Last Monday (August 29), there was an article in The Straits Times titled “Drop in appetite for private homes among some HDB owners”. It said HDB upgraders’ love affair with private properties has cooled in the first half of this year. According to URA’s data, buyers with HDB addresses only bought 3,649 new and resale non-landed private homes. The figure was down 26.2 … [Read more...]
A never-published letter to the Straits Times Forum
Below is a letter I wrote to the editor of The Straits Times three weeks ago. Unfortunately, it was not picked up and has never been published in the Straits Times Forum. After the hectic election week, things are back to normal now. Let me share the content of the letter in my personal blog. P.S. The two new home sales tactics of re-issuing OTPs and buyer kickbacks … [Read more...]
Selling properties with skin in the game
With circuit breaker, I finally have the time to read Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s 2018 book Skin in the Game: Hidden Asymmetries in Daily Life. What is skin in the game? It means standing behind what you say; having a stake in what you promote; and exposing yourself to the risk of what you advocate. If you are an organization, you are using the products or services you sell. If … [Read more...]
Quiz: Singapore Urban Planning
I have designed ten questions to test your knowledge of Singapore's regions, districts and planning areas. Drop me an email if you manage to score full marks. What are you waiting for? Have a go now and good luck! Members can now review seminar videos of 2019 Year of the Pig Property Strategies and 2018 Singapore Property Market for free. Please log in and access … [Read more...]
The courage to find the truth in new launches
This blog post is written solely for readers who want to know the truth. For those who prefer to listen to sweet lies, the bitter truth may be too much for you. Feel free to limit your exposure to property articles published only in the local papers and property portals. Then everything will be fine. It is never easy to deny what we once believe in. We need the intellect and … [Read more...]