Yes, as a SPR buying a Singapore restricted residential property, you are classified as a foreign person. A foreign person means any person who is not any of the following:

• Singapore citizen
• Singapore company
• Singapore limited liability partnership
• Singapore society

Before you commit to buy the attractive Singapore property for sale found by your real estate agent, please make sure that it is not a restricted residential property. Restricted residential properties in Singapore are as follows:

• Vacant residential land
• Landed property such as detached house, semi-detached house, terrace house, etc
• Landed property in strata developments which are not approved condominium developments under the Planning Act such as units in a cluster housing project
• Shop house which is not strata subdivided and is erected on land which has been zoned “residential“
• All (100%) of the units in an apartment or all (100%) of the units in an approved condominium

Before you commit to buy the affordable Singapore property for sale offered by a property agent, please ensure that it is a Singapore property that you are not restricted to buy. A foreign person is not restricted from acquiring the following properties in Singapore:

• Any apartment within a building
• Any unit in an approved condominium
• Commercial and industrial land or properties

In order for a foreign person to obtain permission to buy a restricted residential property in Singapore, the following qualifying assessment criteria are taken into consideration:

• A Singapore permanent resident (SPR)
• Adequate economic contribution to Singapore
• Possesses academic, professional and/or technical qualification
• Expertise and working experience needed by Singapore
• Investments in the type of industry or service sector required by Singapore

Before you start to engage a real estate agent to look for a Singapore landed property for sale, it is recommended that you first apply for an Approval-in-Principle (AIP) from the Land Dealings (Approval) Unit (LDAU). The AIP for the purchase of a Singapore restricted residential property in Singapore is valid for 6 months and is not renewable. A fresh application must be made for another AIP on expiration of the existing AIP. The processing for the AIP or approval requires a minimum of 5 weeks processing time. Even if you have the AIP, the Option to Purchase must still state that the sale and purchase is subject to approval from LDAU.

Once you are approved by the Land Dealings (Approval) Unit to purchase a restricted residential property in Singapore, the restrictions imposed on you and the property are as follows:

Foreigners are allowed to buy land and completed bungalows in Sentosa. They are still required to seek approval from the Land Dealings (Approval) Unit but it takes only 2 days to get approval.

The conditions for foreign ownership of land or landed home in Sentosa are as follows:

Legal fees involved in the purchase of Singapore properties are no longer regulated. The buyer may shop around for competitive rates or ask the real estate agent to recommend a lawyer.

If you are selling your 1st residential property in Singapore which has an outstanding housing loan to buy a 2nd residential property in Singapore, you must show proof of sale of your 1st residential property in Singapore to enjoy the higher loan-to-value (LTV) limit for the purchase of the 2nd residential property in Singapore. The following proofs of sale for your 1st residential property in Singapore are required:

• Signed sale & purchase agreement or exercised Option to Purchase
• Certificate from IRAS to show buyer has paid stamp duty
• In the case of an outstanding bank loan, a letter from the bank with the outstanding loan stating that you will discharge loan on completion of sale.

CPF withdrawals for the purchase of more than one Singapore residential property are subjected to the following conditions:

• You are required to set aside the Basic Retirement Sum (BRS) before you can use the excess CPF savings in the Ordinary Account. The BRS will be raised annually.
• The BRS amount can be set aside from:
  Ordinary Account + Special Account (including amount withdrawn for investment)
• CPF Withdrawal Limit for subsequent properties (after the first property) is set at 100% of Valuation Limit.

ABSD applies only to the residential unit that is approved for residential use, based on the market value of the residential unit. As a foreigner, you would have to pay ABSD on the residential unit based on 15% of the market value.

Legal fees involved in the purchase of Singapore properties are no longer regulated. The buyer may shop around for competitive rates or ask the real estate agent to recommend a lawyer.

Nationals and/or Permanent Residents of the following countries will be accorded with the same treatment as SCs, where ABSD is concerned, when buying Singapore residential properties:

Nationals and Permanent Residents of:

• Iceland
• Norway
• Switzerland
• Liechtenstein

Nationals of:

• United States of America

The above buyers of Singapore residential properties are required to submit applications for ABSD remission.

For married couple who are SC and SPR:

• The ABSD remission for married couple (SC and SPR) applies only if the total number of Singapore residential properties owned (separately or jointly) by the married couple after the new purchase is 1 or less. If this total number is exceeded, ABSD rate of 10% applies.

For married couple who are SC and foreigner:

• The ABSD remission for married couple (SC and foreigner) applies only if the total number of Singapore residential properties owned (separately or jointly) by the married couple after the new purchase is 1 or less. If this total number is exceeded, ABSD rate of 15% applies.

The “Lemon Law” refers to the amendments to the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act and the Hire Purchase Act that provides remedies for consumers against defective goods purchased. If a product is found to have a defect within 6 months of delivery, the defect is presumed to be there at the point of sale. Unless the seller can prove otherwise, the consumer is entitled to ask the seller to repair it, replace it or give a refund. Goods include second-hand goods, discounted goods and perishable goods.

However, it does not apply to contracts of hire (such as rental goods), the supply of services or the sale of real property (e.g. house, building, land, fixtures, etc).

Yes, ABSD will apply as the approved use of a child care centre is temporary but the permanent approved use of the semi-detached house is residential.

ABSD is payable if the original approved use of the property is residential. If the original approved use of the property is non-residential, ABSD is not applicable.

The max loan tenure allowed for a residential property in Singapore is now 35 years.

As you don’t have any outstanding residential property loan and if your next residential loan tenure does not exceed 30 years or the loan period does not extend beyond the retirement age of 65 years, your loan-to-value (LTV) will be 80%. The minimum cash required is 5%. Balance 15% can use CPF. If CPF is not sufficient, must use cash.

However, if your next residential loan tenure should exceed 30 years or should the loan period extend beyond the retirement age of 65 years, then your LTV will be 60%. The minimum cash required is 10%. Balance 30% can use CPF. If CPF is not sufficient, must use cash.

LTV limit is the loan limit as a percentage of the purchase price or valuation, whichever is lower.

The maximum loan tenure allowed for a residential property in Singapore is now 35 years.

As you have one outstanding residential property loan and if your 2nd residential loan tenure does not exceed 30 years or the loan period does not extend beyond the retirement age of 65 years, your loan-to-value (LTV) limit will be 50%. The minimum cash required is 25%. Balance 25% can use CPF. If CPF is not sufficient, must use cash.

However, if your 2nd residential loan should exceed 30 years or should your loan period extend beyond the retirement age of 65 years, then your LTV will be 30%. The minimum cash required is 25%. Balance 45% can use CPF. If CPF is not sufficient, must use cash.

LTV limit is the loan limit as a percentage of the purchase price or valuation, whichever is lower.

No, only immediate family members can use CPF to jointly purchase residential properties as co-owners e.g. you and your spouse, parent, children and siblings.

Yes, provided both of you are singles. Only non-related singles that are unmarried, divorced or widowed can use CPF to jointly purchase their first residential property as co-owners. Under this scheme, CPF cannot be used for more than one residential property.

The Resale Checklist for Buyers provides a list of HDB’s policies and procedures that buyers should be aware of before they proceed to buy a HDB resale flat. Once your salesperson has found the right HDB flat for you to buy, the salesperson must go through the Resale Checklist with you and then submit the Checklist to you via HDB e-Service. You must then via HDB e-Service endorse and submit the Checklist to HDB by the next day before you exercise the Option to Purchase.

While looking for the right HDB flat to buy, you can ask your salesperson on your eligibility for a HDB loan. The eligibility criteria for a HDB concessionary loan are as follows:

If you are planning to take a second HDB concessionary loan, you must take note that your balance sale proceeds (after keeping 50% of sale proceeds or $25K whichever is higher, from the sale of your last HDB flat) and all the balance CPF in your Ordinary Account (including CPF refund and after paying for legal fees and stamp fees) are to be utilized before HDB will grant you the second HDB concessionary loan. A second HDB concessionary loan will be made available to all eligible buyers regardless whether they upgrade, downsize or purchase the same flat type.

To qualify for a second HDB concessionary loan, the last property sold must not be a private property.

If you wish to get a HDB concessionary loan, you should first obtain a HDB Loan Eligibility (HLE) letter from HDB even before your salesperson brings you around to find the HDB flat to buy. The HLE letter must be dated before the Option to Purchase exercise date. The HLE letter is valid for 3 months only. The buyer needs to reapply if the HLE letter has expired. The HLE letter contains the following information:

• Maximum loan amount
• Maximum loan repayment period
• Monthly instalment payment

Under the following circumstances, you must take a bank loan instead of a HDB concessionary loan:

• Buyers are all SPRs
• Gross monthly household salary is over $12,000 for families
• Gross monthly household salary is over $18,000 for extended families
• Own private residential property (include HUDC/EC) in Singapore or overseas
• Have sold private residential property within last 30 months
• Own private commercial/industrial property for investment in Singapore or overseas
• The last property sold was a private residential property regardless of time period (applicable for 2nd concessionary loan)
• Buying under Singles Singapore Citizen Scheme and the single’s gross monthly salary exceeds $6,000 or buying a HDB Exec Apartment
• Have taken two or more HDB concessionary loans before

If you are taking a bank loan, you must obtain a Letter of Offer from a bank before you can exercise the Option to Purchase. While you are still looking for a HDB flat to buy, you should ask your salesperson to recommend you a banker to assess your eligibility for a bank loan.

Fire insurance is required when buyers are taking a loan from HDB. The insurance policy is from an insurance company appointed by HDB. The salesperson who found you the HDB flat to buy, can guide you on where to purchase the fire insurance.

The Home Protection Scheme is a mortgage-reducing insurance scheme administered by the CPF Board. It insures CPF members and their families against losing their homes should members become permanently incapacitated or pass away before their housing loans are paid up. You are required to purchase the Home Protection Scheme under the following conditions:

• $30,000 CPF Housing Grant For Family
• $15,000 CPF Housing Grant For Singles
• Proximity Housing Grant for Family – $20,000
• Proximity Housing Grant for Singles – $10,000
• Additional CPF Housing Grant for Family – up to $40,000
• Additional CPF Housing Grant for Singles – up to $20,000
• CPF Top-Up Grant
• Half-Housing Grant

• For first-timers only
• At least one member working continuously for past 1 year
• Average gross monthly household income of $5,000 or less for past 1 year
• Meet all other eligibility conditions for CPF Housing Grant for Family
• AHG is in addition to the CPF Housing Grant for Family
• It is applicable for HDB resale flats or new HDB flats
• The AHG amount eligible are as follows:
  
  

  Average Monthly Household Income for past 1 year	AHG amount eligible for
  $1,500 or less	$40,000
  $1,501 – $2,000	$35,000
  $2,001 – $2,500	$30,000
  $2,501 – $3,000	$25,000
  $3,001 – $3,500	$20,000
  $3,501 – $4,000	$15,000
  $4,001 – $4,500	$10,000
  $4,501 – $5,000	$5,000
  	Source: HDB

The Enhanced Contra Facility (ECF) was jointly implemented by the CPF Board and the HDB. The ECF enables a HDB flat owner to sell his existing flat and at the same time purchase another resale HDB flat by using the sale proceeds and the refunded CPF monies to pay for the next flat, including the insurance premiums payable under the CPF Home Protection Scheme. With this, the cash outlay and the mortgage loan required will be reduced. Therefore, monthly loan repayment will also be reduced. However, the refunded CPF cannot be used for the payment of stamp fees and conveyancing fees.

The two applications for resale of Flat A and Flat B and the application for the ECF must be submitted separately but within 7 days of each other. Only one party is allowed to do contra. Approval for the resale of Flat A and Flat B does not constitute approval of the application for the ECF. The resale of Flat A must be completed before the completion of the Flat B, which can usually be completed on the same day

Yes, you may apply for ECF, provided you don’t have any outstanding bank loan for the sale of your existing HDB flat and/or you are not buying another HDB flat for sale using a bank loan.

Every Singapore citizen household is entitled to a maximum of two housing subsidies. However, to reduce the subsidy on the 2nd subsidised flat, HDB introduced Resale Levy so as to maintain a fair allocation of public housing subsidy between first-timers and second-timers. If a person has bought a HDB flat direct from HDB once before or bought a resale flat with CPF Housing Grant, the person will be treated as a second-timer when buying another flat direct from HDB. Resale Levy is required when a buyer, who is a second-timer, is buying another subsidised flat direct from HDB.

Since you are buying a HDB flat in the open market, Resale Levy is not payable.

Yes, you can buy the HDB resale flat under the Public Scheme and the criteria are as follows:

• Must form a family nucleus, such as husband and wife with children (if any) or children and parents or single parent and child under legal custody, care and control (for widowed, divorced or separated persons)
• Citizenship: 2 SC or 1 SC and 1 SPR or 2 SPR
• Applicant’s age: at least 21 years old
• Minimum no. of applicants: 1 owner and the rest can be occupiers

Yes, you can buy the HDB resale flat under the HDB Fiance/Fiancee Scheme and the criteria are as follows:

• Citizenship: 2 SC or 1 SC & 1 SPR or 2 SPR
• Applicant’s age: at least 21 years old
• Buyer must list the fiance/fiancee either as a co-applicant or an occupier
• Must register their marriage within 3 months after completion
• If applying for CPF grant, must provide Marriage Cert before completion
• If the buyer’s fiance(e) is between 18 to 21, his/her parents must consent to the purchase
• If the buyer’s fiance(e) is less than 18, must obtain a licence to marry from the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports and submit to HDB for verification
• For divorcee, must produce Order of Court, Interim Judgement and Certificate of making Interim Judgement Final

Yes, you can buy a HDB resale flat under the Single Singapore Citizen Scheme and the criteria are as follows:

• Citizenship: SC
• For single/divorced – at least 35 years old
• For widow/orphan – at least 21 years old
• For an orphan (below 35) buying a resale flat on his/her own, he/she must not have sibling who is below 35 and is buying a flat separately under the Orphan Scheme, Single Singapore Citizen Scheme or Joint Singles Scheme

Yes, you can buy a HDB resale flat under the Joint Singles Scheme and the criteria are as follows:

• Citizenship: SC
• Min and Max no. of applicants: 2 to 4
• Type of ownership: must be joint applicants
• For single/divorcee – at least 35 years old
• For widow/orphan – at least 21 years old
• For an orphan (below 35) buying under this scheme, he/she must not have another sibling who is below 35 and buying a flat separately under the Orphan Scheme, Single Singapore Citizen Scheme or Joint Singles Scheme

Yes, you can buy a HDB resale flat under the Non-Citizen Family Scheme and the criteria are as follows:

• Applicant must be a SC with non-citizen family members such as parents & siblings or children under his/her custody, care and control (for widowed, divorced or separated persons)
• Applicant’s age: at least 21 years old
• The non-citizen family member must be listed as occupier and have a social visit pass (including work permit) of at least 6 months
• If the social visit pass expires during the resale transaction, they will have to produce the renewed social visit pass at the point of completion of the resale transaction

Yes, you can buy a HDB resale flat under the Non-Citizen Spouse Scheme and the criteria are as follows:

• Applicant must be a married SC whose spouse is a non citizen
• If applicant is at least 35 years old, spouse can have less than 6 months social visit pass (including work permit) at time of application
• If applicant is at least 21 years old, spouse must have at least 6 months social visit pass (including work permit) at time of application
• If the social visit pass expires during the resale transaction, they have to produce the renewed social visit pass at the point of completion of the resale transaction

Yes, you can buy a HDB resale flat under the Orphans Scheme and the criteria are as follows:

• The applicant must be an orphan and a single with at least one other unmarried sibling, buying as co-applicant or occupier
• Citizenship: 2 SC or 1 SC & 1 SPR
• Applicant’s age: at least 21 years old
• For orphans buying under this scheme, other unmarried siblings (if any) of the same family are not allowed to buy or rent separate flats

It depends on whether your type of business is permitted under the Home Office Scheme. If it is permitted, you can register your HDB flat as a home office to start your small business subject to terms and conditions of the Home Office Scheme. Only HDB flat owners can register their HDB flat to operate as a Home Office. To register, go to “Home”, move mouse to “Online Application” and click “Licences”.