http://singaporewatch.org Examining Singapore from the sidelines. Sat, 06 Mar 2010 01:46:51 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Speech by Mr Mah Bow Tan, Minister for National Development, at the Committee of Supply Debate on Friday in Parliament. - Meeting diverse housing aspirations - Commitment to young couples, first-timers - Focus on affordability and financial prudence - Focus on owner-occupation Mr Chairman, Sir, Public housing is a hot topic every year, but it ... http://singaporewatch.org/?p=1326 BIG CONCESSION FOR DOWNGRADERS SINGAPORE - When he said he was feeling the heat, National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan was not referring to the weather, but the "exceptionally" high number of questions in Parliament on housing, he said in jest. The 15 Members of Parliament who put questions and issues to ... http://singaporewatch.org/?p=1325 It's a good start towards doing our part to lessen the waste we produce, and work towards a greener Earth. SINGAPORE - Going greener is just a lift ride away. Residents in Canberra constituency used to haul their recyclables to a bin that could be located a few blocks away. Now, they ... http://singaporewatch.org/?p=1319 The 5room flats for SkyVille @ Dawson and SkyTerrace @ Dawson and ranges between $532,000-$643,000. According to HDB estimates, taking a midpoint pricing for the 5room flats, with a median salary of $6,500, the monthly installment over 30 years would be $2,108. Gross pay: $6,500 Nett pay (after CPF): 0.8*6500 = $5,200 Mortgage ... http://singaporewatch.org/?p=1310 With the standard of living increasing with each very day, flats costing two arms and two legs, it's no wonder there's always a long Q outside the various Singapore Pool outlets. As the line from the local movie The Best Bet goes:  “有买有希望，没买没希望。” Translated, it just means 'If you buy, ... http://singaporewatch.org/?p=1294 Basically, Mr Ng was 31 when he 'set his plan in motion'. Initially he was invested in unit trusts. But he had read Robert Kiyosaki's 'Rich Dad Poor Dad' before, and decided to sell off his unit trusts and in 3 years, manage to acquire enough dividend paying stocks to ... http://singaporewatch.org/?p=1284 In Summary: "A Home to Call your Own" - Fully paid HDB flats cannot be mortgaged for a loan - HDB: Prevent flat owners from losing their flat in the event of a loan default - Why the different treatment between HDB and other 99 leasehold property? - Some HDB cost as much as private ... http://singaporewatch.org/?p=1268 According to salary.sg, they calculate how much the Singapore citizenship is worth over a permanent resident. Their figure came up to an advantage of $4,511/year. They break it down this way: Child Birth: Baby Bonus + Ward Stay = $531/year (based on 1 kid) Childcare Subsidy: $3600/yr School Fees: $180/year Housing: Insignificant Health Subsidies: $4511/year Salary.sg treats ... http://singaporewatch.org/?p=1253 It's a one word answer: VALUATION. Valuation is important to both sellers and buyers. Sellers have to get apply for a valuation, where a HDB accredited surveyor would come down and value the flat, and buyers would need to pay for that valuation report, so that they can get a loan ... http://singaporewatch.org/?p=1242 Pt 1(b) is the most interesting statement made by the Government. The Interest Absorption Scheme (IAS) and Interest-Only Housing Loans (IOL) were introduced last year to replace the Deferred Payment Scheme, which the Government banned earlier, to curb speculation. The main difference between the former and the latter however, is for ... http://singaporewatch.org/?p=1236