Seek advice on housing

[applyforpr]

Hi,

i'm SC, male, in a relationship and intending to get married with foreigner who is currently holding EP.

According to HDB eligibility criteria, there is no way that we can get a HDB, regardless of whether she gets PR or not, as she already owns a property in her home country that is currently still under installment.

is there any way around this or does she have to sell her apartment?

TIA!

[abbby]

I think you can buy under non citizen spouse scheme, but she will need to dispose off the property within 6 mths of collecting keys? And there's a min. of 30 months waiting period after selling before you can get a grant.

Correct me anyone if I am wrong..

[theashiera]

Hey! Unfortunately, HDB rules don’t allow owning or financing a property overseas when applying — even if your partner becomes a PR. She’d need to sell her apartment and wait 30 months before you can apply together. Otherwise, you could explore buying under your name alone or look into a private condo. Best to double-check with HDB for your exact case.

[malcontent]

You have to weigh: what do you stand to lose by selling the overseas property, and what do you stand to gain by purchasing an HDB versus a private condo?

Consider too, any “grants” you might get with HDB are less valuable than many perceive… it’s assistance with affordability — not free money. My wife and I rented our first 11 years in Singapore while saving enough for a downpayment on a condo. It still seemed financially overwhelming at the time, but has worked out in the long-run.

Under the current ABSD regime (which seems here to stay), I recommend that couples purchase their first property in one name only. If your spouse eventually takes up SC (or is from a country with an FTA exemption) you can buy a second property at 0% ABSD down the road.

[PNGMK]

HDB have no way of knowing she has overseas property unless she self declares or does something stupid like report rental income on her income taxes here.

I know a few folks who have both HDB and overseas including a lady who lives in Brisbane but has a flat here. The rental income here is handy she says.