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Another 2,000 New Homes To Come: What Does This Mean For Prices?

We have something exactly like that in the property market, and it’s about to go big. URA is planning for close to 2,000 new homes in Tengah, Dairy Farm, and Bayshore, which form the trinity of in 2024 Singapore. I’m allowed to say that okay, I actually live in one of these places. Anyway, these upcoming sites consist of: Comments by property analysts suggest developer bids may be on the low side. But to put that in context, some analysts are the sort of people who, if a giant sinkhole were to swallow half of Bugis, would describe that as a reason to temper your expectations for property gains in District 7.  Honestly, most of the low expectations are for reasons we know too well: Land Betterment Charges (LBCs) are high, interest rates are worrying, developers are no longer allowed to charge you for planter boxes you could park a Volvo in, etc. The truth that’s being tiptoed around is that these three areas will need work. These locations are in a sort of “start from zero” position: they lack sizeable retail and entertainment options, and accessibility is just now being improved (prior to Bayshore MRT, we could only have recommended the nearby condos to people who drive).  As for food, let’s just say I have over two dozen late night supper options here in Bayshore (labelled H1 to H24, assuming I have change for that particular vending machine.) Were this the 2010s, developers would be much more confident of buyers seeing first-mover advantage in their offerings, and of nearby HDB dwellers choosing to upgrade. But as 2024, a grim economic outlook, coupled with HDB upgraders who feel priced out of new launches, make these less developed plots a bigger risk.  Which isn’t to say that these land parcels are somehow bad for individual homeowners; it’s just that you’re better off buying in these areas if you have a longer holding period in mind.  Also, very coincidental timing. I just wrote about – so it seems someone up there is listening.   From 1st July, the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS) Open Market vouchers will start being issued. This provides a $300 per month subsidy, to renters who are waiting to collect the keys to their BTO flat (you can find out more about the PPHS ). This can be used to rent a room or HDB flat on the open market.  Now helping renters, especially young parents, is always a good thing; but here’s the grumbling we’ve heard:  The more cynical-minded are claiming that all the government’s done is raise rental rates by $300. This is on their assumption that landlords will respond to the news by just increasing their rental demands, probably while hissing and backing away from wooden stakes or crosses.  So while the government will be monitoring how much the system helps, the more disgruntled Singaporeans will probably be monitoring whether their naysaying comes true. It’ll be an interesting time. For more on the Singapore property market, follow us on Stacked.