SINGAPORE: Built-to-Order (BTO) flats in the mature estate of Tampines were the most popular in the August BTO exercise, with strong demand for larger five-room flats.
The latest BTO exercise closed at 11.59pm on Monday (Sep 5), with the final numbers updated on Tuesday afternoon. Seven projects were on offer in mature towns Tampines, Ang Mo Kio and Bukit Merah, and non-mature estates Choa Chu Kang, Jurong East and Woodlands.
MATURE ESTATES
Five-room flats in Tampines were among the most popular this year, with 3,082 applicants for 117 flats. That means there were overall more than 26 applicants for each flat.
Only a four-room flat in Dakota Crest in Geylang, which was launched in February, was more popular this year.
Four-room flats in Tampines in the August BTO exercise also drew many applications, with 3,347 applicants for 150 such flats.
In mature estates, at least 95 per cent of BTO supply is set aside for first-time families.
Units in Central Weave @ Ang Mo Kio were also in-demand. The four-room, five-room and 3Gen flats drew more than eight potential first-time buyers for each unit.
Two Prime Location Public Housing (PLH) projects in Bukit Merah – Alexandra Vale and Havelock Hillside – had more than 8,800 applicants for 1,651 units.
PLH flats have more stringent resale criteria, including a 10-year minimum occupation period (MOP). After the MOP, they can only be sold to buyers who meet prevailing BTO eligibility conditions, such as the income ceiling.
As PLH flats are priced with additional subsidies, buyers of flats at Havelock Hillside and Alexandra Vale have to return 6 per cent of the resale price or valuation to HDB.
HDB said on Monday that among the seven BTO projects launched, six projects had first-timer application rates of two or lower for one or more flat types.
“In particular, majority of first-timer applicants across the different flat types who applied for Keat Hong Grange project in Choa Chu Kang will have a good chance of securing a flat,” said HDB.
This is because of the average 40 per cent rejection rate at the flat selection stage, and the “relatively low” first-time application rates across various flat types in non-mature estates.
The next BTO sales exercise is scheduled for November. HDB will offer about 9,500 BTO flats in towns and estates such as Bukit Batok, Kallang Whampoa, Queenstown, Tengah and Yishun.
HDB aims to launch up to 23,000 new flats this year.
Source: CNA
