from the ground Up

by Jessica Cheam, The Straits Times, April 14 2009
MARKET rents for HDB’s commercial and industrial tenants have fallen 5 per cent since January, Senior Minister of State for National Development Grace Fu said yesterday.
The drop is in line with market conditions and is part of HDB’s regular review of market rents, she told Parliament.
Ms Fu [...]

by Jessica Cheam, The Straits Times, April 2 2009
First-quarter dip is first since 2006 and points to end of record run
PRICES of HDB resale flats fell in the first quarter of this year – the first decline since 2006 and a sign that the two-year run of record-breaking gains has ended.
Flash estimates yesterday showed that [...]

by Jessica Cheam, The Straits Times, Mar 27 2009
Units are smaller and cheaper due to design and location
The Housing Board (HDB) yesterday launched its first batch of new Punggol flats for the year.
Units are priced at 10 to 16 per cent below the launch of Punggol Regalia in December, primarily due to location and design [...]

by Jessica Cheam, The Straits Times, Mar 25 2009
The aim is to strengthen enforcement framework and raise overall professional standards
FRESH details emerged in Parliament yesterday of a review that is now under way, which is aimed at regulating Singapore’s housing agents more effectively.
The review follows a high-profile court case which highlighted the problem of unscrupulous [...]

by Jessica Cheam, The Straits Times, Mar 7 2009
Costs are moderating and the work will help smaller contractors, says Grace Fu
THE pace of lift upgrading in HDB blocks will be increased by as much as 12 per cent this year – a move that will give struggling local builders a timely leg up.
The Senior Minister [...]

by Jessica Cheam, The Straits Times, Mar 6 2009
They now cost not much more than new flats in the area
PRICES of resale HDB flats in Punggol have fallen in recent weeks to the point where they are now around the same level as new ones launched barely two months ago.
Normally new flats are markedly cheaper [...]

[Pg 2 commentary] by Jessica Cheam
Feb 16 2009
Mass effort needed at grassroots level to help elderly accept the idea
AFTER almost two years in the works, the lease buyback scheme for the elderly will finally kick off on March 1.
It is one of the Housing Board’s most innovative programmes in recent years and its details – [...]

HDB to help home owners avoid defaults
by Jessica Cheam, Feb 7 2009
Mah says measures include downgrading and temporary rental for those in distress
THE Housing Board has prepared a range of measures to help the increasing number of home owners who are defaulting on their home loans in this downturn.
The steps include a mix of short- [...]

by Jessica Cheam, The Straits Times, Jan 29 2009
THE queue of buyers for new Housing Board flats has become shorter and it is moving faster too.
Serious house-buyers are getting the flats they want sooner because a group of “frivolous” buyers, who used to clog up the queue and waste everyone’s time by rejecting flats offered [...]

by Jessica Cheam, The Straits Times, Jan 29 2009
THE grand vision of transforming Punggol into Singapore’s first waterfront public housing town begins in earnest next month when construction gets under way.
A $144.6 million contract for the first part of the Punggol Waterway has been awarded to Koh Brothers Building and Civil Engineering Contractor, said the [...]