Owning more than one property is a good way to prepare for retirement as it provides you with a nest egg, more flexibility and a regular passive income.

Properties are an excellent investment vehicle for retirement. Find out how you can create passive income and free up equity from your home.

By Stuart Chng  

For many people, building wealth steadily and preparing for a comfortable retirement are the two most important financial goals in their lives. As a greying nation, this topic has become more commonly discussed in recent years and is set to be an even more important topic in the future.    

 Whether you are living in an HDB flat, condominium or landed property, there are several ways that you can utilise your home equity saved up over the years to provide for a comfortable retirement.  

In this article, we explore what options are available to different segments of homeowners. For an HDB flat owner, there are three ways to unlock equity for retirement needs.  

1. HDB Lease Buyback Scheme (LBS)

Goal 

This scheme helps flat owners to receive a stream of income in their retirement years while continuing to live in their properties.  

How it works   

Owners sell part of their flat’s lease back to the Housing Board in return for proceeds that helps them top up their CPF Retirement Account to purchase a CPF Life Plan, which pays them a monthly income for life.  

Conditions 

This scheme is available to owners of four-room flats or smaller who have met their Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) and are at least 64 years of age with no other properties. At least one of the owners must be a Singaporean and monthly gross household incomes must not exceed $12,000. The minimum tenure remaining must be at least 20 years. (Other terms and conditions apply).

2. Silver Housing Bonus (SHB) Scheme

Goal 

Elderly lower-income households get to unlock equity in their homes to provide them a retirement income by down-sizing.

How it works 

Owners get to enjoy up to $20,000 in cash when they sell their property and utilise part of their sales proceeds to top up their CPF Retirement Account and join a CPF Life Plan that pays them an income for life.  

Conditions  

 Owners must be at least 55 years of age, met the MOP, have a monthly gross household income of less than $12,000, not own any other properties and purchase a flat not larger than three rooms. (Other terms and conditions apply). 

3. Renting out rooms for regular income

Retirees whose children have left the nest can monetise their properties through renting out rooms in their flats. This provides them with a stable and regular income that can provide for a basic quality of life in their later years. A four-room flat owner would usually be able to rent out two bedrooms for an average of $400 each while occupying the master bedroom for themselves. For retirees who have the option to live with their children, renting out their entire flat would usually yield at least $1,600 to $2,000 per month.  

Options for private homeowners 

Private homeowners whose property annual values do not exceed $13,000 get to enjoy the same Silver Housing Bonus benefits if they fulfil the criteria as mentioned above in the second point.   

For owners with higher value private properties, they may choose to unlock equity in their homes through equity loans or private banking facilities.  

Equity loans 

Equity loans are loans that are taken out when a property has appreciated in value or has its loans paid down partially or fully over time. The beauty of such loans is that they are similar in cost to a mortgage loan (at present writing, 1.4 percent), and have tenures extending to 75 years of the borrower’s age or 35 years in maximum tenure. This provides retirees with a low-cost source of funds that can be deployed to defensive retirement investing strategies to yield higher returns. Take note that banks will have credit checks in place before granting you the loan.  

For example, by topping up one’s CPF, one can enjoy up to 3.5 percent risk-free returns from our Ordinary Account and up to 5.0 percent from our Special Account. Retirees above 55 can even enjoy up to 6.0 percent returns. Despite the common gripes we are used to reading about CPF, the truth is few investments are available to the masses that can provide such high returns whether the global economy does well or not.  

Private banking 

Private banks offer numerous ways to monetise properties that allows high-net-worth clients to collateralise their fully paid properties for funds. The options available to such clients vary greatly between straightforward revolving interest loans to complex ones that involve foreign currencies and carry trades. 

For example, investing in a higher yielding foreign currency of 5.0 percent while borrowing at 1.0 percent interest rates and maintaining minimum float. The nett positive carry provides good returns while still allowing clients to utilise most funds for other yield-accretive investments.  

In summary, over my years of advising clients on property matters, a common thread exists. Those who have upgraded their properties during their most active work years or have invested in more than one property have more options available to them during their retirement years.  

Inflation is as certain as death and taxes. The “fortunate” event that has occurred for those who have invested in properties is that the pace of real estate inflation has thus far exceeded the pace of inflation in healthcare, education, food and transportation. This wealth accumulation effect has hence helped many of them hedge against rising costs and provide them greater freedom and flexibility in the later years of their lives. 

 

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Stuart Chng

Co-Founder of Navis Living Group

Senior Associate Executive Director of OrangeTee & Tie

Stuart is a renowned team leader and personality in the real estate industry. 

He is a licensed real estate agent, team leader, industry trainer and speaker, columnist for several property newsletters and blogs and is often quoted in media interviews on 938FM, Channel 8, PropertyReport, PropertyGuru and other publications.

 

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The views and opinions expressed in the article are those of the author’s and do not necessarily represent the position taken by PropertyGuru, and its employees. Information provided in this publication is general in nature and does not constitute professional financial advice. PropertyGuru will endeavour to update its publication and website as needed. However, information can change without notice, and we do not guarantee the accuracy of information in the publication or on the website, including information provided by third parties, at any particular time.
Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided is accurate, individuals must not rely on this information to make a financial or investment decision. Before making any decision, we recommend you consult a financial planner or your bank to take into account your particular financial situation and individual needs. PropertyGuru does not give any warranty as to the accuracy, reliability or completeness of information which is contained in this publication or on its website. Except insofar as any liability under statute cannot be excluded, PropertyGuru and its employees do not accept any liability for any error or omission in this publication or on its website or for any resulting loss or damage suffered by the recipient or any other person.

 

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