fringes – Piccadilly Grand in Farrer Park and LIV@MB in East Coast – resulted in demand spilling over to the resale market last month, which supported the rise in prices. Meanwhile, resale volume climbed by 1.6 per cent, with an estimated 1,572 units changing hands in May, up from 1,547 units in April.

Resale transactions declined by 11 per cent compared with May last year, but were still 40.2 per cent higher than the five-year average for the month of May. This could indicate the resale market is on its road to recovery, five months after property cooling measures were introduced last December, analysts said.

In December, the additional buyer’s stamp duty (ABSD) rates were raised from 12 per cent to 17 per cent for citizens buying their second residential property, and from 15 per cent to 25 per cent for those buying their third and subsequent ones.

For foreigners buying any residential property, the ABSD is 30 per cent, up from 20 per cent. Resale volume has been rising since March with the easing of Covid-19 restrictions, rebounding from the six-month decline starting last September.

The strong buying sentiment in the condominium resale market was reflected in the new sale market last month, noted OrangeTee & Tie senior vice-president of research and analytics Christine Sun.

“This indicates that buying sentiment has generally improved across the different housing segments and may pick up further in the coming months,” she said.

“Growing macroeconomic uncertainty may also spur more investors to park their money in safe-haven assets like properties,” she added.

PropNex Realty head of research and content Wong Siew Ying said some of the firm’s real estate agents noted that the supply of resale condominium stock has been tight as some owners choose to hold on to their properties.

“With the hefty additional buyer’s stamp duty, some owners who have purchased multiple residential properties prior to the cooling measures may be unwilling to sell now,” she said, adding that the strong home rental market could also be a reason.

Given the tight supply and demand from Housing Board upgraders, property analysts expect condominium resale prices to remain firm this year. Mr Yip said the resale market in June may be quiet as it coincides with the school holidays and there are no planned new project launches.

“Nevertheless, the return of foreigners to the property market will support further growth in prices for the rest of 2022,” he added. In May, condominiums in the suburbs accounted for 60.2 per cent of the total sales volume. Homes in the city fringes accounted for 24.7 per cent, while the remaining 15.1 per cent were in core central Singapore.

The highest transacted price for a resale condo in May was $20 million for a unit at The Nassim, a freehold development in the Tanglin area. In the city fringes, the highest transacted price was $4.85 million for a 99-year leasehold unit at Silversea in Marine Parade. In the suburban areas, a freehold unit at Clementi Park in the Sunset Way area sold for $6.5 million.

This news article is from the Straits Times Graphics. For more property articles please contact us +6582828214

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Things to know before upgrading to a private property?

Things to know before upgrading to a private property?

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Things to know before upgrading to Private Property

Upgrading from HDB to a private condo is followed by many people. Numerous Singaporean families turned their dream into a reality of buying and staying in condo. Several households currently wanted to live in private condos rather than in HDB for exclusive facilities and different lifestyles. 

Due to the growth of the HDB resale prices in the past few years, many of the house owners have decided to upgrade their property. In the second half of the 2019 HDB resale price values started to recover after booking six consecutive years of decline. In 2021, there is a sudden increase of HDB resale prices by 12.7%, following a 5% increase in 2020. Because of this reason many owners are selling their HDB flat and investing private property.

Things to consider for upgrading property

Are you completed your 5 years minimum occupation period (MOP) for HDB?

Do You want to upgrade your HDB flat to private condo?

There are several things to consider to upgrade property in Singapore. Read this articles to know more.

1. Find objective for upgrading to private condo

First of make clear idea about why do you want to upgrade from HDB to a private condo. Private property provides you privacy in gated condo system and also use of different condo facilities like a swimming pool, yoga pavilion, herb garden, clubhouse, gym, tennis court and other facilities. These facilities are one of the reasons to upgrade property from HDB to condo property, which are highly attractive. One reason is facilities another reason will be the rise of private property prices in future. Here is the URA Private property prices index (PPI) and HDB Resale prices index (HRPI). By observing this chart, know that private property price growth rate is more than the HDB resale prices (See Chart 1).

 

2. Financial analysis and monthly payment

Upgraders are mostly concentrating on mass-market private homes in the outside central region (OCR) or Executive condos (EC’s). Executive condos are a type of public and private housing hybrid. Now a day’s residential property prices have continuously increased and reached a peak point. 

Based on URA Realis caveat data, the average price in 2021 for new launches, resales and new EC projects were $1.74M, $1.25M and $1.37M, respectively (see Table 1).

If the upgrader has sold the flat and has no other financial commitments, buyers will have to pay a monthly loan repayment between $3,900 and $5,500 at these prices. Using a 75% loan to value loan at a rate of 2% and a 25-year loan, Table 2 illustrates the buyer’s financial outlay.

Prior to making such a big purchase as a new home, prospective buyers should consult with an experienced realtor or financial advisor.

3. Maintenance/ conservancy fees

It is also important to consider how much maintenance or service and conservation charges are payable each month if you are living in a private condo rather than a HDB flat. A four-room HDB flat’s S&CC is usually about $64 and a five-room flat’s about $80. A condo maintenance fee, on the other hand, can easily go over a hundred dollars, and it depends on the size and value of the unit. In addition, private condo owners may not enjoy certain incentives offered by the government, such as S&CC rebates for example. 

4. Chance to buy property 

When the couple sells their apartment (which was joint bought) and buys a new house, they will be able to “decouple” – they will purchase the new house under one name. As this would be the individual’s first home purchase, he will be able to purchase a residential property in the future without paying additional buyer’s stamp duty.

When is the right time to upgrade property in Singapore?

There is no way to perfectly time the market, but would-be buyers could take some advice from price movements in private and HDB resale properties. If private home prices are likely to plateau or grow much more slowly, owners would be interested in taking advantage of a stronger HDB resale price growth.

In 2022, PropNex estimates HDB resale prices will increase by 6% to 8% at a faster rate than private residential properties. In contrast to the 10.6% increase in private home prices in 2021, prices are expected to rise at a slower pace this year thanks to new cooling measures implemented in December 2021.

It is likely that inflationary pressures will drive prices up this year as construction costs and manpower costs rise, but strong demand in 2021 drove prices up. Additionally, with interest rates expected to rise through 2022, some buyers may want to secure a better mortgage rate now rather than later.

To know more information about properties, here are my articles about how to buy property and how sell property. Do you want to read more about property investment, please register with us

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Looking to Buy a House in Singapore : Here is our guidance:

Looking to Buy a House in Singapore : Here is our guidance:

Kumar Properties

Looking to Buy a House in Singapore : Here is our guidance:

As Singapore government provides extensive measures in the form of market regulation and financial grants, most singaporeans can afford to own a home.

The Properties available for a Singaporean to buy:

Types of Properties:

  • HDB flats
  • Private properties
  • Executive Condonium(ECs)

In Singapore the type of property  you buy mainly depends on your residential status. To buy a HDB flat, one must be a permanent resident(PR) or a Singapore citizen. Singapore Citizens and PRs are allowed to purchase any type of private properties (including apartments and landed bungalows) and ECs, but do take note of certain restrictions regarding ownership of HDB flats.

The types of properties a foreigner can buy in Singapore:

Foreigners can purchase private properties like private apartments and condominiums whish is condos in short, but they need government approval to buy landed properties like bungalows. Foreigners can only buy Executive Condominiums (ECs)  which complete a period of at least 10 years old. Foreigners cannot own a HDB flat in Singapore.

Age criteria required to buy a house in Singapore:

In order to buy a property in Singapore you need to be atleast 21 years old consists of a family nucleus. Which includes:

  • Spouse and Children
  • Parent and siblings
  • Children under your legal custody (if widowed or divorced)

Parents can buy a condo, house or apartment for their children in the form of trust – the child will become the legal owner once, when he or she turns 21.

If  a single (unmarried or divorced), want to buy a resale HDB flat the minimum legal age is 35 years old. If a person widowed or orphaned, minimum legal age is 21 years old.

Can a singaporean own more than one property in Singapore:

A Singapore citizen or PR has no limit to own number of private properties. HDB owners require to complete minimum occupation period of five years to purchase a private property. Which means  if you want to own both HDB and private property, buy HDB flat complete MOP period before investing in a private property.

Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty charges:

Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty is ABSD in short. The applicable charges of ABSD for residential property is as follows.

Finally, to buy a house in Singapore:

If you want to buy a house in singapore, you should be familiarize yourself with all the different rules which governs buying a house in Singapore. You should be always:

  • Use loan comparison tools to find loans and properties that matches to your unique needs.
  • Think carefully before selecting the type of mortgage loan which might be a good to fit for you
  • Determine what kind of LTV, monthly mortgage payments and debt obligations which are most suitable
  • Calculate the loan tenure, maintenance fees and legal fees which you can afford

 

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Why do People in Singapore Buy Property Under Their Children’s Names?

Why do People in Singapore Buy Property Under Their Children’s Names?

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Why do People in Singapore Buy Property Under Their Children’s Names?

In these recent years, many people are purchasing property under their children’s names. Buying property is the biggest dream for many people. In 2019 there are some articles mentioned there is no data about it but there are some signs that a number of wealthy families are buying private property under their children’s names.

There are some queries about this topic. Why do parents purchase property under their children’s names? Are there any benefits in the future for their children? Any financial concerns involved – should follow this rule? In this way, there are many things people have confused about purchasing a property. 

To answer these kinds of questions we are sharing this article here. Please read this article and share it with other people who have queries. Let’s know more.

What Are The Benefits of Buying Property in Singapore Under Child’s Name?

1. In the Future Good Investment For Your Child

Indeed some parents are anxious about the rise in private property prices in the future, if they purchase now in their child’s name they will make a profit. These are the reasons which made buying a property now, but in their children’s names, a decision popular among some parents who are cash-rich and able to afford the mortgage payments.

If a person is good at financial situations such as who can take a mortgage loan and without a break pay installments and if you are sure that your property value will increase in future. Then this is the right decision to purchase for your child. Otherwise, you need to face the hurdle of confirming whether your home loan is approved or not approved in such situations as purchasing property under a child’s name. 

If you need any kind of guidance, feel free to contact Kumar Properties for recommendations and advice. 

2. At An Early Age, Better Chance To Earn Income For Yor Child

To purchase private property under their child’s name, some parents will use a trusted system and rent that property. Later they put rent money towards the savings account for their child’s future. Alike investments or stocks, Your child’s financial future is reliably the safest space in Singapore’s property market. Genuinely property is a gift for the future, it is the benefit for your child to buy a Singapore property now because of the rise in future prices.

Another important note is that if your buy property by using a trust system for your child, you will not be allowed to take a home loan to finance it.  If you want to take a home loan you need to wait until your child is at least 21. 

3. Get Better Fund on the Next Home Loan

This is the best strategy for the people who already own one property and they want to afford a second property. Then the loan to value (LTV) ratio for a second property loan will be 45%. If you want to get more funds for the property’s cost as well as higher LTV, you need to opt for this approach, since it is taken into consideration as the first property for your child and eligible for the full LTV.

However, when your child matures only the full payment for your second property will be paid. During this period they look to move out from their current family, so they are financially free to make their own property and apply for their own lines of credit.

What are the drawbacks of buying property under a child’s name?

There are many advantages to buying property in Singapore under your child’s name. But, there are also some disadvantages that might affect your child’s future if you decide to buy a second property.

1. New ABSD (Trust) of 35%

On May 9th, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) announced an ABSD of 35% will be imposed on any transfers of residential properties into a living trust. For instance, if you buy a property for $2 million in trust for your child, you need to pay $700,000 in ABSD.  

A new ABSD is imposed by the MOF in order to ensure equality among people. ABSD will be due regardless of whether the beneficial owner of the property is unknown at the time of the transfer. Many parents wish to leave a legacy for their children, but others feel that doing so risks worsening inequality.

Related Article: There is an article about Things to know about the new ABSD (Trust): 35% rate and conditions for the remission.

2. High Investment Risk May Affect a Child’s Future Credit Score.

You could adversely affect your child’s credit if you cannot afford to pay the mortgage installments on time and end up in arrears. If your child has a history of late payments and other mistakes, they may be unable to get loans for important things like education or cars in the future as a result of involvement in a mortgage. Your child is likely to end up with a money pit, and if they wish to buy public housing (e.g. an HDB flat) in the future, this ability may be impeded if they cannot sell the “investment property”.

Assuming you are still paying off the mortgage for the private property and your child wishes to settle down but is having difficulty letting go of the property, this may leave you in a difficult situation. You will still cause your child delays and inconvenience if you do sell the property easily, as HDB rules state that your child must wait 30 months before he/she can purchase a BTO from you after selling the property.

3. Disagreements regarding family property can result in legal disputes

The child becomes a legitimate owner of a property when it is placed under his or her name. Some parents fail to recognize this fact. Upon reaching that age, your child has the legal right to sell, rent, or take possession of your property. It is imperative that you take precautions when dealing with your child. Your child will be the one who determines what happens to the property.

It has been noted that legal disputes have arisen within families when parents and children cannot reach an agreement on what to do with the property in question, and many families have been strained or even broken by these disagreements.

4. Subsidies or vouchers will not be available to your child

Almost every child who owns at least one private property will not qualify for government subsidies, bonuses, or welfare cuts. In other words, GST vouchers and so on will no longer be considered part of the child’s assets. 

Some parents neglect this when they buy their child a second home. If the above is not possible, you might want to reconsider putting the second home under your child’s name.

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Are You Ready To Buy A Property? Read This First.

Are You Ready To Buy A Property? Read This First.

Kumar Properties

Are You Ready To Buy A Property? Read This First.

Buying property instinctly, is seldom a good idea. And for a major expense like a property, entering the market without doing in-depth research and analysis is extremely not sensible. May seems to have a good investment  opportunity, but it is not good to advise to go in blind, to speak. In fact, if it seems to be good is true, it warrants for a closer look.

So, What we do? Before commencing on house hunting, consider it, why should I buy this property? It is simple to hear, but it is good to have a clear-mind about why you enter into the property market. For instance, are you planning to move yourself, is your intention to rent it out, do you want own an existing property. What do you want to do with it? If your intension is to hold on your existing property, you have to pay the additional buyer’s stamp duty (ABSD) for your second property purchase.

Be practical, be wise

Next step, is to decide what is your budget – what you can afford to buy property and what would do if it extends the limit? Proper financial planning and develop a financial safety net is absolutely not possible because properties cannot be sold quickly and make cash when you are in a blind. If you fall on hard times and want to sell or rent your unit, then certainly your are not sure to fetch an attractive price/rent.

Be wise, If you think you can afford with a comfortable amount of $1.2 million condo, and don’t want to max out that the budget, because we have consider the other expenses, which includes the ABSD for the second property buy, legal fees etc.

Key concepts when estimating property buying opportunities

So, you have decided with your property investment objective, estimated your financial position, and considered the possibility of using leverage, next what? Coming to research and analysis.

There are three important criteria in estimating property investment opportunities. It is important that each of the three factors are considered how they could impact the property’s rent ability and capital growth potential in the future.

1.Location

In real estate, location is very important. Location influences the worth to buy property, and the worth helps to boost demand of the property. Higher the demand, higher the price.

The main factors to consider when it comes to location:

  • Central or outskirts: Is the property available in the city, at a city fringe or in the suburbs.
  • Transportation and accessibility: How far is the distance from property to an MRT station also consider the bus interchange and bus stop? And the ease of access to main roads and the expressway.
  • Neighbourhood: The facilities and amenities available around the property? Like shops, food places, supermarkets and recreation facilities such as parks or sports hall.
  • Schools: The schools available in the nearby area. ( When there are more applicants than vacancies, the admission priority will be given based on child’s citizenship and the home-to-school distance)
  • Lot/Unit Location: Is the unit available in the high floor. Does the unit face main road, pool or a park.
  • Mature or non-mature estate: Is there any other development sites, which means more supply of units and potential competition for buyers and tenants when you are planning to sell or lease your units in the future.

 2.Entry Price

Here we consider whether you buy a property at a market price, below market value or you are overpaying compared to the nearby surrounding properties? If you overpaid for a property your capital gain in the future may  be low or even nil – unless the property market significantly for over a period of time.

So assess your entry price with the recently transacted prices of comparable properties in the nearby areas, as well as recent transactions in the same development unit. Make an assessment that prices or rents of properties are climbing over the last few years and whether the prices have gone upto the mark since the project was launched.

Then looking at a new launch project, consider the stage of the launch. Developer offers starbuys in the initial stage of launch to get sales momentum going. If you want to buy at a later stage where the developer has already sold more than 70% of the units in the development, then you have to end up paying slightly more.

 3.Urban transformation

The Urban Redevelopment Authority’s Master Plan, which is a permitted land use plan that conveys Singapore’s development over the next 10 to 15 years. It shows the development densities, permissible land use, and urban transformation plans in Singapore.

Before shortlisting the potential properties to invest in, make sure to consult the master plan on what are the development plans for the area. These all will likely have a positive impact on capital values for the long-term.

The property investment may carry some form of risks, but considering the necessary site and price estimation and proper financial planning, you are likely to get a smooth investment experience.

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Things to know about the new ABSD (Trust): 35% rate and conditions for remission

Things to know about the new ABSD (Trust): 35% rate and conditions for remission

Kumar Properties

Things to know about the new ABSD (Trust): 35% rate and conditions for remission

An  Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty (ABSD) of 35% will be imposed on any transfer of residential property into a living trust from 9 May onwards, as announced by the Ministry of Finance late on 8 May.

Previously, when a residential property is transferred into a living trust, Buyer’s Stamp Duty(BSD) is payable. Depending on the profile of beneficial owner,  ABSD is also applicable. When there is no identical owner at the time of transferring the residential property, ABSD may not apply.

Now, with the latest change, a trustee have to pay ABSD even if there is no identical owner at the time of transferring the residential property.

According to the press release, “ABSD aims to promote a stable and sustainable property market, and as such, it should apply to transfers of residential properties into all living trusts, irrespective of whether there are identifiable beneficial owners of the residential properties transferred into such trusts.”

The ABSD (Trust) is to be paid upfront while transferring a residential property into any living trust.

Refunding of ABSD (Trust):

A beneficiary may apply to IRAS for a refund of ABSD (Trust), if the following conditions are met:

 

  • All beneficial owners are identifiable individuals of a residential.
  • Now, the beneficial owner must own a property and not in the future.
  • The beneficial ownership of the residential property has been vested in all of them and cannot be revoked, varied or subject to subsequent conditions.
According to Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore, the ABSD treatment for the residential properties must be equalised, irrespective of whether a beneficiary is involved or not.

The refund application must be sent within 6 months after the instrument is executed. This refund amount will be based on the difference between the ABSD(Trust) rate of 35% and the corresponding profile of the beneficial owner with the highest applicable ABSD rate. 

The refund will not be applicable if the property is held in trust for a child who gains authority when they turn 21.

Singapore Property inheritance
Under the new ABSD (Trust), the trustee will have to pay 35% when buying a residential property and hold it as a trust for a minor. 
To be eligible for the remission, the trustee can apply via the IRAS e-Stamping portal within six months from the date of the execution of the instrument.

The supporting documents for the refund:

  • The Option to Purchase or sale and Purchase Agreement copy.
  • Trust instrument copy.

Here it is article about ABSD 35% rate and Conditions. And we will share more articles in future about the Singapore Properties. Do not wait anymore. If you are keen to have the next article, please register below! You should not miss this. See you soon.

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