26 Mar 09 (Thursday)
By S Ramesh
The Nautilus@Punggol
SINGAPORE: The Nautilus@Punggol is the Housing and Development Board's (HDB) latest Build-To-Order (BTO) project and the first in that area.
Prices for its 4- and 5-room units are about 20 to 30 per cent lower than the resale flats in that vicinity, signalling generous subsidies for these new flats.
The Nautilus@Punggol will have eight blocks comprising some 520 flats. Of these, nearly 80 per cent are 4-room flats and the rest are 5-room apartments.
HDB said the prices of the new flats are affordable for first-time buyers.
Giving a comparison of resale flats about seven years old in Punggol, HDB said 4-room resale flats are currently going at between S$306,000 and S$350,000, while 4-room flats at The Nautilus will be sold at between S$228,000 and S$274,000.
Likewise, The Nautilus' 5-room flats are priced in the range of S$305,000 to S$357,000 against the resale price range of S$368,000 to S$428,888 for units in the Punggol area.
At such prices, analysts expect strong demand for the project.
Adam Tan, marketing manager, Propnex, said: "It will probably be about three times or more oversubscribed because they are releasing a rather small number of units for this project. Punggol is an up-and-coming estate. It's no longer a backwater estate – it's coming into its own."
HDB added that besides enjoying a generous market subsidy, eligible first-time buyers whose average monthly household income is S$5,000 or less can also qualify for an additional CPF Housing Grant of up to S$40,000.
This grant can be used to offset the initial downpayment.
HDB also said that based on the income of flat applicants in the fourth quarter of last year, an applicant for The Nautilus@Punggol whose income is at the median level will not need to fork out cash to meet their monthly housing commitments which would be fully covered by their monthly CPF contributions.
The Nautilus@Punggol is part of HDB's programme to remake the heartlands. For the whole of this year, HDB is planning about six BTO projects in Punggol, building some 3,000 new flats in that area.
Applications for The Nautilus@Punggol flats close on April 8.
- CNA/so
Must Read:
▪ Punggol Nautilus
How to Apply:
▪ Application Process for BTO Projects
Related reports:
▪ Cheaper Punggol Flats
Related posts:
▪ What is Build-To-Order (BTO)
▪ Damai Grove (Punggol Anthias)
▪ Punggol Arcadia
▪ Punggol Breeze
▪ Punggol Lodge
▪ Punggol Regalia
▪ Punggol Sapphire
▪ Punggol Spring
▪ Punggol Vista
▪ Treelodge
1 comment:
Definition of subsidy
"In economics, a subsidy (also known as a subvention) is a form of financial assistance paid to a business or economic sector"
A subsidy based on market price is not true subsidy. And to say that our HDB price is generously subsidised is a way bit too self trumpeting when in actual fact the HDB did not subsidise anything.
Put it this way. The market price is determined by the market and the market price is has the element of PROFIT. IF we buy the flat with our own money and the government gave 40K, then that is subsidy to offset the profit.
However for first time buyers, the real subsidy should be based on the cost price of the flats. That is to mean that subsidy should cancel out some of the flat cost price.
Selling price of flat = cost of building flat - subsidy.
Therefore to say the subsidy is generous is contrary to normal understanding what subsidy should do. And in the context of non-profit organisation such as HDB, then the subsidy should be used to defray the building cost and not the market selling price.
Our flats should be the lowest priced for those who wants to start a family. I find that HDB is becoming more and more money minded to the point that HDB real estate prices is getting ridiculous. How to know?
When the selling price of HDB new flats is higher than market price. It shouldn't be and that shows the vast gulf between building cost and selling price.
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