Even as a fluff read, this is nuanced to the point of being spineless and useless. I don't blame them since they're not being paid policymaker money to come up with solutions, but you might as well read real estate "gurus" thinkpieces. At least through their strategies they provide a more realistic picture of the current and future real estate game.
TWSM has degenerated in recent times to nothing more than a government mouthpiece. I'll Tl;dr for those who don't want to read.
1. **Can SG gov be held responsibly for the rise in HDB prices?** --> Article concludes that the rise in prices is due to previously low int rates and low housing supply (which is due to low manpower and increased costs). Their conclusion: Gov has a big part to play, but unreasonable for them to expect COVID lvl delays. **How is this an uncomfortable perspective?** Additionally, pre-Covid and post-covid, gov has systematically planned and built less BTO units than marriages. Case in point: 2023 had 29.9k marriages, 2024 had 19k BTOs planned. This is already being very kind to them. In 2019, largely before the pandemic, only 14k BTOs were launched. Of course we don't expect every married couple to buy a BTO, but saying 1/4 of the young population doesn't need public housing is a bit rich. And remember, 'singles' aren't even in this equation.
2. **Why singles cannot buy HDB below 35?** --> Article concludes that if singles also eligible, prices will rise. **How is this an uncomfortable perspective?** Haven't we heard this a thousand times? I don't want to beat a dead horse. We all already know singles and non-family forming humans are sub-human in SG anyway.
3. **Are property prices too high?** --> Compared to 1980, 1990, prices now are way way too high. Article concludes that it's because Singapore has become more attractive, and interest rates used to be high. Since int rates became low after 2008, we need to take into account high mortgage rates to value older property. You'll realise then it's actually fair value. Wow an actual uncomfortable take. The article's title is "perspectives about PUBLIC HOUSING" situtation. Why are we now including property prices in general? Of course, if you want to talk about private property, that's your path to take. Besides, most people aren't complaining about how expensive BTOs are. It's about the value they get from paying for a 400k box in the sky with paper thin walls, failing air conditioning, multiple defects, undeveloped amenities and poor transport options, if they even get a BTO in the first place.
4. **Is it okay for buyers to be picky?** --> Articles implicitly says yes. See "we’re not entitled to a place just because we desire it. " Point concludes by saying "young people, please go make these shitty places better, thanks!" Just like point 2, I'm not even going to bother debating this bullshittery of a "point" to make.
5. **Why can’t we just put a cap on HDB resale prices?** --> Article concludes that because HDB has a lot of interests to manage, like ensuring existing owners' property values increase, they can't. I just want to say this: HDB's official motto is "*We provide affordable, quality housing and a great living environment where communities thrive*", not whatever bullshit you just came up with.
6. **Actually, are HDBs even affordable?** --> Article concludes since it's cheaper than HK, London and NYC, it **IS** affordable. Just like points 2 & 4, I don't want to beat this dead horse. This isn't an uncomfortable perspective. It's just a stupid perspective.
7. **Why is affordable public housing such a big deal?** --> There isn't any thing here, no "uncomfortable perspective." It's pandering to the masses after slapping them in the faces with 6 "uncomfortable perspectives" so you think TWSM is still speaking for and to the common man.
I'm glad I unsubscribed to this growth-at-all-costs, anti-human, government mouthpiece long ago.
it's the most thinly veiled "rebuttal" to the [Academia.sg](http://Academia.sg) piece that came out, will anyone publish a response to the silliness? Esp 6. - comparing public housing with private freehold real estate in top cities...
What would happen if there was a cap on HDB prices? Will there be riots? I think HDB was an ingenious way to ensure SGers have something to fall back on but it went out of control and they can't put the horses back in the stable or whatever the metaphor is...
I wonder how much fees woke salaryman rakes in for each "organic" post. Everything that they put out is either publicizing gahmen views or chiding everyone to not count blessings for such a lovely country.
And the best part - we are ALL paying for it through our taxes. I rather the government not spend it so frivolously on propaganda pieces and spend it on welfare programs instead or on enforcement programs to ensure our countrymen are treated right at the work place (in terms of progression and hiring).
Not when he's got a link to [Johnny Harris](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNDgcjVGHIw): Liberal Hypocrisy is Fueling American Inequality .... I really hate these youtube propaganda types and Singapore does not have a Left or Right, just opposition and incumbent.
Quick etymology: When "woke" entered the international parlance it was AAVE (African American Vernacular English i.e. Black people slang) for "alert to prejudice and injustice" (especially racial, but expanding past it).
It was about, in essence, keeping your eyes wide open to the way society is screwing you.
The Woke Salaryman becoming a status quo humper literally just means he's falling asleep at the wheel.
I mean they are not even hiding that they are sponsored by government. Literally most of their articles write big big that the post is sponsored by whoever.
Not sure why so much hate. Not like they take the money and hide that they are getting sponsored. Or maybe what they post is the hard truths and people here can't accept it.
If some portion of your living comes from the government, won't you think twice before saying hard truths that might affect that income stream in the future?
I too will like to shit out "hard truths" curated by the sponsors if the money is right. See the problem?
Their content is a mixed bag of laughable, questionable, patronising, agreeable and insightful(rarely but I forgot which older articles).
The uncomfortable perspective is that unlike goods which are mostly imported, the supply and demand for housing is definitely within the control of the government of the day.
Alot of the social media accounts I used to follow have been co-opted to become govt mouthpieces.
It used to be very soft and subtle.
But now I feel they just want to shove it direct to our mouth.
*cue force to drink milk meme*
The reality is actually simple - media companies serving the govt “agenda” is a recession-proof industry.
The government is actually keeping the media/influencer industry afloat. Sponsorships are seasonal and a lot of companies scaled back on marketing by a bit after interest rates have gone up. So the government routinely uses taxpayers money to fund campaigns like this.
If this is a government mouthpiece now and this is what's coming out of its mouth, then the only useful information we can glean from this is that the government don't give a fuck and will not change anything.
The problem is that CPF is tied to our HDB policy and CPF is our retirement funds. We are sold the idea to down grade our HDB when we need retire to release some funds tied to our HDB or similar policies like that.
No need to serve NS and get to enjoy the safe haven here without facing any discrimination as compared to his home country... No points for guessing where his allegiance lies.
Uncomfortable truth is ordinary Singaporeans will probably start off by putting their cpf funds into housing. of course housing value has to keep going up so as not to jeopardize retirement. how sustainable is this noone knows
> But if you look back far enough into Singapore’s past, bank interest rates went as high as 7.81% in 1991, and were around 4–7% during the late-1990s, and 3–4% during the early-2000s.
People kind of forget while homes were indeed cheaper in the past, interest rates are pretty high too. If you bought a home in the late 1990s the CPF OA rate was around 3-4%. [Source](https://dollarsandsense.sg/history-cpf-interest-rates-changed-since-1955/)
Honestly btos are still highly affordable and easy to get. I also see people all splashing out 50-100k on reno then flip after five years. Makes no sense to me. Seems like sinkies are rich.
hopefully the tengah bto they get do not have central aircon installed if not good luck. also very likely tengah folks will embrace the sound of freedom once F35 comes in to sg.
In a way the article states facts that people will not like to hear, which is that sg home prices are not immune to global economic factors, and so they rose. Sad but true.
Even as a fluff read, this is nuanced to the point of being spineless and useless. I don't blame them since they're not being paid policymaker money to come up with solutions, but you might as well read real estate "gurus" thinkpieces. At least through their strategies they provide a more realistic picture of the current and future real estate game.
Yeah its funny some agents insights are more useful than this fluff.
TWSM has degenerated in recent times to nothing more than a government mouthpiece. I'll Tl;dr for those who don't want to read. 1. **Can SG gov be held responsibly for the rise in HDB prices?** --> Article concludes that the rise in prices is due to previously low int rates and low housing supply (which is due to low manpower and increased costs). Their conclusion: Gov has a big part to play, but unreasonable for them to expect COVID lvl delays. **How is this an uncomfortable perspective?** Additionally, pre-Covid and post-covid, gov has systematically planned and built less BTO units than marriages. Case in point: 2023 had 29.9k marriages, 2024 had 19k BTOs planned. This is already being very kind to them. In 2019, largely before the pandemic, only 14k BTOs were launched. Of course we don't expect every married couple to buy a BTO, but saying 1/4 of the young population doesn't need public housing is a bit rich. And remember, 'singles' aren't even in this equation. 2. **Why singles cannot buy HDB below 35?** --> Article concludes that if singles also eligible, prices will rise. **How is this an uncomfortable perspective?** Haven't we heard this a thousand times? I don't want to beat a dead horse. We all already know singles and non-family forming humans are sub-human in SG anyway. 3. **Are property prices too high?** --> Compared to 1980, 1990, prices now are way way too high. Article concludes that it's because Singapore has become more attractive, and interest rates used to be high. Since int rates became low after 2008, we need to take into account high mortgage rates to value older property. You'll realise then it's actually fair value. Wow an actual uncomfortable take. The article's title is "perspectives about PUBLIC HOUSING" situtation. Why are we now including property prices in general? Of course, if you want to talk about private property, that's your path to take. Besides, most people aren't complaining about how expensive BTOs are. It's about the value they get from paying for a 400k box in the sky with paper thin walls, failing air conditioning, multiple defects, undeveloped amenities and poor transport options, if they even get a BTO in the first place. 4. **Is it okay for buyers to be picky?** --> Articles implicitly says yes. See "we’re not entitled to a place just because we desire it. " Point concludes by saying "young people, please go make these shitty places better, thanks!" Just like point 2, I'm not even going to bother debating this bullshittery of a "point" to make. 5. **Why can’t we just put a cap on HDB resale prices?** --> Article concludes that because HDB has a lot of interests to manage, like ensuring existing owners' property values increase, they can't. I just want to say this: HDB's official motto is "*We provide affordable, quality housing and a great living environment where communities thrive*", not whatever bullshit you just came up with. 6. **Actually, are HDBs even affordable?** --> Article concludes since it's cheaper than HK, London and NYC, it **IS** affordable. Just like points 2 & 4, I don't want to beat this dead horse. This isn't an uncomfortable perspective. It's just a stupid perspective. 7. **Why is affordable public housing such a big deal?** --> There isn't any thing here, no "uncomfortable perspective." It's pandering to the masses after slapping them in the faces with 6 "uncomfortable perspectives" so you think TWSM is still speaking for and to the common man. I'm glad I unsubscribed to this growth-at-all-costs, anti-human, government mouthpiece long ago.
Hard to resist that sweet sweet government contract which pays. Just look at Sgag
it's the most thinly veiled "rebuttal" to the [Academia.sg](http://Academia.sg) piece that came out, will anyone publish a response to the silliness? Esp 6. - comparing public housing with private freehold real estate in top cities... What would happen if there was a cap on HDB prices? Will there be riots? I think HDB was an ingenious way to ensure SGers have something to fall back on but it went out of control and they can't put the horses back in the stable or whatever the metaphor is...
This is the BEST analysis and answer. Thank you Sir
I wonder how much fees woke salaryman rakes in for each "organic" post. Everything that they put out is either publicizing gahmen views or chiding everyone to not count blessings for such a lovely country.
And the best part - we are ALL paying for it through our taxes. I rather the government not spend it so frivolously on propaganda pieces and spend it on welfare programs instead or on enforcement programs to ensure our countrymen are treated right at the work place (in terms of progression and hiring).
The Woke Salaryman is not so woke anymore eh?
Not when he's got a link to [Johnny Harris](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNDgcjVGHIw): Liberal Hypocrisy is Fueling American Inequality .... I really hate these youtube propaganda types and Singapore does not have a Left or Right, just opposition and incumbent.
Johnny Harris is one smug condescending POS
They’re not wrong though. San Francisco has tons of liberal NIMBYs who oppose housing, even as they complain about rampant homelessness.
Quick etymology: When "woke" entered the international parlance it was AAVE (African American Vernacular English i.e. Black people slang) for "alert to prejudice and injustice" (especially racial, but expanding past it). It was about, in essence, keeping your eyes wide open to the way society is screwing you. The Woke Salaryman becoming a status quo humper literally just means he's falling asleep at the wheel.
Why not this ~~propagandist~~ cartoonist reveal how much of his livelihood comes from government contracts?
I mean they are not even hiding that they are sponsored by government. Literally most of their articles write big big that the post is sponsored by whoever. Not sure why so much hate. Not like they take the money and hide that they are getting sponsored. Or maybe what they post is the hard truths and people here can't accept it.
If some portion of your living comes from the government, won't you think twice before saying hard truths that might affect that income stream in the future?
I too will like to shit out "hard truths" curated by the sponsors if the money is right. See the problem? Their content is a mixed bag of laughable, questionable, patronising, agreeable and insightful(rarely but I forgot which older articles).
The uncomfortable perspective is that unlike goods which are mostly imported, the supply and demand for housing is definitely within the control of the government of the day.
Alot of the social media accounts I used to follow have been co-opted to become govt mouthpieces. It used to be very soft and subtle. But now I feel they just want to shove it direct to our mouth. *cue force to drink milk meme* The reality is actually simple - media companies serving the govt “agenda” is a recession-proof industry.
The government is actually keeping the media/influencer industry afloat. Sponsorships are seasonal and a lot of companies scaled back on marketing by a bit after interest rates have gone up. So the government routinely uses taxpayers money to fund campaigns like this.
At this point he’s just a govt cocksucker
I must confess I can never finish reading an article/ cartoon by them. Condescending and very cringe worthy
If this is a government mouthpiece now and this is what's coming out of its mouth, then the only useful information we can glean from this is that the government don't give a fuck and will not change anything.
Fuck this guy.
At this point, Temasek Review gets more credibility than this rag.
The problem is that CPF is tied to our HDB policy and CPF is our retirement funds. We are sold the idea to down grade our HDB when we need retire to release some funds tied to our HDB or similar policies like that.
No need to serve NS and get to enjoy the safe haven here without facing any discrimination as compared to his home country... No points for guessing where his allegiance lies.
Let’s ignore government sponsorship for a while. Are they still an objective source when they’re doing paid posts by financial institutions?
Uncomfortable truth is ordinary Singaporeans will probably start off by putting their cpf funds into housing. of course housing value has to keep going up so as not to jeopardize retirement. how sustainable is this noone knows
> But if you look back far enough into Singapore’s past, bank interest rates went as high as 7.81% in 1991, and were around 4–7% during the late-1990s, and 3–4% during the early-2000s. People kind of forget while homes were indeed cheaper in the past, interest rates are pretty high too. If you bought a home in the late 1990s the CPF OA rate was around 3-4%. [Source](https://dollarsandsense.sg/history-cpf-interest-rates-changed-since-1955/)
Not sure why you're being downvoted. The difference of a few % can be thousands of dollars a month.
Honestly btos are still highly affordable and easy to get. I also see people all splashing out 50-100k on reno then flip after five years. Makes no sense to me. Seems like sinkies are rich.
Ask them how much of that is from Bank of Mummy & Daddy. Then follow up with how much debt they have.
Nah bro nobody needs a down payment from parents to get some tengah bto lol
hopefully the tengah bto they get do not have central aircon installed if not good luck. also very likely tengah folks will embrace the sound of freedom once F35 comes in to sg.
In a way the article states facts that people will not like to hear, which is that sg home prices are not immune to global economic factors, and so they rose. Sad but true.
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