Brandon Tong

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Brandon Tong 🎯 | SG Property Advisor
🧠 | In the Business of Strategy Over Prediction
📐 | Entry • Exit • Next Move BluePrint
👇 | Preparation Before commitments

Buy now, or wait for the next launch?URA's Draft Master Plan 2025 marks Mediapolis in one-north for about 5,000 private ...
20/10/2026

Buy now, or wait for the next launch?

URA's Draft Master Plan 2025 marks Mediapolis in one-north for about 5,000 private homes. Bloomsbury Residences is the first private condo there, with 358 units and about 90% sold since its April 2025 launch. Remaining units are listed from about $2,530 to $2,720 psf (2B2B corner from $1.762M, 4BR + Flexi from $3.597M, penthouses from $3.605M).

So, should you buy at stage one?

The case to buy now: you know today's price, while future launch prices nearby are anyone's guess. You also get first pick of the setting next to Wessex Estate, the Rail Corridor and One-North Park. And with progressive payments, your interest starts small until TOP, expected in 2029.

The case to wait: 5,000 homes means years of construction around you, and more new supply nearby when it's time to sell. One-North MRT is about a 15-minute walk, and there's no rental income until TOP.

Before deciding, run your numbers. For the 2B2B at $1.762M with a 75% bank loan, you need about $440,500 down payment (at least $88,100 in cash) plus about $57,700 in Buyer's Stamp Duty. That's roughly $498,200 before the loan, for a Singapore citizen buying a first property.

My take: it suits own-stay buyers who plan to hold for 5 to 10 years or more. If you need rental income soon, waiting is a perfectly good choice.

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This is not financial advice. Please do your own due diligence. Prices are developer list prices as of 19 Oct 2026 and may change.

11,800 visitors in one weekend. That's the turnout Thomson Reserve just recorded at its preview, the highest of any laun...
19/10/2026

11,800 visitors in one weekend. That's the turnout Thomson Reserve just recorded at its preview, the highest of any launch in Singapore this year, and more than ParkTown Residence's 10,000.

Bookings open on 31 October. If you were one of the 11,800, or you're still deciding, here's what I'd keep in mind:

1. A crowd is not your deal. The same developers' ParkTown Residence sold 87% on launch weekend and is 98% sold today. Strong demand means the good stacks go first. It doesn't mean every unit suits your plans.

2. Run the numbers before the showflat. An entry 2-bedroom from $1.544M works out to about $386,000 down payment (at least $77,200 in cash) plus about $46,800 in Buyer's Stamp Duty. That's roughly $432,800 upfront before the bank loan, for a Singapore citizen buying a first property.

3. Prepare before 31 Oct. Get a bank AIP, shortlist three units rather than one, and set your walk-away price at home. More than half the project (716 units) is two-bedrooms, so think about which stack the next buyer will want when you sell.

If you're upgrading from an HDB flat, plan your sale timeline together with the booking. Your sale proceeds and CPF refund decide how much of that upfront amount you can cover.

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This is not financial advice. Please do your own due diligence. Prices are developer "from" prices and may change.

Look beyond the clutter.Most buyers walk into a lived-in home and only see the mess. Most sellers do not realise how muc...
18/10/2026

Look beyond the clutter.

Most buyers walk into a lived-in home and only see the mess. Most sellers do not realise how much that mess is hiding. Here is the same room in 4 steps:

1. The original. This is what most buyers see first.
2. Furniture removed. Now you can see the actual space.
3. One coat of paint. White walls make it brighter and bigger.
4. Furnished. Now imagine living here.

If you are buying, this helps you judge the space, not the owner's belongings. If you are selling, it shows what a simple clear-out and a coat of paint could do before you list.

Want to try this on your own home? Follow and comment "PROMPT" below, and I'll DM you the prompt I used.

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Images 2 to 4 are AI visualisations, not actual renovation results. This is not financial advice. Please do your own due diligence.

Upgrading from an HDB to a condo? Renting first could give you more room to negotiate.Full video on YouTube: https://you...
17/10/2026

Upgrading from an HDB to a condo? Renting first could give you more room to negotiate.

Full video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/3r26CrwHNQI

When you sell and buy at the same time, two dates have to match: your buyer's move-in date and your condo seller's handover date. When everything must fit one schedule, you may feel pressured to accept a lower offer, or settle for a less suitable home.

Renting in between removes that deadline. In the video, I walk through a hypothetical example: $40,000 in better prices, weighed against 12 months of rent.

It is not free, and it is not risk-free. Count these first:
- Twelve months of rent
- Two moves, not one
- Storage for your furniture
- Tenancy overlap with your new keys
- Property prices rising while you rent
- Costs of ending a tenancy early

My take: renting first does not guarantee a better selling price or a cheaper purchase. It depends on your family's needs, your total costs and your upgrading timeline.

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Figures in the video are hypothetical illustrations, not actual transaction results. This is not financial advice. Please do your own due diligence.

CPF's 4% is a floor, not a promise.Your Special, MediSave and Retirement Accounts do not earn a flat 4% by default. They...
16/10/2026

CPF's 4% is a floor, not a promise.

Your Special, MediSave and Retirement Accounts do not earn a flat 4% by default. They earn the higher of two numbers: a pegged rate, or the 4% floor.

Three facts worth getting right:
1. The pegged rate for October to December 2026 works out to 3.06%, which is below the floor.
2. The 4% floor has been extended only until 31 December 2027.
3. The OA's 2.5% minimum is written into law. The 4% floor is a policy that has been renewed over time, every time since 2008.

If it is not renewed one day, your savings still earn interest, likely closer to the pegged rate. The catch is that CPF top-ups are one-way. Cash top-ups and transfers under the top-up scheme cannot be taken back out later.

Before you top up:
- Build your emergency fund first
- Use the FRS and ERS as guides, not goals
- Do not rush just to catch 4%
- Only cash top-ups may qualify for tax relief

My take: if the same money may be needed for a home upgrade or a right-sizing move, plan those together before you lock it away. Liquidity first, 4% second.

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General information, not financial advice.

15/10/2026

A few years ago, my buyers would view 20, 30, sometimes 40 homes before they could decide. Today, many of them view just 2 to 5.

Are they rushing? Not really. Most of them have done their homework before they arrive. Layouts look familiar from project to project, past prices are easy to check, and the shortlist is already done at home.

But deciding fast only helps if the price is right. Fast is okay. Overpaying is not.

How many homes did you view before you bought yours? Tell me in the comments.

If you'd like to know what to check before you commit, send me a message.

This is not financial advice. Please do your own due diligence.
Brandon Tong | PropNex | CEA Reg. No. R007909C

Going to the Thomson Reserve preview? Do these 5 things first.The preview opens on 17 October.Big launches move fast. Wi...
15/10/2026

Going to the Thomson Reserve preview? Do these 5 things first.

The preview opens on 17 October.

Big launches move fast. With 1,268 units, prices usually come out close to booking day, and booking itself is a single day. The thinking has to happen before you walk into the showflat.

1. Get an approval in principle. A bank's AIP shows your real loan limit, and it is usually valid for about 30 days.
2. Count your cash and CPF. You pay 5% in cash to book, then another 15% by cash or CPF within 8 weeks, plus Buyer's Stamp Duty, which can also be paid by cash or CPF.
3. Shortlist three units, not one. Your first choice may be gone when your turn comes.
4. Set your walk-away price. Fix your maximum total price at home, not inside the showflat.
5. Plan the exit before the entry. Many similar units will be on the market when you sell, so pick the stack and layout the next buyer will want.

At the showflat, look past the show unit. Find your actual stack on the site plan, check the facing and the afternoon sun, and compare total price rather than psf alone.

Want a preview slot and a plan for your numbers? DM "THOMSON" for a private discussion. No hard sell, just the numbers.

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Project details from the Thomson Reserve ebook (Sep 2026), subject to change and authorities' approval. Launch process described is typical and may differ for this project. General information, not financial advice.

Buying a condo to rent out? Ask these 5 questions first.The rental market you are entering is not the one you bought in....
14/10/2026

Buying a condo to rent out? Ask these 5 questions first.

The rental market you are entering is not the one you bought in. Non-landed rents jumped almost 30% in 2022 and 6.9% in 2023. In Q2 2026, private rents rose 0.7%.

Supply is the other half. About 21,300 private homes (including ECs) were completed in 2023, the most since 2016, and around 60,600 more are in the pipeline.

The 5 questions:
1. What rent can I realistically get today? Not what your neighbour got two years ago.
2. How long could it take to find a tenant?
3. Can I carry one or two empty months? The mortgage and maintenance fees do not pause.
4. What is my return after all costs?
5. If rents stay flat for years, does this still make sense?

One trap to watch: refinancing may save you $300 a month, but if your rent comes in $300 lower than expected, the saving is gone.

Want to run your unit through all 5? DM "RENTAL" for a private discussion. No hard sell, just the numbers.

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Source: URA data, via PropNex Picks (Oct 2026). General information, not financial advice.

Same one-north area. About $500 psf cheaper land.In March 2026, the Dover Drive GLS site near one-north MRT drew six bid...
13/10/2026

Same one-north area. About $500 psf cheaper land.

In March 2026, the Dover Drive GLS site near one-north MRT drew six bidders and a top bid of $951M. That works out to $1,556 psf ppr, a new benchmark for RCR land.

Hudson Place Residences sits on land bought a year earlier at $1,037 psf ppr. That is a gap of about $519 psf ppr.

Why it matters: land cost sets the floor for launch prices. One analyst estimate puts the future Dover Drive launch from about $3,100 psf. Hudson Place is available today from $2,468 psf.

Quick update on Hudson Place:
- 327 units at Media Circle, District 5
- 201 units sold on launch weekend in May 2026, at an average of $2,458 psf
- Next to the Mediapolis and Fusionopolis hubs, minutes to the Rail Corridor
- Estimated TOP: Sep 2029

My take: cheaper land is a head start, not a guarantee. Look at the total price, not just the psf, and be honest about the walk to the MRT.

Want the latest available units and prices? DM "HUDSON" for a private discussion. No hard sell, just the numbers.

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Land prices from URA GLS tender results, via EdgeProp. Dover Drive launch price is an analyst estimate. Hudson Place pricing is subject to change and availability.

Paying extra to live within 1km of a top primary school? The rules just changed.From the 2027 P1 registration exercise, ...
12/10/2026

Paying extra to live within 1km of a top primary school? The rules just changed.

From the 2027 P1 registration exercise, 12 popular schools move to a two-track system for Phase 2C:
- 30 places for children living within 2km
- 30 places for children living beyond 2km, islandwide
- Within each track, distance is not ranked. Under 1km no longer beats 1km to 2km.

The 12 schools: ACS (Junior), ACS (Primary), CHIJ (Katong) Primary, MGS (Primary), Nanyang Primary, Ngee Ann Primary, Pei Hwa Presbyterian, Raffles Girls' Primary, SCGS (Primary), St Margaret's (Primary), Tanjong Katong Primary and Tao Nan.

What analysts told ST: demand near these schools is not expected to drop, but the search radius could widen to about 3km to 4km. PropNex's view is that it is too early to tell, with a slight moderation or redistribution of school-driven demand possible.

Why it matters for your budget: in Marine Parade, the median resale condo (900 to 1,000 sqft) is $2.13M versus $632,500 for a 4-room HDB. In Bedok, it is $1.43M versus $600,000.

My take: if you are buying mainly for the school, check whether the 1km premium still earns its keep. If you love the area anyway, that is a different decision.

Buying with a school in mind? DM "SCHOOL" for a private discussion. No hard sell, just the numbers.

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Source: The Straits Times, 11 Sep 2026. Prices are townwide medians (ERA data), not prices at specific distances from the schools. General information, not financial advice.

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480 Lorong 6 Toa Payoh, #10-01 HDB Hub East Wing
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