A netizen shared a story where he can’t find a home of his choice and seeks advice on buying a flat and taking bank loans.

Here is the story:

Today’s housing market is ridiculous.

Don’t get me wrong, the HDB scheme is amazing and through this scheme the housing authorities really do take care of those who are within that income band with various support measures for those who are struggling to make ends meet as well.

However, there is a group of people that have fallen through the cracks. With this economy in place, wages have been rising and our government has not been keeping up be evolving their income limits together with the growth in wages. What group is that? They are the ones who are early in their careers, hence having a low amount of capital, but holding a well-paying job that puts them just above the income ceiling for affordable housing.

I fall into this category, and even though my girlfriend and I are ready to take the next step to look to live together, we can’t find anything that we are able to afford. We don’t come from affluent families who are able to help us with the downpayment, but our combined income doesn’t allow us to apply for HDBs or ECs. The next level that is available to us would be resale HDB flats or condos.

But looking at the housing market today, Punggol resale flats going for 1 mil, new launch 2 BR condominiums going for 1.8 mil. Floating mortgage rates expected to hit 2+% by the end of 2022, how are we going to afford housing in this market? In addition to that, some basic renovations will at least cost 50-100k. This housing market right now is unattainable. Our governments policies of attracting the rich and wealthy from overseas are backfiring on their own people, with entire clans of mainland chinese moving to Singapore and keeping the bubble growing.

Just frustrated with the inability to move our lives forward, subsidies don’t work for us, affordable housing is not available for us and the next level of housing is getting more and more unattainable.

Financial advice for loans and housing by netizens:

• There are plenty of houses suitable for u. Just looking in the wrong direction.

• I think, if the market is not going to change for you, then maybe you should change your lifestyle like reducing the amount of cafe hoping, lesser overseas trip and impulsive purchase etc. make every penny count.If you have a “well-paying job” but “Low amount of capital”, that doesn’t sound like a government problem right?

• Hdb only checks past 3 months salary when applying for loan etc.One of you go be funemployed and do masters etc. Solved.

• Wonder where u got the facts. 1M for HDB? Unless u looking for EMs or EAs or prime location dont think u will hit 1M. 50-100k Reno is NOT basic, is extensive. Basic is within 20k, including floor and basic carpentry.U need to do more research, and judging from both of ur income exceeds EC ceiling, i bet u can do better research than this instead of only complaining and waiting for people to help u plan out everything.A couple with more than 16k monthly cannot save up captial? Dunno how u guys spend. Be more frugal, save and u can achieve ur downpayment.

• Eh, most 5 room at punggol resale at 600k+. What 1M are you talking about.I just shows you are the type of person who fabricate truth, or spin tales to suit your agenda. Sensationalize.

• Dude, no pun intended. HDB schemes are meant for majority. And clearly with your income, you dun fall into that. Income levels above IS MEANT TO FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS. Duh… Have you consider the feelings of others who are still waiting for BTOs before you post?And resale HDB at Punggol going at $1mil? Which agency u go to? They shld not be practising real estate. Last check, it is closer to $600k manz….

• Go sit down with a proper property consultant and work out the exact sums. Definitely there’s a solution for profiles like yours. It’s only when you don’t do a professional thorough calculation that your life planning get postponed indefinitely. A combined income of more than $14K can do a lot of things eh! You’re already luckier than many.

• A quick search on propertyguru will just prove that your statement dont hold water. Punggol HDB resale $1m? 

A man recently shared a story about how he was “unhappy” as he needed to pay for an expensive ang bao.

Here is what he said:

Just received the red bomb from my colleague recently. To my surprise, the couple has decided to hold their wedding at Andaz The Glasshouse and a quick Google search showed that the recommended angpau range is $240-$260.

From what I know, the couple do not come from wealth family and they don’t draw very high income, at max $7000 monthly combined income. I am not sure if they can truly afford this or they are looking to break even with the guests’ angpau.

I did ask my colleague about whether Andaz is too expensive for them but she replied $2k+/table is very common nowadays.

Is it true that $2k+/table is the norm now and anything below is considered less than average?

Netizens said his busy body

• Why u wanna judge if they can afford the wedding venue or not?  And go gossip to other colleagues somemore on this. The other colleague was being very diplomatic and trying to shut your gossip down by telling you it’s the norm. And you still don’t get it. If you don’t want to give so much ang Bao, don’t give lah. But don’t go around asking other colleagues if this venue is too expensive for them – that’s so disrespectful.

• Gosh. Their combined income in not your problem. Where they want to have your wedding is not your problem. Whether they can afford the wedding or not is also not your problem.You are basically the problem for being judgemental and gossipy. Why dont you just mind your own business? Why so kaypoh?

• Just pack an amount which you are comfortable with. No need to bother whether the bride or groom can cover cost. Guests are there to wish them well for their marriage, not there to foot their bill. It’s their choice to decide where to holding but guests shouldn’t be hold hostage to help them cover cost just because they made those decision.

• Why so you so concerned about whether they can afford it?People thought of you to invite you, simple yes or no would suffice. You’re going to judge the size and cost of the engagement ring and the costs of their other wedding expenses too?

I am more on the bad genetic side with a no man’s land height of 171cm.

However, my pencil is of high quality (~15cm default and extendible up to 25cm depending on my mood) so much that John Wick can use it as his weapon anytime.

But here is the problem. No one other than me knows about its existence because girls who I date on the apps typically shun me when they see my height. You know, young ladies these days… are more choosy with height and they themselves are mostly 170cm or above, contrary to the fake disgusting stats on website (160cm).

It is hard for someone like me born in the early 90s to find shorter girls as they are mostly taken by guys like you. Thus, there is no way I can find my future special one to illustrate my potential, my golden pencil.

What is the point of having a good tool when you are short and no one notices you? Likewise it must be pretty sucky for a tall guy like you to have a good height yet with a small tool. But hey, at least you experienced doing the deed, unlike me, evergreen for life.

End of the day, I feel it is better to be a tall guy with a short pencil than short guy with a useless long pencil. I feel like I got shot in the arms, heart left right centre. It is a more terrible feeling seeing so many girls with tall attached guys everywhere I go, holding hands on streets and here I am stuck in this abyss of loneliness and dwarfism.

You have a very good height so please at least be satisfied. I believe height is more important to girls than your pencil. You had it better than me…..