Tan Kin Lian's Blog: Survey: New HDB flats

Friday, September 25, 2009

Survey: New HDB flats

Should new HDB flat be sold at the market price (less a subsidy) or at cost of land, building plus a small margin? Give your views.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...: Absolutely, else what's the point of being a Singapore citizen, and what about the original role of HDB providing affordable housing to Singaporeans. Already HDB are making tons of money by selling prime land around MRT stations to private developers. We've noticed HDB has stopped building public flats at MRT's vicinity in recent years; September 25, 2009 9:24 AM
Anonymous said...: Otherwise, return land back to farmer (my Ah Gong); September 25, 2009 10:53 AM
Anonymous said...: First time buyer should enjoy cost price. If the first time owner sell their HDB flat in the market, part of the profit (less interest and other cost) should go back to HDB to subsidise future first time owners.; September 25, 2009 11:01 AM
Anonymous said...: HDB is not making money from the sale of state land. Instead it(HDB or URA) acts as an agent for SLA. SLA on behalf of the Government is making tons of money from the sale of land. Some of the land were compulsorily acquired from the private sectors who were compensated nominal fees. Take the case of Bishan which was former cementry. How much did they pay the cemeantry owner and how much was the land valued now?; September 25, 2009 11:58 AM
Anonymous said...: In this recent years, HDB are alloting lands to private developers to build flats in the mature estates. The prices are high as comparatively to private condominiums. Many young couples with middle income wish to live near their parents who live in mature estate do not have any chance of buying new flats, as a result, the price of resale flats in the mature estates are expensive and with high COV.
Even HDB give Singaporean a sudsidy of $40K, I still it is insufficient to cover the COV.

HDB should build their own new flats and allot to Singaporean at a affordable price.; September 25, 2009 3:38 PM
Anonymous said...: Majority of Singaporean live in a HDB flat. HDB was first built for the poor & needy, and today, sadly, HDB is still the only answer to the poor & needy. Furthermore, poperties prices are tightly coupled to HDB's flats prices, the higher the HDB flats prices goes, the higher the private properties prices goes, the more the poor cannot afford. Its that simple, HDB prices MUST remain significantly lower than private properties prices. We shoould all know, if everyone has a roof, there is less problem in the society, similarly if everyone has a job, nobody would commit the shameful meaningless crimes.; September 25, 2009 6:06 PM
symmetrix said...: What HDB is doing is exactly the same as what govt ministers are doing - both are trying to equate themselves to the private commercial sector, and hence price themselves high.

For crying out loud, both are govt entities but think they are private enterprises. If it is money they want, they should get out of the civil service and go into the commercial world.; September 25, 2009 9:14 PM
Anonymous said...: i envy the older generation. i have been applying and waiting for my dream humble flat since 2005. till now i still cant get a flat. sigh...; September 26, 2009 7:09 AM
Anonymous said...: When I applied for a HDB flat in 1982, I waited 5 years. Within that time, I had a wedding, and my wife and I lived apart. Each returning to our own parents' homes. ( 1 in Kallang, the other in clementi )
I managed to get a flat under the walk in selection scheme. During those days, HDB would send us updated list of flats that others in the Q before us has rejected. I was shocked to see so many flats that people did not want.
Most were either low floors, facing rubbish collection centres, facing coffee shops, next to mosque, temples or bus stops.
I believe the same reasons are given even today.

A home is the largest expense that anyone will spend. Choose one that will please you. After all you will return to it every night.; September 26, 2009 11:07 AM
Anonymous said...: If they are truly capable, they should be making money through other investments, not through the very people they should be taking care of. I don't need a gst package whenever election is coming, I need affordable housing.; September 26, 2009 2:06 PM
Anonymous said...: High HDB prices all started when the government wanted to give you more good years. Remember the asset enhancement scheme. One way is to jack up HDB preperties to enhance your asset.; September 28, 2009 6:47 PM