Newsloop on the iPhone

Do you read my blog when you are on the train, bus or simply while waiting?  If yes, and if you are using a iPhone, you can now access my posts via the NewsLoop app. [Sorry Android users, the Android version is still in development...] =P

Is this the record breaking COV unit?

News reported that an executive maisonette (EM) in Hougang has been sold with a record Cash-Over-Valuation (COV) of S$225,000.  The EM at Block 237, Hougang Street 21 was reportedly sold for S$900,000 including COV.

Just wondering if this is the unit that broke the record? 1,679 sqft (155.98 sqm)

Review of Saturday in Design Singapore 2012

First thing… I love the idea of having free shuttle buses to ferry participants between venues. BUT (big ‘but’), the current system really really sucks.  Three things:

Have you signed up for Saturday in Design Singapore 2012?

Admittedly, probably not an event for everyone.  If you are a homeowner, ideally you should be a design aficionado.  And if you don’t have deep pockets to go with your expensive taste, then you ought to have a high threshold for ‘pain’.  Like me.  Ha…  Anyway figured it should make for an interesting Saturday.  I do kinda miss the whole “shopping for my furniture” part now that I am a bonafide homeowner with limited space for more furniture (sigh).

What makes a record breaking HDB unit?

Before we go into what makes a record breaking HDB unit (by total price or per square foot (psf) basis), let’s re-visit some of the record breaking HDB units reported in the news over the past 5 years.

Here we go:

Is this the $1 million HDB flat? Or this one?

Update on 12 Sep: Indeed, not an EM as earlier reported by the news, but a 1,614 sqft EA located in Blk 149 @ $620psf.  See this news: Expect more million dollar resale flats in resale market

Well, not much information to go by, but based on the ads placed in Property Guru:

7 reasons why Mei Ling Street is a great place to live in

I was inspired to write about why Mei Ling Street HDB units have ‘record breaking potential’ with the recent hoo-ha about the soon to be $1 million HDB transaction.  After staying in my place for slightly more than a year, here is a resident’s view:

Why an Executive Maisonette?

Reblogged from Our EM Renovation Experience:

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I like EMs cos of the space, plus the fact that such units comes with three toilets.  While Executive Apartments are just as spacious, they only have two toilets.  Jumbos and Multi-Generation apartments that may have more than two toilets are hard to come by, not to mention factoring location and transport needs.

My personal views aside, I do have some news articles I've found that gives some (unbiased?) insights.

Read more… 354 more words

Am I prescient or what? So the next major record breaking HDB sold should be in Queenstown if the news reports are true ($1 million!). And there is the transacted $980k 'sky terrace' unit in Bishan. As reported in Channel News Asia: READ HERE And in AsiaOne: READ HERE Really makes me wonder how much my place is worth now... On a related note, I am not sure the renovation for this EM could be $200k, nor that the furnishings are worth $100k. Hey, anyone who has been through a reno process would probably be doubtful too. IMO it lacks the effortlessly expensive look that truly expensively furnished homes have.  But if both the buyer and the seller are happy, whatever right?  READ HERE

Yay for another new store: CB2 in Singapore

It’s like the younger sibling of Crate & Barrel I think.  As usual I prowled through the CB2 site (ships to Singapore by the way!) and shortlisted these eye candy below. Just too bad I need another house before I can seriously consider which ones to get.

Pretty sure CB2 Singapore will update its Facebook, so you can check it out for updates.  The new store is supposed to be at Peranakan Place, so it doesn’t sound like it will be a big store.

Crate & Barrel coming to Singapore

Hands up if you have ever placed an item (or more) in your online Crate & Barrel cart, only to stop short of payment cos of a niggling suspicion that shipping will cost a bomb… errrr… anyone?  (I can’t be the only one right? Right?? o_O)  Nevermind…

Anyway, good news here cos American lifestyle and furniture store Crate & Barrel is coming to Singapore in December.  I believe this is the brand’s 1st store in Asia, and it will be a duplex concept at Levels 3 and 4 of the ION Orchard mall.

I have included some random pics of C&B items that caught my eye in the online store.  Fingers crossed that they’ll bring the Marimekko range over too. I’ve been eyeing their bedlinen forever (but I need to perform a ‘touch’ test before I am willing to buy).  In case you can’t wait that long for the C&B store to open, don’t forget that the C&B online store ships to Singapore!