Resale transactions increased by about 4%,
from about 7,760 cases in 2nd Quarter 2008 to about 8,110 cases in 3rd
Quarter 2008 (see
Annex C)...
Subletting transactions fell slightly by
about 4% from about 4,120 cases in 2nd Quarter 2008 to about 3,960
cases in 3rd Quarter 2008 (see
Annex F). The total number of HDB flats approved for subletting
rose to about 21,400 units, compared to about 20,200 units in 2nd
Quarter 2008...
Since 17 Oct 07, HDB, SCDF and NEA have been
mounting joint inspections with the Town Councils to enforce the ODA
guidelines. Sixteen joint inspections, one in each of the 16 Town
Councils, involving a total of 1,180 commercial units, have been carried
out to-date.
Upon the first joint inspection, an average
of 41% of the shops at each site were found to have infringed the ODA
guidelines. Some of the common infringements include installation of
drop-down screens and lack of 1-metre distance between rows of goods...
From 1 Dec 2007, owners of commercial
vehicles such as vans and mini-buses with unladen weight not exceeding
1,800 kg will enjoy lower season parking charges if their vehicles can
fit into a car lot...
About 900 season parking ticket holders are
expected to benefit from the revision. Instead of paying the higher
season parking charge of between $120 and $185 per month for heavy
vehicles, they will now pay the lower season parking charge of $65 for
surface car parks and $90 for multi-storey car parks in residential
estates, and between $80 and $180 in commercial areas...
HDB’s Resale Price Index (RPI) rose by 6.6%
in 3rd Quarter 2007 over the previous quarter, with price increases
across most flat types and towns.
The median Cash-Over-Valuation (COV) amount
among all resale transactions conducted in 3rd Quarter 2007 was $17,000
(see Annex C). Cases requiring COV constituted 80% of all resale
transactions in this quarter, with 20% of resale transactions done at or
below valuation...
Most older HDB shops were built with
electrical loads lower than current norms. Over time, the electrical
load requirements in shops have increased with the proliferation of
air-conditioning, more lighting and other electrical appliances.
Currently, the charges for electrical
upgrading for shop tenants and shop owners are $45 per amp and $85
per amp respectively. From 14 Nov 2007, electrical upgrading up to
1 phase 60 amp will be free for tenants while shop owners will pay
the revised charge of $45 per amp...
The lower charges/free upgrading will
benefit about 1,200 owners and 1,300 tenants of HDB shops with an
existing electrical supply of less than 1 phase 60 amps...
Computer gaming establishments are only
allowed to be set up at shopping, recreational or commercial centres.
This includes HDB Town Centres, which are part commercial and part
residential.
In addition, licensees of computer gaming
centres are required not to admit persons below 16 years of age before
6.30 pm on a school day.
Further, the licensee has to ensure that
students wearing school uniforms are not admitted into the establishment
at any time, and is not allowed to provide a change of clothes to
students...
The Family SPT is for HDB residents who
require SPT to two different car parks because of family arrangements...
For such residents, who have already bought
a regular SPT to park at their own residential car park, there is a need
for a second SPT to park at another car park for visiting their parents,
children, grandparents, siblings or their in-laws.
The Family SPT will be sold at 50% of the
regular SPT price applicable to the car park where the Family SPT is to
be purchased.
"30% of all resale cases in 2nd Quarter
2007 were transacted at or below valuation, with an overall median
Cash-Over-Valuation (COV) of about $7,000...
"The number of resale transactions
increased by 38% from 6,300 cases in 1st Quarter 2007 to 8,700
cases in 2nd Quarter 2007 (see Annex D).
"This is indicative of a more active
HDB resale market, and the availability of more resale flats to
meet the location and flat type preferences of flat buyers..."
"For fiscal year (FY) 2007, 800,000 eligible
households will receive $210 million worth of Service & Conservancy
Charges (S&CC), rental and Utilities-Save (U-Save) rebates as part of
the GST Offset Package announced in the Budget Statement 2007.
"Households can get up to 4 months of S&CC
rebates, 4 months of rental rebates and $220 worth of U-Save rebates.
These rebates will cost the Government $210 million in FY2007 and $800
million in total over 5 years..."
"2.4 million Singaporeans will be eligible
for $650 million of GST Credits and Senior Citizens Bonus in 2007...
"Eligible Singaporeans will receive a
letter from the CPF Board by 15 May 2007 on how much GST
Credits/Senior Citizens’ Bonus they can receive and how to sign
up.
"From 15 May 2007, Singaporeans can
sign up at any DBS/POSB/UOB/OCBC ATM or through the GST Offset
Package website at
www.gstoffset.gov.sg. They need to do so by 25 June 2007 to
get the GST Credits/Senior Citizens’ Bonus if they would like to
receive these on 1 July 2007..."
"HDB is
introducing Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags
to replace the current paper disc issued to season
parking tickets (SPT) holders...
"SPT holders will be notified by post
closer to the time when the RFID tags are implemented at their car
parks. New SPT applicants will be given RFID tags when they apply
to purchase season parking..."
"With immediate effect, HDB will be
relaxing its policy on the subletting of whole flats through a
further reduction of the MOP and delinking it from the lessees’
HDB loan status. The revised MOP is:
"5 years for owners of
subsidised flats, i.e. flats
purchased directly from HDB or from the open market with a CPF
Housing Grant; and
3 years for owners of non-subsidised flats, i.e.
flats purchased from the open market without a CPF Housing
Grant..."
"Starting from 1 Mar 07, HDB will align the
rental for its flats to the household income of the tenants.
"Tenants whose monthly income is $800 and
below will continue to pay the 1st-tier rent. Similarly, tenants who
rented their flats after 1 Oct 2003 and whose monthly income is between
$801 and $1500 will continue to pay the current 2nd-tier rent.
"However, tenants whose income has since
risen above these levels will be required to pay
higher rent based on their new income levels..."
"Between now and 2030, the number of elderly
aged 65 years or older will increase dramatically, from 300,000 to
900,000. 1 in 5 Singaporeans will be aged 65 and above by 2030.
"We will need to provide a wide range of
housing options to meet the different financial needs and lifestyle
preferences of the elderly, from smaller HDB flats like studio
apartments, to private retirement housing with dedicated care
facilities..."
"To encourage extended family living, HDB
will extend the $12,000 monthly income ceiling to extended families
buying resale HDB flats with the CPF Housing Grant. The revised policy
will apply with immediate effect...
"To facilitate the elderly to buy SAs, buyers
aged at least 55 years will now be able to use their CPF to buy SAs
after they have set aside at least the full cash component of their
Minimum Sum...
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