Yishun Greenwalk BTO project attracts moderate interest from buyers
By Joanne Chan | Posted: 01 December 2010 2139 hrs
SINGAPORE : The latest Build-To-Order (BTO) project in Yishun has drawn moderate interest from home buyers.
Hours before applications close on Wednesday, Yishun Greenwalk has received about three times the number of applications for the 1,176 units available.
This is a sharp drop compared to the previous BTO project in Sengkang, which had more than seven applicants for each flat.
Located next to a park and within easy access of Lower Seletar Reservoir, Yishun Greenwalk was marketed to those who appreciate the outdoors.
But ultimately, pricing and choices available determined demand.
The 3-room flats at Yishun Greenwalk project drew the strongest response, receiving nearly five applications for every unit.
Eugene Lim, Associate Director, ERA Asia Pacific, noted that the 3-room BTO units are nearly $100,000 cheaper than resale flats in the area while the larger flats have a smaller price difference of $50,000.
Those in urgent need of a larger flat may have preferred to look at the resale market instead of waiting three years.
The larger flats received just two to three applications for each unit available.
Another reason for the lukewarm response - other choices within Yishun.
Mr Lim said: "Early next year, there's an expected DBSS (Design, Build and Sell Scheme) launch in the same neighbourhood. And this will be about 800 over units.
These DBSS units are facing the Yishun pond, which is currently undergoing upgrading and rejuvenation.
So in terms of attractiveness of location, I think those who are looking at a bigger flat types may be prepared to wait for this upcoming DBSS launch."
DBSS flats cater to households who have an income up to $10,000, providing more options for those who are ineligible for BTO flats due to an income cap of $8,000.
With a constant supply of new HDB units coming onto the market, observers say home buyers are holding out for their choice locations.
Projects in newer estates, near public transport or offer a wide range of amenities, will likely draw a stronger response.
HDB would have offered a total of 17,700 new flats by the end of the year.
Chris Koh, Director, Dennis Wee Group, said that with the influx of new HDB units being launched, home buyers can afford to wait for their ideal location.
In the case of Yishun Greenwalk, Mr Koh said the project was not special.
He added: "It's not a new concept, like with waterways. It's just another mature, housing estate."
- CNA/ch
- wong chee tat :)
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
US firms post best job gains in three years
US firms post best job gains in three years
Posted: 01 December 2010 2153 hrs
WASHINGTON : US private sector employment saw strong gains in November, with payrolls expanding by 93,000 -- the largest jump in three years, payrolls firm ADP said Wednesday.
"This month's ADP national employment report shows an acceleration of employment and suggests the nation's employment situation is brightening somewhat," the firm said.
The 10th consecutive month of gains offered hope that the job sector, still convalescing after a brutal economic recession, was on the mend.
But ADP warned "employment gains of this magnitude are not sufficient to lower the unemployment rate".
That echoes concerns by Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke, who on Tuesday warned current high levels of unemployment could become entrenched and have a "very long-term effect" on the US economy.
Describing job creation as "probably the most important economic issue facing America today," Bernanke cautioned on the risks of long-term unemployment.
With nearly 40 percent of the US workforce unemployed for more than six months, fears are growing that that high jobless rates may be more than a temporary result of a brutal recession.
"This is very unusual and very worrisome," Bernanke said, warning that workers could become detached from the workforce, skills could erode over time and firms become more skeptical about the unemployed.
"This could have a very long-term effect on people's wages, on their employability," Bernanke said.
He added the world's largest economy was not growing fast enough to handle even the number of people entering the workforce, with 2.0 percent to 2.5 percent growth needed to just to keep up.
The Fed has predicted gross domestic product growth will hit 2.4-2.5 percent this year.
The unemployment rate remained stuck at 9.6 percent in October for the third month in a row.
The November jobs report is due on Friday.
- AFP/ch
- wong chee tat :)
Posted: 01 December 2010 2153 hrs
WASHINGTON : US private sector employment saw strong gains in November, with payrolls expanding by 93,000 -- the largest jump in three years, payrolls firm ADP said Wednesday.
"This month's ADP national employment report shows an acceleration of employment and suggests the nation's employment situation is brightening somewhat," the firm said.
The 10th consecutive month of gains offered hope that the job sector, still convalescing after a brutal economic recession, was on the mend.
But ADP warned "employment gains of this magnitude are not sufficient to lower the unemployment rate".
That echoes concerns by Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke, who on Tuesday warned current high levels of unemployment could become entrenched and have a "very long-term effect" on the US economy.
Describing job creation as "probably the most important economic issue facing America today," Bernanke cautioned on the risks of long-term unemployment.
With nearly 40 percent of the US workforce unemployed for more than six months, fears are growing that that high jobless rates may be more than a temporary result of a brutal recession.
"This is very unusual and very worrisome," Bernanke said, warning that workers could become detached from the workforce, skills could erode over time and firms become more skeptical about the unemployed.
"This could have a very long-term effect on people's wages, on their employability," Bernanke said.
He added the world's largest economy was not growing fast enough to handle even the number of people entering the workforce, with 2.0 percent to 2.5 percent growth needed to just to keep up.
The Fed has predicted gross domestic product growth will hit 2.4-2.5 percent this year.
The unemployment rate remained stuck at 9.6 percent in October for the third month in a row.
The November jobs report is due on Friday.
- AFP/ch
- wong chee tat :)
Private lab sees increase in requests for HIV testing
Private lab sees increase in requests for HIV testing
By Vimita Mohandas | Posted: 01 December 2010 2047 hrs
SINGAPORE: Growing awareness of AIDS has prompted one private lab to note that there has been an increase in the number of requests for HIV testing.
Questlab saw a 14.5 per cent increase for such requests in 2010 as compared to last year.
The lab, which has half the market share here among private players, conducts blood screening for some government ministries and private general practitioners.
The screening process begins with blood samples being placed in this centrifuge to separate serum from the red blood cells.
The extracted serum is inserted in this analyser and the blood test results will be ready about half an hour later.
This process is done three times and if the blood samples are tested positive twice, they will be sent to Singapore General Hospital's (SGH) National HIV reference lab for further confirmation.
SGH is the only authorised lab in Singapore that conducts confirmatory HIV testing.
Ginny Foo, General Manager of Quest Laboratories, said: "There are so many things that can react in a test - reactions to certain antibodies, reactions to certain elements in the kit. So sometimes there are things in the person's blood that reacts with it.
"And we have cases where the person is consistently positive in our HIV screening. But when we send for the confirmation, it comes back negative."
Thus, Questlab said a patient's HIV test results should be confirmed by SGH, instead of relying on screening alone.
As for the number of HIV cases detected through blood donation screening, a Health Ministry spokesperson said one such case was detected in the first half of this year.
- CNA/fa
- wong chee tat :)
By Vimita Mohandas | Posted: 01 December 2010 2047 hrs
SINGAPORE: Growing awareness of AIDS has prompted one private lab to note that there has been an increase in the number of requests for HIV testing.
Questlab saw a 14.5 per cent increase for such requests in 2010 as compared to last year.
The lab, which has half the market share here among private players, conducts blood screening for some government ministries and private general practitioners.
The screening process begins with blood samples being placed in this centrifuge to separate serum from the red blood cells.
The extracted serum is inserted in this analyser and the blood test results will be ready about half an hour later.
This process is done three times and if the blood samples are tested positive twice, they will be sent to Singapore General Hospital's (SGH) National HIV reference lab for further confirmation.
SGH is the only authorised lab in Singapore that conducts confirmatory HIV testing.
Ginny Foo, General Manager of Quest Laboratories, said: "There are so many things that can react in a test - reactions to certain antibodies, reactions to certain elements in the kit. So sometimes there are things in the person's blood that reacts with it.
"And we have cases where the person is consistently positive in our HIV screening. But when we send for the confirmation, it comes back negative."
Thus, Questlab said a patient's HIV test results should be confirmed by SGH, instead of relying on screening alone.
As for the number of HIV cases detected through blood donation screening, a Health Ministry spokesperson said one such case was detected in the first half of this year.
- CNA/fa
- wong chee tat :)
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