I am now an (unofficial) owner of a house!

23 November 2012 - My boyfriend and I decided to take the leap of faith and applied for a HDB flat. Up to this point, we were still unsure if we made the right decision. We were torn between Fengshan Greenville in Bedok, Rivervale Delta in Sengkang and Keat Hong Mirage in Choa Chu Kang.

The sites in Sengkang and Choa Chu Kang were considered non-matured estates. On top of the Additional Housing Grant (AHG) that is made available to all 1st timers, applicants for these 2 estates were also entitled to the Special Housing Grant (SHG). So we could potentially have S$50K worth of grants made available to us.

Our consideration:

1) Must have easy access by train to get to town and airport. We do not own a car and have no intention to own one in the future.

2) Easy access to parents.

3) Walking distance to schools.

4) Walking distance to the Neighbourhood centre.

5) Within our budget.

Why we decided not to apply for Rivervale Delta?

Pros: 

1) Cheap,

2) Nearby to two Primary schools.

3) Entitled to AHG and SHG.

Cons: 

1) Must take LRT.

2) Bus 27 is always packed and expressway congested.

3) Biggest bane: Proposed sites for Chinese and Hindu temples. I have lived across the street from a Chinese Temple. And not only is it noisy at 7pm, but on special occasions, the carparks are full and roads congested. That's only one place of worship. Imagine TWO!?!

Why we decided not to apply for Keat Hong Mirage?

Pros: 

1) Cheap. Cheaper than Sengkang, I believe. Within our budget.

2)  LRT is just in front of our doorstep.

3) Near to JB.

4) Completes in 2016 I think.

5) Entitled to AHG and SHG

Cons: 

1) Unless you own a car and visit JB on a regular basis, everywhere is far from Choa Chu Kang.

2) This estate has been around for donkey years, and it is still considered non-matured?!

3) There is a proposed site for a temple.

and finally, our reason on the 11th hour, why we decided on Fengshan Greenville?

Eventhough we lost out on the SHG, we felt the accessibility to amenities is what made up for it. It was near to my parent's place and Tanah Merah is just a few bus stops away. There is also a Perdaus Kindergarten nearby in case I bore a child (lol!). But I think the rental value of the place is so much higher than in Choa Chu Kang. 

The only downside is.... I could only afford the 3 room. The 4 room is $100K more expensive that the above two estates... and therefore is beyond my reach. Also I didn't think I can make any profit when I sell the house. But who knows how Singapore's economic landscape will be like in another 5 years. And yeah, our Expected Delivery Date is in another 5 years (ie 2018!).

People tried to bring my boyfriend and I down by saying we're stupid for buying a 3 room house because "It is small" and "my pay will increase by then". But they do not pay my loan, so I suppose they can shut the fuck up? Rather than living in debt, I'd rather own something I know I can afford, today. Even if in everyone's deluded mind, my pay will double in 5 years (WTF?!). It was very honestly, the most difficult decision we had to make. I had to seek my dad's opinion on this.

1) To my boyfriend and I, location was the most important thing because the East-West MRT was our lifeline. Like I said, we had no intention of purchasing a car. It would be nice to own one, but I think we could live without the debt.

2) This is followed by the price-tag. We wanted to own the highest floors. The highest floor for a 4 room in Fengshan Greenville cost about S$400K and above. So we decided for to go for the 3 room because it will be S$100K cheaper! I think its a better trade-off?

3) Finally, near my mum's. Lol! Its always nice to know there is family nearby. Taxi ride is also less than S$10. If I were to buy the Choa Chu Kang flat, I think my parents can forget about me visiting them. Hahaha!

12 December 2012 - Happens to be the 12/12/12 date. Very cute of HDB to choose this date of all days to announce the ballot number. Thankfully, in our very first ever application, we got a single digit number! My parents, my boyfriend and I went to the HDB Hub to have a look at the optional fittings and also the 3D model. We also went to look at the showroom. So excited at the thought of owning a home.

09 January 2013 - Went down to HDB Hub again to select our unit. Very happy that the unit we wanted was not yet snapped up. Without hesitation, we told the officer our desired unit number... and the rest is just signing of some documents. 

So that's it. Now we're just waiting for the day they call us up to sign the Agreement for Lease which is in another 4 months. 

Btw, there is another BTO in Tampines coming up this month. Don't know how much it will cost and if the distance to the new Downtown line is worth the price tag.... But we shall see.

For now, I can happily say, we own an address to our names. Lol!