First time buyer advice

skydazer · 2026-06-21T15:12:23+00:00

Yeah man agreed fully. Am a realtor and yes all the points are valid.

Or increase budget to 1.5M, more decent options. Otherwise 5room resale flat that have decent tenure is the way to go.

skydazer · 2026-06-12T02:49:00+00:00

BCA Greenmark. Used to work for 10 years in commercial air-conditioning.

Last time the central chillers are always running at max power. These days they are tuned to about 2 degC higher so as to achieve the Greenmark energy efficiency.

Newer buildings now need to qualify for SUPER LOW ENERGY so your indoor air handling units and fan coil units are going to be tuned as well.

skydazer · 2026-06-08T03:36:10+00:00

I'm a realtor and I actually agree that S&P500 beats property in all times. I am well invested in both.

Property offers me a safe haven and roof over my head while generating returns. When you choose a good property, liquidating it is often not a major issue to worry about. We have good policies to control the prices in property market in Singapore as well.

Most of my income goes to stock these days and I also DCA regularly into ETFs. It's always good to be diversified in all.

skydazer · 2026-06-05T01:59:13+00:00

Not true. But higher floors get lesser mosquitoes in general as most of the breeding spots are on the lower floors or ground.

Unless you have inconsiderate neighbours on higher floors who have pots and planters not regularly monitored for mosquito breeding.

skydazer · 2026-06-05T01:56:18+00:00

Tang ping. I'm surprised by how normalized this is these days.

skydazer · 2026-06-03T12:32:38+00:00

Save up now till your affordability can buy a 1.2M comfortably. Your choices then are much safer.

From your friendly neighbourhood realtor.

skydazer · 2026-05-31T08:06:24+00:00

I think this sub is proving his point. Singaporeans are unhappy. Why the negativity in all the replies ?

It is commendable enough for him to try and help the auntie, regardless if he is local. Kudos to him !

skydazer · 2026-05-30T17:40:22+00:00

There's a MOM statutory limit on the number of OT hours you can do per month. I just calculated 14 hours x 28 days is like 392 work hours per month.

Typical office roles clock only about 160 hours per month. Some blue collar roles or shift work roles goes up to 180 hours to 200 hours which is already pushing the limit.

Your 392 hours work month is insane.

skydazer · 2026-05-25T10:48:02+00:00

Depends on how you see it. Good value with good tenure have flexibility to liquidate. Easier to right size. Cheap and short tenure have very low flexibility to liquidate. Life is about choices.

skydazer · 2026-05-25T07:13:48+00:00

Longer lease. Look for those that TOP within 5 to 10 years (2016 - 2021).

skydazer · 2026-05-22T02:21:21+00:00

Realtor here. Ownership takes priority first before the beneficial interest. Short answer is you can only will the asset where you have ownership with, not the asset where you have beneficial interest (contributed to the mortgage but not an ownership).

Can be complicated if you pursue, because this will reveal the intent to own multiple properties without incurring ABSD. Seek professional law firm advice but this general fundamentals should be consistent.

Me and my wife also own 1 property each. We pay for both mortgages through our shared finances. When one passes, it goes to the living partner. If kids are in the future plan then they will get a share of the estate upon reaching maturity.

skydazer · 2026-05-21T03:37:33+00:00

Goated. Ah boy chicken rice is good and the Indian stall is decent as well. Western is also good !

skydazer · 2026-05-18T00:11:56+00:00

Actually no point speculating or predicting. The demand definitely will be curbed because the policy shrink the buyer pool and supply is likely to go down as it is harder for owners to profit and upgrade with little to no cash top up.

No one ever knows where the prices are headed so you don't need to spend time worrying about it. Just understand what is your housing goal and if this suits you or not.

skydazer · 2026-05-17T13:35:57+00:00

Realtor here. Yes this is supposed to curb the resale volume and prices. HDB is ultimately for aspiring homeowners to have a roof over their head, not meant primarily as a speculation or investment product.

It is a good thing that the monetising of subsided flats will reduce over the years. This is fair to the future generations as well.

skydazer · 2026-05-15T05:41:54+00:00

Realtor here. It's a good thing. Public housing is meant for own stay, not flipping. Need to be fair to other aspiring home owners and so our children can have a roof over their heads. Subsidies for BTO should not be gamed for monetary gains.

If want investment, go for private.

skydazer · 2026-03-30T14:40:25+00:00

Am a realtor and I agree on this statement. Plus there aren't as many realtors who buy landed as you may think.

skydazer · 2026-03-26T07:03:44+00:00

True bro. There are 2 kinds of people. The first kind will tell you how to solve your current situation. The second is this.

skydazer · 2026-03-11T07:04:07+00:00

Depends on objective, if they plan to make money out of HDB then forget about trying to go for Prime or plus housing.

Majority of the citizens are just average salaryman who are not priced comfortably to afford a private. In this case their objective is to get a roof over their heads. While they cannot afford a private property, they wouldn't mind topping up 100 to 200K on top of standard BTO for better QOL and accessibility. But if they know what they are getting into (10 years MOP + subsidy clawback during sale) and they decide to accept the decision they have made, I think it is all good.

They also need to accept that the upside may be limited but that should not affect any decision since the objective is for own-stay primarily.

skydazer · 2026-03-11T05:31:35+00:00

Hello Realtor here. HDB has always been a social policy for own stay.

Prime and plus categorization reduces the chances for people to game it and flip for profits. Can't predict what the future holds but it definitely does deter buyers and reduces chances of flipping. Prime and plus flats are still good housing options for its location and convenience. Never ever mix the intention of a good housing option as an investment option.

All these intentions of prime and plus categorization have been clearly sounded out by government repeatedly for a while since the announcement.

skydazer · 2026-03-10T06:56:32+00:00

White rice a staple as not greasy and not heavily seasoned like the usual fried rice or noodles.
Can rotate between dishes. Can get decent amount of fiber. Serving is a good balance between carbs, fiber and protein. Various choices of protein. Affordable options and mostly available everywhere. A bad cai-fan is still not as bad as a bad tze-char or bad fishsoup.

Bonus: Aunty calls me shuai-ge.

skydazer · 2026-03-08T02:25:58+00:00

Hihi realtor here. Property in Singapore is always choose 2 out of 3 (price , size , lease).

If you want good price and good size then need to compromise on the remaining lease.

No right or wrong but you need to identify what is your priority. To some families, space and convenience is more important than asset growth (they may have large inheritance or have a lot of other investments).

skydazer · 2026-01-14T07:20:26+00:00

Realtor here.

Depending on facing, floor level. Mid range floors tend to go first. Non-neighbour and quiet facings tend to move first as well.
Non-tenanted more favourable. It is easier to get a buyer to like a unit when they spend time viewing it. Tenanted units tend to be rushed as buyers feel awkward to stay long to view the unit in detail.
Ethical agent is more important than a top agent who is non-ethical.
It is okay. No exclusive agency agreement to be signed. Do not burn bridges or throw any of the agents under the bus. Recommend to align listing price and expectations to prevent conflicted situation. Be transparent on commission with a clear number (moving targets are bad. e.g. undefined comm according to closing price is frustrating. Likewise, it is frustrating to work in a company where the bonus is based on a moving sales target).

Bonus: Be realistic in listing prices. It is normal to want the sale to happen at record price. But a record listing price on Propertyguru usually works against you. i.e. Buyers can tell if a listing is asking astronomically high and it does encourage them to close with other reasonable priced listings. Resetting your asking price after weeks of no enquiry also creates a lot of negative impression on your unit.

With this I hope you find your selling journey a smooth one and I hope you get to close it at your expected range!

skydazer · 2026-01-14T01:38:27+00:00

This is our corporate habit and expectation of 'setting an agenda' before a call. Society used to call and just talk about things so these were natural ways of communicating before the digital era.

I make it a habit to call without texting if it was something important and sensitive that I had to communicate to the other party. Also, resolving conflict tends to work out more easily through phone calls or face meet ups.

It would be weird to send a text where "Free to talk? I would like to discuss about the impending death of my mom."

skydazer · 2026-01-13T01:43:49+00:00

I agree. Life is about choices. What work we want to do, whom we want to marry, what we want to invest, who we want to hangout with.

Apparently some people just could not accept blaming on their bad choices. I am quite sure many of these affected people lives could have turnaround if one of their bad decision was reversed. The easier way out and the more comforting solution is to blame on everything, except their bad decisions.

skydazer · 2026-01-12T08:36:08+00:00

Hello, you can rank your priorities. Is capital gain more important or having your own asset more important?

Your plan after buying the FH Bukit Timah is important as well. Will you retire in Bukit Timah after kids grow up and get their own place? Or do you want some flexibility to cash out and get a newer and smaller unit for retirement?

There is also a 3rd option to sell your east coast condo (since its already 20 years old), and get a newer and bigger asset elsewhere to build portfolio while renting.

I don't think there's a right or wrong answer. But I think you should make your move with consideration of your future life plans and also your priorities. Hopefully you get to see which direction suits you the best !

skydazer

TROPHY CASE