Ecopolitan EC

[propertybuyer073]

Agreed. How long it takes to walk to the MRT really vary with different individuals.

One has to ask whether s/he will really walk to the MRT with high heels or long-sleeved shirt and tie etc to reach the MRT station in 8 mins.

As one user has rightly pointed out, the best is "to verify the facts yourself."

Before committing to buy Ecopolitan EC (or any other EC/ condos), best is to time your walk to the MRT station in your normal working attire and comfortable pace.

On a more important note, it is important to highlight that one has to commit to the EC for a total of 8.5 years (5 years MOP + approx 3.5 years of construction before TOP).

Should one has to give up the EC for whatever reasons eg, breakup with partner, divorce etc, one has to pay a hefty penalty of the purchase price amounting to 20% of the purchase price.For a $900,000 property, this would mean a staggering $180,000 penalty. This is stated in the terms and conditions of EC purchase. You can verify with the developer or HDB.

Best advice is to really think carefully before committing any EC purchase given the hefty penalty (20% of purchase price) that one has to pay if one terminate the EC purchase after buying a new EC.

[suchard]

[QUOTE=yesnomaybe]Dear Mr Suchard, you sound like a novice property buyer...there is no 'indicative'
price list...an indicative price range is merely a prediction of the likely price range.

YesNoMaybe,

I am not a novice. In fact, I am quite aware of what tricks agents and developers have up their sleeves. And you are trying to nit pick about price list and price range. These indicate prices are merely agents and developers' ways of trying to manage expectation, trying to hype up the project pricing. You obviously have vested interest, likely being a property agent for SLP or related to one, trying hard to push Ecopolitan so hard. Ecopolitan is not at the same distance as Twin Waterfalls from Punggol MRT if you take it from the nearest points at each project - who are you trying to kid? More importantly, Ecopolitan is near TPE which will introduce noise and pollution, unlike Twin Waterfalls.

I merely asked buyers to be wary of agents who are trying to push the project and to open their eyes /ears and verify facts for themselves, and not just believe whatever agents (like yourself?) say. That must have irk you?

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[jc]

What are the chances that this project opens at below $700psf? In view of the noise and other factors?

[NO_7]

What are the chances that this project opens at below $700psf? In view of the noise and other factors?

If Prive ppr is $308 can sell on average $686psf why not, some more Prive is only 430m to MRT.

[NO_7]

(Source: Business Times)
Li Jun, general manager of Qingjian Realty (South Pacific) Group, forecast last night that the average selling price for the project could be in the $730-780 psf range, subject to market and economic conditions at the point of launch. "Qingjian assessed that the property market is stable and that the EC market is healthy," he added.
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Forummers can judge for themselves whether it is reasonable to say that 700 metres can be covered within 8 minutes.

Developer is free to price at whatever level they think maximises their profit and prospective buyers are free to NOT buy if they feel the product if they feel it is over-priced.

The new cooling measure may hit buyers, $780psf consider high for young couple.
No doubt this area demand for EC is high, the demand may drop if buyer worry of interest rate increase. At this price, it's a challenge for buyers to do more home work on the sum n study the possible upside in view of future competition from other projects when selling.

[propertybuyer073]

$750 psf is probably the low end of the price range.

This is extracted from Channel News Asia (CNA): "

"Qingjian Realty says the average selling price at Ecopolitan ranges between S$750 and S$800 per square foot."

All readers can verify it from CNA.

What puzzles me is when the developer recently won the Anchorvale EC site at about $330 psf, they said it would be about "$730 - $780 psf." (Source: CNA, Business Times, Straits Times).

However, they have priced Ecopolitan EC at a higher price range "$750 - $800 psf" despite a lower land cost of about $310 psf.

As some users have pointed out, Ecopolitan EC is not as desirable compared to Twin Waterfalls in terms of distance to MRT, pollution, closeness of the blocks etc...

Is ecopolitan ex or not especially when there are quite a number of new ECs coming onboard eg Lush Acres, Waterwoods, Sea Horizon to name a few.

If we look at the latest EC launch - Forestville, it did not do very well. Only about 1/3 of the units were sold after more than a week of launch despite lower prices than Ecopolitan EC and not subjected to the new EC rules like dual key not subjected to multi-generation rules, no cap on floor size etc.

As potential buyers, we have to carefully evaluate whether to commit to buying a new EC eg Ecopolitan in light of the various considerations like price, pollution, possible interest rate hike etc.

[yesnomaybe]

[QUOTE=suchard]

Dear Mr Suchard, you sound like a novice property buyer...there is no 'indicative'
price list...an indicative price range is merely a prediction of the likely price range.

YesNoMaybe,

I am not a novice. In fact, I am quite aware of what tricks agents and developers have up their sleeves. And you are trying to nit pick about price list and price range. These indicate prices are merely agents and developers' ways of trying to manage expectation, trying to hype up the project pricing. You obviously have vested interest, likely being a property agent for SLP or related to one, trying hard to push Ecopolitan so hard. Ecopolitan is not at the same distance as Twin Waterfalls from Punggol MRT if you take it from the nearest points at each project - who are you trying to kid? More importantly, Ecopolitan is near TPE which will introduce noise and pollution, unlike Twin Waterfalls.

I merely asked buyers to be wary of agents who are trying to push the project and to open their eyes /ears and verify facts for themselves, and not just believe whatever agents (like yourself?) say. That must have irk you?

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You are entitled to your opinion....however, do not make unjustified accusations at agents who are merely doing their job. Any false allegations will be vigorously rebutted.

Market forces of demand and supply will determine the prices...that is how capitalism works !

[propertybuyer073]

Everyone has something to contribute.

Suchard is just trying to bring across the message "to verify the facts (before committing to a big purchase", particularly the time to walk to MRT, the apparent noise and pollution levels etc.

There were also various discussions whether the psf of $750 - $800 psf is high especially when the land cost is lower (whether compared to the recent Anchorvale EC site won by the developer QJ or Waterbay EC also by QJ).

Invariably, it is understandable to compare to Twin Waterfalls which seems to be better in terms of distance to MRT, farther from TPE, from Fraser Centerpoint etc.

Having said that, I really appreciate "Yesnomaybe". I have not seen him in person but I thanked him for starting this thread.

If you read the threads of other ECs and condos, he has also started similar threads eg on Lush Acres EC and Vue8 residence.

Talking about Lush Acres EC, I saw in today's Sunday Times classified that it is sold from $700 psf. Another EC in Woodlands, Forestville, is sold from $6XX psf (This is from today's sunday times classified).

For those who are considering to buy a new EC, they will definitely compare with other similar developments, especially those that are launching soon.

At the end of the day, as "Yesnomaybe" has pointed out, market forces will decide whether the price is too high or not.

[NO_7]

Monthly instalment @ 2.6k is yr monthly CPF contribution can support?

[yesnomaybe]

Thank you propertybuyer073 for being reasonable and mature.

[Kelonguni]

$750 psf is probably the low end of the price range.

This is extracted from Channel News Asia (CNA): "

"Qingjian Realty says the average selling price at Ecopolitan ranges between S$750 and S$800 per square foot."

All readers can verify it from CNA.

What puzzles me is when the developer recently won the Anchorvale EC site at about $330 psf, they said it would be about "$730 - $780 psf." (Source: CNA, Business Times, Straits Times).

However, they have priced Ecopolitan EC at a higher price range "$750 - $800 psf" despite a lower land cost of about $310 psf.

As some users have pointed out, Ecopolitan EC is not as desirable compared to Twin Waterfalls in terms of distance to MRT, pollution, closeness of the blocks etc...

Is ecopolitan ex or not especially when there are quite a number of new ECs coming onboard eg Lush Acres, Waterwoods, Sea Horizon to name a few.

If we look at the latest EC launch - Forestville, it did not do very well. Only about 1/3 of the units were sold after more than a week of launch despite lower prices than Ecopolitan EC and not subjected to the new EC rules like dual key not subjected to multi-generation rules, no cap on floor size etc.

As potential buyers, we have to carefully evaluate whether to commit to buying a new EC eg Ecopolitan in light of the various considerations like price, pollution, possible interest rate hike etc.

Must consider the cost of construction and materials etc as well...

[suchard]

Everyone has something to contribute.

Suchard is just trying to bring across the message "to verify the facts (before committing to a big purchase", particularly the time to walk to MRT, the apparent noise and pollution levels etc.

There were also various discussions whether the psf of $750 - $800 psf is high especially when the land cost is lower (whether compared to the recent Anchorvale EC site won by the developer QJ or Waterbay EC also by QJ).

Invariably, it is understandable to compare to Twin Waterfalls which seems to be better in terms of distance to MRT, farther from TPE, from Fraser Centerpoint etc.

Having said that, I really appreciate "Yesnomaybe". I have not seen him in person but I thanked him for starting this thread.

If you read the threads of other ECs and condos, he has also started similar threads eg on Lush Acres EC and Vue8 residence.

Talking about Lush Acres EC, I saw in today's Sunday Times classified that it is sold from $700 psf. Another EC in Woodlands, Forestville, is sold from $6XX psf (This is from today's sunday times classified).

For those who are considering to buy a new EC, they will definitely compare with other similar developments, especially those that are launching soon.

At the end of the day, as "Yesnomaybe" has pointed out, market forces will decide whether the price is too high or not.

YesNoMaybe should be reminded that he /she was the one who used labels like novice, not knowing what property investment experience others actually have. Agents may be doing their job, and that include downplaying the negatives of projects they are marketing and hyping up others. Also, it is a fact some agents do their job more unscrupulously and unethically than others (of course, this is not peculiar to the real estate business). Why do you think that the government impose certification requirements recently? And despite that, there continue to be complaint cases against agents. So YesNoMaybe rebut away vigorously.

There are many agents in this kind of forums, many of them starting forum threads in order to push for projects they may represent. Those who participate in a forum without revealing their association to the business, is in my mind, not honest, because they don't let others judge if they do or say have hidden agendas.

Capitalism also means hopefully, freer flow of information, and that means, I as a member of the public, warn others of tricks agents and developers use in marketing their projects. Some tricks:
a) Removing entire blocks here and there in the architectural model, so the project looks less cramped, under the pretext that they need to show landscape, pool, playground etc. (They could show those in video clips. b)

b) Another trick used in Ecopolitan: Qinjian is giving a free grill pan to people who submit EC applications, under the pretext as a token of appreciation for application effort. Whats the real reason? Qinjian /SLP can (or at least hope) to boast of a higher application rate in the papers, and that hopefully would increase buyer's anxiety and make people feel their $750 psf price is justified. To me, what is more important is how many who applied really turn up on balloting day to ACTUALLY pick a unit but developers don't reveal or share that number (unless of course it helps in their business) .

c) Some property sites are already advertising Ecopolitan units showing total sq footage and respective (indicative) prices (even though prices are not out until 1 Aug). Why you may ask? I think the main purpose is set expectations, to "condition" the buyers' minds to a high price ($750 psq), so when Ecopolitan ends with actual price of say $725 psf, some MIGHT feel it is a "bargain".

[suchard]

If Prive ppr is $308 can sell on average $686psf why not, some more Prive is only 430m to MRT.

Yes, buyers should use Prive as another data point for comparison. Prive is much much nearer, and not facing the TPE where noise and air pollution are huge negatives for Ecopolitan. I walked from Ecopolitan to Punggol MRT, and it is NOT the 8 minutes walk they claimed!

[rymccondo77]

(1) 8 minutes is possible if you are a brisk walker (and traffic lights are in your favour) - I did it in 8 minutes (and I like to walk briskly).

One thing developers never say (this is not just for Ecopolitan but also for other developments) when they make claims about walking time to the MRT - the walking pace !!!

(2) Developers / real estate agencies (appointed to market the launch of a development), will do what they can to market the development.

Buyers will have to do their own homework / verification.

[clearlydefined]

Yes, buyers should use Prive as another data point for comparison. Prive is much much nearer, and not facing the TPE where noise and air pollution are huge negatives for Ecopolitan. I walked from Ecopolitan to Punggol MRT, and it is NOT the 8 minutes walk they claimed!

Hi Suchard,

Prive was launched in 2010 so I would believe it is a bit far fetched to use that as comparison. After all the prices have increased the past 3 years not just for housing but I believe your food and transport as well.

In your reference to Twin Waterfalls, maybe you can enlighten everyone the positives and negatives of Twin Waterfalls and even its controversies during its launch?

[suchard]

Hi Suchard,

Prive was launched in 2010 so I would believe it is a bit far fetched to use that as comparison. After all the prices have increased the past 3 years not just for housing but I believe your food and transport as well.

In your reference to Twin Waterfalls, maybe you can enlighten everyone the positives and negatives of Twin Waterfalls and even its controversies during its launch?

Hi Clearlydefined,

Are you an agent yourself, and if so, with SLP? It will be helpful to know where you are coming from, since as mentioned agents and buyers usually have different perspectives. I am not an agent, so I am not pushing Twin Waterfalls. I was merely comparing the two, since Ecopolitan is so close by but with a huge major difference - Eco is right by noisy TPE, and shields Twin Waterfall from the noise /pollution.

I merely mentioned Prive as ANOTHER data point, not the only one. Yes, I agree Prive at $680 psf was launched some time ago. That notwithstanding, Prive is still a good reference, since it is also in Punggol, and given that Prive is much closer proximity to MRT, not near noisy TPE, the cooling measures of late etc., if Qinjian was to launch above $700 psf would be considered high. Of course one has to look at other more recent launches, but then different locations, size of land, other factors must be considered. I merely asked buyers to verify facts for themselves.

For instance, Prive seems more honest at least on one claim - it said that at 380 m from Punggol MRT station, it takes 7 minutes to walk there. Qinjian (claiming it project to be 700 m away, same as Twin Waterfalls, which I cannot believe) claim it takes 8 minutes. Can that be correct? Readers evaluate for themselves. Yes, developers don't mention walking speed, but one would assume that an honest company would use average speed.

[rymccondo77]

Many developers don't use average speed when advertising walking time - so kudos to Prive developer for being honest about the walking time

[2824]

Many developers don't use average speed when advertising walking time - so kudos to Prive developer for being honest about the walking time

Too bad they don't develop many condos

[clearlydefined]

Hi Clearlydefined,

Are you an agent yourself, and if so, with SLP? It will be helpful to know where you are coming from, since as mentioned agents and buyers usually have different perspectives. I am not an agent, so I am not pushing Twin Waterfalls. I was merely comparing the two, since Ecopolitan is so close by but with a huge major difference - Eco is right by noisy TPE, and shields Twin Waterfall from the noise /pollution.

I merely mentioned Prive as ANOTHER data point, not the only one. Yes, I agree Prive at $680 psf was launched some time ago. That notwithstanding, Prive is still a good reference, since it is also in Punggol, and given that Prive is much closer proximity to MRT, not near noisy TPE, the cooling measures of late etc., if Qinjian was to launch above $700 psf would be considered high. Of course one has to look at other more recent launches, but then different locations, size of land, other factors must be considered. I merely asked buyers to verify facts for themselves.

For instance, Prive seems more honest at least on one claim - it said that at 380 m from Punggol MRT station, it takes 7 minutes to walk there. Qinjian (claiming it project to be 700 m away, same as Twin Waterfalls, which I cannot believe) claim it takes 8 minutes. Can that be correct? Readers evaluate for themselves. Yes, developers don't mention walking speed, but one would assume that an honest company would use average speed.

Hi suchard,

Nope, a potential buyer myself. In fact, I've been following the EC market since ARC @ Tampines and indeed I can relate to what you have mentioned but on the other hand, agree with what some of the other members mentioned.

At the end of the day, I guess you are quite disappointed with the price of Ecopolitan in comparison with the negative factors you've mentioned. And indeed they are valid points. I did my research as well and I'm likely to get a unit at Ecopolitan (if my number is good).

I've walked with my fiancee and we took 9 mins to from the entrance of Eco to the entrance of Punggol mrt. Its quite leisure as my fiancee walks quite slowly. If I were to walk alone, it'll be 7 mins. We've tried walking from Twin Waterfalls too (from its designated side gate) and takes us 6-7 mins.

Noise from the expressway was a concern for us too, and we really went every weekend to nearby blocks to assess the noise level.

So what made us decide on Eco despite its hefty price and seeming negativities? Its the timing of launch and surprise surprise, location.

It was too early for us to get units previously and aside from that, I can tell you the cons of the projects we've been to.

1. Arc @ Tampines - Marketed to be near future downtown mrt but the distance is still far, Arc is at one end of Temasek Poly while the station is at the other end. And it is next to a petrol station.

2. Tampines Trilliant and Citylife - Very near to Tampines MRT, but the price is around $850 - $900 psf. Trillant doesn't even have a tennis court. We both stay in Tampines btw.

3. Twin Waterfalls - Really wanted the project but timing wasn't right. Not to mention its 700 over units, we felt it was too crowded. Worse still, the land was bought at a very low price but sold at 720 psf. Developer increased the price a week after booking by 1% and more subsequently.

4. Heron Bay - In the middle of nowhere and not that much cheaper. Btw, they gave free pillows (your point on the free pans).

5. Waterbay - 750psf as well and near to mrt. But felt very constrained as its a small project surrounded by lots of estates beyond the schools.

I guess my point is, there are pros and cons to each and every project. Like what many said, its really about doing your own homework and taking the marketing with a pinch of salt. All sales people wont go around telling you the negatives of projects or products. It applies to houses and every other thing else. We have to make our decision.

Price is high, but honestly future projects might be higher and they are situated even further from mrt. Look at Waterwoods, it was sold a record price and is even further from Punggol MRT. Unless the developer is going to make a loss, I highly doubt it'll be cheaper than Eco (but I might be wrong).

Lush Acres might be cheap but again next to a future petrol station and far from MRT. Again the buyers have to decide if it suits them.

I know some agents are putting a price to the units using the indicative range. Again, we should just use them as reference to have a feel of what to expect but ultimately see the final price and decide.

All marketing strategies are aimed to create awareness and giving people a feel of the project and comfort level but ultimately, I guess we are all mature enough to decide ourselves and like what Minister Khaw mentioned long agao during the Centrale 8 saga, if its too expensive, we can choose not to buy.

[rymccondo77]

Hi suchard,

Nope, a potential buyer myself. In fact, I've been following the EC market since ARC @ Tampines and indeed I can relate to what you have mentioned but on the other hand, agree with what some of the other members mentioned.

At the end of the day, I guess you are quite disappointed with the price of Ecopolitan in comparison with the negative factors you've mentioned. And indeed they are valid points. I did my research as well and I'm likely to get a unit at Ecopolitan (if my number is good).

I've walked with my fiancee and we took 9 mins to from the entrance of Eco to the entrance of Punggol mrt. Its quite leisure as my fiancee walks quite slowly. If I were to walk alone, it'll be 7 mins. We've tried walking from Twin Waterfalls too (from its designated side gate) and takes us 6-7 mins.

Noise from the expressway was a concern for us too, and we really went every weekend to nearby blocks to assess the noise level.

So what made us decide on Eco despite its hefty price and seeming negativities? Its the timing of launch and surprise surprise, location.

It was too early for us to get units previously and aside from that, I can tell you the cons of the projects we've been to.

1. Arc @ Tampines - Marketed to be near future downtown mrt but the distance is still far, Arc is at one end of Temasek Poly while the station is at the other end. And it is next to a petrol station.

2. Tampines Trilliant and Citylife - Very near to Tampines MRT, but the price is around $850 - $900 psf. Trillant doesn't even have a tennis court. We both stay in Tampines btw.

3. Twin Waterfalls - Really wanted the project but timing wasn't right. Not to mention its 700 over units, we felt it was too crowded. Worse still, the land was bought at a very low price but sold at 720 psf. Developer increased the price a week after booking by 1% and more subsequently.

4. Heron Bay - In the middle of nowhere and not that much cheaper. Btw, they gave free pillows (your point on the free pans).

5. Waterbay - 750psf as well and near to mrt. But felt very constrained as its a small project surrounded by lots of estates beyond the schools.

I guess my point is, there are pros and cons to each and every project. Like what many said, its really about doing your own homework and taking the marketing with a pinch of salt. All sales people wont go around telling you the negatives of projects or products. It applies to houses and every other thing else. We have to make our decision.

Price is high, but honestly future projects might be higher and they are situated even further from mrt. Look at Waterwoods, it was sold a record price and is even further from Punggol MRT. Unless the developer is going to make a loss, I highly doubt it'll be cheaper than Eco (but I might be wrong).

Lush Acres might be cheap but again next to a future petrol station and far from MRT. Again the buyers have to decide if it suits them.

I know some agents are putting a price to the units using the indicative range. Again, we should just use them as reference to have a feel of what to expect but ultimately see the final price and decide.

All marketing strategies are aimed to create awareness and giving people a feel of the project and comfort level but ultimately, I guess we are all mature enough to decide ourselves and like what Minister Khaw mentioned long agao during the Centrale 8 saga, if its too expensive, we can choose not to buy.

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.

[propertybuyer073]

"For Applicants who submit their details before the 7th July (This Sunday) is entitled to collect a ECO Korean pan upon successful submission ..."

This is extracted from an Ecopolitan's agent webpage.

I have been tracking EC launches for some time but this is rather rare or unheard of to collect a free gift for e-app.

The e-app period is fairly long considering that the manual e-app started in early June and the e-app period is over 2 weekends and just ended on 7 Jul.

Questions:

1. For those who have e-applied to Ecopolitan, have you collected the free gift of Eco Korean pan worth $60+?

2. What is the final number of applications?

3. What is likely a more realistic number of applications if we exclude those who e-applied to collect the free gift - the Korean pot???

[yesnomaybe]

"For Applicants who submit their details before the 7th July (This Sunday) is entitled to collect a ECO Korean pan upon successful submission ..."

This is extracted from an Ecopolitan's agent webpage.

I have been tracking EC launches for some time but this is rather rare or unheard of to collect a free gift for e-app.

The e-app period is fairly long considering that the manual e-app started in early June and the e-app period is over 2 weekends and just ended on 7 Jul.

Questions:

1. For those who have e-applied to Ecopolitan, have you collected the free gift of Eco Korean pan worth $60+?

2. What is the final number of applications?

3. What is likely a more realistic number of applications if we exclude those who e-applied to collect the free gift - the Korean pot???

Ecopolitan was oversubscribed slightly by 2 times.

No one I spoke to cared about the pan...genuine home hunters making the biggest investment of the lives.

[suchard]

Hi suchard,

Nope, a potential buyer myself. In fact, I've been following the EC market since ARC @ Tampines and indeed I can relate to what you have mentioned but on the other hand, agree with what some of the other members mentioned.

At the end of the day, I guess you are quite disappointed with the price of Ecopolitan in comparison with the negative factors you've mentioned. And indeed they are valid points. I did my research as well and I'm likely to get a unit at Ecopolitan (if my number is good).

I've walked with my fiancee and we took 9 mins to from the entrance of Eco to the entrance of Punggol mrt. Its quite leisure as my fiancee walks quite slowly. If I were to walk alone, it'll be 7 mins. We've tried walking from Twin Waterfalls too (from its designated side gate) and takes us 6-7 mins.

Noise from the expressway was a concern for us too, and we really went every weekend to nearby blocks to assess the noise level.

So what made us decide on Eco despite its hefty price and seeming negativities? Its the timing of launch and surprise surprise, location.

It was too early for us to get units previously and aside from that, I can tell you the cons of the projects we've been to.

1. Arc @ Tampines - Marketed to be near future downtown mrt but the distance is still far, Arc is at one end of Temasek Poly while the station is at the other end. And it is next to a petrol station.

2. Tampines Trilliant and Citylife - Very near to Tampines MRT, but the price is around $850 - $900 psf. Trillant doesn't even have a tennis court. We both stay in Tampines btw.

3. Twin Waterfalls - Really wanted the project but timing wasn't right. Not to mention its 700 over units, we felt it was too crowded. Worse still, the land was bought at a very low price but sold at 720 psf. Developer increased the price a week after booking by 1% and more subsequently.

4. Heron Bay - In the middle of nowhere and not that much cheaper. Btw, they gave free pillows (your point on the free pans).

5. Waterbay - 750psf as well and near to mrt. But felt very constrained as its a small project surrounded by lots of estates beyond the schools.

I guess my point is, there are pros and cons to each and every project. Like what many said, its really about doing your own homework and taking the marketing with a pinch of salt. All sales people wont go around telling you the negatives of projects or products. It applies to houses and every other thing else. We have to make our decision.

Price is high, but honestly future projects might be higher and they are situated even further from mrt. Look at Waterwoods, it was sold a record price and is even further from Punggol MRT. Unless the developer is going to make a loss, I highly doubt it'll be cheaper than Eco (but I might be wrong).

Lush Acres might be cheap but again next to a future petrol station and far from MRT. Again the buyers have to decide if it suits them.

I know some agents are putting a price to the units using the indicative range. Again, we should just use them as reference to have a feel of what to expect but ultimately see the final price and decide.

All marketing strategies are aimed to create awareness and giving people a feel of the project and comfort level but ultimately, I guess we are all mature enough to decide ourselves and like what Minister Khaw mentioned long agao during the Centrale 8 saga, if its too expensive, we can choose not to buy.

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.

[suchard]

"For Applicants who submit their details before the 7th July (This Sunday) is entitled to collect a ECO Korean pan upon successful submission ..."

This is extracted from an Ecopolitan's agent webpage.

I have been tracking EC launches for some time but this is rather rare or unheard of to collect a free gift for e-app.

The e-app period is fairly long considering that the manual e-app started in early June and the e-app period is over 2 weekends and just ended on 7 Jul.

Questions:

1. For those who have e-applied to Ecopolitan, have you collected the free gift of Eco Korean pan worth $60+?

2. What is the final number of applications?

3. What is likely a more realistic number of applications if we exclude those who e-applied to collect the free gift - the Korean pot???

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.

[suchard]

"For Applicants who submit their details before the 7th July (This Sunday) is entitled to collect a ECO Korean pan upon successful submission ..."

This is extracted from an Ecopolitan's agent webpage.

I have been tracking EC launches for some time but this is rather rare or unheard of to collect a free gift for e-app.

The e-app period is fairly long considering that the manual e-app started in early June and the e-app period is over 2 weekends and just ended on 7 Jul.

Questions:

1. For those who have e-applied to Ecopolitan, have you collected the free gift of Eco Korean pan worth $60+?

2. What is the final number of applications?

3. What is likely a more realistic number of applications if we exclude those who e-applied to collect the free gift - the Korean pot???

Repeated repeated repeated repeated repeated repeated

[suchard]

Ecopolitan was oversubscribed slightly by 2 times.

No one I spoke to cared about the pan...genuine home hunters making the biggest investment of the lives.

yes, agreed that no genuine home hunters would care about the pan. (If it is the genuine buyers that is the targeted group for the pan, but genuine buyers don't care about the pan, why would the developer bother with giving away free pans?) But it is not these genuine buyers that the developers are targeting. It is all others who are not interested. The developer is hoping to get more applicants in, thereby bumping up the application rate that that they can boast about In the end, to create "artificial" interest and justify whatever price they wanna charge.

[NO_7]

yes, agreed that no genuine home hunters would care about the pan. (If it is the genuine buyers that is the targeted group for the pan, but genuine buyers don't care about the pan, why would the developer bother with giving away free pans?) But it is not these genuine buyers that the developers are targeting. It is all others who are not interested. The developer is hoping to get more applicants in, thereby bumping up the application rate that that they can boast about In the end, to create "artificial" interest and justify whatever price they wanna charge.

Maybe u can try yr luck and hope for a good queue number.

[rymccondo77]

There are other ECs coming up - e.g. Lush Acres - from their site plan, the blocks does not looked cramped. The main drawback to this EC is the location - not near to the MRT, though there are LRTs within walking distance (have to test out the walking time!).

[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.

[Eh]

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.

You can keep your Hdb if you buy Vue 8 instead of EC.

Personally I prefer lush floor plan too and no matter how cheap punggol is or how much development govt had promised I will also not buy punggol.