Waterfall Gardens at Holland/Farrer Road - Singapore - District 10

Waterfall Gardens at Holland/Farrer Road - Singapore - District 10

Set back against the confluence of Farrer Road and Holland Road, Waterfall Gardens is your sanctuary from the ebb and flow of everyday life.

Located in Singapore’s exclusive District 10, this freehold condominium offers unobstructed views in every direction. With the city and major expressways mere minutes away, take a plunge at anytime into the river of excitement that urban living offers.

Name :  Waterfall Gardens
Developer :  Acecharm Pte Ltd
Tenure : FH
Property Type :  CONDO
Location : 8, Farrer Road,Singapore 268820
District : 10
Unit Type :(Waterfall Gardens)

Total Units: 132 in two 12-storey buildings

3, 4 Rooms:

Penhouses with rooftop swimming pool (12 units): up to 450 sq.m. (4844 sq.ft.)

 
Facilities

BBQ pits
Covered car park
Playground
24 hours security
 Squash court
Swimming pool
Wading pool
 

 
Nearest MRT Station

Commwealth MRT Station (1.29 km)
Buona Vista MRT Station (1.73 km)
Queenstown MRT Station (1.96 km)

Nearest Schools

St Margaret’s Secondry School (1.03 km)
Nanyang Primary School (1.07 km)
New Town Primary School (1.21 km)
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Design awards for Singapore HDB estates

Design awards for Singapore HDB estates 

Sengkang, Ghim Moh estates score well for innovative design, user-friendly features

By Ong Bi Hui 
 
HOUSING Board estates are not known for their innovative designs, but two cutting-edge ones are starting to change all that.
They have just become the first HDB estates to win design awards for both their good looks and user-friendly features.

The Coris, a precinct in Sengkang New Town, and the upgraded Ghim Moh Gardens estate, which is 32 years old, both won bronze awards at the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) Universal Design Awards.

‘Universal Design’ generally refers to design that allows users to get around easily, with easy-to-use facilities.

The BCA Awards were launched in September last year, and this year saw 34 entries, with most being refurbished buildings.

Both estates stood out due to their accessibility to residents, with seamless connectivity throughout.

The Coris at Sengkang, which has 14 residential blocks, had a comprehensive signage system so visitors can find their way around easily. There are also various recreational and communal facilities, including an area for the elderly to exercise, jogging tracks and pavilions.

Ghim Moh Gardens features wheelchair-friendly lifts that stop at every floor, safer clothes-drying racks and elderly-friendly toilets. Getting around is easy, with markets and bird- viewing spots all linked by sheltered walkways.

This year, three silver and six bronze awards were given in six categories of buildings: commercial, institutional, residential, open spaces, refurbished and open.

Other winners include Terminal 3 at Changi Airport and the National Museum of Singapore.

At last year’s awards, Ikea Tampines clinched the top prize, the gold award, but a prize in this category was not handed out this year.

Professor Cheong Hee Kiat, chairman of the award assessment panel, attributes this to it having ‘raised the bar’ this year.

He said: ‘Buildings need to be a holistic package. They must be comprehensive, integrative and have that special touch, while taking into account the owner’s corporate philosophy.’

Winners will receive their awards from Minister for National Development Mah Bow Tan next Thursday. Those interested in applying for next year’s awards can visit www.bca.gov.sg.

Source : Straits Times - 16 May 2008

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Singapore MM’s wife in serious condition after stroke

Singapore MM’s wife in serious condition after stroke
 
She can speak and recognise family members but remains in hospital after Monday’s stroke

By Li Xueying & Kor Kian Beng 
MORE ALERT NOW: Mrs Lee’s daughter said her intelligence is not affected but physical movements may be frustrating. — ST FILE PHOTO
 
MRS Lee Kuan Yew, wife of the Minister Mentor, is in hospital after suffering a stroke on Monday.
However, her haemorrhage has since stabilised and, while she remains in ‘a serious condition’, she is able to recognise immediate family members, said a statement from the Minister Mentor’s office yesterday.

Mrs Lee, 87, experienced sudden weakness in the left side of her body and slurring of speech at 12.20pm on Monday.

She was taken to the National Neuroscience Institute (NNI) for an urgent brain scan, which revealed bleeding in the right side of the brain, and was subsequently admitted to the Neurointensive Care Unit in Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

‘The haemorrhage stabilised after two days of close monitoring and treatment, before she was transferred to the general ward on Wednesday,’ said the statement.

‘Currently, she remains in a serious condition although she is able to recognise immediate family members.’

The Lees’ daughter, Associate Professor Lee Wei Ling, who is director of the NNI, told The Straits Times that Mrs Lee was ‘more alert’ yesterday compared to earlier in the week.

‘Her intelligence is not affected, but physical movements may be frustrating,’ she said, adding that Mrs Lee’s left arm is not moving well.

‘But what we said, she understood. She can also speak. She is in good spirits given the circumstances.’

Mrs Lee suffered a stroke in 2003 when she and Mr Lee were in London on a European tour. The bleeding was also in the right side of the brain then.

She recovered soon after and was well enough to continue accompanying Mr Lee on official trips.

Their last official trip was in March when they visited Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Bahrain in the Middle East.

Source : Straits Times - 16 May 2008

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Mindy Yong

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What is a stroke?

What is a stroke? 
 
ACCORDING to Dr Alvin Hong, consultant neurosurgeon at Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre and Gleneagles Medical Centre, there are two types of stroke.
‘One is caused by blockage in a blood vessel, so that blood cannot flow to the part of the brain that the vessel supplies.

The other is when a blood vessel within the brain bursts, causing blood to leak inside the brain. Mrs Lee suffered this type of stroke.”
What causes it?
Most haemorrhagic strokes are spontaneous, meaning there are no underlying causes, such as tumours or blood abnormalities. It often happens in older people due to degenerative changes in blood vessels.

In people in their 40s to 60s, the most common cause is high blood pressure.
Effects of stroke
Effects can vary. If the bleeding is in the brain stem, the damage can be serious.

If the stroke is in the left side of the brain, the person could be paralysed on the right of the body and also have problems communicating with others as speech is controlled in the left brain. This can be very disabling.

If the stroke is in the right side of the brain, language ability most probably won’t be affected.

Another factor is the size of the blood clot. A big blood clot will do more harm.

Swelling around the blood clot usually gets worse in the first 24 to 48 hours. Blood clots can threaten life by exerting so much pressure that the rest of the brain is also affected.
How to treat the condition
Sometimes, to save a life, doctors operate to remove the blood clot.

If the clot is not so big and the rest of the brain is less affected, doctors use medication to bring down the swelling in the brain.

If one waits long enough, all blood clots disappear. The problem is that one could die before a clot disappears.

Typically it takes five to seven days before a clot subsides significantly.

If a patient is quite stable after three to five days, he will probably remain so because swelling and bleeding are worst in the first two days.

In Mrs Lee’s case, the fact that she can recognise family members means the rest of the brain is working. The reason why it’s considered a serious condition is because it’s only the fourth day.
Recovery prospects
Doctors will have to first treat the complications of the stroke, of which a chest infection is the most common. Such patients often lie in bed and do not cough or breathe deeply enough. Secretions from the lungs are not cleared and they get a chest infection.

As the blood clot disappears and the pressure on the surrounding brain drops, the brain will begin to recover.

‘Once the danger period has passed, the patient will require intensive rehabilitation. It takes time, and patience,’ said Dr Hong.

Source : Straits Times - 16 May 2008

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Mindy Yong

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Singapore Retail sales index up 5.6% in March

Singapore Retail sales index up 5.6% in March

By OH BOON PING

Excluding motor vehicles, overall sales volume rose by 6.1 per cent.

The strong growth was partly attributed to higher prices, but at constant prices the volume of retail sales actually declined marginally from a year ago, says the DOS.

Total retail sales value in March was estimated at $2.89 billion, compared with February’s $2.59 billion, with almost all retail sectors reporting higher turnover year on year.

 
 
For example, sales of supermarket goods, furniture & household equipment, department store items, optical goods & books, watches & jewellery and telecommunications apparatuses & computers in March this year continued to grow at 13.6 per cent to 16.7 per cent.

However, the motor-vehicle segment reported a decline of 8.1 per cent, continuing its downward trend since October 2007.

As for restaurants, receipts fell 1.8 per cent from the previous year, even though sales of fast-food outlets and food caterers rose during the period.

For example, turnover at fast-food restaurants rose by 1.6 per cent while revenue of food caterers and other eating places increased by 8.9 per cent and 6 per cent respectively.

The DOS said the increase was partly due to higher food prices. ‘After removing the price effect, the volume of catering trade declined by 3.1 per cent.’

In a report, HSBC economist Prakriti Sofat noted the contraction in motor-vehicle sales, but added that as certificate of entitlement (COE) premiums fall ‘to the lowest level in around a year, motor-vehicle sales will probably see a bounce in the months ahead’.

Looking ahead, the economist believes that retail spending here should remain firm.

‘Singaporeans got their first ‘growth dividend’ at the end of April (with the second in October) which, together with tax rebates, healthy job gains and historically low interest rates, suggests that households should let loose the purse strings,’ Ms Sofat said.

 
Source : Business Times - 16 May 2008

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Mindy Yong

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Singapore CDL reveals what it does for society and environment

Singapore CDL reveals what it does for society and environment

By CONRAD TAN
CITY Developments Ltd (CDL) yesterday launched its first annual report focusing on the property developer’s impact on the environment, such as energy usage and carbon emissions.
The 54-page voluntary report, one of the first of its kind for a Singapore public-listed company, also details CDL’s activities and performance on various social and environmental issues, including efforts to improve the efficiency of energy and water use at its property projects and to reduce the amount of waste it generates.

But profits still come first, managing director Kwek Leng Joo said at a media conference to launch the report yesterday.

‘Businesses are for profit. Companies are out there not primarily to do charity work, think about how they should protect the environment or how they should repay kindness to society,’ he said. ‘The primary obligations are to the shareholders and investors.’

A company needs to be profitable first ‘before it can even put itself in a position to talk about CSR (corporate social responsibility) or anything else’, Mr Kwek said.

Just a day earlier, CDL reported a 31 per cent jump in net profit to $165 million in the first quarter from a year earlier. And last year saw record revenue and profit for the second-largest developer here amid the boom in property prices.

 
 
But a public-listed company must also be sure that ‘whatever kind of business it is in is sustainable’, which is where CSR issues are relevant, Mr Kwek said.

As a major property developer, paying attention to environmental conservation and protection issues is necessary to ensure that its core business of developing and managing new projects is sustainable in the long term, he added.

According to the report, CDL invests 2-5 per cent of the construction cost of a project in environmentally friendly ‘green’ design and features.

The company said it aims to track and measure its social and environmental efforts and performance against international benchmarks, and is setting up a formal CSR committee comprising senior management that will report directly to Mr Kwek.

Zoe Knight, head of socially responsible investment research at Merrill Lynch, said the report is a ‘breakthrough’ for Singapore.

Other Singapore-listed companies that have published separate environmental impact reports include Singapore Airlines and Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing.

Source : Business Times - 16 May 2008

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Mindy Yong

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Leng Beng says Singapore real estate market sustainable

Leng Beng says Singapore real estate market sustainable

CityDev boss sees further investment opportunities ahead
By EMILYN YAP

HOTEL and property tycoon Kwek Leng Beng believes Singapore’s real estate market is sustainable and further investment opportunities lie ahead.
‘I am also waiting for the opportunity … to go in and buy at the right time,’ he said at a property conference yesterday.

The executive chairman of City Developments said growth in Macau’s gaming industry had driven up residential property prices there sharply. And with two integrated resorts and big events such as the Youth Olympics in the next few years, Mr Kwek reckons the future is bright for Singapore real estate.

According to country head of Jones Lang LaSalle Singapore Christopher Fossick, the current slowdown in property demand is largely sentiment-driven, and many investors are probably waiting to purchase at better prices.

In terms of office space, Mr Kwek said: ‘There has been a lot of talk that by 2010 and 2011 there will be a lot of oversupply. I do not believe so because in the first place, construction is a problem here.’

He cited rising construction costs as a reason for this view.

 
 
While office rents have been rising, Mr Fossick does not see this as a major business concern. Sharing feedback from multinational companies, he said wages are a much larger component of the cost of doing business, compared with rents.

Mr Kwek is also positive on the outlook for the hospitality real estate market. He believes the shortage of hotel rooms in Singapore and the rise in intra-regional travel will keep room rates on an uptrend.

Although Mr Kwek is generally upbeat on prospects for local real estate, he did express one concern. While investments from institutional funds have helped steady the market, ‘funds have a duration of life and will get out’, he said.

On the other hand, ‘for the retail buyers, when they get out, they don’t get out all at the same time’.

Mr Kwek asked in a panel discussion why the recent boom in Singapore’s property market did not attract many individual investors from the West, while funds showed huge interest. The director of property at Henderson Global Investors Asia, Chris Reilly, said this could be due to the lack of familiarity with Asian real estate among retail buyers in the West.

 
Source : Business Times - 16 May 2008

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Mindy Yong

(+65)91002985

mindy@mindyyong.com

Interest in Asian property seen growing - Singapore

Interest in Asian property seen growing - Singapore

GIC Real Estate says weaker market favours those taking strategic position
By EMILYN YAP

(SINGAPORE) The sub-prime crisis may have affected Asian property markets, but interest in the sector is likely to grow. The Government of Singapore Investment Corp’s (GIC) real estate arm is also confident about investment opportunities going forward.
‘There is plenty to go around - we will all have fun competing,’ said president of GIC Real Estate Seek Ngee Huat at a property conference yesterday.

Going by the pace at which real estate projects are emerging in Asian cities, Dr Seek believed that there would be a continuous supply to meet different risk-return appetites.

Dr Seek recognised that the sub-prime crisis has weakened Asian markets, particularly Japan and Australia. ‘The contagion effects of the sub-prime crisis . . . can potentially accelerate the downward spin of the current cycle,’ he said.

Nevertheless, the outlook for the property market was not entirely bleak. ‘Weak markets favour those who have capacity to take a strategic position,’ Dr Seek said. ‘The sub-prime meltdown presents threats but there are also opportunities.’

And many around the world are likely to see investment opportunities in Asian property markets as well. ‘Massive build-up of investment funds in the world, coupled with the attraction of Asia as a growth region of the future, will ensure continuous global interest in Asian real estate,’ said Dr Seek. He pointed out that this will inevitably lead to greater competition.

 
 
Dr Seek said that GIC Real Estate had focused mainly on developed markets in its first 10 years, and only started investing in Asia in the 1990s. Even then, it was ‘way ahead’ of other institutional investors.

GIC Real Estate ranks among the world’s top 10 real estate investment firms, according to its website. The unit has over 200 investments across more than 30 countries, culminating in a multi-billion US dollar portfolio.

GIC Real Estate had in March, through its affiliate Reco Hotels JV Private Ltd, entered into a joint venture with Host Hotels & Resorts Inc to explore investment opportunities in Asia and Australia. The real estate unit also bought the Westin Tokyo hotel for about 80 billion yen (S$1.05 billion) in February.

Source : Business Times - 16 May 2008

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Mindy Yong

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mindy@mindyyong.com

Singapore Temasek Foundation silences the cynics

Singapore Temasek Foundation silences the cynics

Its projects in Asia make a difference that goes beyond any PR exercise
By CHUANG PECK MING

JUST a week shy of Temasek Foundation’s first anniversary, Temasek Holdings, which started the $500 million foundation to help people in Asia, was again in the news. Last Friday, an Indonesian court threw out the Singapore investment company’s appeal against a ruling that it had breached the country’s anti-monopoly law in a case involving the two largest Indonesian telecom operators.
Unlike a similar dispute in Thailand about a year ago, the proceedings this time were more civilised. The Thai episode saw public protests against Temasek’s investments in a telecommunication company - Shin Corporation - owned by then Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his family. The protests culminated in the Thaksin government’s ouster. It was soon after this that Temasek Foundation was formally set up.

The new Thai government subsequently declared that Temasek’s stake in Shin was ‘just business’, backing away from earlier claims that Singapore could use Shin’s assets to spy on the military.

But Temasek’s deep pockets and aggressive overseas investments in recent years have been a constant source of concern for nationalists in a number of countries - a concern magnified by Temasek’s link to the Singapore government.

Launching Temasek Foundation was thought to be a move that would ’soften’ Temasek’s image, win the hearts and minds of the people in countries where Temasek has sunk money, and make its investments more acceptable.

 
 
Temasek has denied this from the start. Its chairman S Dhanabalan said at the launch of the foundation on May 16, 2007: ‘Just as we have both benefited from and contributed to Singapore’s success through our investments since the 1970s, we hope to similarly benefit from and contribute to Asia’s growth and development as a prosperous and stable region, through our role as a long-term investor in Asia and through our contributions as a corporate citizen.’

Still, a year after the foundation was rolled out, after dispensing some $16 million in 14 educational, health and research projects in the region, the question is still asked - was Temasek Foundation started to take the sting out of Temasek’s investment activity, and is the foundation’s work a public relations exercise for Temasek?

Temasek Foundation’s chief executive officer, Benedict Cheong, points out that Temasek had the foundation in mind five years ago, long before its troubles with Shin Corp in Thailand. But a cynic may yet counter that the foundation was just an idea earlier - and Temasek was only nudged to act after its nasty experience with Shin, which prompted it to do something about its image.

But actions speak louder than words. The foundation’s deeds in the past year - and its plans to do more in the coming year, spending up to $22 million - should go a long way to silence the cynics.

While dishing out only a fraction of what it could have given out - up to $50 million yearly - Mr Cheong, formerly CEO of the National Council of Social Service, and his lean team of seven staffers have worked with partners to get the most out of the money spent in the past year.

Whether it is training educators in Manila, grooming nurses and teachers in Hainan, or bringing students in the region together in exchange programmes, Temasek Foundation never lost sight of its mission - to develop people, build bridges between them, build institutions of excellence through good governance and ethics, and rebuild lives and livelihoods hit by natural disasters.

These are projects that are more than PR exercise - they will make a difference to the lives of people, especially those in the less developed part of Asia.

‘If we only want publicity, we get more of it if we focus on children and old folks,’ Mr Cheong says.

Too much PR, in fact, will come in the way of the foundation’s efforts to contribute to development in the region, he says.

The foundation’s guiding philosophy is essentially capacity-building - that is, ‘teaching people to fish rather than giving them fish’ - and ensuring that the lessons cascade down far and wide. Thus its emphasis on funding training health and education trainers.

Mr Cheong stresses that the foundation’s approach is to listen to the people it helps - and then work with them as partners. To be prescriptive would be to turn them off and lose their cooperation.

The foundation itself does not take directions from Temasek, even though the money comes from the returns on its investments. Temasek Foundation has an independent board; none of its members are from Temasek.

Indeed, most of the foundation’s work in the past year was in countries where Temasek has few investments - the first country it went into was the Philippines. Mr Cheong says Temasek Foundation has some projects coming up in Indonesia, but this will happen long after the fate of Temasek’s appeal is decided by the courts there.

Source : Business Times - 16 May 2008

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Mindy Yong

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mindy@mindyyong.com

Singapore Property seems paler, but it’s anyone’s call

Singapore Property seems paler, but it’s anyone’s call

Volumes shrink, prices weaken but some segments are holding firm
By ARTHUR SIM

(SINGAPORE) Based on the latest monthly developer sales data from the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), property prices could be on the downward trend.
Developer sales fell, with April seeing only 274 transactions. This is about 9 per cent lower than the 301 units sold in March, though still higher than the 174 units sold in February.

And while it is difficult to accurately pinpoint price movements with such low volume, an analysis by Knight Frank of overall median prices achieved nevertheless registered an 8.9 per cent drop in April, falling to $943 psf compared to $1,035 psf in March.

The peak median price of over $1,400 psf was reached in August 2007.

Knight Frank director (research and consultancy) Nicholas Mak also explained that the analysis was a ‘median of median prices’, and so may not be a precise reflection of price movements.

Mr Mak also said that applying a different mode of analysis to the same data - the formula used to calculate URA’s quarterly property price index for instance - could even show that prices have increased slightly.

Still, a comparison of monthly median prices of recently launched developments does suggest that prices could be falling.

 
 
The 79-unit Blu Coral was launched in February with nine units sold at a median price of $872 psf. In March, 28 units were sold at a median price of $802 psf, while in April, 18 units were sold at a median price of $657.

Similarly, 53 units of the 106-unit, The Verve, were launched in March with 36 units sold at a median price of $1,187 psf. In April, 8 units were sold at a median price of $1,055 psf.

And nine units of the 625-unit, The Quartz, were sold in March at a median price of $742 psf, followed by 14 units sold in April at a median price of $721 psf.

Interestingly, one unit of Waterfront Waves was sold at $909 psf in April, higher than the median price of $806 in March when 14 units were sold.

Perhaps another indication of the weakening market is that 43 units of 659-unit The Parc Condominium, previously reported as being fully sold, have re-emerged on the market. According to the monthly data, the returned units first appeared in February.

A source that did not want to be named also said that these units were returned by buyers who chose not to exercise their options, forfeiting a quarter of the 5 per cent downpayment in the process.

Jones Lang LaSalle head of research (South-East Asia) Chua Yang Liang has also analysed median prices as a measure of volatility and suggests that this has increased in the Outside Central Region (OCR).

Dr Chua explained that volatility, as a measure of how wide market prices are per unit dollar of the median price achieved could also reflect, ‘the market’s speculative level’. As such, he said: ‘It would appear that upgraders may be returning, with entry level projects that are moderately priced between $750 to $850 psf as the preferred choice.’

Supporting this were the healthy sales of the 56-unit Stadia at Yio Chu Kang, which saw 52 units sold. Two units were sold for under $750 psf while the remaining 50 were sold at between $750 and $1,000 psf.

In the OCR, Dr Chua said based on the analysis, median prices continued to soften by 4.2 per cent. But he also added that the analysis was just an ‘indication of the market’s mood’, and does not account for product differentiation or physical attributes of each development.

While the volume of sales was low in the Central Core Region with just 19 non-landed homes transacted, Dr Chua believes that the low volatility in median prices there suggests that market activity and future prices in the high end market are likely to remain stable.

Also holding this view is CB Richard Ellis Research executive director Li Hiaw Ho who noted that two units in Scotts Square were sold at around $4,300 psf, a unit at Orchard Scotts was sold at $2,520 psf and two units at Skypark were sold at around $2,300 psf.

‘Although high-value transactions were limited, the individual transactions seemed to indicate that prices in the high-end market were still holding firm,’ he added.

The analysis of price movements will however, remain an academic one, and as such will remain open to debate.

Colliers International director (research and advisory) Tay Huey Ying said there were too few transactions at the higher end of the market to comment fairly on the sector.

And even for the OCR, she noted that the median transacted price for mass-market units averaged $792 psf in April, about 8 per cent higher than the average median price of $729 in August 2007 when the highest sale volume for the sector was registered.

 
Source : Business Times - 16 May 2008

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Mindy Yong

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mindy@mindyyong.com

Subsidised Singapore HDB rental flats in greater demand now

Subsidised Singapore HDB rental flats in greater demand now 

30% jump in applicants in past few months; HDB says not all are needy

By Theresa Tan 
THE number of people applying for heavily subsidised HDB rental flats has shot up by at least 30 per cent in the past few months - to about 4,000 eligible applicants on the waiting list now.
As a result, the wait for these one- and two-room rental units is now up to 15 months - double the waiting time in 2006.

Though families hit by soaring rentals on the open market and those in financial difficulty are among those in the queue, the Housing Board said not all applicants are ‘needy or have urgent housing needs’.

It said that last year, more than half who applied for its rental units were former home owners who did not owe the HDB any money when they sold their flats.

In fact, some of those in the rental queue had enough money to buy a smaller unit after selling their flat, said National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan in the recent Budget debate.

The HDB stressed that its rental flats are meant for the poor who cannot afford to own a flat and have no other housing option.

Any family whose household income is $1,500 or less a month can apply for rental housing. Also, they must wait for 30 months after selling their flats before being eligible for subsidised rental homes.

MPs interviewed say they are seeing more and more people approaching them for help in securing a rental flat.

Besides those hit by rising rentals and financial troubles, there were others who had their flats repossessed by banks when they could not service their home loans.

The heavily subsidised HDB rental units are the only lifeline for these people, say the MPs interviewed, who included Ms Indranee Rajah, Madam Cynthia Phua and Madam Halimah Yacob.

Depending on household income and other factors, rentals are between $26 and $205 a month for a one-room flat; and between $44 and $275 for a two-room unit.

One person who has been on the waiting list for the past few months is part-time promoter Chan Yoke Yin, 46.

Her family ran into debt when her husband, a bus driver, was hit by cancer and a stroke, and had to stop work about four years ago.

The family started to fall behind in loan payments, and now owes the HDB more than $300,000 for a five-room flat. Madam Chan, who earns about $1,000 monthly, says she has ‘no choice’ but to sell her flat.

Ms Rajah said: ‘I have had an inordinately large number of people coming for help to get a rental flat last year.

‘There seems to be an acute shortage of rental flats.’

She has seen at least two cases of people living in the open while waiting for a rental unit, she said. One is an odd-job worker who has been sleeping at a bin centre for months, while the other is a family living on the beach.

The HDB says people who need a flat urgently can switch to estates where the wait is shorter, for example, in Woodlands. Waiting time at these estates is around three months, compared to Bedok and Tampines, where one can wait for up to 15 months.

Meanwhile, the HDB is referring those in urgent need to charities which run temporary shelters. The first shelter for homeless families, New Hope Community Services, has taken in about 20 families since opening last year.

It is managing ‘a few’ flats for this purpose, the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) told The Straits Times.

‘These families are not allowed to stay long term at these flats and are expected to move out as soon as they find alternative housing,’ said the MCYS spokesman. ‘Many such families have been able to move on to stay with their relatives or friends.’

HDB is also increasing the supply of rental flats from the current 43,000 units to 50,000 over the next few years and reviewing the eligibility criteria for rental housing to help the ‘genuinely poor’.
 
Source : Straits  Times - 04 April 2008

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Mindy Yong

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mindy@mindyyong.com

The Parc Condominium at West Cost - Singapore- District 01-08

The Parc Condominium at West Cost - Singapore- District 01-08

Tenure : Freehold (Foreigners Eligible)
TOP Date : Estimated 2012
Site Area : 34,042.4 sqm 1366,432.39 sqft
Devt 7 blocks of 24-storey condominium with
total 659 units

Freehold Condo located on West Coast Road. (Old West Reak)

7 blocks of 24 storey condominium with 659 units available
1+study approx 667sq ft (24 units)
2+study approx 980 sq ft (71units)
3br approx 1216-1302 sq ft (282units)
3+study approx 1421 sq ft (126 units)
4br approx 1442-1518 sq ft (144 units)
5br approx 2432 sq ft (9units)
Penthouse approx 3498 sq ft (3units)

Project Extensive site area

One of the largest USPs Freehold development that houses 659 dwelling units with full recreational facilities.Unobstructed views- Strategically orientated to North South facing offers unobstructed views towards the stadium,Pandan Reservoir View, Kent Ridge Views,etc.

Location- Easy access to AYE and Clementi MRT. It is within 5 km Harbourfront, Vivo City, Sentosa, the future Integrated Resort, One North, Biopolis, NUS, SIM and Ngee Ann Polytechnic, etc.

Quality finishes and fittings- Aircooled split system, built-in wardrobes and fully fitted kitchen with cabinets, hood & hob, conventional oven and microwave oven. Investment Potential- Rentable with huge pool of potential residents, lecturers and professionals form thenearby educational, science and business parks.Facilities Elderly Fitness Area 1 Spa Beds / Children’sPlayground / Floating Slabs / Reflective Pool/ Lagoon Pool / Toddler’s Pool / Spa Seats/ Timber Bridge / Jacuzzi / Continental Shelf Plaza/ Linear Slabs / Adventure Play Areal Fitness Corner/ 50m Lap Pool / BBQ Areal Basketball Half Court! Aqua Gymnasium/ Entertainment Deck / Wading pool 1 Boardwalk/ landscaped garden / Lazy River

5 mins walk to food centre and wet market
10 mins walk to Clementi town and MRT station
10 mins drive to West Coast Park, Education Hubs(NUS,Singapore Poly, United World College of S.E.A. , Biomedical Hubs of Buona Vista and Science Park.
15 mins drive to Mount Faber Park, Houborfront,Vivo City,Sentosa Future Integrated Resort.

Real Estate Properties of Singapore buy , sell, rent, invest,

MINDY YONG

( +65 ) 91002985

mindy@mindyyong.com ( email me )

http://www.hotvictory.com

One Devonshire at Devonshire - Singapore - District 09 - 10

ONE DEVONSHIRE at Devonshire - Singapore - District 09 - 10

The Devonshire residence is a high end condo by the about 118 units. The facility includes, especially, a club, swimming pool and tennis court. This is the prime housing development and it and the orchard road, the Singapore river, CTE and Somerset the MRT station sign close proximity it is ideal and the convenient place housing. In its vicinity is school for example CHIJ, the river valley primary school.

191 units

36 floors

4 storey carpark

Facilities:
- Tennis Court
- Swimming Pool
- Clubhouse
- etc

Real estate in Singapore - properties of Singapore, Buy, sales, rents, investment,

MINDY YONG

( +65 ) 91002985

mindy@mindyyong.com ( email me )

http://www.hotvictory.com

Laguna For Sale Apartment / Condo, District 16 , 27.01.2008

Laguna For Sale Apartment / Condo, District 16 , 27.01.2008

TY : [C]ondo [D]uplex [H]iRise [L]oRise [T]ownHse [P]enthse [W]alkUp [M]asionette

TNR=Tenure, DT=District, BDRM=Bedroom, AREA=Built-In, STR=Storey, Price $K=In Thousand

Price are subject to changes , please call (+65) 91002985 for lastest
Type — C
District — 16
Street — LAGUNA 88, #02 ABOVE
Tenure — 99
Area — 1949
Age — 12+
Room — 3
Psf — 0
PRICE$ — 0
Type — C
District — 16
Street — LAGUNA 88, #02 ABOVE
Tenure — 99
Area — 2162
Age — 10
Room — 3
Psf — 0
PRICE$ — 0
Type — C
District — 16
Street — LAGUNA 88, #02 ABOVE
Tenure — 99
Area — 2340
Age — 08+
Room — 3
Psf — 0
PRICE$ — 0
Type — C
District — 16
Street — LAGUNA 88, #02
Tenure — 99
Area — 1183
Age — 06+
Room — 3
Psf — 659
PRICE$ — 780000
Type — C
District — 16
Street — LAGUNA 88, #03 BELOW
Tenure — 99
Area — 1508
Age — 08+
Room — 3
Psf — 630
PRICE$ — 950000
Type — C
District — 16
Street — LAGUNA 88, #04 BELOW
Tenure — 99
Area — 1259
Age — 06+
Room — 3
Psf — 635
PRICE$ — 800000
Type — C
District — 16
Street — LAGUNA 88, #04 BELOW
Tenure — 99
Area — 1346
Age — 7
Room — 3
Psf — 654
PRICE$ — 880000
Type — C
District — 16
Street — LAGUNA GREEN, #02 ABOVE
Tenure — 99
Area — 1017
Age — 8
Room — 2
Psf — 836
PRICE$ — 850000
Type — C
District — 16
Street — LAGUNA GREEN, #04 BELOW
Tenure — 99
Area — 1023
Age — 08+
Room — 2
Psf — 772
PRICE$ — 790000
Type — C
District — 16
Street — LAGUNA GREEN, #04 BELOW
Tenure — 99
Area — 1066
Age — 05+
Room — 2
Psf — 675
PRICE$ — 720000
Type — C
District — 16
Street — LAGUNA GREEN, #04
Tenure — 99
Area — 1000
Age — 06+
Room — 2
Psf — 790
PRICE$ — 790000

Singapore Real Estate - Buy , Sell , Rent ,invest Singapore Property

Buy, sell and rent Singapore real estate: private property, residential apartments, commercial and industrial properties. HDB flats for sale and rental. Foreign investors, buyers, tenants or relocating expats can easily find their ideal landed house, bungalow, semi-d, terrace, condominium, townhouse, private apartment, HDB, HUDC, office, shop, factory, warehouse & land right here.

MINDY YONG

( +65 ) 91002985

mindy@mindyyong.com ( email me )

For Sale Singapore Apartment / Condo, District 01-28 , 07.01.2008