Even though the resale HDB flat market seems to be following the general downhill trend of the property market over the last year or so, bigger and newer units in the town’s hottest locations are still bringing in big bucks.
Of the 20 five-room HDB flats which sold at over $900,000 this year, as compared to just one in the same period last year, 14 were from the lauded Pinnacle @ Duxton. The other sales came from units in Bukit Merah and Queenstown.
As units at the [email protected] were only recently released into the market, after their statutory five-year MOP (minimum occupation period), part of the increase in sales could be accounted for by these units. At their time of launch in 2004, five-room units were only priced between $345, 100 to $439, 400. Prices have since more than doubled. With their astounding views (for a public housing facility) and close proximity to the CBD (Central Business District), chinatown and city centre, the reasons for their expensive price tags could hardly be disputed.
Most of the other flats which sold in Strathmore Avenue and Holland Drive, were also newer ones which came under the Selective En Bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS). These flats were newly built in order to house owners of older flats nearby which were scheduled to be demolished. Many of these owners were luckily enough to secure a new flat at almost no additional cost, and now are able to sell at a profit.
Other areas with a higher ratio of newer resale flats include the less mature estates such as Punggol and Sengkang. Here, the units may not command as high a price due to their far flung location and higher number of sellers. But that said, it could be early days yet and in years to come, another tune may be sung.
