Buy transactions for Apr 2017

It’s time for the monthly post on our investment purchases for the month of Apr 2017.

Automated Investing

Maybank Kim Eng Monthly Investment Plan (Maybank KE MIP)

• Buy 30 units of SPDR STI ETF (ES3 on SGX) at S$3.19 per unit on 10 Apr 2017
• Transaction cost of S$1

POSB Invest-Saver

• Buy 30 units of Nikko AM STI ETF (G3B on SGX) at S$3.24 per unit on 13 Apr 2017
• Transaction cost of S$1

OCBC Blue Chip Investment Plan

• Buy 466 units of Nikko AM STI ETF (G3B on SGX) at S$3.21 per unit on 24 Apr 2017
• Transaction cost of S$5

POSB Invest-Saver

• Buy 86 units of ABF SG Bond ETF (A35 on SGX) at S$1.16 per unit on 25 Apr 2017
• Transaction cost of S$0.50

Total invested amount in ETFs of about S$1,800 using Automated Investing for Apr 2017 with transaction costs of S$7.50.

Manual Investing

Nil for Apr 2017.

Once the new S$100 monthly investment into the Nikko AM REIT ETF (CFA on SGX) using the Maybank KE MIP starts from May 2017 onwards, our monthly automated investing amount increases to S$1,900 with transaction costs of S$8.50.

By the way, have you read the news articles about the 843-unit Seaside Residences condominium at Siglap Link launching over the weekend and selling about 392 units of the 560 released units (70% sold)? Apparently, more than 50% of these buyers live in the East and there were quite a number of visitors to the project’s show suite. The average sale price was said to be about S$1,700 psf. Might have something to do with the project being walking distance from the upcoming Siglap MRT station and the East Coast Park.

New residential property launches in the East Coast region of Singapore, especially around the Siglap/Marine Parade/Amber area, tend to interest us a lot more. If we are planning to have a family in the next few years, we should be looking to move to a bigger apartment. Maybe a 3-bedroom one with more space. It would be more convenient to continue to stay near my parents-in-law as well if we have kids.

The main problem with trying to find an apartment in the Siglap/Marine Parade/Amber area is the high prices. We drive past the location designated for Seaside Residences almost every weekend since we take the Siglap exit on ECP to get home. It’s beside Victoria School, near Victoria Junior College but the Siglap MRT station will still take a number of years to come up. We were expecting an average sale price of S$1,500 psf but the property market seem to be pricing all current and future benefits in for the average sale price to hit S$1,700 psf.

This goes to show how much liquidity Singaporeans have. If you are looking to blame the foreigners for the high property prices, don’t bother because the Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty (ABSD) really filtered a lot of them out already. It’s us Singaporeans keeping the property price levels at where they are at now. Which is not surprising considering how we have been in a low unemployment rate and low interest rate environment in Singapore for a while now. We are not in any rush to buy a new property but there are many people like us playing the waiting game too. The same applies to the developers and sellers as well, whom can continue to hold even in a weakening rental market and stagnating job market. Our concern is that we can exist in this state for a long time and we might be forced by circumstances to pull the trigger too early. Let’s wait and see what happens.