Tag Archives: HDB

Are flats too pricey or buyers too choosy

Posted on 20 Sep 2009 | Comments Off on Are flats too pricey or buyers too choosy

Experts advise buyers to keep an open mind in terms of location, size

Mr Jason Zheng is getting married next month, but he and his fiancee have yet to find a place of their own.

The 27-year-old IT consultant does not want to wait three years for a new flat but has been priced out of the resale market due to the current property rally.

Sellers have been asking for cash of up to $60,000 above valuation, which he cannot afford.

He also struck out twice at the Housing Board’s half-yearly sale where most of the units on offer are completed.

His dilemma is not unique. In the past month, at least 15 people have written to The Straits Times Forum, venting their frustrations over escalating prices, premiums over official valuations and a perceived undersupply of HDB flats.

But have buyers really encountered a wall when it comes to housing options?

Or is it also a matter of some people being too choosy and unrealistic in their expectations?

National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan urged buyers to take a bigger view in Parliament last Monday. For a household that earns $4,000 a month, he said the options might be: Continue reading →

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Counsellors find way out of debt for families

Posted on 18 Sep 2009 | Comments Off on Counsellors find way out of debt for families

HDB’s specially trained staff have helped 800 families so far

ABOUT 800 families who owed the Housing Board money have downgraded to smaller flats in the past year, after receiving debt-management advice from specially trained HDB staff.

In an apparent move to tackle the growing number of households in arrears, the HDB, in September last year, started deploying these housing counsellorsin its branch offices.

And one of them, Ms C. Arasi, said that patience is key when it comes to dealing with home owners with difficult cases.

The bulk of her cases are the ‘more complex’ ones, such as divorced couples who try to push responsibility for settling the loan to the other party, or jobless workers who are unable to keep up with repayments.

The majority of those in arrears are odd-job workers without a stable income or Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions, she added.

‘Previously, the block officers in charge handled these cases but they may not have the time or skills to deal with these people,’ she said.

‘We are trained to counsel, to empathise.’ Continue reading →

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