This article will discuss the factors to consider while purchasing a home in Singapore. Whether you’re acquiring a private home or an HDB apartment today, you’re making a long-term commitment. As a result, we prepared this checklist to keep track of the information as you go through the purchasing process and the latest updates for Sengkang Property for 2021.
Punggol and Sengkang Property witnessed the most increase in resale transactions between 2011 and 2020. Punggol increased 181.5 percent, while Sengkang saw a 60.5 percent gain. Understanding the market will assist you in determining the worth of the property and the aspects that contribute to the resale property’s value. The following article provides an overview of the Sengkang Property.
What to Look For When Buying a Home in Singapore
Understanding Our Checklist for Purchasing a Home
For many, purchasing a home in Singapore is a long-term commitment and investment. A property acquisition checklist can assist you in understanding the numerous crucial issues that you should keep an eye out for during the process.
We also divide our checklist into three phases of the acquisition process:
- The pre-buying property phase
- The property negotiation contract signing phase
- The post-purchase phase
Aside from knowing what to look out for during a property acquisition, it is also a good idea to understand the procedures for purchasing a private property or an HDB flat in Singapore. Because doing so will help you know what to expect during the operations.
What Should You Keep in Mind Before Buying a Home?
Always take a step back after buying a private apartment or an HDB property in Singapore. Never rush into a home acquisition because there are pre-purchase checks that you should look out for during this portion of the purchase. You will be thrown into the unknown without preparation if you do not go through the pre-checks.
Check Your Financial Situation
While there are numerous things you may do during the pre-purchase stage, we recommend that you conduct your financial checks immediately because this will establish whether or not you are in a solid financial position to proceed.
The following are some questions you can ask yourself:
Are you in a position to purchase a home right now?
Are you able to get through a rainy day without getting wet?
In the event of a financial catastrophe, how will you continue to make your loan payments on time?
valuation-home-report
Suppose you are unable to provide satisfactory answers to these concerns. In that case, it is best to begin preparing and investigating more because purchasing a house in Singapore necessitates a significant financial investment as well as a substantial cash flow.
People who ignore financial checks will be pretty disappointed when confronted with a storm. Indeed, most people who lose money in real estate investment did so because they were not prudent or over-leveraged in their current circumstances.
Circumstances can shift overnight; the world could be hit by a pandemic or experience an economic crisis at any time. As a result, it is critical to have a safety net fund in place if something unexpected happens.
As a result, we strongly advise that you examine your financial situation and assess whether you are currently in an advantageous position to make a purchase. You can reach out to us, and we would be happy to assist you through a customized consultation.
The idea is to hope for the best while planning for the worst and being prepared for any shocks. Some people may think you are over-planning, but being sensible and prepared is never enough. When things happen (and the world has already experienced many crises), you will be ready to face them and navigate your way through the situation.
Obtain your In-Principle Bank Loan Approval Letter or your HDB Housing Loan Eligibility Letter
If you are considering private property or are ineligible for an HDB loan, the next step is obtaining in-principle loan approval.
On the other hand, if you are purchasing an HDB property, you should obtain your HDB housing loan eligibility letter.
This stage is critical because it determines how much money you will need to spend for the initial deposit and the monthly mortgage installment payments.
Furthermore, you will know the maximum price that you are ready to pay; as a result, you will save time because you will now shortlist houses that satisfy your specifications and the property price point.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Never make a down payment without first obtaining in-principle approval from your bank, as this does not guarantee that you will be approved for a loan.
This is especially true in Singapore, where the total debt servicing ratio and loan to value ratio are tight lending restrictions to ensure that those who want to acquire real estate do not over-leverage on loans.
As a result, there is no guarantee that you will be approved for a loan. The only way to know for sure is to obtain the in-principle loan documentation.
Once you have received your in-principle loan paperwork, it is best to trade the viewing of units because the documents usually have an expiry date attached to them. You can skip this stage if you do not intend to use a home loan to leverage the purchase of your house.
Understand Your Outgoing Payments
Purchasing a house in Singapore is not as straightforward as a butter trade, where the item has a cost, and you pay that cost price to obtain it. No way, no how! If only everything were that simple… When purchasing a property in Singapore, you will be liable to the buyer’s stamp duties.
This proportion of the property acquisition price varies based on whether the property is residential or non-residential. You may be subject to additional buyer’s stamp duties if you purchase a private residential property (ABSD for short).
The amount owed is determined by the number of residential properties you currently own as well as your citizenship. Put, the more residential properties you own, the more additional buyer’s stamp taxes you must pay. Similarly, if you are a foreigner purchasing a residential property, you will be charged much more ABSD.
Aside from the responsibilities payable, you will also need to set aside funds for property down payments and additional expenses such as insurance, legal, or agent’s commission.
Take a look at the following example to get a better understanding:
If you are a Singaporean and you are purchasing your first residential home for one million SGD, the following are the projected extra costs that you will have to pay:
$24,600 in buyer stamp duties; no additional buyer duties;
Legal fees, on average, are $2000; agent fees are negotiable.
Mortgage insurance, which might cost a few thousand dollars each year depending on the stipulations;
Depending on the terms, home insurance can cost hundreds of dollars every year.
Conduct a thorough market analysis
You want to do a thorough market analysis to understand the market and gain a competitive advantage when entering it.
Here are some essential questions you might ask yourself:
Are you approaching the market at the top of your game?
What are the anticipated future advances in the field?
Where is the future demand for the property you are purchasing in the future if you decide to sell it?
A market analysis does not guarantee that you are making the proper decision, but it does assist you in making a productive decision.
However, if you do not conduct a market analysis, you will be entering the market blindly. The latter, I believe, is the worst option because I will be taking a chance rather than a calculated risk.
Whether the property is for investment or personal use, we must purchase something that we can sell for a profit unless you don’t mind losing money in the future.
Carry out the Purchase Eligibility Verifications
Before taking any further action, you should conduct an eligibility check. Because there are limits in place in Singapore, whether you are a resident or a foreigner was looking to buy a home.
Foreigners who desire to purchase a restricted residential property must first obtain authorization from the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) before making such a transaction.
Restricted properties are essentially landed properties; foreigners are not permitted to own land in Singapore without the government’s agreement. When it comes to the sensitive issue of foreigners owning land in Singapore, there are tight laws in place.
Anyone who owns a Housing Development Board (HDB) public housing flat must complete their minimum occupation period (MOP) before purchasing private residential property. Essentially, this MOP is a 5-year countdown beginning when you receive the keys to your HDB apartment.
Permanent residents who want to buy an HDB flat must wait three years from the day they get their permanent resident status before they can do so.
If you are bankrupt, you will face further constraints because you will need the consent of your official assignee before making any purchases.
As you can see, Singapore is a country with clear restrictions; one minute, you may believe you have discovered a loophole, only to have the Government issue another regulation to cover it up.
HDB Resale Flats in Sengkang
Sengkang is located in the Outside Central Region of Singapore, in Districts 19 and 28 (Sengkang West) (OCR). Residents use the MRT stations on the North-East Line (Sengkang and Buangkok) and the LRT, connecting to the Sengkang MRT station. Compass One and The Seletar Mall are two shopping malls in the area.
Now, let’s face it – until recently, most Singaporeans only bought properties in Sengkang because they were cheap. Sengkang isn’t precisely a lifestyle hotspot right now. It’s as far from convenient as the sun’s surface is from being suitable for polar bears. Sengkang is devoid of retail alternatives; many residents must take the LRT to access the MRT. Sengkang’s only assets right now are lower-priced houses and a plausible backdrop for stories.
Sengkang is one of the most popular towns due to the high concentration of relatively new flats under ten and young families. These regions include outdoor recreational opportunities for exercise, public transportation links, and town center shopping malls.
Sengkang Property witnessed the most significant increase in resale sales in 2020 compared to 2011, with a 60.5 percent increase, according to research conducted by Huttons Asia.
An HDB valuation is the only official means to determine the value of an HDB Resale apartment. One reason for the increase in transactions in areas such as Punggol and Sengkang is that these towns have a high concentration of BTO projects, many of which have recently achieved the five-year minimum occupancy term.
Resale Home-buyer Profile
Resale housing, whether owned or rented, may require some remodelling or repairs. Many homebuyers are reselling in Singapore, so how many competitors are there in the resale Sengkang Property market?
- The cash-strapped buyers are looking at HDB resale flats. This group includes downgrades from the private sector, which may be reacting to a softer labour market.
- Some empty nesters are older and wish to free up funds to assist their children in purchasing homes.
- Specific HDB resale buyers are also ex-en bloc owners who have amassed a sizable sum of money and can pay in full for an HDB resale apartment. They can then use the remaining capital for other investments or retirement purposes.
- Some also have no objection to purchasing somewhat older but more affordable HDB resale flats, if the balance lease can last them until the end of their lives.
- Couples who cannot wait four to five years to complete BTO flats may also investigate the resale market.
Future Developments
Despite the increasing supply of flats in these two estates, the elaborate vision to transform Punggol into the future Digital District was critical in maintaining flat prices in Punggol and Sengkang.
The Singapore Institute of Technology campus and JTC’s Business Park spaces will be developed as part of the URA Master Plan to establish Singapore’s first innovative district, home to critical growing industries for the digital economy.
Punggol and Sengkang will see a new history path, offices, logistic centre, and facilities over the next few years, all of which have attracted purchasers to Sengkang.
Increasing Prices
If the global economic picture stays favourable this year, the pandemic’s worst effects may have passed, and crucial economies may do better than they did last year. There is still adequate liquidity in the economy due to investment funds’ enormous capital reallocation from financial markets to real estate properties.
We anticipate that the volume of HDB resales will increase by up to 5% this year, to roughly 24,000 to 26,000 units. Prices of resale apartments may continue to rise by 2% to 5% throughout 2021. In 2021, the sale volume is expected to be between 23,000 and 24,000 apartments.
These newer flats have accounted for a significant proportion of resale transactions and driven higher prices, concerning whether the government will impose price controls on HDB resale flats. The government could adjust the financing element of the budget to slow price increases.
Majority work with a real estate agent whom will assist you in locating houses for sale that meet your criteria, showing you the homes, assisting you in submitting an offer to purchase, and helping you finalize or close the deal.
You can obtain additional information on buying a property by contacting a community agency. To locate assistance in your neighbourhood, visit Now Homes now for more details about Sengkang Property.