LOL.Online battle between Tan Chuan-Jin and Bloggers begun!

[Roadie]

Allow me to share my experience... I just booked a 5-room at CCK around 3 weeks ago. Flat cost me 351k for a mid-floor unit.

 

Since me and gf graduated not too long ago (and even while studying, she has been working with prudential for a good 2yrs), our combined income is slightly shy of 4k, we qualify for about 30-35k of additional grant. Therefore, the 10% downpayment has been taken care of.

 

The monthly installment for the flat over 30yrs will be around 1.2k, of which, around 70% will be paid from CPF. The rest is cash topup.

 

What i don't understand is why HDB don't sell flats at cost (or slightly above cost) rather than taking market rate and taking about 50k off the price? Is it purely to prevent buyers to make a handsome profit after the 5yr MOP is up?

 

With that income you still able to afford a car....

 

"Live within your means" certainly doesn't apply to our young generation !!

[Pippo20]

The Gahmen is trying to make the bottom 25% stop reproducing. I think it should go one step further and provide free sterilisation/contraception for those below certain income level. can always import 35k a year instead of 25k

 

Having said that, before people consider me elitist, I am probably somewhere in the middle 50%, and choose not to have kids partly because I think an average person has a bleak future in Singapore.

 

Having more than one kid in SG, unless household income approaches 5 figures, is really quite a stretch. This assumes that the parents don't shirk their duties and spend what is required on their kids, and finance their kids through at least a local university education. Having been fortunate enough to have a father who slogged to bring us on holidays, I think holidays are a necessity too, though not necessarily lavish holidays to exotic locales.

 

And all these that I have mentioned, I don't think it's too much to ask, especially since we have been promised by a certain minister that we would enjoy the "Swiss standard of living"

 

There are incentives for the bottom 10% to reproduce less (for their own good lah) but of course it is not so nice to widely publisize this..

[RadX]

Leave some popcorn for me to this rare spectacle of the crossfire between the Academic of Academics and the Humblest of Haolians.

 

[Zak7182]

i think its more of just playing with numbers to make you think they are very generous in offering discounts.. take 50k off... sooner or later ppl will treat it as a norm

 

just like the petrol cartel

 

+1... Smart intellect you are. More of such thinking required here in SGP.

[Rongerald]

I think TCJ has some reasonableness in his reply. One should live within one's means.

 

However, Singaporeans, or rather, the liberal world at large is always pushing for oneself to have MORE CHOICES and it is this mentality that sucks people in. Living within one's means will narrow an individual's range of CHOICES. Therefore, when faced with narrowed down choices, people become unhappy. People cry unfair ...

 

The mentality is different in our forefathers' times. When faced with limited choices, our forefathers grit their teeth and put their heart and soul and mind into becoming fruitful, in achieving something in life. With that fruifulness and achievements, their range of CHOICES naturally widen. Our forefathers mentality is that nobody owes them a living.

 

You have a point. But wasn't Mah Bow Tan the one who let prices escalate out of control, and he restricted demands of HDB flats by with-holding sales of New flats?

 

Who remembers the excess empty flats that was lying around in the early 2000? Mah Bow Tan is the guy who brought all these upon Singapore.

 

You look at how Khaw Boon Wan tries to resolve the issue with some success? He simply release more new HDB flats or instructed more flats to be built

 

What the Fish is Mah Bow Tan doing? He should be sacked eons ago!

[Rongerald]

On the contrary, I think you are the one who don't think logically with your comments.

 

I read the article this morning. The man argument is live within your means. Why buy such an expensive unit at such high floor at such premium location in mature estate when your income is not that high? If your earning power not that great, can always consider smaller units and not-so-central location. The article is very well-written with very logical advice, imho.

 

Please void your relpies with political nonsense and you will understand the point.

 

So crazy HDB prices caused by Mah Bow Tan is political nonsense? Didn't you realise how Khaw simply solve the issue (or rather, tried to)? Your blind support for PAP.....is simply....

[Joseph22]

CPI does not seek to reflect changes in standard or quality of living. Cost of living is not the same as standard of living. In addition, there is no principle which holds that price appreciation and increases necessarily commensurate with quality and standards increase.

 

For example, think of PC/laptops. Processing power and hence quality has improved within a short period, but the price for an average mid range model has either stabilised or fallen despite the quality/standard increase.

 

Concepts of standard of living or quality of life are tracked by OTHER development indicators. CPI is not used by the World Bank, IMF and UN to measure changes in quality of life, and for a good reason.

 

Please see post to throttle2 for elaboration.

 

Okay. understand what you mean. thanks for the explanation (how do i spell this).

[Ngck]

You have a point. But wasn't Mah Bow Tan the one who let prices escalate out of control, and he restricted demands of HDB flats by with-holding sales of New flats?

 

Who remembers the excess empty flats that was lying around in the early 2000? Mah Bow Tan is the guy who brought all these upon Singapore.

 

You look at how Khaw Boon Wan tries to resolve the issue with some success? He simply release more new HDB flats or instructed more flats to be built

 

What the Fish is Mah Bow Tan doing? He should be sacked eons ago!

 

 

prices still rising.... what success are you talking about?

[Vtim]

Agree with the basic principle of living within one's means. However, just looking at the rate of increase of flat prices vs the rate of increase in income, you gotta admit the masses have a point.

 

If HDB can just stop pegging the prices of new flats to 'market value', the kids born today may have hope yet. otherwise, good luck!

 

yah man, I guess my 4 kids may not be working & living in SG when they grow up in 10 to 15yrs time

[Sabian]

prices still rising.... what success are you talking about?

that's why I always wonder...change chef for fcuk?

 

Only difference is 1 keep insisting chicken rice is still affordable (just take 30+ yr loan) and the other can blog.

Edited April 30, 2012 by Sabian

[Ngck]

that's why I always wonder...change chef for fcuk?

 

Only difference is 1 keep insisting chicken rice is still affordable (just take 30+ yr loan) and the other can blog.

 

haha... the new one say he will sell more chicken rice. But he never say the price will drop.

 

 

[Joseph22]

that's why I always wonder...change chef for fcuk?

 

Only difference is 1 keep insisting chicken rice is still affordable (just take 30+ yr loan) and the other can blog.

give him some time lah. if they force drop HDB. you will see collapse.

 

take for example, recent stock market, those small stocks keep rising, the SGX step in and stop them from large number trading, all stock collapse. heng run fast enough, if not kenna burn.

[Joseph22]

haha... the new one say he will sell more chicken rice. But he never say the price will drop.

he say stablise prices right??

[Relacklabrudder]

On the contrary, I think you are the one who don't think logically with your comments.

 

I read the article this morning. The man argument is live within your means. Why buy such an expensive unit at such high floor at such premium location in mature estate when your income is not that high? If your earning power not that great, can always consider smaller units and not-so-central location. The article is very well-written with very logical advice, imho.

 

Please void your relpies with political nonsense and you will understand the point.

 

 

so next time if New water is less expensive than normal water, then the man will argue that u shld live within ur means and buy new water instead.

 

living within ur means arguement is to subjugate ppl who are helpless in the society. Who in the 1st place make all these that were attainable by ppl of same rea income level 1 generation ago to become unafforable nw?

[Boyboy]

yah man, I guess my 4 kids may not be working & living in SG when they grow up in 10 to 15yrs time

 

Uncle Vtim, join them lah..

 

My dad said to find a place with golf course n fishing nearby. so he got things to do when he come to visit in future. I think shouldn't be too hard.

 

[Boyboy]

Dont spread rumors, they it take more than a few years for it to happen, and that is when all help are exhausted

 

Those aren't rumours. Just shooting from the hip, I'll admit. But we have to admit that HDB is not too forgiving when $$ is concerned

[Boyboy]

When you said " ........ I am probably somewhere in the middle 50%, and choose not to have kids partly because I think an average person has a bleak future in Singapore. " it sent a shiver down my spine. You will never know the joy I have experienced being a father of two wonderful sons. This is very sad indeed. The general perception everywhere seems to be that this goverment has a great penchant and talent to hijack everything and anything and turn them into fat, cash cows, and that they would stop at nothing to milk or bilk everyone for all they are worth. The frustration and anger is palpable. ( To Heartlander - this is the crux of the issue in the blog. Understand? Still blur?)

Anyway, don't stop believing and hoping. Wish you well.

 

Sorry, I don't gamble. I've seen untold sorrow caused by kids too. So I'm glad you won your gamble. (to be fair, it's not entirely a gamble as you do get what you put into it)

 

Enjoy ur parenthood

[Boyboy]

When I read his post I what like "huh?"

He and wife are DINKS - probably have enough money to enjoy themselves and say :

Chose not to have Kids as SG future is Bleak ? I guess not rich enough to emigrate ? unless the other countries also Bleak future...

 

These people - Garment Lurve and Hate them at the same time. Good Cows to Milk. But No calves to milk later..

 

Definitely gonna try to migrate. But it will be more of a live and work overseas first.

 

Who knows, I might find that Australia, Canada and NZ are more f-ed up than this place, then I will come back and heil PAP