Singapore moved up coronavirus outbreak alert to orange in the late afternoon last Friday. The next day I went for my routine trip to the wet market after my morning jog. It was crowded with people stocking up on food, especially frozen meat. Their market trolleys had completely blocked the entrance. I had no choice but diverted to the nearby NTUC Finest. The shelves … [Read more...]
How coronavirus may impact properties: Lessons from SARS
2020 Year of the Rat is not just another Lunar New Year. Everyone received far more updates on Wuhan coronavirus than auspicious greetings. Instead of last-minute shopping for Chinese New Year goodies, there was a frantic search for surgical masks and hand sanitizers, especially after the Ministry of Health assured the public that there is sufficient stock of masks to go around … [Read more...]
Will the cooling new sales market be frozen 2?
To divert public attention from the recent hot topic of supply glut in the property market, The Straits Times made use of November’s new sales to give developers a face-saving headline: “New private home sales rebound in November amid supply glut: URA data”. (The Straits Times, Dec 16) The article said “Excluding ECs, developers sold 1,147 units last month, 23.2 percent more … [Read more...]
The naked truth of Singapore’s property porn
(Disclaimer: This blog post contains mature content and is restricted to adults age 21 and above. Readers under 21 or immature in sexual or financial intelligence are advised to seek parental guidance before continue reading.) According to HSBC's 2019 survey, Singaporeans spend an average of over three hours per week on property-related window shopping, reading real estate … [Read more...]
Podcast Ep#39: Old Wives Tales About The Residential Property Market (Part II)
Thanks for waiting. Here is the second half of the presentation by Mr. Ku Swee Yong, CEO of International Property Advisor Pte Ltd, at the SMART Expo on October 5, 2019. Again the presentation "Old Wives Tales About The Residential Property Market" is busting the six biggest property myths in the industry: - 1st Myth: Singapore is land scarce. - 2nd Myth: If you open … [Read more...]