Nearly 5,000 BTO flats launched, including at two Bukit Merah sites

The Housing Board launched a total of 4,993 Build-To-Order (BTO) flats for sale yesterday, including two projects in Bukit Merah under the prime location public housing (PLH) model.

The units are spread across seven housing projects in six estates - including three in non-mature estates where first-time applicants now have a higher chance of securing a flat.

The two projects in the mature estate of Bukit Merah under the PLH model come with stricter buying and selling conditions, such as a 6 per cent subsidy clawback upon resale and a 10-year minimum occupation period.

The smaller of the two is Alexandra Vale, with 782 three-room and four-room flats on offer in two blocks on a site next to Redhill MRT station. One of the blocks will house some rental flats.

Prices for this project range from $385,000 to $477,000, without grants, for a three-room flat, and $547,000 to $705,000 for a four-room flat.

The larger PLH project is Havelock Hillside, with 869 three-room and four-room flats on offer in two blocks on a site in Havelock Road, within walking distance of Tiong Bahru MRT station.

It will also be served by the upcoming Havelock MRT station on the Thomson-East Coast Line.

Prices for this project range from $370,000 to $515,000 for a three-room flat, and $531,000 to $730,000 for a four-room flat.

The previous Bukit Merah BTO project launched in May was also under the PLH model and drew considerable buyer interest due to its proximity to both Redhill and Tiong Bahru MRT stations.

Commenting on the third sales exercise of the year, OrangeTee & Tie senior vice-president of research and analytics Christine Sun expects strong demand for the two Bukit Merah projects due to their city-fringe location.

But she said the projects will likely not be as highly oversubscribed as the initial two PLH launches last November and in February, which drew more than 10 applicants for each four-room flat. "The pool of buyers may have shrunk as some eligible or interested buyers have already made a purchase in earlier launches."

In the mature estate of Ang Mo Kio, 896 two-room flexi, four-room, five-room and three-generation flats are on sale across five blocks at Central Weave @ Ang Mo Kio. Prices range from $535,000 to $676,000 for a four-room and $720,000 to $877,000 for a five-room flat.

The 606 Ang Mo Kio households affected by the Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme (Sers) can opt to apply for these flats.

Up to 10 per cent of the flats in this project will be set aside for them under the Resettlement, Relocation, Sers and Tenants' Priority Scheme.

In the mature estate of Tampines, 267 four-room and five-room flats are on offer at a site bounded by Tampines Street 41 and Tampines Street 42.

There are three projects in non-mature estates in this launch - Woodlands, Choa Chu Kang and Jurong East - where at least 95 per cent of the four-room and larger flats and at least 85 per cent of three-room flats are set aside for first-timer families.

Last Saturday, the HDB had announced an increase in the allocation of flats in non-mature estates for first-time applicants, to give them a higher chance of securing a flat.

ERA Realty's head of research and consultancy Nicholas Mak said this move could attract more first-timers to apply for projects in non-mature estates, especially those in urgent need of a flat who find the prices of resale flats too high.

Applications close on Sept 5 at 11.59pm. The flats will be allocated through balloting.

First-time applicant Jodi Lye, 24, who intends to apply for a three-room flat in Woodlands with her partner, hopes the higher quota for non-mature estates will increase her chances of securing a unit.

The university student, who lives with her family in Woodlands, saw the lower price range and the shorter waiting time for the project as further good news.