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Thread: Ecopolitan EC

  1. #91
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    Quote Originally Posted by rymccondo77
    If you can get a unit in a block further away from TPE, then don't think the noise from TPE would be a problem. By the way, my 8 minute walk was from Ecopolitan showflat entrance to right inside the MRT <excluding waiting time at traffic lights>.

    All the best for your house hunting !

    P.S. A correction - Tampines Trilliant has a tennis court but no clubhouse.
    TTT have a club house but some developer name it as function room or villa or dinning villa, any way just 2 walls 2 full glass face pool empty air-con room. Better one 3 or 4 sided full glass equip with dinning facilities with full air-com plus nice surrounding with waterfall, some have 2 or more such facilities.

    Talking about near TOP EC projects, think Prive is the nicer one.

  2. #92
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    Quote Originally Posted by propertybuyer073
    I agree with Suchard that Ecopolitan is more cramped.
    What I did is I really measure the site plan of Ecopolitan and TWF.

    You can download the actual site plan from HDB website under new launches/ Executive Condo.

    Ecopolitan's width is narrower and, to add on, they push some of the blocks 134, 136 and 138 inner (further away from the TPE) so as to give buyers some sense of comfort that it is not so near to the TPE.

    As a result, the distance between the blocks surrounding the main pool might be too close for comfort.

    We are seriously considering whether to e-app Lush Acres or to buy Vue 8 residence.My wife like Lush Acres for various reasons.

    1. It is from CDL. Both QJ and CDL are highly regarded developers. We have visited many show flats (including from CDL and QJ) in the last few years.

    Our main conclusion is EC's quality is generally a notch lower than most private condos.

    Amongst the developers, reputation does matter.

    You may choose to disagree with our observations. However, I would suggest you visit the showflats of some ECs and private condos to verify yourself.

    We have not seen the showflats of Ecopolitan and Lush Acres. Our bet is Lush Acres's quality could be slightly better if CDL maintain the same quality for Lush Acres.

    2. We are very impressed with the Lush Acres's floor plans. Their layout better meet our requirements.

    If you examine closely Ecopolitan Ec's floorplans, their living room is more or less the same (either 3-seater sofa or 3-seater sofa and a dining table , whether is for 3-bedroom or 5 rooms.

    In contrast, Lush Acres comes in more variations and the living room is much more spacious. It can easily fit in 3 + 2 sofa + dining table for 8. This is an important consideration for bigger family or family who likes to enterain.

    3. As I like to swim, the 100m swimming pool is a big bonus. Lush Acres is the 2nd EC after CityLife to have 100m pool,

    4. It is a decision we have to make. Whether you prefer to walk a long time to MRT or a shorter walk to LRT.

    My wife prefer a shorter walk to LRT as she likes to wear high heels and find it not so practical to walk to Punggol MRT on office attire.

    5. As we evaluate Eco and Lush Acres, we are also considering Vue 8.
    We understand that the indicative psf for a 96 sq m 3-bedroom is $850 psf.

    Yes, it may seem higher in Psf than EC but we do not need to commit to 8.5 years (3.5 years construction + 5 years MOP).

    We are also comfortable with the absolute $. Apparently, a 3-bedroom 96 sq m in Vue 8 costs about $870,000.

    We are really cracking which one to commit although some of our colleagues and friends are asking us to hold on in light of the various uncertainities especially the interest rate hike and the risks of supply glut.

    For HDB upgraders, the risks of HDB prices going down (when we sell the HDB upon TOP) is a real concern unless we sell the HDB flats now and rent for the time being.
    I personally think there is no perfect timing especially when you are buying for your own stay. Most importantly, the property you are buying is within your financial means (e.g. you can still pay your loan when interest rates increase or when one of the spouses has to stop work, etc.).

    Lush Acres looks good - main disadvantage is its location - developer has to do more (e.g. better design, better facilities) to attract buyers.

  3. #93
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    You can view some Prive picture here.

    http://www.punggol.sg/forum/communit...36588.516.html

  4. #94
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    wah piang, the location is super lousy and there are still buyers??!!!

  5. #95
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    What may be lousy to some buyers is fine with others - depends on buyers' needs & objectives (e.g. investment vs own stay).

    Like they say - "One man's meat is another man's poison"

  6. #96
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    Quote Originally Posted by rymccondo77
    I personally think there is no perfect timing especially when you are buying for your own stay. Most importantly, the property you are buying is within your financial means (e.g. you can still pay your loan when interest rates increase or when one of the spouses has to stop work, etc.).

    Lush Acres looks good - main disadvantage is its location - developer has to do more (e.g. better design, better facilities) to attract buyers.
    Thanks for all the advice.

    To my family, we find the location of Lush Acres acceptable.

    This is because my wife prefer a short distance to LRT. It is interesting to note that Lush is advertised by CDL as minutes walk to Layar LRT.

    In fact, if you take a closer look at the site plan, it seems closer to another LRT - Kupang LRT (in the north). Of course, one can also walk to Fernvale LRT, next to Seletar Mall.

    There is also a bus stop just outside Lush Acres.

    Location wise, it is not the best. But it is also not the worst.

    On facilities, I agree that Ecopolitan offers more than Lush Acres.

    On the facilities, we have to ask which are the ones we really use?

    For eg, 100m swimming pool is a good bonus to those who love to swim.
    Agri-cube to grow vegetables (in Lush Acres) is not useful to us though it may appeal to some who love to grow vegetables.

    To us, it is not just the number of facilities but the number of facilities that we will probably use or have opportunity to use.

    In some condos with many units, it is not uncommon to wait for several months before you can use the club house or BBQ, for example.

    Like many potential buyers, most of us will agree that pricing will be a major consideration. This also partly explain why there is a hot debate whether Ecopolitan is priced high...

    If Lush Acres is priced around/ lower than Ecopolitan, it will definitely attract good demand like City Life EC or Heron Bay EC (launched in 2012).

    Both City Life EC and Heron Bay attracted about 1,700 e-applications each (while ECopolitan attracted slightly more than 1,000 e-applications).
    Last edited by propertybuyer073; 09-07-13 at 14:08.

  7. #97
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    Kupang LRT is not operational currently (due to lack of housing / developments around the LRT at this moment) - hence the developer did not "promote" this LRT.

    By the time Lush Acres is ready, this LRT could be operational

  8. #98
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    Quote Originally Posted by rymccondo77
    Kupang LRT is not operational currently (due to lack of housing / developments around the LRT at this moment) - hence the developer did not "promote" this LRT.

    By the time Lush Acres is ready, this LRT could be operational
    Thanks. Good insights.

    CDL advertised the site in between Lush Acres and Kupang LRT to have supermarket, eating house, shops etc (in the North) on top of 24-hour NTUC and Seletar Mall (in the West). They should be ready before the TOP of Lush Acres.

  9. #99
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    Quote Originally Posted by rymccondo77
    I personally think there is no perfect timing especially when you are buying for your own stay. Most importantly, the property you are buying is within your financial means (e.g. you can still pay your loan when interest rates increase or when one of the spouses has to stop work, etc.).

    Lush Acres looks good - main disadvantage is its location - developer has to do more (e.g. better design, better facilities) to attract buyers.
    Buying BUC ppty is like looking for a wife, hand leg to slow it will become someone else wife. And ofcourse u must really love the ppty before putting down the cheque.
    On the selection day or VViP day, it will be like a fish market, no time to cherry pick. Good luck to all buyers.

  10. #100
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    Quote Originally Posted by NO_7
    Buying BUC ppty is like looking for a wife, hand leg to slow it will become someone else wife. And ofcourse u must really love the ppty before putting down the cheque.
    On the selection day or VViP day, it will be like a fish market, no time to cherry pick. Good luck to all buyers.
    Good analogy!

    Some said it is easy to get married in the sense that you only need to pay few $ to ROM to register your marriage (if you keep your marriage ceremony simple).

    However, it is a heavy price if you want to end your marriage. The 3-year separation marriage, the legal fees, the maintenance fees to your wife, children...

    Similarly, relatively easy to commit to buying a property by signing the dotted line with the minimum downpayment.

    Should one decide to terminate the purchase, one has to pay 20% of the purchase price for ECs!!!

  11. #101
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    Quote Originally Posted by suchard
    Yes, I agree that it is odd and unheard of to offer a gift to applicants of ECs. I think it is true that genuine EC buyers are not interested in the free gift. But you see, it is not the genuine buyers that the developer is targeting with the free gift, it is everyone else. The developer's (unsaid) objective is this: get as many people as possible to apply, even those who are not interested, so this hopefully will jack up the application rate. (Also, they make applicants go and collect the free gift at the site, in order to drive traffic to the show units.) The ultimate goal is to create in genuine buyer's mind that there is a lot of interest in the project.

    I don't remember this free gift was not touted at the very beginning when Ecopolitan was first marketed by agents at MRT stations etc /via flyers. I wonder if it is a sign of desperation - maybe the response to the project was not be as good after initial marketing and they then came up with this idea of a free gift upon E-application submission?

    As to your question about the total number of applicants /genuine applicants, these numbers are difficult to come by. Even if the developer releases the application rate, I won't get much comfort, since I doubt there is serious auditing /independent verification of that number.
    I agree with you.

    The agent may jus tell the public to apply, dun buy nvm still can get free gift. Maybe the agent also got target to meet as in collected how many e-app forms.

    Once with the numbers (more than 1,000 applicants), its easier for the developer to "convince" the public and sell at their desired higher price.
    Buyer who got the q no. may think better buy cos so many ppl buying, how wrong could it be?

    Lush Acres floor plan already out?

    In my view the best EC location was Bishan loft (many years ago). The Tampines Citylight (or citylife?) also very good!

  12. #102
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    Quote Originally Posted by propertybuyer073
    I agree with Suchard that Ecopolitan is more cramped.
    What I did is I really measure the site plan of Ecopolitan and TWF.

    You can download the actual site plan from HDB website under new launches/ Executive Condo.

    Ecopolitan's width is narrower and, to add on, they push some of the blocks 134, 136 and 138 inner (further away from the TPE) so as to give buyers some sense of comfort that it is not so near to the TPE.

    As a result, the distance between the blocks surrounding the main pool might be too close for comfort.

    We are seriously considering whether to e-app Lush Acres or to buy Vue 8 residence.My wife like Lush Acres for various reasons.

    1. It is from CDL. Both QJ and CDL are highly regarded developers. We have visited many show flats (including from CDL and QJ) in the last few years.

    Our main conclusion is EC's quality is generally a notch lower than most private condos.

    Amongst the developers, reputation does matter.

    You may choose to disagree with our observations. However, I would suggest you visit the showflats of some ECs and private condos to verify yourself.

    We have not seen the showflats of Ecopolitan and Lush Acres. Our bet is Lush Acres's quality could be slightly better if CDL maintain the same quality for Lush Acres.

    2. We are very impressed with the Lush Acres's floor plans. Their layout better meet our requirements.

    If you examine closely Ecopolitan Ec's floorplans, their living room is more or less the same (either 3-seater sofa or 3-seater sofa and a dining table , whether is for 3-bedroom or 5 rooms.

    In contrast, Lush Acres comes in more variations and the living room is much more spacious. It can easily fit in 3 + 2 sofa + dining table for 8. This is an important consideration for bigger family or family who likes to enterain.

    3. As I like to swim, the 100m swimming pool is a big bonus. Lush Acres is the 2nd EC after CityLife to have 100m pool,

    4. It is a decision we have to make. Whether you prefer to walk a long time to MRT or a shorter walk to LRT.

    My wife prefer a shorter walk to LRT as she likes to wear high heels and find it not so practical to walk to Punggol MRT on office attire.

    5. As we evaluate Eco and Lush Acres, we are also considering Vue 8.
    We understand that the indicative psf for a 96 sq m 3-bedroom is $850 psf.

    Yes, it may seem higher in Psf than EC but we do not need to commit to 8.5 years (3.5 years construction + 5 years MOP).

    We are also comfortable with the absolute $. Apparently, a 3-bedroom 96 sq m in Vue 8 costs about $870,000.

    We are really cracking which one to commit although some of our colleagues and friends are asking us to hold on in light of the various uncertainities especially the interest rate hike and the risks of supply glut.

    For HDB upgraders, the risks of HDB prices going down (when we sell the HDB upon TOP) is a real concern unless we sell the HDB flats now and rent for the time being.

    Hi propertybuyer073,

    I see your interest in Lush Acres and I do agree CDL is definitely a a developer you can trust.

    Just keen to know if you have been to the site and how was the distance like from Layar or even Kupang LRT to the site?

    I've seen some of the draft floor plans and indeed some layouts are quite unique from the typical EC of recent times. Just wondering which particular layout are you attracted to?

    I'm considering having Lush Acres as our backup plan in the event Eco is too costly or we fail to get our choice units and while location wise it might lose out, if the price is lower, I can probably use the savings to get a car

  13. #103
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    Quote Originally Posted by suchard
    Hi ClearlyDefined,

    I enjoy reading your posting. Agree with you on most points except on two:

    a. Twin Waterfalls (TWF) have over 700 units, but I don't think one can say it is cramped based on this fact alone. One has to take into account its piece of land, which is 280K sq ft, almost 1/3 bigger than Ecopolitan (over 500 units). (And talking about being cramped….Ecopolitan main rectangular pool has only 3 lanes!) Also, TWF is built to 17 stories, while Ecopolitan is built to 16 only. I think the reason for this is that TWF sits on a flatter piece of land, and Ecopolitan doesn't, but both are subject to the same height restriction imposed on both by URA (because of planes flying into the nearby Seletar Airbase).

    b. If a developer bid too high for the land, does it justify charging buyers a high price? In the developer's mind, it would want to, but whether it can or will depends on what's in the buyers' mind. That's where developers with their various claims (many unqualified /unsubstantiated) and tactics (some deceptive) are trying to influence /"condition" the buyer's mind. The higher the price for the land, the more desperate they would get in influencing the buyer's mind.

    Yes, if marketing strategies are just to create awareness, that its o.k., but developers obviously hope to do more than that, as explained above. Some are downright dishonest in marketing their projects. Like in the architectural model, removing entire blocks (say say 3 blocks out of 8) so the project does not look cramped, while claiming that is to allow buyers to see the condo features better. Another trick in the past: inside the show flat, many developers remove walls or glass sliding doors with just markings on the floor to show where these would be, and placing iiving room furniture all the way onto the balcony, so visually the unit seems spacious and /or can accommodate huge furniture pieces.

    You CLEARLY :-) are a knowledgeable and analytical, but not every man in the street is. Some buyers /upgraders are not so experienced and educated, and may not be alert to the tricks developers invariably use. It is these folks that I, and I hope you too may share and alert, so they make more informed decisions.

    I am not disappointed at whatever price Ecopolitan wants to charge - it is the Qinjian's decision. Just that if it is the $750 avg psf agents are claiming, I will not be interested myself, and I will advise my friends /relatives that it is priced too high, and not value for money. Afterall, there are other projects still to be launched (that's why the government is releasing more land to cool down the market), and the private condo market is expected to have an oversupply.

    Hi suchard,

    Thanks for the kind words. I'm probably just like any one of you out there, but I did attempt to do some homework as buying a house is a big thing to me. Just want to weigh all options and see from various perspectives.

    Indeed the price could be lower and trust me, I prayed very hard too. At the end of the day, our preference to be near mrt outweigh all the negative factors and we will have to work around the negative aspects of the project.

    I understand some might think its not exactly near to near but for us, 6,8 or 10 mins isn't too much of a difference and compared to both our current homes where we take about 25mins to walk to Tampines MRT, its definitely a huge improvement.

    However, if too costly, we might still forgo the project and turn our attention to Lush Acres instead

  14. #104
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    Hi Guys,

    Saw alot of useful input here and i am also one of 1000+ e applicants. I have the same concern with you guys which is at the end of the day ,eco maybe priced too costly .

    Definitely lush arc is our back up plan for most of us if we feel that the price is unreasonable.

    Anyway , what sort of psf is considered a good value for you guys ?

    I am looking at the 895 sf unit due to budget constraint. Hence in my opionion 750 psf will be a fair value since 895 is the smallest unit.
    Last edited by huatah; 10-07-13 at 17:14. Reason: error

  15. #105
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    Quote Originally Posted by huatah
    Hi Guys,

    Saw alot of useful input here and i am also one of 1000+ e applicants. I have the same concern with you guys which is at the end of the day ,eco maybe priced too costly .

    Definitely lush arc is our back up plan for most of us if we feel that the price is unreasonable.

    Anyway , what sort of psf is considered a good value for you guys ?

    I am looking at the 895 sf unit due to budget constraint. Hence in my opionion 750 psf will be a fair value since 895 is the smallest unit.
    looks like your budget is below 700k, imo you do not have much choices in the pte condo now. If you see anything in 7XX psf region, just "i c i like i hoot", cannot go wrong one.

  16. #106
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    Quote Originally Posted by dtrax
    looks like your budget is below 700k, imo you do not have much choices in the pte condo now. If you see anything in 7XX psf region, just "i c i like i hoot", cannot go wrong one.

    Yeah that right , dont wish to burden myself with too much debt . But of course if mid 700k can get the 1050psf unit , i will go for it .

    However at end of the day if it is priced at 800psf , i really regret i never get riversails when it was vvip launch.

  17. #107
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    Stay calm and dun look back

  18. #108
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    hahah steady :P can only look forward now

  19. #109
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    Quote Originally Posted by clearlydefined
    Hi propertybuyer073,

    I see your interest in Lush Acres and I do agree CDL is definitely a a developer you can trust.

    Just keen to know if you have been to the site and how was the distance like from Layar or even Kupang LRT to the site?

    I've seen some of the draft floor plans and indeed some layouts are quite unique from the typical EC of recent times. Just wondering which particular layout are you attracted to?

    I'm considering having Lush Acres as our backup plan in the event Eco is too costly or we fail to get our choice units and while location wise it might lose out, if the price is lower, I can probably use the savings to get a car
    Good to see so many more discussions.

    It was reported in CNA that developer QJ will price Ecopolitan at $750 - $800 psf.We should see Ecopolitan price at least $750 psf. I think a more likely figure is $790 psf as QJ has said in CNA that a 1141 sq ft will cost $900,000.

    I have not physically walked from Lush Acres to Kupang LRT (as the BTO is still under construction).

    However, when I went to recee the site at Lush Acres, I guess the time to walk to Kupang LRT (you can see the LRT track if you are at the Lush Acres site), to be 3 - 5 mins.

    An important question now is how much will Lush Acres be priced?
    Some agents priced at as low as $650 psf though an agent which has a very active blog argued that it should be $720 psf - $750 psf, which I find it more reasonable.

  20. #110
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    Quote Originally Posted by clearlydefined
    Hi propertybuyer073,

    I see your interest in Lush Acres and I do agree CDL is definitely a a developer you can trust.

    Just keen to know if you have been to the site and how was the distance like from Layar or even Kupang LRT to the site?

    I've seen some of the draft floor plans and indeed some layouts are quite unique from the typical EC of recent times. Just wondering which particular layout are you attracted to?

    I'm considering having Lush Acres as our backup plan in the event Eco is too costly or we fail to get our choice units and while location wise it might lose out, if the price is lower, I can probably use the savings to get a car
    Aga distance to Lush Acres EC ( in straight line)
    Kupang LRT stn ~ 350m
    Seletar mall ~ 600m
    SK sports complex ~ 900m
    Layar LRT stn ~ 350m

    Almost all within 5min walking distance but must carry umbrella.

  21. #111
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    Default Pricing of Ecopolitan

    Quote Originally Posted by huatah
    Yeah that right , dont wish to burden myself with too much debt . But of course if mid 700k can get the 1050psf unit , i will go for it .

    However at end of the day if it is priced at 800psf , i really regret i never get riversails when it was vvip launch.
    yes, one shouldn't incur too much debt. There is a lot to be said about having financial freedom. If the EC pricing is too high, just settle for something else like EC first while you build up your savings. Also, given the cooling measures by the government to engineer a soft landing, and oversupply in the private condo markets, prices would probably come down.

    Buyers should take significant note that Ecopolitan is right by the noisy TPE and is further away from MRT. In my view, an AVERAGE price only ~ $700 psf is worth considering.

  22. #112
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    Default Ecopolitan Application Rate is really not that good….

    Quote Originally Posted by chan600
    I agree with you.

    The agent may jus tell the public to apply, dun buy nvm still can get free gift. Maybe the agent also got target to meet as in collected how many e-app forms.

    Once with the numbers (more than 1,000 applicants), its easier for the developer to "convince" the public and sell at their desired higher price.
    Buyer who got the q no. may think better buy cos so many ppl buying, how wrong could it be?

    Lush Acres floor plan already out?

    In my view the best EC location was Bishan loft (many years ago). The Tampines Citylight (or citylife?) also very good!
    All these application numbers are touted to hype up the market.

    1st, not sure how reliable this number is. Over a 1,000 is such an vague number. The application period is already closed, why are they not able to specify the exact number? I suspect then that it must be just over 1,000, like 1,002? Also, don't know who audit or verify the number.

    2nd, considering that they have to offer free gift to entice application, a 1,000 applications number is not that good. Most other EC launches have application rates that are about 2 x. Ecopolitan is barely 2 x, since with 512 units available for sale, they have to have 1,024 applications. I doubt they reach that number. (I personally have less faith in the integrity of Chinese companies' - IN GENERAL they don't hesitate to fudge numbers. Also, they can be unscrupulous - remember the way they put harmful ingredient in milk powder?)

    3rd, the number of applicants who actually turn up to book a unit will be far lower, based on recent launches. Less than 1/2 turn up and probably less 1/2 will end up booking a unit, considering blocks facing TPEs are not preferred.

  23. #113
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    Default Ecopolitan near TPE is really noisy

    Quote Originally Posted by eng81157
    wah piang, the location is super lousy and there are still buyers??!!!
    Yes, agree with you that buyers really need to verify if they can withstand the noise (and pollution). It is much much louder than SLP agents and developer Qinjian want to admit.

    Of course, if the price is low enough and reflects the negative aspects of this development, there will be some buyers.

  24. #114
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    Quote Originally Posted by suchard
    All these application numbers are touted to hype up the market.

    1st, not sure how reliable this number is. Over a 1,000 is such an vague number. The application period is already closed, why are they not able to specify the exact number? I suspect then that it must be just over 1,000, like 1,002? Also, don't know who audit or verify the number.

    2nd, considering that they have to offer free gift to entice application, a 1,000 applications number is not that good. Most other EC launches have application rates that are about 2 x. Ecopolitan is barely 2 x, since with 512 units available for sale, they have to have 1,024 applications. I doubt they reach that number. (I personally have less faith in the integrity of Chinese companies' - IN GENERAL they don't hesitate to fudge numbers. Also, they can be unscrupulous - remember the way they put harmful ingredient in milk powder?)

    3rd, the number of applicants who actually turn up to book a unit will be far lower, based on recent launches. Less than 1/2 turn up and probably less 1/2 will end up booking a unit, considering blocks facing TPEs are not preferred.

    I agreed with Suchard that the application rate is rather disappointing.

    This is because:

    1. ECs like City Life EC, Heron Bay EC has about 1,700 applications each. Even Heron Bay which is in more ulu place can has 1,700 applications.

    2. We should expect more pent-up demand considering that there are only 2 EC launchs in the first half of this year. One is Twin Fountains and the re-launched Forestville. Twin Fountains attracted almost 1,000 applications considering that both are in woodlands and both ECs are just next to each other (i.e. applications spread out between Twin Fountains and Forestville).

    3. QJ advertised very heavily for Ecopolitan EC. If we examine just the Straits Times, they took out a 2-page advertisement on the first Sat e-app. They followed up with a whole-page advert for 4 more times (Sun, Fri, Sat, Sun). How much is spent in the ads in Straits Times alone (excluding other papers and medium)... and yet only slightly more than 1,000 applied.

    4. They gave out free pot worth $60+ to each e-application. We may not fall in this group but there will be some who might be tempted to e-app for the free gift.

    5. The attrition rate is very high for EC. If we look at just the Watercolours EC which is co-developed by GPS. More than 800 e-applied. Eventually, only more than 200 booked the units. It took them about 1 year to sell all the units.

    6. The negative factors of Ecopolitan site could be explained that only 3 companies bidded for the site and QJ won at a low land cost of $310 psf.

  25. #115
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    Noise issue is not new and can be associated with many recent launches eg Urban Vista, J Gateway etc

    Yet these launches have sold pretty well..in J Gateway's case, in one day.

    Hopefully, the developer will price Ecopolitan reasonably so that applicants can get their dream homes.

  26. #116
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    (1) J Gateway's sales is 'noise' proof Think quite a number of buyers there are investors so they don't care as much for the MRT noise as those who buy for own stay.

    Those who rent the units there would probably place more importance on convenience than on the MRT noise - they just have to bear / put up with the noise.

    (2) Think only about 30% to 40% of the Ecopolitan units will be booked out of those who applied. Won't be surprised if the developer has to come up with more promotional offers in future to sell the remaining units.

  27. #117
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    Quote Originally Posted by rymccondo77
    (1) J Gateway's sales is 'noise' proof Think quite a number of buyers there are investors so they don't care as much for the MRT noise as those who buy for own stay.

    Those who rent the units there would probably place more importance on convenience than on the MRT noise - they just have to bear / put up with the noise.

    (2) Think only about 30% to 40% of the Ecopolitan units will be booked out of those who applied. Won't be surprised if the developer has to come up with more promotional offers in future to sell the remaining units.
    I agreed with Rymcondo77.

    There is a big difference when buying for investment vs for stay.

    For investment purpose, I don't have to crack so hard as my priority is to rent out the unit. My main priority is yield (and how easy to rent out). This may partly explain why many pte condos devote a significant % to smaller-sized units like 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom. Even the 3-bedroom are quite small, some as small as 80 sq m.

    For ECs, I have to be very careful because:

    1. Must ensure we continue to meet the family requirement. If you read today's headline in Straits Times, we have about 27,000 new marriages. But we also have about 7,000 divorces. In other words, about 1/4 of every new marriage may breakup eventually. It is quite common nowadays to have friends/ colleagues who are separated/ divorcee.

    2. Relating to the first point, the penalty is significant - 20% of the purchase price i.e. S$200,000 (for a S$1 million EC) cash in the unfortunate event like separation, divorce etc

    3. If you observe all the past EC sales, the bigger units tend to sell out first while the smaller units like the 2-bedrooms are the hardest to move. You can see good examples in Topiary EC, Watercolours EC, to name a few. Reasons is simple - EC is for home stay.

    4. In the case of Ecopolitan EC, QJ has allocated most of the unit mix to bigger units. There is no 2-bedroom to begin with.

    There are only limited smaller 3 bed-room units. Most of the units are at least 3-bedroom co-space of 1,213 sq ft. Based on $770 psf, this is at least from S$934,000. A higher floor 3-bedroom co-space will be at least S$1 million.

    Most of the good facing units are 4 and 5 bedroom co-space of at least S$1 million .To me, co-space is nothing new. In fact, QJ managed to save some $ from building the wall, door etc.

    The target group is evident. They are the HDB upgraders thinking they can continue to sell the HDB flats at the same/ higher price 3 years later.


    In finance/ investing term, this is very risky as the HDB upgraders may end up buying high (the EC now unless it is priced realistically and selling low the HDB flats when the bumper supply of HDB flats come on stream from 2015.
    Last edited by propertybuyer073; 11-07-13 at 21:40.

  28. #118
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    Too bad the property bubble is still growing and there are no signs of slowing down .

    For me, personally i buying it is for own stay and most likely i wont be having kids or at most 1 kid .Hence size is not that critical but i need at least a 3 br .

    I do agree QJ has spend quite alot on marketing and not too sure if 1000 e app to them is considered good response.

    BTW what are the odds that left over units are priced lower then the initial ballot ? I remember even 1 canberra take very long time to sell , they never lower the price.

  29. #119
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    They only allocate 30% to 2nd timer, 1st timer make up the majority.
    Many 1st timer will need to take up such a huge loan, grant by HDB doesn't looks that appealing to me.
    Without 2 bedded it will put off 1st timer, J gateway is playing with quantum game, if you look at the price n disregard their Psf.
    Sometime u need to look into PC market in order to catch what's agent n market driving at. Read up Estuary thread on how they counter the road noise n just to get a feel of it.

  30. #120
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    Quote Originally Posted by huatah
    BTW what are the odds that left over units are priced lower then the initial ballot ? I remember even 1 canberra take very long time to sell , they never lower the price.
    Never happen for EC.

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