1st HDB Appointment
Woke up bright gloomy and early today for my 9.30am 1st appointment with HDB. Haven’t been there till today and its such a big difference with the old office at Bt Merah. Very nice lor.
Today, I felt that I’m really really really destinated to buy this new flat :
This flat is the 2nd unit I’d viewed and I made a offer after the 1st viewing 2 days later. The owner accepted my offer and da-tah, my new flat is born.
I like everything about my new place till my ‘bantang’ dad brought up that the location’s fengshui doesn’t looks fantastic. This made me feel slightly uneasy also lor. You know lar, like a tiny nagging feeling.
Other than the run-in with that irritating agent representing the owner, the owner is actually a very nice chap.
During my 2nd visit to sign the ‘Option to Purchase’, saw the female owner studying diligently. Me, as usual, trying to break the ice (I hate awkwardness), casually asked if she’s studying or working so hard.
And that lead to her joining my office with my recommendation, in January as she’s actually looking for an industry-switch to the banking sector.
She was actually studying for her banking degree with UOL at SIM. So that’s 缘分 number 1 for studying in the same school, 缘分 number 2 for studying banking which is my 老本行 and 缘分 number 3 for joining my office.
However, after we became friends, she revealed that she is actually not the female owner of the house but the girlfriend as the owner had went through a divorce because the
wifeex-wife had an affair. Juicy news lor! That somehow made me a little worried linking it to the bad fengshui. I don’t want a DIVORCE lor.But after sitting on it for the past week (knew it on Monday), my liking for the house outweighs the fengshui crap. So decided to go ahead with the planned.
When I saw the ex-wife today (did not see her during signing of the ‘Option To Purchase’ as I could not make it during the last minute and changed to the next day, so she signed first and did not come the 2nd day), I was thinking to myself, how come she look so fat and ugly still can have affair one.
Then came more shocking revealings..
There were 2 rounds in the 1st appointment - clerk to confirm the documents before meeting the officer to settle everything.
During the first round, the ex-wife saw my blown-up IC (I like to zap ICs zoomed 150% till can see the pimple one lor, I’m a professional IC-zapper ok, those IC copies I zap is super clear and sharp one, got technique one hor) and recognized me as her sister’s secondary school best friend.
The world can never get smaller so that led to 缘分 number 4.
We started to turn the HDB office foyer while waiting, into a market with our chattering, catching up over years that have passed. And oh, er, I take back the statement about her being fat and ugly. Haa haa..
Somehow, we started talking about where we are currently working and she’s with the navy as DXO (secretary or something). So Dar asked if she know a childhood buddy of his whom is working in the same place (Changi naval base).
It turns out he is her friend also lor! Wa lau, I tell you, cannot do bad thing in Singapore lor, I mean how many coincidences can there be – 缘分 number 5.
I did not want to continue chatting anymore lor. Later realise even our grandfathers from the same village how?
Ai yah, wished I’ve known earlier lar, else can ask for DISCOUNT! If only I attended my this secondary school friend’s wedding and we would have met and maybe we would realised that I want to buy and she want to sell her flat. Then can axe out that stupid agent saving on the commission as well as get a better BARGAIN!
Anyways, so that brings me back to confirm that I’m really connected to my new place.. Scarily 巧 right!
Daphne replied:
hehe been staring at the post abt ur ID for so long, tt i was kinda shocked to find a new entry here.. muahahahaha..
n not only 1, but 2! hahahaha.. merry christmas! heh.
23 December 2006 at 8:53 pm. Permalink.
xiaoluo replied:
the lead in a comic I juz read always relate sth to destiny, as a trick to cheat gals.. i guess there’s truth in it ha.. must jot it down, and must tell Regan
in July after I contacted agent and looked at this room I’m now staying, I found my fren’s msn msg telling me her fren had a room to let.. and her fren is this landlord.. grrrr…. could’ve save the agent fee if I had known that earlier abit..
24 December 2006 at 1:02 am. Permalink.
LinDa replied:
dap ~ where got very long between the id post to the next post? hehe… only 3 days lor! merry christmas to u too!
luo ~ i not trying to cheat any rom here lor. its really destiny can! but its a good courting technique. maybe u shld learn from regan ar. he already got 4 girlfriends n 1 wife can. his theory is – can have many girlfriends but only can marry 1. u lose to him liaos lor. haa haa.. ya lor, sometimes life like to play jokes on us can. go one round like tat!
25 December 2006 at 3:15 am. Permalink.
xiaoluo replied:
wah Regan powerful.. I bought for myself an MP3 player as replacement for girlfriend or wife.. *sob sob*.. wont be that bored when stuck in train or night bus..
25 December 2006 at 3:50 pm. Permalink.
LinDa replied:
har har.. its fate lar. but recently, i seem to know many single, unattached and say-not-desperate-but-look-desperate guys leh – like my agent, office colleagues etc. but i dun seem to have many single, available girlfriends. are we having more guys than girls? then again, regan class mostly girls lor!
28 December 2006 at 10:30 pm. Permalink.
xiangying replied:
eh~! i so need to know everything there is bout applying for HDB flats!!! like eligibility, concession, loans, waiting time, choices, &&& everything else! ha when will u b meeting dap again?! muz ask me along kies then i can bug u w all moi questions!
26 January 2007 at 10:48 pm. Permalink.
LinDa replied:
can i assume someone has got proposed to? hehe… give me a call if u wanna ask me any question. i try my bet la. hehe.. just went to source for reno packages, very stress!
27 January 2007 at 5:06 pm. Permalink.
xiangying replied:
ha…wats reno packages?
27 January 2007 at 5:52 pm. Permalink.
xiaoluo replied:
congrats!
28 January 2007 at 9:32 pm. Permalink.
xiangying replied:
its not gonna happen THAT soon la…but juz wanna find out more so can plan ahead!
28 January 2007 at 10:51 pm. Permalink.
LinDa replied:
renovation packages lor! hee hee.. u got my no. right? u can sms me yr qns oso, or email oso can. it might be a long long time before i see dap lor.
29 January 2007 at 11:07 pm. Permalink.
xiangying replied:
actually…i know NTH bout it at all…like where to start…hw much i’ll need to set aside, e whole process! add mi on ur msn kies?! assuming u gt time to come online n talk hah (*****@hotmail.com)
30 January 2007 at 2:48 pm. Permalink.
LinDa replied:
haha.. okok, i will add u when i sign-in msn. usually during wkends coz wkends i only read blogs, visit renovation forums.
start by visiting hdb website at “www.hdb.gov.sg”. then u can visit the forum (which is my 2nd hme online now, hehe..) “www.renotalk.com.sg”. there’s a lot of gd information in both sites.
if u face any qns which is technical n cant understand i can try to see if i know. hee.. dap might be able to ans some coz she was working in tat property agency for a while? or u can post it in the forum.
it depends if u r looking at resale or new flat. new flats r cheaper but u might not get the flat u want or u have to wait for hdb to release information on places they are launching. resale is much more expensive but u can get anywhere u wan.
on top of deciding if u wan new or resale, how many rms r u looking at and which area as that will affect the price also.
but if u have no budget, best is buy condo lar! y both of u dun consider condo? hee hee..
30 January 2007 at 11:29 pm. Permalink.
xiangying replied:
NO! cannot! we’re gonna pay for e flat ourselves & we dun even have income yet…ha…jr’s parents gonna svs e loan for us first until we start working…e flat u gt is a resale rite? 3/4 rms? hw much r u payin for it? wats e avrg budget to set aside for reno & furnishing?
31 January 2007 at 12:08 am. Permalink.
LinDa replied:
haha..
mine is 5-rm flat with 3 bedrms. some of thee 5-rm flats has 4 bedrms so it depends. 112sq m for $305K.
if u buy a resale flat below value, means don’t need to use cash to pay. if its abv value (like valuation is $300K but owner wants to sell at $310K), the extra amt abv valuation must be paid in cash. i think both of u oso not much cpf rite? i do not know there’s a minimum downpymt for hdb, i tink its 5% or 10%. if downpymt is required and cpf is not enuff for then got to use cash.
my unit is almost right next to bukit panjang plaza so most exp in the area. if u dun mind a bit more ulu, buy a bit further in, will be cheaper. another person i met in the forum bought a 4-rm next to my blk (94 sq m) at $265K i tink.
reno & furnishing depends on how much u wan to do. if u buy undone unit n wan to do till condo effect, abt $50K lor. but if u buy e unit flooring all done etc then can save more on reno but pay more for unit. avg shld be abt $20K to $30K.
HDB services has a lot of info (http://www.hdb.gov.sg/fi10/fi10200p.nsf/eServicesMoreInternet?OpenView&Start=1&Count=1000&ExpandView&Start=1&Count=1000&ExpandView) slowly read. CPF site also has a lot of info (www.cpf.gov.sg).
because both of u not working again, there is a limit on how much u can loan fr hdb oso. u go to hdb website, under services (http://www.hdb.gov.sg/fi10/fi10201p.nsf/WPDis/Buying%20A%20Resale%20FlatResale%20Financial%20Plan?OpenDocument), go to the loan calculator (http://services.hdb.gov.sg/webapp/BP27MaxLoan/BP27PMax1.jsp) to chk wat is the max loan u can get.
stay near parents got grant. not too sure of the amt now, can chk thru e hdb website oso, type grant then search. shld haf e info.
wat area his parents staying? u can go to hdb under services again, chk out the average price of the flats in the estate and u can oso see the last transacted prices (http://www.hdb.gov.sg/bb33/ispm051p.nsf) of the units sold in that area within the last 3 mths so u can see how much u all need if u all find a unit both of u like.
flat hunting is super tedious. if lucky can find one quickly. all abt fate.
OH MY GOD, A SUDDEN THOUGHT : AM I EXPECTING JUNIOR’S JUNIOR COMING ALONG SOON?!?!?!?
31 January 2007 at 12:27 am. Permalink.
xiaoluo replied:
wah smart sudden thought..
31 January 2007 at 8:45 pm. Permalink.
xiangying replied:
NO la! ha…eh not working can get loan at all ah? Ha…does the person financing the loan have to be the one who owns e flat? as in like e flat is gonna b purchased in your name, but do you have to be the one actually paying for it? coz i dont think can secure loan w/o job rite?
3 February 2007 at 2:12 am. Permalink.
LinDa replied:
not working hard to get loan. but perhaps can rope in parents in to be guarantors or something? but because you are getting a flat from hdb 1st time can take loan from hdb direct (not through banks) so its easier as hdb is more flexible in their loans.
i have yet to come across like house in A and B’s name but loan taken by C and D. i think the house need not be C and D’s name but loan must have the house owner’s name plus the loan applicant’s name (that’s for bank loans). maybe hdb more lenient? i really don’t know but i can help u ask a loan colleague to chk if they knows. let u know on monday ok? but my loan colleagues shld also know more on bank loans and not too much on hdb loans. no harm i ask ask chk for u.
4 February 2007 at 1:59 am. Permalink.
xiangying replied:
wa so complicated! ha nway i know where ur new flat is! wat a nice location! so happy for u! i go to bukit panjang plaza damn often coz 1)its quite near moi place 2)it has moi fav junk foods hah…i think i really needa wait till i start earning b4 i can apply for a flat unless i dun have to take up a loan (which is nt quite possible coz im nt intending to let my parents pay for it) meantime im sourcing for a nice job which pays enuff for me to pay for my flat w/o raping my CPF hah…& ive been looking @ some flats near jr’s place (resale), 4-rm ones…all bout 200plusk…nw i have a goal to work twds…& when jr finishes his deg 2 yrs lal…it’ll prob b alot easier!
4 February 2007 at 11:26 pm. Permalink.
LinDa replied:
u want a tour of my new flat. still bare la but u can see see! renovations hopefully can start in mar.
buy here la, then we can be neighbours. i got to know another girl from the renovation forum, she stays in the next blk 4 rm. tink she buy abt $250k. ons?!?!
2 yrs very long leh. haha…
23 February 2007 at 11:58 pm. Permalink.