Imagine having coffee at Wheelock’s Place at the Coffee Club with a bunch of your friends when they’re having the usual conversation of where they’re staying or intending to move to.
“So where do you live?”
You point at the top of the most iconic and tallest building in Orchard. Everyone’s impressed.
Enter The Orchard Residences, Orchard’s most impressive and tallest (218 metres) architecture yet.
HDB is also extending its hands for people with its second concessionary loan by allowing buyers who is downgrading, upgrading or buying flat of the same type to borrow.
Previously, only buyers who are upgrading their flats are allowed to borrow the second time directly from HDB. This might have unintentionally caused families who are not ready to upgrade their flats to do so.
Right Sizing the Quantum for the Second Concessionary Loan
HDB will reduce the quantum of the secondary concessionary loan by the full CPF proceeds and part of the cash proceeds from the sale of the existing or immediate past HDB.
Flat buyers can keep the greater of $25,000 or half of the cash proceed (including cash deposit received) and determine the quantum of the second loan to be granted.
50% of the cash proceeds (including deposit and cash over valuation) from the sale of the immediate past HDB flat and all of the CPF balance to finance the purchase of the next flat.
HDB will also be helping home owners who will be buying their next flat before selling their existing one by allowing them to apply for the second concessionary loan by granting them a bigger laon at commercial interest rates. The commercial interest rates are pegged to the 3-month average non-promotional interest rate for HDB flats offered by the 3 local banks.
They will redeem this loan with the full CPF refund from the sale of existing flat and part of the cash proceeds and will be reverted back to a concessionary rate loan.
The Government has released a series of anti-speculation measures to keep up with the private sales measure as to curb the rising cash-over-valuation (COV) syndrome that is making homes more unaffordable in the resale market.
Raising the Minimum Occupancy Period (MOP) for the resale of non-subsidised HDB flats from 1 and 2.5 years to 3 years
The objective is to reinforce owner-occupancy.
Currently, lessees of subsidized HDB flats are subject to an MOP of 5 years and will still remain the same. On the other hand, lessees of non-subsidised HDB flats i.e. resale flats bought without CPF Housing Grant are subjected to the old MOP of
Those who takes an HDB concessionary loan – 2.5 years
Those who takes a bank loan or do not take a loan – 1 year
The newly revised MOP for resale of non-subsidised flats will be increased to 3 years, regardless of whether the buyer takes an HDB loan, a bank loan or no loan at all.
This new policy will apply to resale transactions where applications are received by HDB from 5th March 2010 (immediate) onwards.
With the latest Budget released for 2010 by Financial Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, property tax computation for home owners will be on a 3-tier progressive scheme.
Based on Annual Value (AV) of your owner occupied home, the tiers are as follows:-
0% on your first $6,000 of AV
4% on the next $59,000 of AV
6% on anything above $65,000 of AV
There is already a new online calculator available based on the new tax tier on IRAS website for you to computate your 2011 property tax should you be able to know the latest AV of your home.
Rationale for New Property Tax Tier
Mr Tharman explains that with a moderately progressive property tax system, together with an income tax system that collects more taxes from better-off individuals and a flat GST rate that everyone pays, will form a fair system of taxes as a whole.
And with such, this tax system will benefit most Singaporeans.
If you happen to pass by Kallang on your way down from town to Geylang for a sumptuous supper, you will definitely see a lone yet very modern condominium standing just right close to the former Kallang Gasworks site.
You would also think this location would be prime since it is located quite closely outside the Central Business District fringeand it should be commanding great views because of the calm and serene Kallang River as well as the landscape of our Singapore Indoor Stadium scape. Latest Update on 5th May 10: VERDICT IS OUT It does command a view which you might not get in any other developments. You get exceptional sea, river and city view.
Introducing Seller’s Stamp Duty (SSD) for Properties Sold Within a Year
Properties that were bought before 20th February 2010 will not be subjected to the SSD. The SSD will be levied on sellers of residential properties and lands bought on or after today.
HDB flats are exclused from the SSD as they do already have a minimum occupancy period of at least one year.