HUSBAND AND WIFE JOKES

Man: I want a divorce. My wife hasn't spoken to me in six months.

Lawyer: Better think it over. Wives like that are hard to get!

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After thoroughly checking a man (accompanied by his wife) at his clinic...

Doctor: Your husband is perfectly all right. He only needs some rest, that's all. Just take this sleeping pills.

Wife: When should I give them to him?

Doctor: Oh no, those are for you.

Business Times: HDB's 2nd BTO project takes off

March 19, 2008
HDB's 2nd BTO project takes off
By ARTHUR SIM

THE Housing and Development Board launched its second build-to-order (BTO) project yesterday.

Jade Spring @ Yishun (Phase 2) will have 576 flats for sale. With 494 flats launched last month, HDB has made available a total of 1,070 flats so far.It says five more BTO projects will be launched by June and they will make available 3,430 flats, taking the total number to 4,500 for the first half of 2008.

At the end of the first day of the Jade Spring @ Yishun (Phase 2) launch yesterday, HDB had received 247 applications.Cushman & Wakefield managing director Donald Han said that demand for BTO flats is expected to remain firm despite volatile economic conditions worldwide.

'HDB buyers are different from those in the private market,' he said.And because there are few launches at the low end of the private residential market, he reckons that that sector is not likely to be affected by new BTO projects.

Mr Han said that while the top price for a four-room flat at Jade Spring is around $250,000, a low-end mass market private home costs at least $500,000. 'At these prices, the HDB market still has room to grow,' he said.

Jade Spring will comprise mostly four-room flats, costing $189,000-$253,000 for unit sizes of 92-97 square metres.Three-room flats will cost $124,000-$141, 000 for unit sizes of 67 sq m. Two-room flats will cost $77,000-$97, 000 for unit sizes of 47 sq m.The monthly household income ceilings for purchasing the flats are $2,000 for a two-room unit, $3,000 for three-room and $8,000 for four-room.

ERA Realty Network assistant vice-president Eugene Lim said that the flats should appeal to first-timers and those with lower budgets, as little or no cash is needed to buy them.He estimates that the median cash-over-valuation (COV) for a four-room Yishun resale flat is about $18,000. Current resale prices of four-room flats of about 20 years old at Yishun Avenue 11 are around $230,000-$260, 000.

Mr Lim said that the HDB resale market is still active despite the global economic bad news.
'Any flat that has a COV of $50,000 and below sells relatively quickly, usually within a month or less.'

Straits Times Forum: En-bloc sales eroding our 'sense of kampung'

March 17, 2008
En-bloc sales eroding our 'sense of kampung'
PLEASE refer to last Friday's article, 'Some Gillman Heights owners fight on for their homes'.

Gillman Heights is an excellent example of what is happening on the collective property sale scene today: Minority owners fight desperately to keep their homes; Minority and majority owners find replacement value like-for-like, in terms of location, size and price, does not result in a win-win situation for sellers; and Collective property sales create social tension in private housing estates, which erodes the fabric of society and our 'sense of kampung'.

The bitter jeers and ugly scenes reported recently at the Bayshore Park extraordinary general meeting, where the minority were not allowed a proper hearing, are becoming typical of collective property sale meetings across the island: Neighbour is pitted against neighbour.

The increasing litigation that accompanies virtually all recent sales attempts is a symptom of a sickness from which society needs relief. This, coupled with an increasing awareness that, in Singapore, your home is not really your home and can be taken from you by your neighbours. All these factors erode our sense of home and innate security.

Finally, many sellers realise too late that, after they have signed on the dotted line, what they thought would be a windfall is actually a shortfall. It takes two to four years to get sales proceeds - by which time the market has negated profits and resulted in sellers having to downgrade or take a loan to pay for their replacement home. The dislocation to the elderly is especially poignant.

What price will we pay for eroding our sense of kampung? What price have we paid already?

Susan Prior (Ms)

PROPERTIES FOR SALE !

1. D08 - KERRISDALE - For Sale or Rent
99 YRS LEASEHOLD 3+1 bedrooms, 1280 sqft

Above 20 floor, unblock beautiful city view.
5 mins to Farrer Park MRT, Near City, nearby Lavender MRT.

For sale : Asking 1.18 Mil.
For rent : 5.2 K 1 year lease.

2. D17/18 Edelweiss ParkFreehold
TOP 2006 3+1 bedroom, 2464 sqft, 1st floor : 1280 sqft
Roof terrace comes with Jacuzzi, barbecue pit, water feature with fishpond.
Unblocked, bright, Designor Decor !
Beautiful dream home!

Asking 1.33 Mil (Bank value 1.4)

3. D05 - THE STELLAR Freehold.
3 bedrooms+ 1 , 1335 sqft
Blk 20 , facing pool and tennis court.
Asking $920 / sqft
Serious seller. Any reasonable offer will be considered by owner.

4. D15 - RIVEREDGE
99 YRS LEASEHOLD 3 bedrooms, 1744 sqft, low floor.
TOP in May / June 2008.
Unit comes with a limited version open terrace.
Asking Only $800 Psf Now !!!Nearby Developments Already Asking Above $1200 Psf !!!

5. D26 - AMANUSA
Exclusive 36 Freehold clustered terrace.
Located in the residential niche area of Upper Thomson.
Near to Yio Chu Kang MRT.
5 rooms, buildup area : 3724 sqft
Asking only $650 / sqft.

6. D23 - REGENT HEIGHTS
99 Yrs Leasehold
3 bedroom, 1163 sqft, high floor.
Tower A, stack #06.
Pool View, Near MRT, Renovated.
Asking 680 K only.

Visit http://www.dannylum-property.com for details and photos of the above properties.

Sunday Times: Whitley Road homes ooze quiet charm

March 16, 2008 Whitley Road homes ooze quiet charm.
Buyers love the area's lush greenery and wide open spaces, as well as its proximity to the city By Joyce Teo, Property Correspondent.

THE escape of terrorist Mas Selamat Kastari from the Whitley Road Detention Centre has thrown the spotlight on the quiet, high-end residential area. Previously, many people had no idea that the relatively upmarket area with many landed homes boasted a detention centre in its midst. Still, this discovery is not expected to dent the values of properties in the area's private estates, though interest levels could dip a bit, said a property consultant. 'Some people are just superstitious and they don't want to live near a prison,' he said.

Currently, the existing residential pockets are found at the two ends of Whitley Road, with quite a few apartment blocks on the Thomson Road side. On the Merryn Road side, there are houses and a few condominiums such as The Trevose and Trevose Park. Black and white bungalows, whose monthly rentals range from several thousand dollars to tens of thousands, can also be found around the area. Quite a few large and exclusive units dot the peaceful, tree-lined stretch along Mount Pleasant Road.

For people who love greenery and space, there are few places like Whitley, property consultants said. 'The area is attractive because it is only a short drive to Orchard Road and there is easy access to the rest of the island via the Pan- Island Expressway (PIE),' said CBRE Research's executive director, Mr Li Hiaw Ho.

Apartments in the Whitley Road residential areas were sold at $900 per sq ft (psf) to $1,300 psf in the second half of last year, said CBRE Research. At The Trevose, there were two deals in February: one for $1 million or $1,050 psf and the other for $1.5 million or $1,142 psf, based on caveats lodged.

Freehold detached houses in the area were sold for between $6 million and $11 million each. Semi-detached houses went for around $4 million each over the same period. The location also offers the cheaper option of 99-year leasehold landed homes, which can cost $2 million to $5 million.

A check with the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) shows that the area is zoned mainly for residential use. The URA says there are currently no specific detailed plans for the area. Still, a section of the Whitley Road stretch that flanks the PIE remains largely undeveloped and might be reserved for future development, said CBRE Research.

NEWLY MARRIED

A newly married couple in a shopping mall...

Wife: Stop looking at girls, you are married now!

Husband: You mean if I'm on a diet, I can't even look at the menu?