Insights
Singapore property analysis
Methodology, market reads, and worked examples. Published when there’s something worth saying.
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18 July 2026New Projects Reviews
Honest Insights On Union Square Residences
Union Square Residences grades B (5.9) on the New Project Scorecard — City Developments' 366-unit, 99-year leasehold tower at Clarke Quay, District 1, where the ~3.2% projected growth is carried less by capital appreciation than by a central-core rental and location story.
18 July 2026New Projects Reviews
Honest Insights On Lentoria
Lentoria grades A (7.5) on the New Project Scorecard — TID's 267-unit, 99-year leasehold in the Lentor Hills cluster, District 26, near sold out at a median ~S$2,198 psf, where strong projected growth, rental momentum and an Anderson Primary catchment carry the grade.
17 July 2026New Projects Reviews
Honest Insights On The Lumos
The Lumos grades C (5.2) on the New Project Scorecard — a 53-unit freehold at 9 Leonie Hill in District 9, a short hop from Orchard MRT, with remaining stock asking about S$2,782 psf against an own resale median nearer S$2,308.
17 July 2026New Projects Reviews
Honest Insights On Cape Royale
Cape Royale grades D (2.3) on the New Project Scorecard — Ho Bee and IOI's 302-unit, 99-year leasehold in Sentosa Cove, being sold in batches a decade after completion, with three-bedders from about S$1,910 psf against an own resale median near S$2,197.
16 July 2026New Projects Reviews
Honest Insights On Upperhouse @ Orchard Boulevard
Upperhouse grades C (5.4) on the New Project Scorecard — a doorstep-MRT Orchard Boulevard address on top of the weakest growth engine we have reviewed. UOL and SingLand's 301-unit tower is 81% sold a year after its S$3,350 psf launch; what's left asks a premium over the project's own record.
16 July 2026New Projects Reviews
Honest Insights On Pinery Residences
Pinery Residences grades S (9.0) on the New Project Scorecard — the highest grade on our board. Hoi Hup and Sunway's 588-unit integrated project above Tampines West MRT sold 92.5% at launch in March 2026; 34 units remain, all of them four- and five-bedders.
16 July 2026New Projects Reviews
Honest Insights On Canberra Crescent Residences
Canberra Crescent Residences grades B (6.5) on the New Project Scorecard — a 376-unit 99-year leasehold in Sembawang, 89% sold at a ~S$2,000 psf median, with strong rental growth but a long 1.14km walk to Canberra MRT.
16 July 2026New Projects Reviews
Honest Insights On Amber House
Amber House grades B (6.8) on the New Project Scorecard — Far East Organization's 105-unit freehold in the Amber Gardens enclave of District 15, launched from about S$2,900 psf, a short walk from Tanjong Katong MRT.
14 July 2026New Projects Reviews
Honest Insights On The Continuum
The Continuum grades B (6.5) on the New Project Scorecard — Hoi Hup and Sunway's 816-unit freehold Katong project sold just 26.5% at launch in May 2023, but sits at 95% three years later, with a 42-unit big-format tail priced below its own record.
14 July 2026New Projects Reviews
Honest Insights On Bloomsbury Residences
Bloomsbury Residences grades C (5.3) on the New Project Scorecard — the first Mediapolis launch opened at just 25.1% in April 2025, then quietly sold down to roughly 91% in fifteen months. What the C explains, and what the last two-bedders, four-bed suites and penthouses cost.
13 July 2026Private Property Market
Turf City Will Lift Districts 10 and 11. Just Not on Your Timeline.
Turf City's 176ha, 20,000-home master plan will lift Districts 10 and 11 — the land market is already pricing it, up 15% between the first two parcels. The lift is real. The horizon is 20 to 30 years.
13 July 2026New Projects Reviews
Honest Insights On Tembusu Grand
Tembusu Grand grades A (7.6) on the New Project Scorecard — CDL and MCL Land's 638-unit Katong project received its TOP in December 2025, is 99% sold, set a S$2,881 psf sub-sale record in May, and is down to five one-bedders and two penthouses.
13 July 2026New Projects Reviews
Honest Insights On Faber Residence
Faber Residence grades B (6.0) on the New Project Scorecard — GuocoLand and Hong Leong's 399-unit riverfront project on Faber Walk sold 86% in its October launch weekend despite scoring zero on MRT access, and is now down to its last 14 four- and five-bedders.
12 July 2026New Projects Reviews
Honest Insights On Penrith
Penrith grades A (7.3) on the New Project Scorecard — the Hong Leong–GuocoLand 462-home project on Margaret Drive, Queenstown's first private launch since 2018, 97% sold on day one at over S$2,800 psf, now down to its last two-bedders.
12 July 2026New Projects Reviews
Honest Insights On Elta
Elta grades B (5.5) on the New Project Scorecard — the 501-home Clementi Avenue 1 project sold 65% at launch, has crept to 82%, and just set a S$2,907 psf record. What's left is 88 units, almost all of them the big formats.
11 July 2026New Projects Reviews
Honest Insights On Springleaf Residence
Springleaf Residence grades B (6.9) on the New Project Scorecard — GuocoLand and Hong Leong's 941-home flagship on the doorstep of Springleaf MRT, 92% sold at launch from S$2,175 psf, carried by transport and rental momentum but held back by schools.
11 July 2026New Projects Reviews
Honest Insights On Norwood Grand
Norwood Grand grades B (6.6) on the New Project Scorecard — CDL's 348-home project on Champions Way, the first private condominium in Woodlands in over a decade, best-selling launch of 2024 at S$2,067 psf, now down to its four-bedroom tail.
10 July 2026New Projects Reviews
Honest Insights On The Sen
The Sen grades C (5.2) on the New Project Scorecard — a Bukit Timah address with no station in walking distance, the thinnest yield we track, and 204 of 347 units unsold eight months after launch. Its entry prices, though, are unusually defensible.
10 July 2026New Projects Reviews
Honest Insights On Coastal Cabana
Coastal Cabana grades B (6.5) on the New Project Scorecard — Pasir Ris's first executive condominium in twelve years, 82% sold, and every unit still available is a three-bedroom. Scale, rents and schools carry the card; a 1.33km walk to the MRT drags it down.
9 July 2026New Projects Reviews
Honest Insights On Parktown Residence
Parktown Residence grades S (8.6) on the New Project Scorecard — the first mega-integrated development in Tampines North, 1,193 units by UOL, SingLand and CapitaLand. It sold 87% on its February 2025 debut and is now about 99% sold.
9 July 2026New Projects Reviews
Honest Insights On Meyer Blue
Meyer Blue grades B (5.6) on the New Project Scorecard — a 226-unit freehold tower on Meyer Road by UOL and SingLand. Strong on tenure and scale, held back by no school within 1km and price growth that clears 3% by a hair.
8 July 2026New Projects Reviews
Honest Insights On The Orie
The Orie grades A (8.0) on the New Project Scorecard — Toa Payoh's first private launch in eight years, a 777-unit CDL–Frasers–Sekisui development. It sold 86% at its January 2025 debut and is now about 95% sold, down to a slim tail.
8 July 2026New Projects Reviews
Honest Insights On Midtown Bay
Midtown Bay grades B (5.6) on the New Project Scorecard — GuocoLand's 219-unit luxury tower inside the integrated Guoco Midtown at Bugis. Launched in 2019, it sold slowly through COVID and is down to its last 70 units, from S$2,838 psf.
8 July 2026New Projects Reviews
Honest Insights On Dunearn House
Dunearn House grades A (7.6) on the New Project Scorecard — Bukit Timah Turf City's first condominium in over 30 years, a 380-unit 99-year leasehold by Frasers, Sekisui House and CSC Land, previewing 10 July from S$2,799 psf ahead of a 25 July launch.
5 July 2026New Projects Reviews
Honest Insights On Terra Hill
Terra Hill grades B (6.3) on the New Project Scorecard — a 270-unit freehold beside Pasir Panjang MRT on the former Flynn Park site. Modelled growth near 3.4% a year only just clears 3%; freehold scarcity and strong District 5 rents carry the case.
5 July 2026New Projects Reviews
Honest Insights On Canninghill Piers
Canninghill Piers grades B (6.8) on the New Project Scorecard — CDL and CapitaLand's 692-unit integrated tower on the Singapore River above Fort Canning MRT. It sold 77% at its 2021 launch and is now ~99% sold, with just 10 units left.
4 July 2026New Projects Reviews
Honest Insights On Vela Bay
Vela Bay grades A (8.0) on the New Project Scorecard — a 515-unit, 99-year launch beside Bayshore MRT that sold 72% on its April opening weekend at an average S$2,886 psf. Modelled growth near 4.2% a year clears the 3% bar on every remaining format.
4 July 2026New Projects Reviews
Honest Insights On Lentor Gardens Residences
Lentor Gardens Residences previews 4 July 2026 from about $2,050 psf — a ~500-unit Kingsford launch built on the cheapest land in the Lentor cycle (~$920 psf ppr). It is also the last accessible new-launch door in a cluster that is already ~99% sold, and the next parcel's land cost 39% more. This is what a good entry looks like, and who it is for.
4 July 2026New Projects Reviews
Honest Insights On Kassia
Kassia grades C (5.1) on the New Project Scorecard — a 268-unit freehold on Flora Drive by TID, with strong District 17 rents but a flat ~2.6%/yr growth history and no MRT within walking distance. Entry from S$1,989 psf; 40 units left.
4 July 2026New Projects Reviews
Honest Insights On J'den
J'den grades A (7.6) on the New Project Scorecard — CapitaLand's 368-unit integrated tower on the former JCube site at Jurong East MRT, the best-selling launch of 2023, now 97% sold. Just 10 large-format units remain, from S$2,523 psf.
4 July 2026New Projects Reviews
Honest Insights On Arina East Residences
Arina East Residences grades B (5.6) on the New Project Scorecard — the first freehold launch in Tanjong Rhu in over a decade, a three-minute walk from Katong Park MRT. Strong on tenure and transport, but with no school within 1km and price growth that clears 3% by a whisker.
3 July 2026New Projects Reviews
Honest Insights On The Myst
The Myst grades A (8.0) on the New Project Scorecard — a 408-unit CDL launch by Cashew MRT that is now 95% sold. Only 20 large-format units remain, priced from S$1,827 psf, below the project's own S$2,054 psf transacted average.
3 July 2026New Projects Reviews
Honest Insights On The Hillshore
The Hillshore grades C (4.9) on the New Project Scorecard — a 59-unit freehold boutique by Haw Par Villa MRT with strong District 5 rents but a thin growth history and no school within 1km. Entry from S$2,277 psf, below freehold neighbour Terra Hill.
3 July 2026New Projects Reviews
Honest Insights On The Chuan Park
The Chuan Park grades S (8.9) on the New Project Scorecard — one of the highest we've published: a 916-unit Kingsford and MCC Land redevelopment a two-minute walk from Lorong Chuan MRT, now 97% sold with 32 units left. The grade rests on a real decade of ~4.0%/yr resale growth within 1km, top schools and scale.
2 July 2026Private Property Market
1 in 7 Singapore Households Now Earns $30k a Month — What a Wealthier Singapore Does to Property Demand
The 2026 General Household Survey shows the share of resident households earning at least $30,000 a month almost doubled in five years — from 7.4% to 13.4% — and the median household income crossed $12,000 for the first time. Rising affluence reshapes who can buy what. But 1 in 7 is not everyone, and the median household still can't casually clear a $2.5m condo.
2 July 2026New Projects Reviews
Honest Insights On TMW Maxwell
TMW Maxwell grades C (4.8) on the New Project Scorecard — a 324-unit mixed-use tower a short walk from Maxwell MRT that sold seven units at an average S$3,310 psf in 2023, and now lists nearly the whole project from S$2,640 psf.
2 July 2026New Projects Reviews
Honest Insights On Hudson Place Residences
Hudson Place Residences grades C (4.4) on the New Project Scorecard — yet one-north's newest launch cleared 61.5% of its 327 units in a May weekend at S$2,458 psf, on the strongest rental-growth read we track and a transport score of zero.
1 July 2026New Projects Reviews
Honest Insights On The Arcady at Boon Keng
The Arcady at Boon Keng grades A (7.0) on the New Project Scorecard — a rare freehold in District 12, carried by a perfect 10 on schools, with a Bendemeer Primary belt at its doorstep and city-fringe rents that have compounded near 4.7% a year.
1 July 2026New Projects Reviews
Honest Insights On 8@BT
8@BT grades A (8.2) on the New Project Scorecard — one of the strongest reads we've published: a 158-unit 99-year leasehold at Bukit Timah Link, 0.14km from Beauty World MRT, in a supply-starved corner of District 21 where resale has compounded near 3.9% a year.
1 July 2026HDB
HDB Resale Just Fell for a Second Straight Quarter — and the Dip Got Deeper, Not Shallower
Q1 2026 was the first HDB resale price fall in almost seven years. The May flash looked like a rebound. But the official Q2 flash estimate, out July 1, shows prices down again — 0.3%, deeper than Q1's 0.1% — with 10% fewer flats sold. This is a plateau with a downward tilt, not a crash, and the million-dollar segment keeps setting records straight through it.
30 June 2026Resale Projects Reviews
These Are Our Top 5 Condos in Bukit Panjang & Choa Chu Kang
Strip out the executive condos that top District 23 and five grade-S private projects remain — and unlike most of the heartland, this corner has a real MRT catalyst on the way. We ran every project through the Resale Project Scorecard.
30 June 2026Real Stories
They Had to Sell in Year One — The $296,000 Stamp Duty Nobody Plans For
Daniel and Mei bought a $1.85m condo in late 2025, then a posting overseas forced an early sale. Under the tougher Seller's Stamp Duty that took effect in July 2025, selling in year one costs 16% — $296,000 — on a property they may sell at a loss. A worked example of the cost of buying with a short horizon.
30 June 2026New Projects Reviews
Honest Insights On Zyon Grand
Zyon Grand grades A (7.0) on the New Project Scorecard — an integrated, MRT-linked launch and the value end of the River Valley cluster: the cheapest of the four, with the best rental yield of the group, in the Rest of Central Region just outside prime District 9.
30 June 2026New Projects Reviews
Honest Insights On River Modern
River Modern grades A (7.0) on the New Project Scorecard — a riverfront address beside Great World MRT with growth that clears the bar. But it launched at S$3,266 psf, the priciest of the River Valley cluster, for a grade a notch below its cheaper neighbour.
30 June 2026New Projects Reviews
Honest Insights On River Green
River Green grades A (7.6) on the New Project Scorecard — the top scorer of the River Valley cluster, on full marks for scale and a near-perfect school and transport read above Great World MRT. It sold superbly. The honest caveat is what's driving the growth number.
30 June 2026New Projects Reviews
Honest Insights On Bagnall Haus
Bagnall Haus grades A (7.1) on the New Project Scorecard — a rare freehold beside a future MRT interchange, with the strongest growth and rental read of this group. The one real knock is a small, 113-unit boutique project.
29 June 2026Resale Projects Reviews
These Are Our Top 5 Condos in Yishun & Sembawang
The top of District 27 belongs to executive condos — but strip those out and a quiet cluster of leasehold private condos around Canberra MRT scores grade S on the one thing the north does well: above-average rent. We ran every project through the Resale Project Scorecard.
29 June 2026Private Property Market
Fewer Launches, Faster Sellouts — Why 2026's New Condos Clear in a Weekend
Singapore is launching fewer condos in 2026 — and selling most of them on opening weekend. Tengah Garden Residences moved 853 of 863 units, Pinery 92.5%, River Modern about 90%. The supply crunch isn't a buyer's market at launch. It's a queue.
29 June 2026New Projects Reviews
Promenade Peak Review: Grade-A on Zion Road (D3) — Worth the Wait to 2031?
Promenade Peak scores a grade A (8.0) — one of the highest on the New Project Scorecard, on full marks for scale and strong transport and schools by the Singapore River. The catch is a 2031 completion and a wide price spread: plenty of fairly-priced stock, and a few stacks you'd overpay for.
29 June 2026New Projects Reviews
One Marina Gardens Review: A Yield Buy, Not a Growth Play, in Marina South (D1)
One Marina Gardens scores a grade C (4.2) — and the number behind it is stark: the New Project Scorecard models price growth at just 0.28% a year. Marina South is a brand-new precinct with almost no resale track record, and the one comparable nearby has actually fallen in value. This is a yield-and-lifestyle buy, not a growth play.
29 June 2026New Projects Reviews
Narra Residences Review: Grade-B in D23 Where Your Entry Price Decides Everything
Narra scores a grade B (5.8) on our New Project Scorecard — strong on size and rental demand, but it's a long walk to the nearest MRT. With most units still unsold, the price you pay is what matters: buy at or below fair value and the numbers work; pay the launch premium and they don't.
29 June 2026New Projects Reviews
Grand Dunman Review: Grade-A in D15, But Is What's Left Worth Buying?
Grand Dunman scores a grade A (7.8) on the New Project Scorecard — a Dakota MRT address with a strong school belt and mega-project scale. But the family units have sold out: what's left is small one-bedders priced below fair value and large penthouses carrying a premium.
28 June 2026Resale Projects Reviews
These Are Our Top 5 Condos in Pasir Ris
Pasir Ris is leasehold country — but unlike the freehold East Coast next door, its best condos actually pay you rent, and a Cross Island Line interchange is being built at the doorstep. We ran every project through the Resale Project Scorecard. These five score highest, and all five are grade S.
28 June 2026Tribe Tools
The Seller's Stamp Duty Calculator, Explained
Whether you owe Seller's Stamp Duty depends on when you bought, not when you sell — and there are now two regimes with different holding periods and rates. This calculator picks the right one and shows the working.
28 June 2026Tribe Tools
The Sale & Purchase Planner, Explained
Selling one home and buying the next isn't one transaction — it's two timelines that have to interlock. This planner lays both on a calendar, tags every dollar cash or CPF, and flags where they collide.
28 June 2026Tribe Tools
The Sale Proceeds Calculator, Explained
Your flat 'made $300k' — but how much actually lands in your bank account? The Sale Proceeds Calculator separates cash-in-hand from the CPF that goes back to your OA, with every deduction laid out instead of one headline number.
28 June 2026Tribe Tools
The Safety Net Calculator, Explained
Passing TDSR tells you the bank will lend you the money. It doesn't tell you how long you'd last if your income stopped the month after you collect the keys. This calculator answers that second, scarier question.
28 June 2026Tribe Tools
The Resale Project Scorecard, Explained
Every resale condo in Singapore, scored on the same seven factors and graded S to D. Here's exactly what the Resale Project Scorecard measures, how the grade is built, and how to read it without registering for anything.
28 June 2026Tribe Tools
The Resale Price Check, Explained
Is the asking price fair? This tool benchmarks a specific unit against actual transacted sales of the same bedroom type in the same project — recency-weighted — and gives a fair value, a range, and a verdict.
28 June 2026Tribe Tools
The Resale HDB Purchase Planner, Explained
From the option fee to the keys, a resale flat is paid in a specific order — and an HDB loan and a bank loan don't pay it the same way. This planner maps every dollar and the date it's due.
28 June 2026Tribe Tools
The Resale Condo Purchase Planner, Explained
1% to hold it, 4% to exercise, then stamp duty, then the balance on completion. A resale condo is paid in a fixed order from a specific pocket each time — and this planner maps every dollar from OTP to keys.
28 June 2026Tribe Tools
The Rental Stamp Duty Calculator, Explained
Lease stamp duty is a flat 0.4% on the rent over your lease — not the tiered method many old calculators still use. This tool applies the current rule, handles the low-rent exemption, and shows the working.
28 June 2026Tribe Tools
The Pledging Calculator, Explained
When income alone won't clear TDSR, eligible assets can lift your loan — pledged for 48 months at full value, or merely shown at 30 cents on the dollar. This calculator shows exactly what each route unlocks.
28 June 2026Tribe Tools
The New Launch vs Resale Calculator, Explained
Same budget, two paths: a new launch that draws its loan down slowly, or a resale you can rent out from day one. This calculator projects the net profit and return on cash for each over your holding period.
28 June 2026Tribe Tools
The New Project Scorecard, Explained
New launches don't have a resale history to score — so the New Project Scorecard grades them on the area's track record, then works out the holding period a unit needs to hit your target return. Here's how it works.
28 June 2026Tribe Tools
The New EC Purchase Planner, Explained
A new executive condo adds two things a private launch doesn't: a bridging loan against the flat you're selling, and a choice between the progressive and deferred payment schemes. This planner maps both.
28 June 2026Tribe Tools
The New Condo Purchase Planner, Explained
A new launch isn't paid upfront — it's paid in stages as the building goes up, and your loan draws down to match. This planner lays out the progressive payment schedule and the instalment that ramps with it.
28 June 2026Tribe Tools
The Exit Strategy Forecast, Explained
The right time to sell isn't a feeling — it's the year your net return, after SSD, interest and all the costs in and out, actually peaks. This tool projects that year by year for a resale and a new launch.
28 June 2026Tribe Tools
The Decoupling Calculator, Explained
Decoupling to dodge ABSD looks like free money on a napkin. The Decoupling Calculator shows the four numbers that actually decide it — the transfer cost, the cash you free, whether one income can carry the loan, and the real net saving.
28 June 2026Tribe Tools
The Buyer's Stamp Duty Calculator, Explained
BSD is a marginal-tier tax most people compute wrong, and ABSD turns on your exact buyer profile — including the joint-purchase rule that catches mixed couples. Here's how the calculator gets both right.
28 June 2026Tribe Tools
The Amortisation Table, Explained
Your instalment is the same every month — but how much of it pays down the loan versus the bank changes completely over time. The Amortisation Table shows where every dollar of every payment actually goes.
28 June 2026Tribe Tools
The New Sale Amortisation Table, Explained
On a new launch your loan doesn't start whole — it draws down stage by stage as the tower rises, so the instalment climbs and you pay 'construction interest' along the way. This table shows the full ramp.
28 June 2026Tribe Tools
The Age-to-Mortgage Projection, Explained
Waiting a few years to buy doesn't just mean higher prices — it quietly shrinks the loan the bank will give you, because your age caps the tenure. This tool projects exactly what the delay costs at the bank.
28 June 2026Tribe Tools
The Affordability Assessment, Explained
Before you fall for a unit, find out what the bank will actually lend you. The Affordability Assessment runs the same TDSR and MSR grid a banker uses — at the 4% stress rate, across private, EC and HDB — so you shop with a real number.
28 June 2026HDB
HDB Resale Fell for the First Time in 7 Years — Then Bounced Back in Two Months
The headline was real: HDB resale prices fell in Q1 2026, the first quarterly drop since 2019. But the May flash already shows prices and volumes back up, and million-dollar flats at a six-month high. The dip lasted one quarter — and the recovery is only half-finished.
27 June 2026Resale Projects Reviews
These Are Our Top 5 Condos in Marine Parade & Katong
Marine Parade and Katong are freehold country with a brand-new MRT line at the door — the rare District 15 corner where great fundamentals and walk-in trains finally overlap. We ran every condo through the Resale Project Scorecard. These five score highest, and all five are grade S.
27 June 2026Real Stories
He Bought a $2M Condo to Rent Out — and 'Lost' $2,000 a Month. Most of It Was Savings.
A freehold condo rented out at 2.6% looks like it bleeds $2,000 a month against the mortgage. But $3,249 of that payment is principal you're paying yourself. The real carry is wafer-thin and positive — and it only works because rates are at the floor.
27 June 2026Private Property Market
OhMyHome company sold for $1 USD
A flat-fee pioneer just handed its core property business to a buyer for a dollar. The lesson isn't about one company — it's about what happens when a fee is priced below the cost of doing the job well.
26 June 2026Resale Projects Reviews
These Are Our Top 5 Condos in Sengkang
Sengkang is an all-leasehold new town where the best scorers are executive condos and the catalyst isn't the Punggol Digital District — it's a Cross Island Line station still to come. We ran every condo through the Resale Project Scorecard. These five private condos score highest, and all five are grade S.
26 June 2026Private Property Market
447 Sales in May, 1,548 in April — How to Read the Monthly Developer Number
Developers sold 447 new private homes in May, down 71% from April — a three-month low, and the headlines called it cooling demand. The number is real. The reading is wrong: in a thin-launch year, the monthly figure tracks the launch calendar, not buyer appetite.
25 June 2026Resale Projects Reviews
These Are Our Top 5 Condos in Punggol
Punggol is the rare district where the resale market is young, all-leasehold, and built around a catalyst still arriving — the Punggol Digital District. We ran every condo through the Resale Project Scorecard. These five private condos score highest, and all five are grade S.
25 June 2026Private Property Market
Landed Homes Just Dipped — The One Segment Sitting Out the Rally
Private home prices rose for a sixth straight quarter in Q1 2026 — but landed houses fell 0.4%, the only segment in reverse. The dip is seasonal, not structural. The more telling number is who has stopped buying landed at all.
24 June 2026Private Property Market
Buy First or Sell First? The Upgrader Mistake That Costs $360,000
The most expensive decision an HDB upgrader makes isn't which condo — it's the order. Buy before you sell and you trigger 20% ABSD plus a brutal loan haircut. We work the numbers on a $1.8M upgrade.
24 June 2026Mortgage & Rates
Lower Rates Don't Increase How Much You Can Borrow
Mortgage rates have halved, so your budget just jumped — right? No. Banks still size every loan at a ~4% stress floor, not the 1.3% you pay. A $12k household can borrow $1.38M, not the $1.97M the cheap rate implies.
24 June 2026Mortgage & Rates
Your HDB "Made $300k" — But Only $156k Is Actually Cash
Sell your flat for $300k more than you paid and it feels like $300k in the bank. After the loan, the mandatory CPF refund and the agent's cut, the cash that actually lands can be barely half that. The mistake is budgeting the condo off the wrong number.
24 June 2026HDB
Five Selling Mistakes That Cost HDB Upgraders Real Money
In a market where the resale index just fell for the first time since 2019, the old reflexes — price high and wait — quietly cost upgraders thousands. The five selling mistakes we see most, and what each one actually costs.
24 June 2026Mortgage & Rates
Is a 1.40% Fixed Worth It Over a 1.27% Float?
The cheapest fixed rate is 1.40%; the cheapest float is 1.27%. That 0.13% gap is the price of certainty — about $60 a month on a $1M loan. We work out exactly what you're paying for, and when it's worth it.
24 June 2026Real Stories
They Bought the Condo First to Lock the Unit. It Cost Them $43,000.
Wei and Shanti found their dream condo and bought it before selling their flat — counting on the 6-month ABSD refund. Then the flat didn't sell. A composite of how a confident upgrade quietly leaked $43,000, and what a sell-first plan would have avoided.
23 June 2026Mortgage & Rates
Should You Drop Your HDB Loan for a 1.6% Bank Rate?
The HDB concessionary loan sits at 2.60%; banks quote HDB owners 1.6% fixed. Switching saves money now — but it's a one-way door, and the 2.60% you give up is a rate you'd keep forever. We run the 25-year math both ways.
23 June 2026Real Stories
They Repriced from 3.1% to 1.5%. Now What Do They Do With the $795?
Daniel and Mei just repriced a $1M loan from 3.1% to 1.5%, freeing $795 a month. The reprice was easy. The real question: overpay the loan, or invest the difference? At a 1.5% rate, the usual answer flips.
22 June 2026Resale Projects Reviews
These Are Our Top 5 Condos in Geylang & Eunos
District 14 is the city-fringe value belt — the Kong Hwa school catchment, two MRT lines, and a wall of freehold stock a few stops from town. We ran every resale condo through the Resale Project Scorecard. These five score highest, and all five are grade S.
22 June 2026Private Property Market
A Record Land-Supply Year — What 9,320 New Units Mean for Buyers
The 2H2026 Government Land Sales list adds nine sites and 4,745 homes, taking the full-year Confirmed List to 9,320 units — more than 50% above the 10-year average. That's the government's answer to a thin launch pipeline. Here's what it does, and doesn't, do for a buyer.
21 June 2026Resale Projects Reviews
These Are Our Top 5 Condos in Clementi & West Coast
District 5 is the west's education engine — the Nan Hua and Qifa belt, NUS and one-north on the doorstep. We ran every resale condo through the Resale Project Scorecard. These five score highest, and all five are grade S.
21 June 2026Private Property Market
The Best Resale Grades Are in the Suburbs, Not the Prime Districts
We graded all 2,357 resale condos on the same scorecard. Almost a quarter of suburban projects earn the top S grade — against just 1% in the prime central districts. The reason isn't snobbery. It's yield.
20 June 2026Resale Projects Reviews
These Are Our Top 5 Condos in Novena & Newton
District 11 is freehold land, a deep school catchment, and two MRT lines into Orchard — but the income never keeps up with the price. We ran every project through the Resale Project Scorecard. These five score highest.
20 June 2026Private Property Market
Rents Have Stopped Falling. Yields Still Haven't Recovered.
Private rents ticked up 0.3% in Q1 2026 — the bottom is in. But prices rose faster, so the gross yield on a typical condo is stuck near 3%, and the net yield, after tax and maintenance, is closer to 2.3%.
20 June 2026Real Stories
You Sold the Flat for $620,000. Here's Why You Walk Away with $120,000.
Raymond and Pauline cleared their HDB loan and sold for a $200,000 paper gain. Then CPF took back $397,000 — the $318,000 they'd used, plus $79,000 of accrued interest. We trace every dollar, and explain why it isn't the loss it feels like.
19 June 2026Resale Projects Reviews
These Are Our Top 5 Condos in Bukit Timah & Beauty World
The Beauty World stretch of District 21 is freehold land, top-school catchment, and three Downtown Line stops in a row. We ran every project through the Resale Project Scorecard — these five score highest.
19 June 2026Private Property Market
The 2026 Launch Drought — What a Thin New-Launch Pipeline Does to a Buyer's Options
Around 17 private launches are scheduled this year, down roughly a quarter from 2025, while unsold stock sits a quarter below its ten-year average. Fewer choices is the real story — here is what it changes.
19 June 2026Real Stories
Aishah Earns $11k Self-Employed. The Bank Will Only Count $7,700.
Same income, 30% less borrowing power. We run a self-employed buyer's loan through the TDSR rules — the variable-income haircut, the two-year NOA average, and the price ceiling it sets — line by line.
18 June 2026Resale Projects Reviews
These Are Our Top 5 Condos in Queenstown & Tiong Bahru
District 3 is one of the most expensive resale markets outside the core. We ran every project through the Resale Project Scorecard — these five score highest on schools, MRT access, and the numbers that actually move.
18 June 2026Private Property Market
$1,730 psf ppr for River Valley Green — The Land Bid Just Priced the Next Launch
A Sunway-MCL and CSC Land tie-up won the last Great World plot at $1,730 psf ppr — 22% above the parcel next door. Run it against River Green and River Modern and the next launch looks like a $3,400-plus psf project.
18 June 2026Private Property Market
A Record Land Bid in Queenstown — What It Actually Tells a Buyer
Six developers bid for the Dover Drive site and the winner paid a record $1,556 psf per plot ratio. Strip away the headline and a land bid tells you one thing for certain — and one thing it does not.
18 June 2026Real Stories
Marcus & Hui Ling Want a Million-Dollar Flat in Toa Payoh. We Ran the Numbers.
A record 412 HDB flats sold above $1 million last quarter, even as the index dipped. We price one couple's real decision — a $1.04m four-room in a mature town — down to the CPF accrued interest.
17 June 2026HDB
One in Three HDB Households Is Now Senior-Led. Here's the Right-Sizing Math.
Senior-led households are now close to a third of HDB residents, up from a quarter in 2018. We price the three real options — a Community Care Apartment, a short-lease 2-room Flexi, or staying put — down to the lease year.
17 June 2026Private Property Market
The Cost Nobody Budgets For: Condo Maintenance vs HDB S&CC Over 10 Years
Upgraders model the mortgage and the stamp duty, then forget the recurring one. We run a mass-market condo's maintenance fee against an HDB 4-room's S&CC across a decade — and the gap clears $45,000.
17 June 2026HDB
HDB's June Launch Is Half Prime. Here's What the Subsidy Actually Costs You.
The 6,952-flat June exercise is headlined by two Prime projects — Berlayar and Upper Thomson. The subsidy looks enormous. We price what the Prime label takes back: a 14% clawback, a 10-year lock-in, and a flat you can never rent out.
17 June 2026Private Property Market
These Condos Are Waiting for an En Bloc That Probably Won't Come. Here's the Math.
A whole class of ageing condos treats the collective sale as a retirement plan. We run the developer's sum — 40% ABSD, construction, lease top-ups — and show why the reserve prices owners want rarely pencil out.
17 June 2026Real Stories
What Will the Renovation Actually Cost? A 4-Room BTO, Priced Line by Line
The most-searched question after collecting keys isn't the loan — it's the renovation. We follow one couple's 4-room BTO budget down to the dollar, then show the realistic 2026 ranges for 3-, 4- and 5-room flats.
16 June 2026Resale Projects Reviews
Woodlands & Admiralty: The One Resale Condo to Avoid — and Why the Rest Score Better Than You'd Think
Of the 14 Woodlands & Admiralty condos scored on RPS, exactly one carries a D grade. The honest finding isn't a town to dodge — it's a solid heartland market with a single genuine laggard.
16 June 2026HDB
What Will I Actually Pay After Grants? An HDB First-Timer's Worked Guide
The most-searched BTO and resale question isn't the sticker price — it's the price after grants. We stack the three first-timer grants by income, citizenship and flat type, and run three real household examples down to the dollar.
16 June 2026Private Property Market
New Launch vs Resale Condo in 2026 — The Worked Math
A new OCR launch runs about 23% more per square foot than a comparable resale — roughly $384,000 on the same 950 sqft. But the gap buys deferred financing and a fresh lease, while resale buys space today. We run both columns on the same flat.
16 June 2026Private Property Market
Foreign and PR Buyers Are Vanishing — What It Means for OCR Resale Demand
Foreigners made up roughly 9% of private home buyers before 2023. After the 60% ABSD, that share has collapsed toward a rounding error. But here's the part most headlines miss: the pullback is overwhelmingly a CCR luxury story — not an OCR resale one.
16 June 2026Private Property Market
From Bay Windows to Queen Beds: How Singapore Condo Layouts Got Honest
A 2008 three-bedder and a 2024 one of the same quoted size don't hold the same furniture. Fifteen years of floor-area rule changes — bay windows, planters, aircon ledges — quietly rebuilt what 'saleable area' means.
16 June 2026Resale Projects Reviews
The 3 Condos We Won't Recommend in Bukit Panjang & Choa Chu Kang
Strip District 23 down to the two towns and the three lowest scorers aren't underperformers — two of them beat their own vintage on appreciation. They're held down by a schools data gap, thin unit counts, and, for the 2025 pair, no resale track record yet.
16 June 2026HDB
13,480 Flats Hit MOP This Year — Supply Wave or Non-Event?
The number of flats reaching their Minimum Occupation Period nearly doubles in 2026, from an 11-year low to 13,480. That sounds like a flood that should drag resale prices down. The Q1 data says the effect is smaller — and more interesting — than the headline.
15 June 2026Resale Projects Reviews
These Are Our Top 5 Condos in Toa Payoh & Balestier, Ranked by the Data
District 12 sprawls from Toa Payoh through Balestier to Potong Pasir. We filtered the RPS data to the projects actually in Toa Payoh and Balestier. Two Braddell towers run away with it — on one of the densest school belts in the city fringe.
14 June 2026Resale Projects Reviews
These Are Our Top 5 Condos in Hougang & Serangoon, Ranked by the Data
District 19 is the largest condo district in Singapore — and most of its top scorers aren't in Hougang or Serangoon at all. We filtered the RPS data to the projects actually in these two towns and ranked them. Schools and the Circle Line decide the top.
14 June 2026Mortgage & Rates
The Mid-2026 Mortgage Check: Reprice or Refinance? The Worked Math.
Rates are near a five-year low, but acting on that splits into two different decisions with different costs. Repricing keeps you with your bank — fast and nearly free. Refinancing moves you to a new one — cheaper rate, real fees. We run the numbers on an $800k loan and show where each one wins.
13 June 2026Private Property Market
Prices Up 0.9%, Volumes Down 19% — Soft Landing or Buyer-Seller Stalemate?
URA's Q1 2026 numbers point in two directions at once: private home prices rose 0.9% while transactions fell 19.2% to 5,413 — with resale volumes at their lowest since early 2024. Here's how both can be true, and what it means if you're waiting.
13 June 2026Resale Projects Reviews
These Are Our Top 5 Condos in Ang Mo Kio & Bishan, Ranked by the Data
District 20 quietly spans three different places — Bishan, Ang Mo Kio and the Upper Thomson corridor. We filtered the RPS data to the projects actually in Ang Mo Kio and Bishan, and ranked them. Four of the top five are in Bishan.
13 June 2026Resale Projects Reviews
The 3 Condos We Won't Recommend in Clementi & West Coast
Clementi is one of the strongest condo markets in the west — five S-grades above 8.4. But three projects on the strip beside West Coast Park carry D grades, and the sub-scores all point the same way: no schools within 1km, a 2km walk to the MRT, and cohort-lagging appreciation.
12 June 2026Resale Projects Reviews
These Are Our Top 5 Condos in Tampines, Ranked by the Data
District 18 mixes Tampines, Pasir Ris and Simei — so most 'best of D18' lists are quietly ranking three different towns. We filtered to the 15 condos actually in Tampines and ranked them by RPS.
12 June 2026Resale Projects Reviews
These Are Our Top 5 Condos in Jurong
Ten of the 22 scored condos in D22 hold S grades — nearly five times the national rate. We ranked every Jurong condo by RPS score. These five came out on top.
12 June 2026Resale Projects Reviews
These Are Our Top 5 Condos in Bedok
District 16 holds 12 S-grade condos — an S-grade rate nearly double the national average. We ranked every project in Bedok proper by RPS score, and the top five share one street more than you'd expect.
12 June 2026Real Stories
The Tans Are 62, Own a Million-Dollar Maisonette, and Have $35,000 in the Bank. Right-Sizing Fixes the Mismatch.
An executive maisonette worth seven figures, two modest CPF balances, and retirement three years away. We run the right-sizing math both ways — the 3-room resale and the short-lease 2-room — including the Silver Housing Bonus most owners haven't priced in.
12 June 2026Real Stories
New PRs, First Purchase: The $75,000 Question — Keep Renting or Buy Now?
A newly minted PR couple pays 5% ABSD on their first home — $75,000 on a $1.5M condo. We run the rent-vs-buy breakeven under four price scenarios, plus the math on waiting for citizenship.
12 June 2026HDB
June 2026 BTO: 6,900 Flats, Half of Them Plus or Prime. Should You Apply — or Buy Resale Instead?
Bishan's first new flats in 40 years, a second bite at Berlayar, and Ang Mo Kio by Mayflower MRT — at the price of a 10-year MOP, a clawback on the resale price, and a permanently restricted flat. We run the numbers.
12 June 2026Private Property Market
The 5-Year EC Flip Is Dead. Here's Everything That Changed on 8 May 2026.
MND doubled the EC Minimum Occupation Period to 10 years, pushed privatisation to 15, scrapped the Deferred Payment Scheme, and handed first-timers 90% of every launch for two full years. Five 2026 projects escaped under the old rules. Here's the full old-versus-new breakdown — and what a banker tells each kind of buyer now.
12 June 2026Real Stories
After the Divorce, Mei Can Keep the Flat — She Passes the Bank's Test by Twenty-One Dollars. Should She?
A divorced parent, 41, one income of $8,000, two kids, and a four-room flat the court says she can take over. The buyout math works — barely. We run keeping it against selling and resetting, number by number.
12 June 2026Real Stories
Both 45, Thirteen Years of CPF on Autopilot — the Decoupling Case That Doesn't Work
A couple, both 45, serviced their condo almost entirely with CPF since 2013 and now want to decouple for a second property. We ran every number — the refund, the BSD, the TDSR at their age. It fails at three separate gates.
12 June 2026Resale Projects Reviews
The 3 Condos We Won't Recommend in Yishun & Sembawang
Filter District 27 by actual location and five of its eight lowest scorers drop out — they're in Mandai. The three weakest projects actually in Yishun and Sembawang share thin unit counts, cohort-lagging appreciation and minimal catalyst exposure.
12 June 2026Resale Projects Reviews
The 3 Condos We Won't Recommend in Sengkang
Sengkang's 17 scored condos average an RPS of 8.02 — 14 of them hold S grades. These three score lowest, and the sub-scores explain exactly why we'd pass.
12 June 2026Resale Projects Reviews
The 3 Condos We Won't Recommend in Pasir Ris
Of the 38 Pasir Ris condos scored on RPS, exactly three carry a D grade — and all three sit on the same seafront strip. The sub-scores point to the same two problems: cohort-lagging appreciation and sub-60-unit liquidity.
12 June 2026Resale Projects Reviews
The 3 Condos We Won't Recommend in Marine Parade / East Coast
The bottom of the Marine Parade / East Coast table isn't in a forgotten corner — it's the Meyer Road enclave, freehold and steps from a new TEL station. The sub-scores agree: cohort-lagging appreciation, sub-2% yields, no primary school within 1km.
11 June 2026Real Stories
Sam Is 35, Single, and Earns $7,500. He's $500 Above Every Line That Was Drawn to Help Him.
At $7,500 a month, a single buyer clears no grant, no HDB loan — and the showflat says condo. We run both paths: the $560k flat the rulebook caps him at, and the $720k condo his cash actually allows.
11 June 2026Mortgage & Rates
Mortgage Rates Have Halved. Your Borrowing Power Hasn't. Here's the Worked Math.
Two-year fixed packages now start at 1.40% and 3M SORA sits at 1.07% — down from a ~3% peak in early 2025. But the bank still stress-tests you at 4%, so cheap money cuts your monthly bill, not your maximum loan. We run the actual numbers on a $1M loan, the HDB 2.6% question, and refinancing.
11 June 2026Real Stories
Jessie and Joel Earn $18k a Month. The Bank Will Lend Them $1.87M. Here's Why They Shouldn't Take It.
A couple in their thirties, two kids, a Sengkang four-room past its MOP, and a combined $18,000 income. Every upgrader maths question in one household — the sale proceeds, the loan the bank approves, and the smaller number they should actually spend.
11 June 2026HDB
HDB Resale Prices Just Stalled for the First Time in 7 Years. The Upgrade Math Moves With Them.
The HDB Resale Price Index slipped 0.1% in Q1 2026 — the first quarterly decline since 2019. In the same quarter, OCR condo prices rose 2.2%. If your upgrade plan assumes your flat keeps appreciating while you wait, the data says stop assuming.
11 June 2026Real Stories
Mei and Daniel Earn $9k Combined. The EC Brochure Says They Qualify. The Math Says Otherwise.
A couple at 28 with $130k saved, choosing between BTO, resale, and an EC. One path costs $1,293 a month, one buys time back with $100k of grants — and one is an eligibility letter their income can't actually cash.
3 June 2026Mortgage & Rates
Decoupling Isn't an ABSD Trick. It's a Financing Decision.
Decoupling saves a Singapore Citizen the 20% ABSD on a second home — easy arithmetic. The two numbers that actually decide whether it works sit on the financing side, and almost nobody runs them: how much CPF the exiting owner must refund, and whether the one who stays can carry the whole loan alone.
2 June 2026HDB
The Upgrader's Real Risk Isn't the ABSD
Most HDB upgraders pour their energy into the tax timing. The harder question — the one that decides whether your private home holds its value — is one a dataset of more than 2,300 scored condos can answer.
26 May 2026Private Property Market
D19 Has Been Quietly Outperforming Prime CCR Condos. Here's What The Data Shows.
District 19's mean secondary market score is 6.63. Prime CCR (D09/D10/D11) scores 4.09. We pulled the data on 183 D19 condos to find out why.