HDB launches first batch of flats for sale under new measures – 4,089 units

On Wednesday (11 September), the housing and Development Board HDB) announced the launch of 4,089 flats for sale comprising of 3,373 Build-to-Order (BTO) flats and 716 re-offered balance flats across various towns and estates.
Application for the flats offered in the September 2019 BTO and ROF exercises can be made online on HDB InfoWEB from today, 11 September 2019 (Wednesday) to 17 September 2019 (Tuesday), said HDB.
In a statement, the Board said that this is the first sales exercised where buyers can benefit from the recently announced higher income ceilings and Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG) which are aimed at making public housing more affordable for first-time buyers.
The BTO flats are spread across the Punggol Point Cove, Punggol Point Crown, and Tampines GreenGlen projects, ranging from 2-room Flexi to 5-room flats. The enhancements announced means that those buying a 5-room flat in a non-mature town or those buying flats in a mature town can receive more housing grants.

The HDB flats are priced with a subsidy, taking into account factors such as location, flat attributes and prevailing market conditions, said the Board, adding that HDB’s prices are considerably lower than the transacted prices of comparable resale flats in the vicinity
For the re-offer of balance flats (ROF), HDB is offering 716 flats which remain unselected from the November 2018 Sale of Balance Flats exercise. These include 268 units of 2-room Flexi, 202 units of 3-room, 90 units of 4-room, 49 units of 5-room, 104 units of 3Gen and 3 units of Executive flats across various towns/estates.

HDB said they are setting aside at least 95% of those RTO flats for first-timer families and up to 5% for second-timer families. The elderly are also able to apply if they meet the eligibility conditions to buy a 2-room Flexi flat on a short lease and will be shortlisted after families in bookings.
HDB also clarified that interested individuals can only apply for a flat under either one of the exercises but not both. Those applying for a BTO flat will have to select one flat type in one town or estate while those applying for a ROF flat do not have to make any indications as available units are booked according to balloted queue positions and are subject to eligibility and ethnic quota.
There will be another BTO exercise in November 2019 with 4,5000 flats in Ang Mo Kio, Tampines and Tengah on offer as well as in February 2020 with about 3,000 BTO flats in Sembawang and Toa Payoh.