Sell HDB or Keep?

[hopeful]

Think Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam can only shake head at comments & attitude here.....
So easily satisfied and no risk taker, 3 condos happy already meh?

http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2010/10...lence-tharman/
Singaporeans should strive for excellence: Tharman
Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam has urged Singaporeans to strive for excellence instead of just being competent.
Speaking to an audience that included entrepreneurs, staff and 80 student leaders from Hwa Chong Institution (HCI) on Wednesday, Mr Tharman said Singaporeans are satisfied with being competent at what they do, with few striving to be exceptional.
This, he said, is a challenge that the country will need to overcome.
The Straits Times quoted Mr Tharman as saying, “We are always in danger in Singapore of mistaking excellence for competence. Most people in Singapore are happy to be competent, above average than exceptional.”
He also said that there are “not that many people in Singapore who really want to be extremely good at what they are doing”.
Today newspaper also reported him as saying, “I half suspect that once we get to 75 per cent of that level — which is quite good — you think that’s good enough, you’re already better than the rest in Singapore.”
“And that urge to want go much farther and to be exceptional — not because someone is looking or you are trying to win a competition, but you just want to be exceptional — that urge isn’t there in Singapore,” he added.
The Minister also said such attitude may result in Singaporeans losing out to those who survive in countries plagued by problems such as poverty and corruption.
.............

[august]

Think Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam can only shake head at comments & attitude here.....
So easily satisfied and no risk taker, 3 condos happy already meh?

http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2010/10...lence-tharman/
Singaporeans should strive for excellence: Tharman
Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam has urged Singaporeans to strive for excellence instead of just being competent.
Speaking to an audience that included entrepreneurs, staff and 80 student leaders from Hwa Chong Institution (HCI) on Wednesday, Mr Tharman said Singaporeans are satisfied with being competent at what they do, with few striving to be exceptional.
This, he said, is a challenge that the country will need to overcome.
The Straits Times quoted Mr Tharman as saying, “We are always in danger in Singapore of mistaking excellence for competence. Most people in Singapore are happy to be competent, above average than exceptional.”
He also said that there are “not that many people in Singapore who really want to be extremely good at what they are doing”.
Today newspaper also reported him as saying, “I half suspect that once we get to 75 per cent of that level — which is quite good — you think that’s good enough, you’re already better than the rest in Singapore.”
“And that urge to want go much farther and to be exceptional — not because someone is looking or you are trying to win a competition, but you just want to be exceptional — that urge isn’t there in Singapore,” he added.
The Minister also said such attitude may result in Singaporeans losing out to those who survive in countries plagued by problems such as poverty and corruption.
.............

haha i wonder the minister owns how many condos.. or bungalows?

[Lord Anus]

hey you! must strive for excellence ar! not just competence ok!

i find it damn weird that ministers find it necessary to bang on and on with this kind of message to citizens. we are still a naggy nanny state, i guess.

did mark zuckerberg have gw bush banging this into his head? did bill gates? steve jobs?

ps: obama's yes we can comes close but it was more of an uplifting speech to a downtrodden and distraught mass... singapore govt's message is an incessant nagging that i find terribly irritating...

Think Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam can only shake head at comments & attitude here.....
So easily satisfied and no risk taker, 3 condos happy already meh?

http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2010/10...lence-tharman/
Singaporeans should strive for excellence: Tharman
Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam has urged Singaporeans to strive for excellence instead of just being competent.
Speaking to an audience that included entrepreneurs, staff and 80 student leaders from Hwa Chong Institution (HCI) on Wednesday, Mr Tharman said Singaporeans are satisfied with being competent at what they do, with few striving to be exceptional.
This, he said, is a challenge that the country will need to overcome.
The Straits Times quoted Mr Tharman as saying, “We are always in danger in Singapore of mistaking excellence for competence. Most people in Singapore are happy to be competent, above average than exceptional.”
He also said that there are “not that many people in Singapore who really want to be extremely good at what they are doing”.
Today newspaper also reported him as saying, “I half suspect that once we get to 75 per cent of that level — which is quite good — you think that’s good enough, you’re already better than the rest in Singapore.”
“And that urge to want go much farther and to be exceptional — not because someone is looking or you are trying to win a competition, but you just want to be exceptional — that urge isn’t there in Singapore,” he added.
The Minister also said such attitude may result in Singaporeans losing out to those who survive in countries plagued by problems such as poverty and corruption.
.............

[mcmlxxvi]

wow

your nose must be damn big

Quite la quite la hahaha....

[Wild Falcon]

Have you considered other good affiliated schools that are in less "expensive" location? For Girl's school - MGS (nearer Upper Bukit Timah) and St Nicks (Ang Moh Kio). Boy's school - Catholic High etc. Then you may be able to afford both. All my friends from those schools turn out well, as in not "pia kia" type. I know of someone rented a place an old condo near MGS for only like $3k per month and manage to get her daughter into that school. It is a very good school that will provide a holistic well-rounded education. NYPS is not the only good school around.... You may want to widen your search....

Ok just a little update on my insignificant struggle for a condo while the pros continue the discussion....

I just visited Duchess Crest and decided that it's not my cup of tea. So It's really down to 2 options now instead of 3. Where I am today I simply cannot afford getting a 1.5m place and still hold the HDB, so it's either selling the HDB for the place with some extra cash left, or holding on to the HDB and not make any purchase at all and just wait and accumulate more cash, with the hope that prices will dip a little and I can meet the unit I want halfway...

I'm tempted to sell the HDB and just get on with it with advice from gfoo.... but since this is my first attempt at property investment, I'm more cautious about doing the right thing...

What are the general sentiment on property prices dipping in the next 2 years? Sorry if I'm asking too many questions!

[proud owner]

Quite la quite la hahaha....

happy for you


you know what they say about men with big nose right ??

[proud owner]

has anyone got the full report ??????????



i just got this from a friend in spore :

SINGAPORE) The worst- kept secret in the property market is out in the open. Not only are developers less upbeat about the future but a third of them actually expect prices of new homes to decline. And market performance for the suburban residential sector may be the worst hit.

[Wild Falcon]

Read TODAY. Pls note this is just a survey from DEVELOPERS like Wing Tai and they have been saying the same thing about luxury units will fly and mass market will crash for like ages Luxury now equals to units less than 500 sq ft like Suites @ orchard and Robinson Suites and Spottiswood. The smaller the unit - the more luxurious it is in Singapore context.

has anyone got the full report ??????????



i just got this from a friend in spore :

SINGAPORE) The worst- kept secret in the property market is out in the open. Not only are developers less upbeat about the future but a third of them actually expect prices of new homes to decline. And market performance for the suburban residential sector may be the worst hit.

[mcmlxxvi]

PROPERTYGURU - Saturday, October 30

Property developers are less upbeat of the future, with nearly 34 percent of them expecting a decline in new home prices, according to the latest readings of Real Estate Sentiment Index (RESI).Following the cooling measures announced on August 30, a third of developers polled for the third quarter expect less than 10 percent decline in prices for new residential launches over the next six months. None of the developers polled in the previous two quarters had expected price declines.Only 44 percent of respondents expect more launches of new residential units over the next six months, down from 68 percent in Q2.The sentiment indices slid below the significant mark of 5 in Q3, suggesting that respondents were less optimistic in the quarter and expect to see more uncertain market conditions over the next half year.Polled on the future performance of the suburban residential sector, the net balance in Q3 stood at -43 percent. This means that most respondents expect a worse performance over the sector in the next six months. The net balance in Q2 hit +27 percent, suggesting better future performance.“The strong historical price growth in the sector is not likely to be sustained moving forward. Downward adjustment to the price growth, if it occurs in the next few months, will ease some pressure on the affordability level of mass-market residential properties in suburban areas,” said Associate Professor Sing Tien Foo of NUS.While the net balance for the prime residential sector’s future performance is still positive, it has been seeing significant decline, from 54 percent in Q1 to +32 percent in Q2 and +3 percent in Q3.Around 70 percent of the respondents believe the government could further intervene to cool the property market.They also cited several other factors that could affect sentiment over the next six months, including a slowdown in the global economy, an increase in the supply of development land, too many new property launches, rising interest rates and tightening financing/liquidity in the debt market.About 84 percent of respondents expect a further increase in the supply of development land over the next six months, while 90 percent expect that the government will further ramp up the supply of BTO flats, DBSS flats and EC units.About 76 percent and 64 percent expect that the recent property cooling measures will significantly affect the HDB resale and mass private housing market segments, respectively, over the next six months.

[mcmlxxvi]

happy for you


you know what they say about men with big nose right ??

Yesh keke for the compliments i give you the full writeup below... I mean above... Kaka

[maisonjai]

den after GE, can open the PR floodgate again

u saw WKS new post/division created? Take a deep breathe.

[Nestor]

Have you considered other good affiliated schools that are in less "expensive" location? For Girl's school - MGS (nearer Upper Bukit Timah) and St Nicks (Ang Moh Kio). Boy's school - Catholic High etc. Then you may be able to afford both. All my friends from those schools turn out well, as in not "pia kia" type. I know of someone rented a place an old condo near MGS for only like $3k per month and manage to get her daughter into that school. It is a very good school that will provide a holistic well-rounded education. NYPS is not the only good school around.... You may want to widen your search....

Yup I'm considering some other schools as well and is trying to educate myself, thanks to the chaps in this forum, in property investment. Actually I will very much want to use what I have, which is not much, for investment but for now the kid's welfare and future will have to come first.

Whatever that I'm going to buy, I hope it appreciates in value... I'm looking at buying Shelford Regency, really old but affordable for me with a good size... Any warnings before I sink my hardearn money in?

[rattydrama]

sign of prosperity.
http://www.illinoisphoto.com/main/v/...+nose.jpg.html

happy for you


you know what they say about men with big nose right ??

[Lord Anus]

Yup I'm considering some other schools as well and is trying to educate myself, thanks to the chaps in this forum, in property investment. Actually I will very much want to use what I have, which is not much, for investment but for now the kid's welfare and future will have to come first.

Whatever that I'm going to buy, I hope it appreciates in value... I'm looking at buying Shelford Regency, really old but affordable for me with a good size... Any warnings before I sink my hardearn money in?

shelford regency looks cheap now ($1200psf) compared to other condos in the same area and category. but look at the historical price of shelford regency and you will find that if u pay $1,200psf you are setting the price record for that condo!

but for what it is, it is pretty good value for money especially in this current market. i would buy it if i were aiming for elite schools in that region, coupled with that nice district address.

don't listen to wild falcon and his other so-called "good" schools crap. if you have lived and worked in singapore long enough, you will know that coming from an elite academic pedigree is everything. nothing less than the best will suffice, in order to make it.

look at our doctors, lawyers, politicians, etc... and find out what schools the majority came from. Also bear in mind NUS law and medical faculties are highly selective and undergrads come only from a select 2 or 3 schools. those who say schools dun matter, and only academic results do, are deluded because people forget that selection into law and med faculty are highly based on interviews and "other factors" as well. school pedigree? you bet!

what about investment banks? they also only take in the top grade graduates and where your child spends his/her early academic life has a great impact on his future aspirations and ambitions, besides his academic grades and college/university he graduates from.

[Wild Falcon]

Lord Anus, I gather you're from NYPS and all laywers and doctors are from NYPS issit? We're just suggesting there're other good schools around like MGS - and by the way LKY's wife who was a lawyer was from MGS. How can anyone have such a shallow definition of success as only "doctors", "lawyers" and politicians and only from NYPS? Goodness me! It is no wonder nowadays, the children lack creativity. Because every parent want their child to be doctors, lawyers and politician regardless of their natural inclination and interest.

And I'm pedigree all the way because I have very kiasu parents - the type who makes sure u learn piano, go to good schools, force you to wear braces and straighten your teeth before you grow up. I just think there are numerous good schools with strong affiliation - and NYPS is NOT the only one and possibly widening the scope to include other good schools. It worries me to see parents like Lord Anus having such a myopic view of success. Success = happiness and parents should just strive to allow their children to discover their own happiness and not necessarily becoming a lawyer!

And trust me, if your child is stupid, no amount of good PRIMARY school will get him anywhere. And if he is clever, he will still do well during his PSLE to get into RI which does NOT take afffiliation, i.e. real meritocracy.

Yes, most of the politicians are from RI right? But try tracing back to their primary schools and you would be surprised some fairly obscure names surface.

I pity your child.

[francophile]

Lord Anus, I gather you're from NYPS and all laywers and doctors are from NYPS issit? We're just suggesting there're other good schools around like MGS - and by the way LKY's wife who was a lawyer was from MGS. How can anyone have such a shallow definition of success as only "doctors", "lawyers" and politicians and only from NYPS? Goodness me! It is no wonder nowadays, the children lack creativity. Because every parent want their child to be doctors, lawyers and politician regardless of their natural inclination and interest.

And I'm pedigree all the way because I have very kiasu parents - the type who makes sure u learn piano, go to good schools, force you to wear braces and straighten your teeth before you grow up. I just think there are numerous good schools with strong affiliation - and NYPS is NOT the only one and possibly widening the scope to include other good schools. It worries me to see parents like Lord Anus having such a myopic view of success. Success = happiness and parents should just strive to allow their children to discover their own happiness and not necessarily becoming a lawyer!

And trust me, if your child is stupid, no amount of good PRIMARY school will get him anywhere. And if he is clever, he will still do well during his PSLE to get into RI which does NOT take afffiliation, i.e. real meritocracy.

Yes, most of the politicians are from RI right? But try tracing back to their primary schools and you would be surprised some fairly obscure names surface.

I pity your child.

you took the words out of my mouth .I couldn't agree more

[devilplate]

success is not just the schools u attended and watever shyty cert u got....given me a choice again, i will nvr gona spend 3 silly yrs for a useless toilet paper degree again

[gfoo]

i agree, RI is a crap school.

[Wild Falcon]

Your degree is not useless. I'm sure it has somewhat " moulded" you to become one of the most prolific property investor in condosingapore.com forum.

School days are still the best days of my life - so if one can extend the schooling years resulting in a prolonged adolescence, why not?

I always tell my niece, don't grow up so fast....Adulthood is not so fun. But looks like nowadays, childhood also not fun

success is not just the schools u attended and watever shyty cert u got....given me a choice again, i will nvr gona spend 3 silly yrs for a useless toilet paper degree again

[devilplate]

Your degree is not useless. I'm sure it has somewhat " moulded" you to become one of the most prolific property investor in condosingapore.com forum.

School days are still the best days of my life - so if one can extend the schooling years resulting in a prolonged adolescence, why not?

I always tell my niece, don't grow up so fast....Adulthood is not so fun. But looks like nowadays, childhood also not fun

i only say 3yrs degree is useless...pri, sec, jc/poly still beneficial(basic knowledge)

only pri sch days r fun...totally nvr study one...even during PSLE exam period...haha...carefree

it seems like kids today dun hf time to enjoy during pri sch days hor...piano, tuition, etc...wah piang...lol

[Lord Anus]

i agree, RI is a crap school.

well **** you, you ACS son of a bitch

[Lord Anus]

haha, you sound like a true loser in life

let me reiterate, in case you didn't get it the first time round:

i will settle for nothing but the best for my kids (if i have kids one day)

why do you teach your kids to accept second best? what a loser!

Lord Anus, I gather you're from NYPS and all laywers and doctors are from NYPS issit? We're just suggesting there're other good schools around like MGS - and by the way LKY's wife who was a lawyer was from MGS. How can anyone have such a shallow definition of success as only "doctors", "lawyers" and politicians and only from NYPS? Goodness me! It is no wonder nowadays, the children lack creativity. Because every parent want their child to be doctors, lawyers and politician regardless of their natural inclination and interest.

And I'm pedigree all the way because I have very kiasu parents - the type who makes sure u learn piano, go to good schools, force you to wear braces and straighten your teeth before you grow up. I just think there are numerous good schools with strong affiliation - and NYPS is NOT the only one and possibly widening the scope to include other good schools. It worries me to see parents like Lord Anus having such a myopic view of success. Success = happiness and parents should just strive to allow their children to discover their own happiness and not necessarily becoming a lawyer!

And trust me, if your child is stupid, no amount of good PRIMARY school will get him anywhere. And if he is clever, he will still do well during his PSLE to get into RI which does NOT take afffiliation, i.e. real meritocracy.

Yes, most of the politicians are from RI right? But try tracing back to their primary schools and you would be surprised some fairly obscure names surface.

I pity your child.

[devilplate]

Smtimes study too much== slave to coy

[Lord Anus]

MGS girls typically grow up to be housewives and SAHMs.

the luckier and smarter of these MGS girls marry richer men and become tai tais and society belles.

great ambitions you have for your daughter, wild falcon.

i personally know many of these MGS girls and have bedded quite a few as well. thank goodness i have never gotten any pregnant otherwise i'd now be tied down to a fat, vain, utterly useless spendthrift and parasite who sits at home all day watching tv and screaming at the maid.

good luck to your future son in law. he'll need it.

[august]

ACS vs RI cat fight !!!

[Nestor]

Wow.. Erm let's not get into the interschool debate here.. MGS, ACS, RI or NYPS are all excellent schools with rich school culture. I personally came from a Neighbourhood school but almost all my friends came from the better schools such as above, so there is a distinctive difference as far as I can tell.

I operate on the perception that it is the parent's responsibility to open doors for their children, and it's up to the child to decide what they want to do with it. So even if I broke my back, got my daughter into NYPS, and she decided that she wants to be a musician or anything that doesn't require academic excellence (nothing against musicians), that's perfectly fine with me. All I am concerned with is opening the doors at the right time for her.

But that's a little off topic haha... Sounds like content for singaporemotherhood.com

[mcmlxxvi]

Wow.. Erm let's not get into the interschool debate here.. MGS, ACS, RI or NYPS are all excellent schools with rich school culture. I personally came from a Neighbourhood school but almost all my friends came from the better schools such as above, so there is a distinctive difference as far as I can tell.

I operate on the perception that it is the parent's responsibility to open doors for their children, and it's up to the child to decide what they want to do with it. So even if I broke my back, got my daughter into NYPS, and she decided that she wants to be a musician or anything that doesn't require academic excellence (nothing against musicians), that's perfectly fine with me. All I am concerned with is opening the doors at the right time for her.

But that's a little off topic haha... Sounds like content for singaporemotherhood.com

Saying being Musician dont need academic excellence is just asking to be flamed. Musicians dont have to be band keyboardist - they may be world renowned pianist. Not to say one is better than the other but the latter requires years of hard work and schooling.

[mcmlxxvi]

you took the words out of my mouth .I couldn't agree more

Now I know why that arse went around to other threads venting on others for nothing. What a loser.

[devilplate]

Now I know why that arse went around to other threads venting on others for nothing. What a loser.

Lose moolah in casino perhaps....

[gfoo]

But that's a little off topic haha... Sounds like content for singaporemotherhood.com

i think it's very pertinent esp for this forum - some here buy property for investment or collection, and many here base decisions on familial needs.

the members of this forum, whether owners or aspirants, are already better off than most of singaporean society - they do not need to worry about the basic necessities of living. some are nouveau, crossing various milestones as they grow up - and some of these have crossed precariously so as to buy the 'storyline' of better living and lifestyles. such aspirants will find this forum useful as sometimes the line is so thin, that when a wrong step is taken, mr. market hurls them right back to the starting line.

we all should work for the best possible happiness and bliss for the family and next generation - as we all can't take it to the grave in diamond encrusted, gold gilded tombs.

hence my question: isn't it better to stay in a HDB, extremely well appointed and comfortable, with a huge buffer to ensure complete continuity of a better than average lifestyle for the family; or to aspire to a condo with just acceptable appointments and the loss of buffer - so that one can boast a non public housing address during chinese new year?

visiting so many open houses and resale units, i am troubled. The more i venture into mass market and lower psfs, the more shambled, bare, and lackadaisical the sellers' living arrangements become. there are many not like a lot of you who buy with an intention to renovate and furnish swee swee. juxtapose this with the fact that almost 80% of mass market buyers are locals and almost all of them upgraders - things start to get worrisome.

sans neighbours, sometimes it is more respectable to stay in a well appointed HDB in a nice locality.