SINGAPORE: One Singaporean woman recently shared online that her foreign husband absolutely refuses to consider an HDB flat because he thinks it is basically a long-term rental arrangement with the government. She said he despises the “99-year lease” and insists that “they do not truly own the home”.
In his view, once the lease hits the halfway mark, the value will start dropping, and selling it later is nothing more than transferring the remainder of the lease from one person to another. To him, that is nowhere near real home ownership.
She added that he is only open to buying a freehold condominium, even though they come with a much higher price tag.
“He only wants to consider freehold condos. To be honest, I think freehold or 999 years can also be reclaimed by the government if they want to. So why not just reduce cost and get an HDB? ” she wrote on the r/askSingapore subreddit on Friday (Nov 28).
Feeling stuck between practicality and her husband’s beliefs, she turned to the online community for advice. “How do I convince my foreigner husband that HDB is value for money?” she asked.
“Ask him if he is going to live for 99 more years.”
In the comments, one Singaporean Redditor suggested that she could highlight the higher maintenance fees that often come with private condominiums, along with the fact that condo neighbours tend to keep to themselves
“Condos are for ‘exclusivity.’ I stay in one right now, and I know nobody, none of my neighbours. But in the HDB that I haven’t moved into but bought already, I’ve met the neighbour a few times as well as other residents and have had good conversations with them,” they explained
“And let your husband look at the price figures for areas you want to stay in for both condos and HDBs, as well as factor in how much real estate you need. He may change his mind. No one lives 99 years. And if you do, you can’t do much by that point. I was recently in the condo/HDB dilemma and settled for HDB.”
Another agreed with this sentiment, saying, “Ask him if he is going to live for 99 more years. If not, then it’s basically the same thing. The post-50-year lease decay is a valid concern. So just buy a newer HDB.”
A third added, “HDB can be optimal from two perspectives. Yes, it’s a 99-year rental from the government, but from an occupant’s perspective, try finding that size to rent at the same cost as your mortgage. Nearly impossible. From an investment perspective, it’s the most cost-effective capital investment you can make in SG.”
Still, not everyone sided with the woman. Several Redditors bluntly told the woman that her husband is correct in this case.
One wrote, “Where is the lie? Nothing but facts coming from him.”
Another said, “You can’t convince him because that’s the point of the HDB scheme. It’s not for investment but for people to live. Freehold is there for those who want it (and can afford it), and he wants something more permanent. So he isn’t wrong. You just have to work it out with him.”
In other news, a Singaporean woman revealed on social media that her 30-year-old ex has been relentlessly messaging her, despite having tied the knot earlier this year.
Posting anonymously on the r/SingaporeRaw forum on Tuesday (Nov 25), the woman wrote that ever since they broke up, she has been “periodically” receiving calls and messages from the man she dated for seven years.
Read more: Singapore woman says her married ex won’t stop texting her, asks locals, ‘Should I tell his wife?’
