Edmund Ee

11/09/2026

Most people look at Faber Residence and see the river. The land price is the more interesting story.

The developers paid about $900 psf ppr for the site, one of the cheapest land bases on our benchmark, and passed much of it on. It launched noticeably cheaper than ELTA down the road.

It scores 84/100 on the PropertyNet Insider Benchmark.

Five storeys. A plot ratio of 1.4. A canal at the edge. Nobody builds that at today's land prices.

The catch is real. You cannot walk to an MRT here. That only improves in 2028, when the Jurong Region Line opens nearby. Faber Walk has also never had a condo, so the first sellers will be setting the price, not checking one.

Good fit if you drive and want quiet space. Poor fit if you take the train to work daily.

Thirteen homes left, all 4 and 5-bedders. Full review here:
https://propertynet.sg/new-launch-condos/faber-residence/

The cheapest land basis in Clementi bought a riverfront low-rise on a plot ratio of 1.4. Every 2 and 3-bedder sold at launch. Thirteen homes left. Full review.

10/09/2026

A couple asked me about a shortcut they heard over dinner.

Buy the next condo 99-1. Transfer the small share later. Skip the ABSD.

I understand the pull. On a $1.5m second home, that tax is $300,000.

But a Court of Appeal ruling this May settled it. A 99-1 split set up mainly to dodge ABSD can be treated as illegal understamping. IRAS can add a 50% surcharge, and there is no time limit on their audits.

Proper decoupling of a private property is still legal. It just costs real money and needs a real reason.

The clever structure is usually the honest one.

Heard this shortcut passed around too?

10/09/2026

Every upgrader couple hits the same wall.

You already own a home together. So the next property counts as your second. On a $1.5 million condo, Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty (ABSD) alone is $300,000.

That is why decoupling and 99-1 keep coming up.

Decoupling that same condo costs about $45,000 all-in. Against that tax bill, the sums can work.

But the 99-1 shortcut got riskier this year. A Court of Appeal ruling backed IRAS treating a 99-1 set up mainly to dodge ABSD as illegal understamping. IRAS can claw back the duty and add a surcharge. There is no time limit on those audits.

HDB flats cannot be decoupled at all. For flat owners, timing your sale is the honest path.

The structure only works when the reason behind it is real.

Full breakdown here:
https://propertynet.sg/decoupling-vs-99-1-singapore-2026-upgrader-couple-absd-savings/

Decoupling vs 99-1 in 2026: which ownership structure saves an upgrader couple more ABSD, and why a landmark Court of Appeal ruling changed the maths.

10/09/2026

The highest asking price isn't always the best selling strategy.

A property can be priced above the market and still attract enquiries. But the real test is whether buyers are willing to transact. Pricing strategy should consider recent transactions, competing listings and your property's unique attributes.

Thinking of selling? Get a proper market positioning review before deciding your asking price.

EdmundEeRealtor.com

09/09/2026

🏡 SOLD! A Happy HDB Seller! 🎉❤️

Another HDB chapter successfully completed!

Congratulations to the Tay Family on the successful sale of their home! 🥳🏠

It was our pleasure to journey alongside the family through this important milestone. From the initial discussions, navigating the sale process, to finally reaching the finish line — we’re grateful for the trust placed in us.

From one home, countless memories… to the beginning of an exciting new chapter. ✨

Thank you, Tay Family, for allowing Edmund & Chris to be part of your property journey. 🙏

Wishing the family every happiness and success in the next chapter ahead! ❤️

Good People • Good Journey • Great Memories

09/09/2026

She said 950 square feet was too small for them.

They had lived in 1,300 square feet for years. Right-sizing looked like giving up a third of their home.

Then we checked what those numbers actually measure. Their old floor area counted the aircon ledge, the planter box and the void spaces. Newer condos leave those out. You pay for space you can walk on.

The gap was never as wide as it looked. And the move freed up about $600,000 that had been sitting dead inside an oversized home.

Smaller on paper is not smaller to live in.

Do you know how your floor area was measured?

09/09/2026

Many retirees are home rich and cash poor.

A couple in their 60s owned a big older condo, fully paid. Comfortable, but bigger than they needed.

They sold it and bought a smaller, newer private unit. About $600,000 was freed up.

Three things decided how much they actually kept.

Buyer's Stamp Duty on the next home took roughly $50,000.

The CPF they used years ago had to go back to CPF with interest. Still their money, but it does not land in the bank.

And if they had bought before selling, Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty (ABSD) on a second property would have eaten most of the gain. Sell first, then buy.

Right-sizing is not a downgrade. It is a plan done in the right order.

Full breakdown here:
https://propertynet.sg/condo-to-condo-right-sizing-retirement-2026-unlock-600k-equity/

How retirees can free up $600k in equity by moving from a large condo to a smaller efficient one, without cutting lifestyle. 2026 numbers, ABSD and CPF rules.

08/09/2026

A couple told me they were too late for Narra Residences.

They saw 41 percent sold and assumed the good units were gone.

Then we opened the chart. Every one of the 26 five-bedroom private lift homes is still available. The four-bedroom Premium tier is almost untouched.

Slow selling is not the same as bad buying. A quiet chart means you pick your stack instead of taking leftovers.

The trade-off is honest. The launch average of $2,180 psf is a record for the Dairy Farm area. You are paying a premium for a nature reserve backyard and a walk to Hillview MRT.

Would you rather have first pick, or a bargain?

08/09/2026

Most people look at Narra Residences and see the nature reserve. The price is the more interesting story.

Our Insider Benchmark score: 79 out of 100. A Selective Buy.

What earns it: a protected rainforest as the backyard, and Hillview MRT on the Downtown Line within walking distance. Nature addresses usually cost you the train. This one does not.

The honest catch: the launch average of $2,180 psf set a record for the Dairy Farm area. Seven months on, only about four in ten units are sold. Steady, not hot. The developer still holds plenty of stock.

Right for families who want trails at the door and first pick of the larger layouts.

Wrong for yield-first investors, or anyone uneasy paying an area record on a 99-year lease.

Full review here:
https://propertynet.sg/new-launch-condos/narra-residences/

The nature reserve as a backyard, Hillview MRT a short walk, and 321 balance units across eleven types from $1.339M. Full review.

07/09/2026

He was sure the market was dead.

His condo had been listed for three months. Barely any viewings.

But resale deals actually rose about 18 percent last quarter. Buyers were busy. They were just walking past his unit.

His asking price came from a 2025 mood, not from what his neighbours had recently sold for.

Listings today sit around 81 days. Slow is the new normal. Being ignored is not.

The market is not quiet. Your price might be.

Has your listing sat longer than you expected?