hello88

Kinderland above NTUC Income & NTUC but its pretty expensive. There's also a child care along the private houses near to the junction, direction towards Lor Ah Soo.

yup, market down time would benefit first timers who wish to get flats as its a Buyers market. Its also the best time to upgrade or buy bigger HDB flats as 5 rooms & above usually sells at valuation or even way below valuation. Sellers for 4-room flats still able to make some money from the COV especially if its a subsidized flat from HDB. timing and luck very important when scouting around for flats but now its a sellers' market

oh ya, should be 370k. Any lift or upgrading in the pipeline? View it at different time of the day. When I was considering my EM, I viewed it in the morning, afternoon & also at night. U can also bring along a compass to check the facing of the unit. If valuation done, then u can scrutinised the report as the facing would be indicated in the report. Another method would be, to feel the hottest of the tiles to assess whether its West facing or not. Some units are warm due to West facing and u wont feel good stepping on those warm tiles. Also look out for fans. Some owners placed more than enough fans almost in every corner of the house. Before u confirm any unit, try to get a young child or baby to tag along. Kids gotta feel comfortable with the unit. Good luck! Click here to check resale transaction just asking cos usually 1st owner either dont do much reno especially if its a 10over years EM or the reno might be too outdated. If its 2nd or 3rd owner, they might have done up the flat so u need not spent much on reno. Hacking and re-doing the flooring for the entire EM alone already cost a few ks

I think 340k inclusive of COV is pretty reasonable. Mid floor? U might want to check the resale transaction to compare the prices of other EMs in the same block or same estate. 1st owner selling?

aiyo, 15k for my 4-room la. EM I spent a bomb. Me staying opposite the church near Punggol Park and in HAMMER estate.

huh? Something new. Is it a new scheme cos never heard b4.

the transacted price in HDB website is the amount that we paid for the flat. It'll be good if valuation price also indicated hor. Anyway, I think my EM is considered one of the cheapest in this forum if u exclude those who got their RP EM from HDB WIS. Valuation: 340k (I think valuation was still too high cos condition of the flat really sucks & make u puke) Purchased: 310k (agreed upon even before valuation came out) Date: Mar 2005 (I think it was the same month that HDB became very strict with valuation pricing) Loc: Hougang, approximately, 5-8 mins walk to Hougang MRT/Hougang Central Reno: 99% revamp, only kept the original staircase railings

hahaha, if I sell high then I also gotta buy high. If can sell at more then 500k, I dont mind getting a EA or 5-room flat though intending to but not actively on the look out now.

heehee ya, I think I can sell at least min. 100k above the price that I paid for my EM. Furthermore, its moved in condition. The property market was really crazy back in 97/98. If I had really bought that Blk 522 EM back then, I dont think I can still sell at a profit if I were to sell it now even though property going up & dont seem to cool down any sooner. The latest transaction in Jan for Blk 522, 11 to 15 floor is only $470,000, I think still a loss to the seller unless seller is 1st owner.

How come u factor in lawyer fees? Ya true, HDB only allow us to take up 2 HDB loan so I took one for my 4-room flat and one for my EM so none for me now. If u get a EM then u are left with zero HDB loan. I didnt really reno my 4-room flat. Only painted the walls, install system 3 air con, re-wiring whole house, hacked kitchen cabinets then installed made in Japan enamel kitchen cabinet (shifted the set into my EM so I spent slightly lesser for the final kitchen cabinet cos its movable and too expensive to let the buyer have it) and Dad helped me to change the W.C, sink, cement support for kitchen sink, cement support for stove & walk in wardrobe. So all in, I think I only spent less than 15k (5k courtesy from Spore pools when my number came out 1st prize) on reno plus furnishing. Just a suggestion to choose a smaller flat cos the high COV is really crazy so dont feel offended. For me, I wont pay more than 20k COV unless I really dont have to spent more than 20k on reno. ya, revamping a EM cost abt 50k during my reno time in 2005, now everything so exp so more hard earning money needed I just wonder how those dual income less than 8k gonna pay the DBSS flats. Its more than 700k for some 5-room flats right? Definitely gotta top up cash for the monthly HDB loan

is it gonna be your first flat? Maybe can consider getting a 5-room first then upgrade to a EM in the near future if u really wanna stay in a EM. Get a 5-room first then do the min. reno. Me and hubby always wanted to stay in EM but didnt wanna give in to the crazy COV back in 1997/98 when we were looking for a flat. We started viewing from EMs, then gradually 'downgraded' our 'target' flat to 4-room flats. Even direct HDB flats at Sengkang during that time was more than 300k for a mere 5 room flat and the sqm was only 110. There were some at 120sqm but the shape of those flats were really weird. We gave up our queue number though we were 2nd on the list on the very 1st day for the flat selection. HDB called up and asked for feedback. Guess what, HDB immediately slashed the price of HDB flats by around 20k. Maybe there were many others like us who didnt turn up to select the flats cos never heard of HDB calling up to ask y potential flat owners failed to turn up. Anyway, we eventually bought a 4-room flat, took the 50k grant and 6 years later, we upgraded and bought our EM. Spend a bomb on reno and yet after a while, wondered why we spent so much on this, on that and ended up not satisfied with the reno after all. We were even not satisfied with the furnitures which were likely to be purchased during a rush. For my boys, they like the staircase so much yet after a year, they start to complaint abt having to go up n down to get their stuff . Haiz! Whatever it is, me and hubby realised our childhood dreams of staying in a EM. Hopefully we'll be able to 'downgrade' either to a EA or a big 5-room flat in the near future, if we have the $ . huh, cheap as compared to others? 81k is alot right? but happy ok liao. If staying for many years then its ok. Some owners in my block shifted out for a month or two and re-renovated the entire flat cos they didnt wanna move away from the estate. Not a bad idea too. Re-do the renovation and have a fresh look years later.

Blk 522? wont be surprised that sellers are asking for at least 50k COV even if the flat is in original condition since resale market really very hot now. Pity young couples who intend to get a lovenest now. Cut back on reno if u can make do with the flat condition as reno itself also very ex now. Sand, cement, wood all gone up at least double the cost compared to 2 years ago when I did my reno.

plenty of coffeeshops around the area and transportation is good too. btw, which area are u looking at? If its 850series which is near to Hougang Central then be prepared to pay high COV as the asking price for the EA/EMs are at least 500k now. Here's the resale transaction for Exec flats in Hougang for the month of Jan: 358 Hougang Ave 5 11 to 15 144.00 1992 $445,000.00 (opposite Hougang Central) 522 Hougang Ave 6 11 to 15 145.00 1987 $470,000.00 (opposite Hougang Mall) 622 Hougang Ave 8 01 to 05 147.00 1986 $420,000.00 961 Hougang Ave 9 11 to 15 137.00 1999 $399,000.00 (Near Hougang Point & Yio Chu Kang Rd) 967 Hougang Ave 9 01 to 05 137.00 1999 $416,000.00 (Near Hougang Point & Yio Chu Kang Rd) Resale transaction for Exec flats in Hougang from Oct 07 to Dec 07 Hougang 833 06 to 10 143.00 1992 $410,000.00 Nov 2007 Hougang 833 01 to 05 146.00 1992 $387,000.00 Nov 2007 Hougang 833 06 to 10 155.00 1992 $420,000.00 Oct 2007 Hougang 834 01 to 05 146.00 1992 $470,000.00 Nov 2007 Hougang 834 06 to 10 146.00 1992 $460,000.00 Oct 2007 Hougang 851 01 to 05 141.00 1997 $435,000.00 Nov 2007 Hougang 851 06 to 10 137.00 1997 $525,000.00 Nov 2007 Hougang 851 06 to 10 138.00 1997 $535,000.00 Oct 2007 Hougang 851 16 to 20 138.00 1997 $569,000.00 Oct 2007 Hougang 853 01 to 05 142.00 1997 $530,000.00 Dec 2007 Hougang 853 01 to 05 137.00 1997 $495,000.00 Oct 2007 Hougang 853 01 to 05 138.00 1997 $452,000.00 Oct 2007

i think very much depends on the location as well as the sellers. Some sellers do the wait n see approach so they would try to test market for high COV. I think last week I saw one EM at Blk 620something asking for only 12k COV. There are still some sellers who die die must sell their flat so might not be patience enough to wait for buyer to accept their request for high COV so they have to ask for a reasonable COV. I guess alot depends on luck and sad to say, now might not be the right timing to get bigger HDB flat due to the property hike. But once property market cools down, then the timing is just nice for those seeking to get bigger HDB flat where's yr EM? which Avenue?

wow, congrats ! whereabout is your EM? Let me have the info so I can add u into the EM kakis club

I think yours the same as those last batch built in SengKang.

btw, what's the sqm of your EM? Mine also the 1st EM design and I hate the common toilet layout the most. I kept my balcony and just installed wrought iron grilles to the balcony. If small rain then I can still leave my laundry intact, if its medium type of rain then I wld have to move my laundry closer to the balcony door but if its those end of the year type of mansoon rain which happened on and off since Dec 07 then I'll have to keep my laundry and close the balcony sliding door.

your avatar shows your EM? Entrance to the staircase is right in the middle of yr living room and not nearer to the wall? Got floor plan to show?

whereabout is your EM? smallest? so its those last few batches and w/o rubbish chute?

Majority would make use of the balcony aka yard for laundry purposes. Some prefer to install those bamboo holders on both ends on the ceiling so the walkway is free whereas some prefer to get those bamboo holder stand. There are some who use a dryer and free up the entire balcony for dining purposes/gardening/water fountain or water feature cum relaxation corner with table and chairs. My friend just bought one unit in Hougang and the previous owner extended the kitchen into the balcony so the rubbish chute is inside the extended kitchen rather than in the balcony.

ya, its very very obvious. Some time ago, I saw one EM at Tampines Central having the illegal bamboo pole holder. So obvious because there were a few bamboo pole with all the colourful laundry 'waving' at me. Hahaha. When I took a closer look, realised that its the so-called illegal installation that angielim mentioned previously cos none of the units in the entire block had the bamboo holder.

I dont think approval would be given. Probably the unit that u saw had done it illegally. If I remembered clearly angielim's Bishan EM (wonder if she's still hanging around in this forum) had those bamboo holders as her seller got the contractor to do it. I think her unit also the only one having it in the entire block.

my ID wanted to charge me $300+ for the rubbish chute and I asked her if she was giving me a GOLD-PLATED rubbish chute. In the end, we bought one from the hardware shop for around $120 or was it $100 (cant recall) then got the worker (ID's workers) to fix up for us.

Initially my utility room was my boys' toy shop cum storeroom plus a miserable storeroom under the stairs. After my parents moved in with us 6 months ago, we custom built a wardrobe and squeeze in a single 'bed' with single mattress and storage underneath the 'bed' for toys and tools in the utility room. We also custom built cabinets underneath the corridor windows (think abt 10ft). From then on, more or less no storage problem. For the other type of EM (those with the squarish balcony aka yard accessible from both kitchen and living room), the study room is so much bigger than the utility room so there's a total of 4 bedrooms. If my EM can sell for close to 500k, I dont mind getting those bigger 5-rooms (those with 3 bedrooms and a studyroom) or an EA. But then, sell high for my EM, but also gotta buy high for 5 room or EA !! . Haiz!

I took 50k grant for my 1st flat and upgraded to my 2nd flat, all from the open market. Didnt upgrade to new flat direct from HDB after sold off 1st flat because didnt wanna pay Cash Levy and new flats were way too small. Rather keep the cash (manned for Cash levy) for reno