HDB Flats --- Are they becoming less affordable?

[winth]

lovekidsverymuch:

winth:

My agents are still rushing us to sell our 5 room and their words are just changing all the time.


Sep 2009: Must sell now at 700K, prices are at their peak already.
Nov 2009: Sell at 720K, should be no problem. Should sell soon, market unstable, might drop anytime.
Jan 2010: Just sold our neighbour's flat at 750K, should reach peak already. Wanna sell?
Mar 2010: Had a closure at 780K, you guys interested?

We are still on the 'let's wait and see' what he says. We are keen to sell and buy a simple 3 or 4 room to rent out, but just dunno when.

We are afraid too that if we dun purchase something in place of this 5 room, we might lose out when the prices hike again.

But its like u sell on high then buy also on high then somemore the smaller flats have more COV too

That's why we are very stuck too.
We seriously dun mind just keeping house cos we do like it and we can go back to stay there when we retire and stuff. Plan B is to sell first, buy later part of the year since we do have a place to stay elsewhere.

[winth]

hquek:

VitoRelax:

should we sell & rent now ?


later when price drop, we buy back !!

I have a friend who did just that. Sold her place when going starting to get good (that was in 2007 before prices shot through the roof), she's still renting now....

Ya, same here.
Once of my DH's uncles sold his and got the cash, rented a small room since he's a divorcee and his kids are old enough since early 2000.

Now, the houses are so expensive and he's still renting the room.

[hquek]

lovekidsverymuch:

winth:

We are still on the 'let's wait and see' what he says. We are keen to sell and buy a simple 3 or 4 room to rent out, but just dunno when.


We are afraid too that if we dun purchase something in place of this 5 room, we might lose out when the prices hike again.

But its like u sell on high then buy also on high then somemore the smaller flats have more COV too

I think the supposed right way about it is, when the going is good, sell the big place to buy small place (realise profit); and then when going is bad, sell the small place to buy bigger place.

But this is all theory....a lot depends on what kind of place you have (high floor, good facing, good location, amenities etc).

[KSP]

I remember in 97 when I talked to many ppl about buying HDB flats. Everyone said they have to buy now just in case the price would go up next month. But look what happen when asia financial crisis hits. This is all about cycle. Don’t get caught in the peak.

[jedamum]

winth:

A little bit off topic, dun buy storage beds.
It's not good (in fengshui sense).
Buy solid beds and bedframes.

I think fengshui sense anot, already alot of not so ideal fengshui in this new house already - wenchang in the kitchen, missing SW sector, sharp corners, etc etc - but i really like the unit.
so my real concern is the storage of insects and creepy crawlies along with other barangs... :!:

[tree nymph]

jedamum:

tutormum:

I bought the storage bed too.

my husband wants storage bed too, for space efficiency reasons, but i worry lizard may 'store' their eggs in my storage compartment. :!:

what's a storage bed? I've got the seahorse brand 3-fold mattress, quite good!

[winth]

lovekidsverymuch:

winth:

That's why we are very stuck too.
We seriously dun mind just keeping house cos we do like it and we can go back to stay there when we retire and stuff. Plan B is to sell first, buy later part of the year since we do have a place to stay elsewhere.

My suggestion why not rent this 5 rm leh??? if u have place to stay in... then when the market settle down then can take a stand :?

It's already rented out.
Quite good money too.

[tree nymph]

lovekidsverymuch:

hquek:

I think the supposed right way about it is, when the going is good, sell the big place to buy small place (realise profit); and then when going is bad, sell the small place to buy bigger place.


But this is all theory....a lot depends on what kind of place you have (high floor, good facing, good location, amenities etc).

Yes good thinking but then everytime u buy/sell u need to think bout the agent fee also the stamp duty the legal fees all the hidden cost then all add up!!

but like what winth wrote about her unit, every 2 months the price for her place goes up, so when is the right time to buy, right time to sell? What if sell at the wrong time? then when the right time comes, no money to buy... :stupid:

[tree nymph]

winth:

That's why we are very stuck too.
We seriously dun mind just keeping house cos we do like it and we can go back to stay there when we retire and stuff. Plan B is to sell first, buy later part of the year since we do have a place to stay elsewhere.

do you mean you don't really stay in this place?

[jedamum]

tree nymph:

but like what winth wrote about her unit, every 2 months the price for her place goes up, so when is the right time to buy, right time to sell? What if sell at the wrong time? then when the right time comes, no money to buy... :stupid:

cannot be 'no money' to buy if she can sell her place at $780k!
with that kind of moola, can easily get any unit at the outskirts.