HDB Maximum Budget
Your maximum resale flat budget
MSR, the HDB-loan vs bank-loan fork, your funds and grants — solved to the price a banker would sign off on, with the binding constraint named.
Buyer 1
Financing
Funds
How this planner works
Your budget is solved against three constraints simultaneously, and the binding one is named. Income: MSR caps the instalment at 30% of gross recognised income (variable income takes the standard 30% haircut; a bank loan also applies the 55% TDSR with your other debts). Funds: cash, CPF OA, and your self-declared grants must cover the downpayment beyond the 75% loan plus BSD. Cash floor: bank loans require 5% of the price in cash that CPF and grants cannot replace — the constraint that most often surprises buyers comparing the two loans.
We deliberately don't compute grants or eligibility ceilings: those turn on details only HDB's own assessment can confirm. Bring your grant total from HDB's official check, and this planner turns it into a budget. For the duties side, see the Buyer's Stamp Duty Calculator; if a condo is the longer-term plan, our upgrader analysis covers how today's flat shapes that move.
Already know your price? The Resale HDB Purchase Planner lays out the option fee, deposits, and the chronological order of every payment to key collection.
Frequently asked questions
- How much can I borrow for an HDB resale flat?
- The Mortgage Servicing Ratio caps your instalment at 30% of gross monthly income. An HDB loan charges the concessionary 2.6% (the CPF OA rate + 0.1%) but eligibility is stress-tested at a 3% floor; a bank loan is assessed at the 4% MAS floor. Over the maximum 25-year tenure ending by age 65, a couple earning $6,000 a month supports roughly $379,600 with an HDB loan, or $341,000 with a bank loan. Loan-to-value is capped at 75% of price or valuation for both loan types.
- HDB loan or bank loan — what actually differs?
- Four things. Rate: HDB charges a stable 2.6%, though eligibility is stress-tested at a 3% floor; banks price off market and must assess you at the 4% MAS floor. Cash: an HDB loan has no minimum cash component — the full downpayment can come from CPF and grants — while a bank loan requires 5% of the price in hard cash. Flexibility: HDB loans can be refinanced to a bank later, but not the reverse. Penalties: HDB has no early-repayment penalty.
- How do CPF housing grants work in this planner?
- You enter your own grant total from HDB's official eligibility tools — we deliberately don't estimate grants, because the amounts turn on income averages, citizenship mix, proximity to family, and first-timer status that only HDB's own assessment can confirm. Grants are disbursed into CPF and count toward your downpayment, but they cannot satisfy a bank loan's 5% cash component.
- Is there an income ceiling for buying a resale flat?
- There is no income ceiling to buy a resale flat. Ceilings apply to taking an HDB concessionary loan ($14,000 household for families — check HDB for your case) and to grant eligibility. High earners buying resale simply finance with a bank loan.
- Does ABSD apply to an HDB purchase?
- Effectively no — you must dispose of private property to buy an HDB flat, so the purchase is assessed as your only property. BSD applies as normal: $12,600 on a $600,000 flat.
Could you ride out a job loss after buying?
Planning the purchase is only half the picture. See how many months your cash reserves would carry the mortgage if your income stopped — and how much you’d rebuild over four years if it doesn’t.
Disclaimer
The tools on this page provide estimates for general reference only and do not constitute financial, legal, tax, or investment advice. Calculations are based on prevailing MAS, IRAS, HDB, and CPF rules and rates at the time of publication, which may change without notice. Actual figures — including loan eligibility, interest rates, stamp duties, and CPF usage — depend on your specific circumstances and the final assessment of banks, IRAS, and other relevant authorities. TRIBE makes no warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of any output and accepts no liability for decisions made in reliance on these tools. Please verify all figures with the relevant institutions or a qualified professional before committing to any transaction.