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 29 2009
Industry group to come up with programmes that meet SMEs’ needs
SMALLER building firms have usually been left out of the spotlight, but they will soon get plenty of attention from the new chief of the Singapore Contractors Association (Scal).
Mr Andrew Khng, who took over from Mr Desmond [...]

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 25 2009
Decline in upfront cash required makes resale flats more affordable
PRICES of Housing Board flats rose 1.4 per cent in the second quarter to a record high, reversing a first-quarter dip of 0.8 per cent.
The number of transactions also soared – up 58 per cent in the three [...]

July 16 2009
They can thrive in banking and finance sectors, says minister
WOMEN feature prominently in small and medium-sized enterprises, but they can shoot higher for the chief executive’s job in bigger firms, said Minister of State for Community Development, Youth and Sports Yu-Foo Yee Shoon yesterday.
“We want to see more women as CEOs,” she said, [...]

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, The Straits Times, July 10 2009
Roadshows, exhibitions to engage residents and show ways to save costs
EFFORTS to reduce Singapore’s dependence on energy generated by fossil fuels have been ramped up and aimed at the heartland.
National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan launched a bigger, better version of the Energy Save Programme yesterday.
The scheme, [...]