Independent property strategy, Singapore
I help buyers, investors and owners check the price, the building and the exit before they commit.
Hi, I'm James Ong.
I help buyers and owners in Singapore decide with numbers: the price, the cost of owning, and the exit, with a plan for the next 10 to 20 years, not just the next transaction.
10+ years with multinational managing agents · Former PMP and Fire Safety Manager · CEA R008385F · PropNex Realty · About me →
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Editor's Choice
The complete 7-layer buyer's analysis of Thomson Reserve: land cost, floor plans, pricing, yield, the corridor, exit and management. Updated with confirmed project facts ahead of the 17 October 2026 preview.
CanningHill Piers is finished and right on Clarke Quay. Union Square is two years away with adjusted prices. Which suits you depends on when you need the keys, not just the river.
Chuan Park sold at $2,586 psf, but its floor area includes AC ledges and voids because it is pre-GFA harmonisation. Chuan Grove launches harmonised in 2026. At D19 PSF, the real difference per unit is $80,000 to $181,000.
JadeScape trades at $2,293 psf, up 35% since 2018. Seven layers deep: is it still a defensible entry, or has the run already priced in the next five years?
Seven developers bid for a 140-home site under 500m from Thomson Reserve. The winner paid 37% more for the land. What that does, and doesn’t, mean for buyers and owners nearby.
CDL's Singapore River launch scored 81/100 on James's STAR Scorecard. Full verdict, all 7 layers, one place.
Three 2026 launches, three very different buyers. James compares Thomson Reserve, Dunearn House, and Lentor Gardens Residences on price, yield, schools, and MCST risk, then names which one fits a single buyer, a family of two, and a retiree.
Is Lentor Gardens Residences the best value in D26? We review Kingsford’s latest launch, analyzing its GFA-harmonised floor plan efficiency, proximity to Lentor MRT, and how it resets the price floor for the entire Lentor corridor in 2026.
Dunearn House is the first private residential launch in Bukit Timah Turf City. Is it worth $3,000 psf on a 99-year lease? James Ong breaks down all 7 layers, land cost, floor plans, yield, exit, and the MCST question nobody asks.
Holding your new condo keys is a milestone, but the next 30 days are a race against the clock. From documenting defects to understanding your 12-month DLP rights, what you do now determines if the developer pays for repairs or you do. Here is your 2026 step-by-step checklist.
The BMSMA governance change is real. The resale-value premium is still unproven. And a 22kW charger may charge your car at exactly the same speed as a 7.2kW one. Includes who's actually building Singapore's network, Charge+ and SP Mobility.
Most inter-floor leakage disputes in Singapore resolve without STB, with a licensed plumber's report, a calm conversation, and a cost-sharing arrangement.
For eight years, Braddell View buyers have chased an en bloc windfall that has yet to arrive. With a 56-year lease remaining and a massive $2.5B+ developer quantum, the "lottery ticket" is getting expensive. We compare the data against JadeScape to show where smart capital is moving in 2026.
A rental increase only clearly pays off if your current tenant accepts it, or a replacement tenant is found almost immediately. On a S$4,300 unit with a 10% increase, a tenant who stays nets you S$10,320 over 24 months.
Your leasehold property is worth 74.7% of a freehold equivalent at 50 years remaining, and the drop accelerates from there. CPF restrictions shrink your buyer pool. Bank loans tighten. Most owners find out too late. Here's the curve, the cliff, and what to do before both hit you.
ABSD on a second property is 20% for Singapore Citizens, charged on the full purchase price, not just the amount above a threshold. On a $2.1M second property that's $420,000 plus BSD, totalling roughly $456,600 upfront.
Most SG landlord-tenant disputes aren't caused by bad tenants, but by three missing documents: a signed inventory, a specific air-con clause, and written maintenance records. Without all three, a landlord with a legitimate claim still loses at the Small Claims Tribunal.
Resale condos are 20 to 30% cheaper per psf than new launches, but that gap comes with real trade-offs. Here's what 14,622 resale transactions in 2025 tell us about who should buy resale and who shouldn't.
Resale prices have fallen three quarters running in 2026, yet million-dollar HDB deals keep setting records, and a Telok Blangah jumbo flat was listed at S$2.18 million. What the split means if your flat is near the top of the market.
Equity loans in Singapore are capped at 75% of valuation, minus your loan and the CPF you used. Stay under 50% and TDSR does not apply. A worked example, the costs, and when selling is the better answer.
Your DLP gives you 12 months of free defect repairs from your developer. Most new homeowners don't use it properly. Here's exactly what it covers, and what to do before your renovation starts.
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Most HDB sellers focus on the sale price and forget CPF accrued interest until it is too late to plan around it. The full net proceeds calculation, with two worked illustrations.
You may not have to sell your HDB flat before buying private, but stamp duty decides whether you should. The ABSD refund window for married couples, the 6-month rule for PRs, and bridging, explained.
Seven developers bid for a 140-home site under 500m from Thomson Reserve. The winner paid 37% more for the land. What that does, and doesn’t, mean for buyers and owners nearby.
CanningHill Piers is finished and right on Clarke Quay. Union Square is two years away with adjusted prices. Which suits you depends on when you need the keys, not just the river.
The Sunway MCL and CSC Land partnership's MCST record is still being built. Elta in Clementi (501 units), their main shared project, hasn't reached TOP. The seven MCST questions to ask before you sign for any CCR new launch.
Four buyer profiles at exit: CCR upgrader, legacy buyer, international buyer, corridor rotator. The supply risk: three parcels (~1,449 units) reaching TOP simultaneously in 2029 to 2032. Know this before you sign.
River Valley Green Parcel C sits at TE15 (Great World MRT) on the Thomson-East Coast Line. It's the last GLS site in the precinct, next to the Greater Southern Waterfront. Late in the GLS cycle, early in the masterplan story.
River Green averaged $3,130 psf. River Modern averaged $3,266 psf. River Valley Green Parcel C is expected at $3,500 to $3,800 psf. Is the 7% to 16% premium earned, or just land cost passed on to buyers?
At $1,730 psf ppr, 21.8% above River Modern's land cost, River Valley Green Parcel C sets the precinct's highest GLS benchmark. What that land cost means for your downside if you need to sell.