Upgrading to landed?

[seeksadvice]

Hi this is my first posting. Not quite sure if this question has been asked before?

I am currently living in a surburbia condo & hoping to sell it (fully paid) for a mil, top up with another hard-earned million, take a loan of $2m, to upgrade to a landed property.

It will mean i have to scrimp & save for at least 25 years to fully pay off a house in D15 - going for a cool $4m.

At the rate property prices are going, my palms get sweaty just thinking about it. Yet, a piece of advice that keeps reverberating in my head says to take the plunge, as landed supply can only decrease. And at these prices, some owners are prepared to let go & u can finally find something u really like, instead of settlng on smallish inter- terraces (looking at semi-d).

Is this sound advice? Someone else said i could buy a 2-3mil condo of 1,500-1,800sf in d10,11,15 for self stay while retaining my current condo. I get rental income & don't overstretch myself.

Who is right?

At this point, u might say "depends on your objective & holding power".

I think these are my objectives ( from most to least important):

1. Wealth maximisation....tend to believe in capital appreciation then rental. Hv heard plenty of horror stories from landlords. Also expat frens tell me they are spoilt for choices when they come to spore except agents always try to push D10

2. Maintenance costs & fuss...hv nvr lived in landed before but heard of roof leaks, pipes leaks, lack of carpark space, pests etc.

3. Space...living with parents, maid, wife & teen daughter....getting a bit crowded

4. Amenities & transport...D15 ...katong area seems quite promising even though mrt is a bit far to walk. In fact, quite the opposite, i hope eastern region line won't mean SERs for the house i am looking at.

If u are reading this, pl take a minute to respond:
1. Do u aspire towards landed ultimately?
2. Do u think landed over a 10 yr timeframe will yield better returns than the 2nd strategy above - buy bigger condo & rent out existing one?
3. Do u think spore govt will ever allow foreigners to buy landed, outside sentosa?

Thanks.





fears ....property correction, nightmare tenants, landed maintenance, etc.

[Allthepies]

If u r comfortable with ur current unit and want to maximise returns, I would not sell off current condo and dump everything into a landed. In doing so, u still end up with a single property, more debts, and have to shrimp and save for next 25 years. When u only have a single property for staying, it is really not an investment but more of a liability.

Try buying a 1 mil suburb condo with good rental yield. U only need to put in 250k and u still have 750k. If the market really goes down, ur 750k can be used to buy another one. Tat wat I do to maximize returns.

[sgkingkong]

Agree with Allthepies. Having just one property is not an investment. Rather, it's just for personal consumption. Even if the price goes north, it's just paper gain.

For 4M, I prefer to go for 2 or more cheaper units.

[Regulators]

if you question the possibility of either living in a condo or a landed due to financial issues, then you are not ready to buy a landed.

Hi this is my first posting. Not quite sure if this question has been asked before?

I am currently living in a surburbia condo & hoping to sell it (fully paid) for a mil, top up with another hard-earned million, take a loan of $2m, to upgrade to a landed property.

It will mean i have to scrimp & save for at least 25 years to fully pay off a house in D15 - going for a cool $4m.

At the rate property prices are going, my palms get sweaty just thinking about it. Yet, a piece of advice that keeps reverberating in my head says to take the plunge, as landed supply can only decrease. And at these prices, some owners are prepared to let go & u can finally find something u really like, instead of settlng on smallish inter- terraces (looking at semi-d).

Is this sound advice? Someone else said i could buy a 2-3mil condo of 1,500-1,800sf in d10,11,15 for self stay while retaining my current condo. I get rental income & don't overstretch myself.

Who is right?

At this point, u might say "depends on your objective & holding power".

I think these are my objectives ( from most to least important):

1. Wealth maximisation....tend to believe in capital appreciation then rental. Hv heard plenty of horror stories from landlords. Also expat frens tell me they are spoilt for choices when they come to spore except agents always try to push D10

2. Maintenance costs & fuss...hv nvr lived in landed before but heard of roof leaks, pipes leaks, lack of carpark space, pests etc.

3. Space...living with parents, maid, wife & teen daughter....getting a bit crowded

4. Amenities & transport...D15 ...katong area seems quite promising even though mrt is a bit far to walk. In fact, quite the opposite, i hope eastern region line won't mean SERs for the house i am looking at.

If u are reading this, pl take a minute to respond:
1. Do u aspire towards landed ultimately?
2. Do u think landed over a 10 yr timeframe will yield better returns than the 2nd strategy above - buy bigger condo & rent out existing one?
3. Do u think spore govt will ever allow foreigners to buy landed, outside sentosa?

Thanks.





fears ....property correction, nightmare tenants, landed maintenance, etc.

[CondoWE]

if you question the possibility of either living in a condo or a landed due to financial issues, then you are not ready to buy a landed.

Well said !

[mantrix]

I never really thought of landed as a higher form of private housing (GCBs excluded)

Too many cons which i personally opine against (no sour grapes here)

You can have a landed terrace in Jurong West, or a condo in Dhoby Ghaut - it's very debatable which one is more 'atas'

At the end of the day like what Regulators said if you need to sweat over such a purchase then you are not ready at all. Dun do it for the sake of prestige or face, do it because you really like it and can well afford it.

[yowetan]

It is good to stay with parents and in-laws if possible.

I fully support the idea of staying landed and having all families members to be under one roof.

[proper-t]

People I know who have gone down the landed route usually do so as a result of one or both KEY factors as outlined below :

1. They need more space for their family

2. They are of the opinion that capital appreciation prospects for landed are better than other property types.

Of course, a lot of people will dispute over pt 2 and have their own views which is why you will have to do your own research/analysis and make your own informed decision. If you have read an article last weekend about an old couple who bought 2 landed based on their needs (without really thinking about capital appreciation) and are now multimillionaires, that perhaps is the attitude you should adopt going into landed.

As mentioned by some forumers here, buying a single property for stay does not make it an investment property since you will not be reaping recurring income from it. Some however hold the view that it is one of the best options to hold long term even as a single property - first to accomodate your growing family and then selling it off at a pretty gain to downgrade when you retire and your kids have moved out.

Therein lies the core difference - Because an ageing landed property (except for 99yr LH ones) is very different from an ageing apt/condo. Excluding cluster housing, the inherent value of a FH/999 landed is still in the land. Even though the landed structure may deteriorate a lot, potential buyers place a lot more emphasis on your land plot rather than the structure. Also you will have complete flexibility (by pumping in some money) to improve the structure by doing A&A or reconstruction if the profit gained from the improvement outstrips the cost. This is never possible with an ageing condo/apt unless you have full control over the MC and your condo coffers are healthy.

Now to addess your other points.

Maintenance cost - To me, its more or less that same, the savings from not paying monthly condo fees will be negated from the maintenance cost of a house. A lot depends on the condition of the house you are buying. If it comes down to the crunch and you really want my opinion, you will save more if you buy a newly constructed house vs a newly constructed cond/apt and it is not difficult to understand why since you start paying condo maintenance once you take possession

Amenities/tpt - this depends a lot on locale and whether you want bragging rights for a more prestigious district vs proximity to amenities.
If you look at our transport master plan, I think most parts of SG will be very connected by 2020. A lot of estates will boast walking distance to stations etc.

I do not think that the govt will change the foreigner ruling (there was a statment by the minister in the press not so long ago) However, with the govt push towards more new citizens (especially higher earners/professional), my gut feel is that the pool of landed buyers who aspire for landed housing will grow.

[gn108]

Good post bro ...

As for me and some of my childhood friends, we grew up in landed. Not that all of us can't afford it but not one of us stay in landed eventhough we have a stake/inherited the childhood home. All stay in condo coz we know.

A few that came from HDB and made good, bought landed.
As with all things, realise it's good and bad.

From an investment viewpoint, landed is has lower variance (beta) over condo. But you consume it, as others have pointed out.

From a 'you only have one life' standpoint, basically do what makes you/family happy within your means, wants and goals.

People I know who have gone down the landed route usually do so as a result of one or both KEY factors as outlined below :

1. They need more space for their family

2. They are of the opinion that capital appreciation prospects for landed are better than other property types.

Of course, a lot of people will dispute over pt 2 and have their own views which is why you will have to do your own research/analysis and make your own informed decision. If you have read an article last weekend about an old couple who bought 2 landed based on their needs (without really thinking about capital appreciation) and are now multimillionaires, that perhaps is the attitude you should adopt going into landed.

As mentioned by some forumers here, buying a single property for stay does not make it an investment property since you will not be reaping recurring income from it. Some however hold the view that it is one of the best options to hold long term even as a single property - first to accomodate your growing family and then selling it off at a pretty gain to downgrade when you retire and your kids have moved out.

Therein lies the core difference - Because an ageing landed property (except for 99yr LH ones) is very different from an ageing apt/condo. Excluding cluster housing, the inherent value of a FH/999 landed is still in the land. Even though the landed structure may deteriorate a lot, potential buyers place a lot more emphasis on your land plot rather than the structure. Also you will have complete flexibility (by pumping in some money) to improve the structure by doing A&A or reconstruction if the profit gained from the improvement outstrips the cost. This is never possible with an ageing condo/apt unless you have full control over the MC and your condo coffers are healthy.

Now to addess your other points.

Maintenance cost - To me, it more or less that same, the savings from not paying monthly condo fees will be negated from the maintenance cost of a house. A lot depends on the condition of the house you are buying. If it comes down to the crunch and you really want my opinion, you will save more if you buy a newly constructed house vs a newly constructed cond/apt and it is not difficult to understand why since you start paying condo maintenance fom the get-go.

Amenities/tpt - this depends a lot on locale and whether you want bragging rights for a more prestigious district vs proximity to amenities.
If you look at our transport master plan, I think most parts of SG will be very connected by 2020. A lot of estates will boast walking distance to stations etc.

I do not think that the govt will change the foreigner ruling (there was a statment by the minister in the press not so long ago) However, with the govt push towards more new citizens (especially higher earners/professional), my gut feel is that the ppol of landed buyers will grow.

[proper-t]

From a 'you only have one life' standpoint, basically do what makes you/family happy within your means, wants and goals.

Well said.. fully agree.

[silver023]

Given the current prices of landed properties, it doesn't make sense to enter now under your current situation.

Addressing just your point on wealth maximzation, I don't think it is advisable to plough all your funds into a high quantum house for own stay. Trick to grow wealth is to grow your investment portfolio i.e buy more properties.

[Komo]

not wise to dump all into one

[new2mondrian]

Given the current prices of landed properties, it doesn't make sense to enter now under your current situation.

Addressing just your point on wealth maximzation, I don't think it is advisable to plough all your funds into a high quantum house for own stay. Trick to grow wealth is to grow your investment portfolio i.e buy more properties.

Fully agree. My 5 properties cost me less than $4M. Putting $4M into a single property, for own stay and with restrictions on its sale to only Singaporeans, seem unwise from a financial perspective.

My two cents. But if the overriding consideration is to seize the day and live life to its fullest, then I'd say go do it.

[phantom_opera]

Don't expect high return for next 20y ... for any asset class

Best performance will be MM still for next 10y ... ... just look at how many male singles we have between 30-34 ... another 5y they can buy 3r resale HDB at 500k with the pathetic 11k grant, or they will buy 700k MM instead

[gn108]

Yup-everyday thinking this asset, that asset and only ass plan comes out.
Dividend/coupon/yield will be important to help carry and preserve capital ...and avoid leakages...like taxes/duties/commissions.

Don't expect high return for next 20y ... for any asset class

Best performance will be MM still for next 10y ... ... just look at how many male singles we have between 30-34 ... another 5y they can buy 3r resale HDB at 500k with the pathetic 11k grant, or they will buy 700k MM instead

[GForce]

dear TS

Maybe u should ask yrself is it a Want or a Need to stay in landed?
Is it better to own 2 or 3 properties rather than 1?
Do u have the $$$ to do maint every 5 yrs?
Can u sleep with peace n enjoy if u buy the landed?
If out of job can u service the loan?
What is yr age now?
What is the most impt element in yr family to be happy n have harmony?

Think carefully before u commit, $4m leh not $400k!

[radha08]

i have completed the property cycle so i speak from experience...my portfolio is...

HDB >> PC >> Landed >> HDB(REALLY LANDED LIAO)

My experience ...HDB...people are warm

PC...People a bit try to act like they BIG F stay condo...especially FOREIGNERS...

Landed..Best of both worlds...ACTUALLY the BEST EVER considering i staying in a RENTED 4000sq ft semi D in Siglap...PEOPLE around here really BIG F...NOT PRETEND type

sorry my experience is from a HUMAN perspective as far as financial perspective is concerned NOT really bothered cos i cannot AFFORD landed..but my take is if U can AFFORD landed ...."JUST DO IT"...

...Selamat Hari RAya...

[ClemenceLY]

Just wondering at what level of annual income would be financially "comfortable" staying in a landed worth 3 to 4 mi....?

[yowetan]

If the affordability is not an issue, and with multiple disposal income from rental of HDB flats and private apartments coupled with the threadstarter earning capacity and ability.

I strongly urge to get a landed and get all family members living under one roof.

[Allthepies]

Just wondering at what level of annual income would be financially "comfortable" staying in a landed worth 3 to 4 mi....?

"5 years of annual income" quoting tan kin lian
800k income per annum?!?!

[Sleepyhead]

If I were you, I would spend $3m on a smaller landed, terrace perhaps, instead of semiD.

Then retain the condo for rental.

Best of both worlds!

[DC33_2008]

Staying in a house without investment properties will not offer opportunity to leverage and benefit from such investment. I think one needs to have at least a stable household income of $300k per annum to be able to start owning a $2.6mil house.

[seeksadvice]

Thanks for all the advice. Some were truly sobering & led me to think deeper, while others were really funny.

My thoughts:

1. On investment, i hold pretty contrarian views on rental yields. Perhaps because so many pple i know already hold 2nd or more properties for rental. To jump onto the boat now at current prices doesn't sound logical. Also, rental yields in spore are so low...4% for mass mkt while more central ones command 2-3%. when interest rates rise (& they will) plus the massive crop of condo launches TOP, returns from rental will be squeezed.

2. Landed represents a long term protection against the volatile markets. It may have only a small pool of eligible buyers, ie sporeans, but if new citizens are more affluent, or sporeans earn enough from flipping condos, AND aspire towards landed, it will have a steady demand, while supply is finite ( bar cluster houses).

3. My wife & i are in our early forties & combined income is around $500-600k. I exaggerated when i said we have to scrimp & save.....we probably won't need to sacrifice anything in daily lives. But some form of cutting back, say vacation & restaurant meals, will be necessary.

4. When we retire, we want to be asset light but be comfortable in cashflow. We are 100% prepared to downgrade back to condos or HDB. Heck, to kill time, amenities such as the swimming pool or the neighbourhood coffeeshop may even leapfrog to become my no. 1 priority.

All said, i have not made any offer yet. I m waiting for bank val, some contractor advice, etc, bedpfore making an offer.

Question - when agents tell u last offer was $x, is it always reliable? Or is it a tactic to extract a better offer?

Thanks.



I suppose the afforability factor probably weighs less on our mind than factors such as longer term capital apreciation,

[phantom_opera]

Thanks for all the advice. Some were truly sobering & led me to think deeper, while others were really funny.

My thoughts:

1. On investment, i hold pretty contrarian views on rental yields. Perhaps because so many pple i know already hold 2nd or more properties for rental. To jump onto the boat now at current prices doesn't sound logical. Also, rental yields in spore are so low...4% for mass mkt while more central ones command 2-3%. when interest rates rise (& they will) plus the massive crop of condo launches TOP, returns from rental will be squeezed.

2. Landed represents a long term protection against the volatile markets. It may have only a small pool of eligible buyers, ie sporeans, but if new citizens are more affluent, or sporeans earn enough from flipping condos, AND aspire towards landed, it will have a steady demand, while supply is finite ( bar cluster houses).

3. My wife & i are in our early forties & combined income is around $500-600k. I exaggerated when i said we have to scrimp & save.....we probably won't need to sacrifice anything in daily lives. But some form of cutting back, say vacation & restaurant meals, will be necessary.

4. When we retire, we want to be asset light but be comfortable in cashflow. We are 100% prepared to downgrade back to condos or HDB. Heck, to kill time, amenities such as the swimming pool or the neighbourhood coffeeshop may even leapfrog to become my no. 1 priority.

All said, i have not made any offer yet. I m waiting for bank val, some contractor advice, etc, bedpfore making an offer.

Question - when agents tell u last offer was $x, is it always reliable? Or is it a tactic to extract a better offer?

Thanks.



I suppose the afforability factor probably weighs less on our mind than factors such as longer term capital apreciation,

with your income, you can afford to buy an English castle (means anywhere, anything) dun understand why so obsessed about SG landed property

[new2mondrian]

Thanks for all the advice. Some were truly sobering & led me to think deeper, while others were really funny.

My thoughts:

1. On investment, i hold pretty contrarian views on rental yields. Perhaps because so many pple i know already hold 2nd or more properties for rental. To jump onto the boat now at current prices doesn't sound logical. Also, rental yields in spore are so low...4% for mass mkt while more central ones command 2-3%. when interest rates rise (& they will) plus the massive crop of condo launches TOP, returns from rental will be squeezed.

2. Landed represents a long term protection against the volatile markets. It may have only a small pool of eligible buyers, ie sporeans, but if new citizens are more affluent, or sporeans earn enough from flipping condos, AND aspire towards landed, it will have a steady demand, while supply is finite ( bar cluster houses).

3. My wife & i are in our early forties & combined income is around $500-600k. I exaggerated when i said we have to scrimp & save.....we probably won't need to sacrifice anything in daily lives. But some form of cutting back, say vacation & restaurant meals, will be necessary.

4. When we retire, we want to be asset light but be comfortable in cashflow. We are 100% prepared to downgrade back to condos or HDB. Heck, to kill time, amenities such as the swimming pool or the neighbourhood coffeeshop may even leapfrog to become my no. 1 priority.

All said, i have not made any offer yet. I m waiting for bank val, some contractor advice, etc, bedpfore making an offer.

Question - when agents tell u last offer was $x, is it always reliable? Or is it a tactic to extract a better offer?

Thanks.



I suppose the afforability factor probably weighs less on our mind than factors such as longer term capital apreciation,

I haven't been looking at landed for a while, so my views may not be reflective of today's market conditions. Anyway, here are some inputs which you have to calibrate against your own financial situation and experience.

1. Agree that landed is in limited supply as time goes by. Having said that, there are many other factors that one will have to take into consideration when buying landed. Is the land next to drainage systems? If so, setback rules apply. What is the road categorisation in front of the property? If it is a major cat 1 road, setback rules can be punitive. Also have to study the masterplan in greater detail.

2. I always insist on doing a property evaluation report before even offering. Soil test is important. Marine clay (predominant in East Coast/Siglap area) means micropiling is required if I intend to rebuild, which means construction will cost 30% more. There are other periphery factors such as the condition of the adjacent building (you can tear down and rebuild, but if your immediate neighbour(s) property is infested with termites, it is a matter of time that the termites problem will return). In this regard, a detached dwelling is always preferred. Having said that, pest infestation is always something I look for. Rodents and termites are not easy to eradicate once they are in the neighbourhood. And dengue is always a perennial concern (due to various factors such as dead leaves on rooftops which collect rainwater, drainage within grounds, poor maintenance of some of the neighbouring units).

3. Everything costs more in landed. I know this may sounds "duh", but sometimes the cost factor may really be a huge consideration. A lot of landed were constructed 30-40 years back, and a simple act of cabling SCV points would require tapping the cables from its nearest source (usually from the road) and most contractors quote $20k and above. Electricity is another issue. Most properties do not have sufficient wattage to support multiple compressors. To air-con the whole house, esp if it is a sizable semi-detached and above, usually will have to tap from the nearest source again. And painting the house esp the exterior is not cheap either. And the list goes on and on.... Simple renovations to bring it to a livable condition will set u back by 150-200k. A&A will be ard 400k. I know of friends who demolished and rebuilt for $1m and above. What I am saying here is that you must have deep enough pockets after paying $4m for the property to do all these.

4. Landed is for self stay, cos rental yields simply do not make sense at current pricing levels. Should you need cash one day, landed may not be that easily monetisable by way of rental or sale.

Having said that, it is a lifestyle choice. The largest reason as to why I din look at landed for the last couple of years is simply due to the price appreciation have reached stratospheric levels in my personal view. The days which I could get a sixth avenue landed for less than $2m, or a 3500sqft corner terrace at Opera Estate (D15) for $2m were over. For current pricing, condos still make more sense imho.

Hope the above helps. And good luck in your search!

[Adva181]

I haven't been looking at landed for a while, so my views may not be reflective of today's market conditions. Anyway, here are some inputs which you have to calibrate against your own financial situation and experience.

1. Agree that landed is in limited supply as time goes by. Having said that, there are many other factors that one will have to take into consideration when buying landed. Is the land next to drainage systems? If so, setback rules apply. What is the road categorisation in front of the property? If it is a major cat 1 road, setback rules can be punitive. Also have to study the masterplan in greater detail.

2. I always insist on doing a property evaluation report before even offering. Soil test is important. Marine clay (predominant in East Coast/Siglap area) means micropiling is required if I intend to rebuild, which means construction will cost 30% more. There are other periphery factors such as the condition of the adjacent building (you can tear down and rebuild, but if your immediate neighbour(s) property is infested with termites, it is a matter of time that the termites problem will return). In this regard, a detached dwelling is always preferred. Having said that, pest infestation is always something I look for. Rodents and termites are not easy to eradicate once they are in the neighbourhood. And dengue is always a perennial concern (due to various factors such as dead leaves on rooftops which collect rainwater, drainage within grounds, poor maintenance of some of the neighbouring units).

3. Everything costs more in landed. I know this may sounds "duh", but sometimes the cost factor may really be a huge consideration. A lot of landed were constructed 30-40 years back, and a simple act of cabling SCV points would require tapping the cables from its nearest source (usually from the road) and most contractors quote $20k and above. Electricity is another issue. Most properties do not have sufficient wattage to support multiple compressors. To air-con the whole house, esp if it is a sizable semi-detached and above, usually will have to tap from the nearest source again. And painting the house esp the exterior is not cheap either. And the list goes on and on.... Simple renovations to bring it to a livable condition will set u back by 150-200k. A&A will be ard 400k. I know of friends who demolished and rebuilt for $1m and above. What I am saying here is that you must have deep enough pockets after paying $4m for the property to do all these.

4. Landed is for self stay, cos rental yields simply do not make sense at current pricing levels. Should you need cash one day, landed may not be that easily monetisable by way of rental or sale.

Having said that, it is a lifestyle choice. The largest reason as to why I din look at landed for the last couple of years is simply due to the price appreciation have reached stratospheric levels in my personal view. The days which I could get a sixth avenue landed for less than $2m, or a 3500sqft corner terrace at Opera Estate (D15) for $2m were over. For current pricing, condos still make more sense imho.

Hope the above helps. And good luck in your search!

说的好！well said... I fully agree...

[wind30]

I disagree with the neighbours part. In condos, apartments you have more problems with neighbours... upstairs noisy neighbours... left right neighbours. Dengue is probably a bigger problem at HDB than in Landed due to the low population density. Especially if your landed is quite big, expensive, I think the neighbours there will upkeep their place pretty well.

2. I always insist on doing a property evaluation report before even offering. Soil test is important. Marine clay (predominant in East Coast/Siglap area) means micropiling is required if I intend to rebuild, which means construction will cost 30% more. There are other periphery factors such as the condition of the adjacent building (you can tear down and rebuild, but if your immediate neighbour(s) property is infested with termites, it is a matter of time that the termites problem will return). In this regard, a detached dwelling is always preferred. Having said that, pest infestation is always something I look for. Rodents and termites are not easy to eradicate once they are in the neighbourhood. And dengue is always a perennial concern (due to various factors such as dead leaves on rooftops which collect rainwater, drainage within grounds, poor maintenance of some of the neighbouring units).

[DC33_2008]

Owning a landed property give you the opportunity to rebuilt your own dream home. Not possible with a condo.

[new2mondrian]

I disagree with the neighbours part. In condos, apartments you have more problems with neighbours... upstairs noisy neighbours... left right neighbours. Dengue is probably a bigger problem at HDB than in Landed due to the low population density. Especially if your landed is quite big, expensive, I think the neighbours there will upkeep their place pretty well.

I don't discount that landed gives greater privacy as compared to HDB and condos. If you read my post carefully, the neighbours part was written from the context of potential pest related issues, not noise. It is something to look out for especially if the property is an inter-terrace and shares the same retaining wall as the next door unit. As with most A&A projects, the architect would advise to raise the retaining wall to reduce the likelihood of Pest contamination, but it is not a foolproof method.

I agree that dengue takes place anywhere, and everywhere. But if one looks at the NEA data objectively, most of the dengue clusters take place in landed estates. My last landed faced the same issue as well, so much so that the NEA officers used to come round every household to ask everyone to clear out the dead leaves on the rooftops and ensure that the exposed pipes that run along the roof do not collect still water. It was an instruction which no one could fulfill.

There are trade offs for everything in life, and everyone is entitled to their opinions in an open forum. I agree that landed provides one with the opportunity to build and design a house. But that opportunity does not come cheap in Singapore. Question is when one embarks on such a $4m opportunity, whether similar trade offs have been considered. If indeed so, then do proceed, but at least it is with eyes open.

[lajia]

Having said that, it is a lifestyle choice. The largest reason as to why I din look at landed for the last couple of years is simply due to the price appreciation have reached stratospheric levels in my personal view. The days which I could get a sixth avenue landed for less than $2m, or a 3500sqft corner terrace at Opera Estate (D15) for $2m were over. For current pricing, condos still make more sense imho.

Hope the above helps. And good luck in your search!

price appreciation is due to a simple demand and supply law and also because of the limited factor and moving forward, that will not change unless we reclaim more land or tear down HDB/Condo and convert those lands for landed or cut away inflow of new citizens, etc...so, in terms of price appreciation, it is very obvious.

and if you say condo still make more sense this one i really scratching my head as this is very subjective and depend on how you look at it....comparing a EC (or Condo) at 700psf today and a landed of 800psf, I would think it is crazy to go for EC...both are 99LH and if you look around, it is still there. Im not comparing to the extreme as in MM as it is more of a quantum base in that case.