from the ground Up

by Jessica Cheam, The Straits Times, July 30 2009
Government will take action if excessive speculation develops
THE Government will take “whatever action necessary” to prevent excessive speculation in the property market, said National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan yesterday.
Mr Mah’s note of caution comes amid a buying frenzy that has gripped the real estate sector in [...]

by Jessica Cheam, The Straits Times, July 28 2009
Damages sought from NTUC Income over alleged contract breach
REVERSE mortgages – launched with much fanfare over a decade ago to help retirees unlock the cash value of their homes – will, for the first time, be at the centre of an upcoming court case.
Mr Derek Chua, 72, [...]

by Jessica Cheam, The Straits Times, July 26 2009
[property]
Renewed interest in property more focused on private, HDB resale sectors
The numbers show it: Singapore has been gripped by a buying frenzy that seems to have pervaded every segment of the property market.
Sales volume for HDB resale flats has surged 58 per cent in the second quarter, [...]

by Jessica Cheam, The Straits Times, July 14 2009
THE firm behind the Tianjin eco-city in China clinched a three billion yuan (S$644 million) deal yesterday, with a Japanese company, to build a 40ha integrated riverfront neighbourhood.
It is the latest in a string of property deals for the city, a 30 sq km demonstration project driven [...]

by Jessica Cheam, The Sunday Times, July 12 2009, Headline:
[property special]
More home buyers now recognise the benefits of an eco-friendly home and are willing to pay a premium
When the Government launched Singapore’s first green building rating system – the Green Mark – five years ago, sustainability and climate change were unfamiliar terms to the public.
Today, [...]

July 10, 2009
THE recent spike in private property sales is being monitored by the Government but there has been no sign of excessive speculation, said National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan yesterday.
Mr Mah said “speculation is always part and parcel of any market”.
“Whether there’s excessive speculation or not, that is something we have to look [...]

by Jessica Cheam, July 9 2009
Govt may resort to legislation if industry fails to adopt such practices: Mah Bow Tan
NATIONAL Development Minister Mah Bow Tan yesterday called on the building industry to get greener and “build more with less” .
He underlined his call by suggesting that if the industry does not start adopting more environmentally [...]

by Jessica Cheam, The Straits Times, July 4 2009
Young couples, families upsizing or downsizing and PRs prop up market
HOME buyers rushed to the HDB resale market in the second quarter and sent sales up as much as 60 per cent over the first quarter, according to property agencies.
These buyers, ranging from young couples to permanent [...]

by Jessica Cheam, The Straits Times, July 2 2009
Surprise increase in index reverses first quarter’s dip to reach new high
PRICES of HDB flats have staged a surprising comeback, reversing a first-quarter dip of 0.8per cent to rise 1.2per cent in the second quarter and reach a historical high.
Flash estimates from the Housing and Development Board [...]

by Jessica Cheam, The Straits Times, June 30 2009
Units in mass- and higher-market projects snapped up
STRONG sales in the property market continued over the weekend as mass- and upper-mid- market launches drew crowds of buyers.
Within three days of its preview launch last Friday, the 68-unit Residences @ Killiney project sold 39 of 60 released units [...]