Singapore Properties - Buy / Sell / Rent: November 2009

More flats in Punggol with two new BTO projects

Singapore: HDB has launched two new Build-To-Order (BTO) projects in Punggol Town, with another four BTO projects planned by late 2009 in Bukit Panjang, Sembawang and Dawson.

The latest pair of BTO projects named Punggol Sails and Punggol Ripples offer a total of 1,078 standard flats.

The units will be located along Punggol Field and will be served by the Punggol MRT, LRT stations, bus interchange, and the future Punggol Town Centre with shops, a childcare centre, as well as primary and secondary schools in the area.

They comprise of 130 units of Studio Apartments, 436 units of 3-room, 403 units of 4-room and 109 units of 5-room flats.

The Punggol BTO units will be priced between S$65,000 and S$92,000 for a Studio Apartment, and S$332,000 to S$377,000 for a 5-room flat.

The Housing and Development Board said in its news release that most of the latest BTO flats, except for the studio units, will be set aside for first-time applicants as they generally have more urgent housing needs.

It added that in addition to a market subsidy on the selling price, eligible

first-timers with an average monthly household income of S$5,000 or less may also apply for the Additional CPF Housing Grant (AHG) of up to S$40,000 which can be used to offset the initial down-payment.

This leaves first-time flat buyers using between 23 and 27 per cent of their monthly household income to service their monthly mortgage commitment, which the HDB said is well below the 30 per cent international benchmark for affordable housing.

- CNA/sf
Posted: 16 November 2009 1333 hrs

14 HDB blocks in Jurong East to undergo lift upgrading

SINGAPORE : Fourteen HDB blocks in Jurong East will undergo lift upgrading.

This was announced by Senior Minister of State for National Development Grace Fu at a community event in Yuhua on Sunday.

Ms Fu said blocks 103 to 116 will get their lifts upgraded.

She said: "For Jurong East-Yuhua, this will be our second last precinct; we have one more precinct to go, we hope we are able to get it next year."

Ms Fu had earlier joined some 1,000 residents, grassroots leaders and volunteers in the precinct in a mass cleanup of the neighbourhood as part of this year's Clean and Green Week.

Ms Fu, who is also MP for Jurong GRC, said residents can do more to keep the estates clean.

The town council was asked to stop cleaning for one day to see the effect.

Ms Fu said: "It showed there was a lot of littering, especially high rise littering. So I think that is an area we can really focus on in terms of public education, as well as getting residents to play their part."

- CNA/ms
By Wang Eng Eng, Channel NewsAsia
Posted: 15 November 2009 1824 hrs

1st public housing project along Punggol Waterway to have eco-friendly features

SINGAPORE: Singapore's first public housing project along the Punggol Waterway will have eco-friendly features and resort-like designs.

The 1,200-unit waterfront project will be launched in the middle of next year.

The firm behind the winning design is a partnership between international architectural firm Group8asia and local design company Aedas.

They stole the crown with a distinctive sky terrace concept which creates public spaces along the waterway.

More than 100 design firms from Europe and Asia took part in the Punggol Waterfront Housing Design Competition.

They had to submit plans that matched the housing board's theme of "Green Living by the Waters".

HDB said the waterfront flats will be kept affordable.

National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan said: "New HDB estates look like private condominiums, but don't cost as much as private condominiums.

"New innovative construction methods like pre-fabrication reduces cost and construction time. And that's one of the reasons why we are able to keep the cost of construction down."

- CNA/vm
By Maggie Chong/Dylan Loh, Channel NewsAsia
Posted: 11 November 2009 1257 hrs