Daily Archives: 29 Aug 2009

En bloc sales: Help minority objectors keep their homes

I COMMEND Ms Jeannette Chong Aruldoss on her letter on Tuesday, “Questions on collective sale laws”.

Like her, I too, have reservations about the Ministry of Law’s letter, “Rights of all owners adequately protected” (Aug 21).

I live in an HUDC unit that was involved in a collective deal. The agreement was endorsed by 80 per cent of the owners. I was among the remaining 20 per cent who did not sign the agreement because my family and I like our home.

When I bought my apartment some years ago, I thought this would be my home for life. There were no collective sale laws then.

Now, we have such laws in the Land Titles (Strata) Act, which gives the 80 per cent majority owners the legal right to force me to sell my home, which I have no intention of doing.

How is my right as a minority owner “adequately protected”? I do not feel protected by the Government. And I certainly do not feel protected by Continue reading

Home buyers ignore ghost month

WHAT ghost month?

The traditional lull in home-buying activity during the Hungry Ghost month has been swept aside amid the current property market frenzy.

Buyers were out in force yesterday at the preview of Trevista, a new 590-unit condominium in Toa Payoh, a traditional heartland area.

A queue had formed at least 20 minutes before the showflat doors opened at 2pm. By 5pm, all 210 units released for sale had been snapped up by buyers.

Developer NTUC Choice Homes had said it would release just those units for sale this weekend at an average price of $898 per sq ft (psf). However, the response was so strong that it released another 190 units at higher prices just after 8pm, said a spokesman. She could not say how much higher the prices were. Continue reading