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Think back, 30-40yrs back, a 20000sqft detached house in Nassim road costs S$80K-S$90K, but at current situation, it costs min S$20M. So, what is the percentage of return? Imagine, if you buy say a 99yrs super high end condo at S$29M for say 5178sqft which translate into S$5600psf. Usually, before it T.O.P, it takes 2-3yrs. So minus the remaining lease it is about 96yrs lease from T.O.P, what is the upside of this super high end condo? Assuming the ultra rich owner never sell, per year basis, it depreciate by S$302K, wow ! it is a lot like deprciating a 4rm flat on per yr basis. But if you buy say a S$20M 20000sqft detached in cluny park, what is the upside. To me, to appreciate to S$30M is within reach given the fact that a FH Land-Title Landed property own this piece of 20000sqft land whereas Strata-Title FH condo does not own any land except it merely share the land with its neighbour, be it very exclusive 35 tenants or not so exclusive 2000 tenants? What is your comment?

Posted by Albert Lim on Mar 12, 2008 in General Questions | 66390 Views

Comment added by Albert Lim - Jun 5, 2009
For our future under master plan, we target 2 acheive 6.5Million population in 2015 with our 700sqkm of land. Now, we r slightly better compare 2 china, across d board, d tenure is 60yrs LH, in S'pore, due 2 planning we can only cater for 99yrs LH from now onwards. In other words, those withold a lot of FH land-title landed pty stand 2 gain on a longer term. FH Land-title mean u own that plot of land whether 3000sqft or 30000sqft. Currently, HDB dwellers form 80% of sg population, follow by 18% of Strata Cluster Hse/Condo/Pte Apt dwellers. Land-Title dwellers had shrink to only 2% of d enlarge sg population.
Comment added by Albert Lim - Jul 3, 2011
99yrs LH Condos/Apt can never be 99yrs on tenure b'cos it takes min 3yrs to build, some housing take 5yrs to build before it receive T.O.P, meaning a 99LH Condo/Apt you are buying is actually buying a 96LH or 94LH Condo/Apt
Comment added by Albert Lim - Sep 16, 2011
Recently, i had a discussion with a group of business friends. They ask me, Albert, why u still buy FH Land-Title landed pty, u don't worry it'll crash. I tell them, remember in the late '70 when u purchase a say 1600sqft of land area FH landed pty it cost u abt S$20K then come in mid of '80 it cost S$400K , people complain very expensive, crazy. Then come late '90 it cost S$800K, people say crazy. Then come mid 2005, it cost S$1.2M , people say crazy. Now it costs S$2M for a land area 1600sqft inter-terrace at city fringe be it D13 or D19. I tell my friends if u don't buy now @S$2M , in 3-5yrs time a FH inter-terrace of land area 1600sqft will cost min S$3M, if u still 1 2 wait & complain, u c 4 yrself, FH land-title landed pty is getting lesser & lesser, however, 99LH strata-title condo/apt is getting more & more. The future scenario i leave it 2 u 2 decide, i tell my friends.
Comment added by Albert Lim - Oct 14, 2011
As what the Law Minister would like 2 curb PR from buying "Land-Title" landed pty, what does this mean? I strongly believe more than 50% S'poreans do not understand what he means. A person even comment d taiwanese PR woman who bought d whole tower blk fr Keppel Grp out of d 3 tower blks can in fact control the land. This shows that how naive & ignorance our s'poreans can be. Always baer in mind only "Land-Title" FH Landed pty owner can prounce they own that plot of land b'cos of the "Land-Title" involve, other than Landed pty, be it Cluster Hse, Condos, Pte Apt & HDBs, all these fall under "Strata-Title" even if it is FH, they got no 100% control over the land unlike "Land-Title" landed pty owner who hv the 100% control rights over the land. That's make the huge difference which the Law Minister is trying 2 deliver the msg across.

Latest Answers by Real Estate Professionals (18 Answers)

Kathy Ng
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Answer Posted on Nov 14, 2008
Dear Albert,
When one wants to buy a property, there are a few factors they need to consider.
1. Is it for own use (stay) or investment(to be leased out)?
2. What is your short and long term investment goals?
3. How much gearing will you need?
What type of property you should buy will depend on your answers to the above questions.
As a general rule, prices are determined by demand and supply. In land scarce Singapore, prices of landed properties will always be on a upward trend with fluctuation pegged to the real estate cycle. However, it is not across the board the "landed" properties will flare better than "strata titled" properties. The No. 2 factor affecting property prices i.e. LOCATION do have a very substantial effect on the price too.
Although real estate agents do not have a crystal ball in front of us to predict the real estate market's trend, our experience, knowledge and being out there in the "battle field" do give us a competitve edge on this subject.
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Jerry Wong
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Answer Posted on Aug 12, 2010
Hi Mr Albert Lim. This question is a bit old but I'll attempt to answer this to the best of my efforts. First of all, you have to understand that property like anything else that can be bought or sold is subjected to the economic laws of supply and demand. Secondly, there are marco, mirco and other factors that directly affect the supply and demand of the property and hence ultimately the price of this commodity.

Let's look at the marco level. 200 years ago Singapore was a fishing village. If it was still a fishing village today, I would probably be able to buy the entire length of orchard road at $10 with change to spare. No economic interest in the land, no demand, no price.

Then you have factors at the mirco level, location, facing T-function, facing canal, cemetery, etc. So, the same exact unit in Nassim road will cost more than one in Pulau Ubin. Who wants to stay next to a cemetery right?

Next legislative regulations. Comparing a landed property and a condo is actually comparing between a chicken and a duck. Both are actually very different animals with very different set of rules. Here are some differences between these 2 and hence affecting supply and demand.

Landed Properties
-Residental Property Act. Only Singaporeans can purchase landed properties(foreigners need special permission). Gong Li and Jet Li with GCBs are actually Singapore citizens.

Condos
-If there are 100 units in a condo, 99 units can belong to foreigners, only 1 unit must belong to a Singaporean. So, if I'm a foreigner, what can I buy then?

Next facilities. Condos have way better facilities than landed properties. Unless you are living in a castle. The larger the condo, the more services the condo can provide. Great for rentals.

So, who actually owns the land in a FH or LH, strata or not? Answer none. All land belongs to the government in Singapore, and under the land acquisition act, they can take it back anytime they want. Usually in a name of national interest like building the circle line. And, if your 99 LH condo is about to end, simply ask all the residents to chip in and pay a premium to the government and voila! Back to 99 LH. Money solves everything. Well, almost.

Ultimately, prices of this commodity boils down to the basic economic law of supply and demand. Want to find out why certain properties sell better or will appreciate in the future? Well, better do your homework to find out all these factors before you invest.
However, if you haven't realized it already, the most important thing is that as long there is peace, happiness and progress for our nation, the value of our real estate will always be there. (I'm not a PAP man, seriously!)

Cheers!
Jerry
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Reply from Albert Lim - Aug 14, 2010
Jerry, if u r up 2 mark, professional agent, u should know abt 1.5yrs ago, government oreadi made 2 the residential act(New Ammendment) is that is yr land-title land pty worth S$2000psf, if they were 2 acquire it, they have to compensate back at S$2000psf. The reason being all d top-notch, whether Ministers, Bankers, Developers & etc choose 2 stay in GCB rather than ultra high end condo is b'cos parking is an issue 2 them, huge GCBs land minimunm can allow visitors 2 park up to 30cars, maximum 200cars. If u stay in super high end condo, when u invite your VIPs, d security ask yr VIP 2 park their Rolls Royce at opposite car park, pls bear that in mind.
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Reply from Albert Lim - May 18, 2011
Jerry, i quote what u say ' if yr 99LH condo is abt to end, simply ask all residents to chip in & pay a premium to govt & voila! Back to 99LH. Money solves everything' In this case yr client at Arcadia Condo need yr immediate help. SLA reject the application of the Arcadia condo for a lease top-up despite obtaining 100% support from the owners. SLA's decision has also turned on the spotlight on other ageing 99LH condos like Lutheran Towers, One Tree Mansions & Hollandswood Court. So Jerry, u r an expert, pls help all those owners who r desperate to top-up their lease like u say u just need to pay & definitely u will get yr ageing 99LH condos to renew back to 99LH by convincing & overturn lately SLA's decision.
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Kevin Yeow 饶国威
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Answer Posted on Mar 29, 2011
Dear Albert
You are right - owning a landed property in land-scarce Singapore is certainly of promising upside - given that governance and economy of our country remains relatively stable & progessive.

With current demand in an upward trend spur by the growing wealth of those eligible, current appreciation in prices are obvious. (what if LDAU relaxes foreign ownership, this will accelerate even further as noted in the condominium segment).

Location is prime here also to the contribution of the rate of increase as stated by many of my peers.

However, as with all investments, one should also be aware of the risks inherent to be consider. (Will Singapore continue its prosperity path say 5, 10, 25years later . . .?)

Properties take some time to convert to liquidity - should also be consider.

As Singapore has been well governed thus far with a stable robust economy - proactive yet relatively flexible, the rate of return for a landed property is a promising outcome. One should also not forget, that no matter what - a property serves its primary role - that of a shelter & comfort and even prestige for those own their own land - that alone is intangible and invaluable . . .

After all, we don't live forever - so, let's live life to the fullest!!!



Cheers
Kevin
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Jerry Wong
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Answer Posted on Aug 18, 2010
Hi Albert. Well, I was viewing your question on the investment point of view. So, my thoughts were all heading in that direction. When i meant that all land belonged to the government under the land acqusition act, it meant that the government can take it back anytime they want. You do not have a choice under any circumstance to reject the claims of the Singapore government. However, they will "pay" for the land that you possess at the moment. How much they pay will depend on the circumstances(you can always appeal though if it find it unfair). Remember Lorong Chuan? They gave up their 18 carparks to the government for just $1. Why? The new MRT line will benefit everyone and increase the price of the property around the area. This is also known as betterment.

Hope you don't misunderstand me because I was focused in the investment direction. I'm just a simple real estate agent trying to learn new things everyday. Thanks for sharing Albert! :)
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Howard Teo
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Answer Posted on Mar 18, 2008
You are right in a way that land appreciates compared to a strata unit.But it is subjected to location. I am sure a landed unit in Seletar won't appreciate as fast as a unit in Nassim Rd.

So far I have yet to see a 29m strata project. By the way for condominiums, the developers still own the land, because of the condo facilities. Only apartment owners have a share ownership of the land.
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Reply from Albert Lim - Apr 14, 2009
Hi Howard, i'm refering 2 the one made headline by capitalland " Orchard Residences" S$5600psf for the 99yrs leasehold penthhouse.
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Andy Ang
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Answer Posted on Feb 9, 2012
Inflation and evoultion happened. Back in 30-40yrs ago, $80 - $90K is a great deal of money. At that time, people are earning few cents and can survive on just one dollar.
If you compare about selling price, how about comparing how much an average person earns as compared to 30-40yrs ago.
What is gone is gone...My father could have just use a rope as a border when Singapore starting zoning 30-40yrs ago. If he did, my house will be sitting on a 40,000 sqft now.....
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Jonathan Tong 董德祥
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Answer Posted on Aug 1, 2011
Hi Albert Lim,

Congratulating you for the Top viewed Question. 45885 viewers include me. Since Mar 2008. Well done.

Just like this interesting question you had posted 3 years 5months ago, the number still counting.....
Your property investment will continue to grow stronger and better in value as year go by. Regardless whether is a leasehold or freehold property.
Eg : Farrer Court, a leasehold "HUDC" before privatized balance 60 years lease, each was sold for $2.15m. "location, location, location".
For the landed property at Nassim, it very interesting.
We need to thank our Government, for the stability, good infrastructure, our world class banking & financial system, especially the strong S$. And restrictedHi Serene,

If you are single, the HDB require a minimum age of 35 years old to qualify to buy the resales "open market" HDB flat only.

Meanwhile, I suggest you may want to get financial plan ready.
Your CPF funds at the Ordinary account, ( include last 15 months contribution) last 3-months payslip or IRAS income tax statement. ownership for all landed property, less LDAU approved owners or the landed at Sentosa.
I agreed all property in Singapore will continue to appreciate over time, the limited land available and have a good government system.
Buying a property is a long term investment, be it for own-stay (our need or pleasure, or investment ( to hedge against inflation, interest rate or opportunity cost).
Future value for most property will rise in different percentage will very much depend on the location (central d1-d8, prime d9-d11)
I would advise for best investment purpose, multiple properties in various central or prime districts.
However, if for your own-stay, pleasure, enjoyment of life, the value cannot be compared or value can be measured. You can choose the bungalow on landed property or "bungalow in the air"
Big penthouses with swimming pool and many other good facilities with security. (The later, has no restriction on foreigners' ownership) .

You are pamper with many choices, but this time make sure you buy with no regret. We need not wait another 30-40 years and regret we never invested in properties.

All the Best.

Best Regards,
Jonathan Tong
Orangetee.com Pte Ltd
Mobile : 9782 2848
Email: jonathan.tong@orangetee.com
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Lester Tan
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Answer Posted on Jul 22, 2011
Your Search for an Experienced, Professional and Trustworthy Realtor to
handle all your Singapore Properties Investments Matter Can Stop HERE !

Regards,

Lester Tan
Senior District Partner
ECG Property Pte Ltd
CEA Certified R006736B

(M) +65 9101 7777
(W) www.91017777.com

Sovereign International Network (SIN) Group
- Your Ultimate Business Partner
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Kevin Chung
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Answer Posted on Nov 2, 2010
Dear Albert, we have to consider a few factors before answering your question.I'll just raise one important consideration.

1. Foreigners cannot buy landed properties (easily). The appreciation of landed FH properties is limited by the above. There will always be some super high price transactions that catches media attention but prices above $2000psf are rare and few.

Strata-Title FH however do not have that restriction. There are easily 50 times more units sold above $2000psf compare to each landed sold above the same price.

Give me a call if you want more insight into real estate investment.

Kevin Chung
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Tomme Leong
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Answer Posted on Nov 10, 2010
Hi Albert,

My humble view as below:-

Land is scarce in our Lion City. Location is one of the micro factors that affects the property value. Macro factors will depends more on the economy, the govt policy, demand and supply etc.

If one day, more 'foreigners' are allowed to buy landed in Singapore... What do you think will happen to the landed property prices in Singapore? eg. Sentosa, GCB

To the Ultra-Rich, money is never an issue. But no one can predict anything that is going to happen in the years to come else everyone should have bought properties in Nassim or equivalent.

Tomme Leong
Mobile: 9011-1108
Email: tommeleong@gmail.com
Huttons Real Estate
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Gabriel Lin
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Answer Posted on Nov 12, 2011
The past is forgotten.
Look towards the future..

Thats all i can say.

Good Luck to all
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Catherine PANG
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Answer Posted on Oct 10, 2011
You are very knowledgeable..
www.catherinepang.com
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Ryan Chen
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Answer Posted on Nov 15, 2008
Think back, 30-40yrs back, a 20000sqft detached house in Nassim road costs S$80K-S$90K, but at current situation, it costs min S$20M. So, what is the percentage of return?


Present Value: 80,000
Future Value: 20,000,000
No. Of Years: 40

The average return of this investment is 14.8% per annum.
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Reply from Albert Lim - Nov 17, 2008
Hi Ryan, I think u got all mixed up. Present Value : S$20M Previous value : S$80K No. of Years : 40 Return : 250 fold Annual return : 6.25fold
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Kelvin Tay
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Answer Posted on Jul 7, 2008
yes you are right, possible to have a privete discussion with you, feel free to call 81283138 Kelvin Tay / PropNex Grandeur
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Ryan Chen
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Answer Posted on Nov 15, 2008
Think back, 30-40yrs back, a 20000sqft detached house in Nassim road costs S$80K-S$90K, but at current situation, it costs min S$20M. So, what is the percentage of return?


Present Value: 80,000
Future Value: 20,000,000
No. Of Years: 40

The average return of this investment is 14.8% per annum.
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Joseph Ong Chee Chuan
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Answer Posted on Jul 22, 2008
Hi,
You are right the price in that area haven't change and it still going strong.

Joseph Ong
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Catherine PANG
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Answer Posted on Jul 2, 2010
we have the answers for you . contact us or attend our seminars every tues 7pm
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Answer Posted on Aug 26, 2008
Hi Albert Lim, i dont understand your question? Rgds Ravin 9798-5917 fr KNIGHT FRANK
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