19-06-2011, 06:51 AM
Another point of view on the raging housing debate!
Jun 19, 2011
your letters
Ideal home is not an entitlement
I refer to writer Gladys Chung's commentary last Sunday ('We want a flat in a convenient location...') on young couples' 'housing woes' - or rather, housing demands.
I am incredulous at the way she and the younger generation think.
The writer is in effect saying that she must have her flat in a location of her choice and it must come at a price that is to her liking!
The younger generation, having grown up in blissful comfort, now demand not just branded clothes and electronic goods from their parents, but have also extended their sense of entitlement to housing and transport.
Places such as Toa Payoh and Bishan are expensive because of the demand. If Ms Chung wants a property in these places, she must accept that it will come at a premium price.
People like her have forgotten that home ownership is not a norm in other countries. It is the norm in Singapore because we have been fortunate.
It is extremely worrying that Singaporeans are now so comfortable that many take home ownership as a God-given right, and demand that their homes be in places they want, and not in 'outlying' estates such as Sengkang or Punggol.
And the homes must be cheap to boot, since these young people do not want to be 'shackled to an exorbitant housing loan for 30 years'.
It is a fact of life that if one wants to live in a place that is popular, then one pays a higher price. It is not anyone's fault - and certainly not the Government's - that these basic real-estate pricing principles apply.
Should the Government make sure that people get their dream cars as well?
The fact is, the prices of flats are affordable in Singapore. In order to purchase these, the strategy is to save money. A 30-year mortgage is not unusual. The key is to ensure that one is comfortable meeting the monthly payments.
Do away with the branded clothes and the expensive iPhones and annual holidays (which, like home ownership, are now seen as essentials). That was how it was done in the past, so why should it be any different now?
The writer mentioned the thought of leaving Singapore - 'since we could not afford to buy a home here in a location we loved, we thought we might as well delay our plans to have a baby right after marriage, relocate somewhere with more exciting opportunities and pay rent'.
My guess is she will not get her way in other countries either. She might get her cheap house, but it will be far away from her parents.
Property prices in New York and Sydney are probably also very high. Which brings me to my point: No one owes the younger generation a living. The sooner they realise that, the sooner this sense of entitlement is replaced by reality.
Robin Low
Jun 19, 2011
your letters
Ideal home is not an entitlement
I refer to writer Gladys Chung's commentary last Sunday ('We want a flat in a convenient location...') on young couples' 'housing woes' - or rather, housing demands.
I am incredulous at the way she and the younger generation think.
The writer is in effect saying that she must have her flat in a location of her choice and it must come at a price that is to her liking!
The younger generation, having grown up in blissful comfort, now demand not just branded clothes and electronic goods from their parents, but have also extended their sense of entitlement to housing and transport.
Places such as Toa Payoh and Bishan are expensive because of the demand. If Ms Chung wants a property in these places, she must accept that it will come at a premium price.
People like her have forgotten that home ownership is not a norm in other countries. It is the norm in Singapore because we have been fortunate.
It is extremely worrying that Singaporeans are now so comfortable that many take home ownership as a God-given right, and demand that their homes be in places they want, and not in 'outlying' estates such as Sengkang or Punggol.
And the homes must be cheap to boot, since these young people do not want to be 'shackled to an exorbitant housing loan for 30 years'.
It is a fact of life that if one wants to live in a place that is popular, then one pays a higher price. It is not anyone's fault - and certainly not the Government's - that these basic real-estate pricing principles apply.
Should the Government make sure that people get their dream cars as well?
The fact is, the prices of flats are affordable in Singapore. In order to purchase these, the strategy is to save money. A 30-year mortgage is not unusual. The key is to ensure that one is comfortable meeting the monthly payments.
Do away with the branded clothes and the expensive iPhones and annual holidays (which, like home ownership, are now seen as essentials). That was how it was done in the past, so why should it be any different now?
The writer mentioned the thought of leaving Singapore - 'since we could not afford to buy a home here in a location we loved, we thought we might as well delay our plans to have a baby right after marriage, relocate somewhere with more exciting opportunities and pay rent'.
My guess is she will not get her way in other countries either. She might get her cheap house, but it will be far away from her parents.
Property prices in New York and Sydney are probably also very high. Which brings me to my point: No one owes the younger generation a living. The sooner they realise that, the sooner this sense of entitlement is replaced by reality.
Robin Low