Top Stories Khaw says his housing policies have little to do with the general election To those who say the wide-ranging housing measures benefiting home buyers of different income groups are an election package, Minister of National Development Khaw Boon Wan says his housing policies have little to do with the general election (GE). More flat buyers? Supply can be tweaked Applicants for new Housing Board flats and executive condominiums (ECs) need not worry about greater competition now that the income ceiling has been raised, as supply can be tweaked accordingly, National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan said yesterday. "We have leverage over the supply and we can always adjust the supply - expand and reduce as necessary," he told reporters at the HDB Hub in Toa Payoh. http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/housing/more-flat-buyers-supply-can-be-tweaked?login=true http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/raised-income-ceiling-a/2072834.html New scheme offers fresh start to families living in rental flats A new scheme for families living in rental units after being forced to sell their flats can help them move out of poverty, social workers have told The Straits Times. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced the Fresh Start Housing Scheme at Sunday's National Day Rally to help second-timer rental households own a two-room flat. MND releases details on Proximity Housing Grant and other changes The Ministry of National Development (MND) on Monday unveiled more details on the four housing measures announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in his National Day Rally speech on Sunday. First, the new Proximity Housing Grant (PHG), which will help Singaporeans buy a resale flat with or near their parents or married child; this will complement the various priority schemes with the same objective, but which have so far targeted only buyers of new flats. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/housing-moves-to-benefit/2071352.html $20,000 grant to help families live closer together All Singaporean families buying a Housing Board resale flat near or with their parents or married children will receive a new $20,000 grant, regardless of their income levels and whether they have received housing subsidies before. Eligible singles now get $10,000 if they buy a resale flat with their parents. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/special-cpf-housing-grant/2072922.html http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/grant-help-extended-families-live-close-together-kicks-today Singapore Economy Overall inflation eases in July, but core inflation rises While Singapore's headline inflation rate may have dipped further into negative territory in July, the rise in core inflation underscores how underlying cost pressures still remain. Still, economists say prices could dampen further in the months ahead due to a mix of both external and domestic factors - including lower oil prices, regional currency weakness, and softer accommodation and car prices here. Singapore Real Estate Fillip for ECs could hurt mass market condos' demand The changes to the eligibility income ceiling announced on Sunday could ignite demand for executive condominiums (EC) and intensify the competition for mass market private homes. Developers of mass market apartments and ECs are targeting the same group of buyers, so experts expect the battle for sales to be stepped up. Workers still crammed into Geylang apartments http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/workers-still-crammed-into-geylang-apartments Companies' Brief Six out of 13 S-Reits miss Citi's Q2 forecasts "Good news was in relative short supply" for the second quarter in the S-Reits universe, Citi analysts said in a report following the closure of the latest earnings reporting season. The number of "misses" by S-Reits against forecasts remained elevated at close to half - six out of 13 - of Citi's S-Reits coverage for the fourth straight quarter, with only one Reit - Mapletree Industrial Trust (MIT) - beating the analysts' forecast. The other six were in line with expectations. http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/six-out-of-13-s-reits-miss-citis-q2-forecasts Global Economy & Global Estate Malaysian developers tout weak ringgit as key selling point Sydney homeowners join forces to exploit boom http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/real-estate/sydney-homeowners-join-forces-to-exploit-boom Shares of brokers lose shine as US commercial property market starts cooling Abandoned homes dot suburbs of Tokyo http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/real-estate/abandoned-homes-dot-suburbs-of-tokyo Auckland house prices keep central bank awake at night, says official |