Waterfront Waves (D16, 99 year LH, Frasers Centrepoint / Far East Organization)

[isaaclim]

prices did come down. i bought my unit last may. based on the same level at stack 23 and with better view than my stack 19. it is cheaper by 16k plus.

I think finishing is slightly different. The new showflat is equipped with swing door cabinets in all bedroom.

[cyl]

I just bought a place at Waterfront waves under the star buy promotion at stack 3 for 616 psf (Agent said that there is reservoir view from bedroom 3). Love the location but i am getting cold feet from reading all the negative reviews from this thread. Any advice from you guys? For its my first property meant for me and and my future husband.

Thank Nico for posting up the progress of construction.

[isaaclim]

I just bought a place at Waterfront waves under the star buy promotion at stack 3 for 616 psf (Agent said that there is reservoir view from bedroom 3). Love the location but i am getting cold feet from reading all the negative reviews from this thread. Any advice from you guys? For its my first property meant for me and and my future husband.

Thank Nico for posting up the progress of construction.

A good project for own stay. I think you have to thanks Soleil, otherwise they will not continue provide Compressed marble floor for the new pricing unit.

High investment potential if the DTL open a station nearby. Otherwise, wait for enblock!

[unregistered_user]

Haaa...take it with a pinch of salt on all the comments here.
The people will slam all developments save those that they are vested in

I just bought a place at Waterfront waves under the star buy promotion at stack 3 for 616 psf (Agent said that there is reservoir view from bedroom 3). Love the location but i am getting cold feet from reading all the negative reviews from this thread. Any advice from you guys? For its my first property meant for me and and my future husband.

Thank Nico for posting up the progress of construction.

[cyl]

A good project for own stay. I think you have to thanks Soleil, otherwise they will not continue provide Compressed marble floor for the new pricing unit.

High investment potential if the DTL open a station nearby. Otherwise, wait for enblock!

What do you mean that they will not continue provide Compressed marble floor for the new pricing unit?

[Kenshinto80]

Individual will have their own preference. So maybe i won't want to know what is so odd about kitchen and surrounded by new HDB flats. But if you do have time, please go to take a look at those new HDB flats behind Quartz. I assure u will be surprised!

Not sure you aware of new ruling. In old project, developer charge the smae psf for those space in Balcony + planter. In future project, Balcony and Planter is not chargeable. This is new ruling. So, do you think future buyer will pay for your balcony and planter? I think the answer is obvious.

So, those big balcony + big planter lover, please beware. Otherwise you may need the boom in 1997 + 2007 to occur together, in order to make profit in the resale or else have to wait for enblock

I think you have serious misconception on workings of the new balcony and planter rule and its implication on future developments. You are wrong to say that "Balcony and Planter is not chargeable". Balcony and Planter will still be chargeable by developers to buyers. BUT URA will now charge the developer GFA! The main issue is that whether balcony and planters are indeed totally useless as portrayed by people like you.

There are many people who likes big balcony with planter. Only problem is that some developments do not have balcony at all but lots of planters. That is known as being shortchanged. Personally, do not like developments that have no balcony. Interestingly, residents with balcony are less susceptible to illnesses in a high density environment (Johnson and Newton 1996). In addition, it offers visual relief for high density living. The experience of chatting and coffee breaking on the balcony with your loved ones or friends is also very unique and offers another whole new dimension to your apartment.

[Water Lover]

prices did come down. i bought my unit last may. based on the same level at stack 23 and with better view than my stack 19. it is cheaper by 16k plus.

16K plus? But from what was advertised & agent advertisement, I thought the price has gone down easily more than 50K. Is there some funny tricks going on?

[noblebaby]

I just bought a place at Waterfront waves under the star buy promotion at stack 3 for 616 psf (Agent said that there is reservoir view from bedroom 3). Love the location but i am getting cold feet from reading all the negative reviews from this thread. Any advice from you guys? For its my first property meant for me and and my future husband.

Thank Nico for posting up the progress of construction.

Hi cyl, welcome to WF, dont worry, you made the right choice!

[noblebaby]

16K plus? But from what was advertised & agent advertisement, I thought the price has gone down easily more than 50K. Is there some funny tricks going on?

I think the price for pool facing is still holding well... Buy 16k is like no drop... Im not so sure.. Based on my info, the drop is atleast $50psf... Except those lake view unit... I think most of d lake view unit are almost sold out... Now mainly left those pool facing.

[Nico]

What do you mean that they will not continue provide Compressed marble floor for the new pricing unit?

I certainly do not think that a good name like Far East and Frasers would ever compromise on the quality of their development and not to mention that WW will not be their last showcase as they have a few more developement to launch. They would be smart enough to better exceed their clients' expectation in order to ensure that they can achieve better sales in future

[PN]

I just bought a place at Waterfront waves under the star buy promotion at stack 3 for 616 psf (Agent said that there is reservoir view from bedroom 3). Love the location but i am getting cold feet from reading all the negative reviews from this thread. Any advice from you guys? For its my first property meant for me and and my future husband.

Thank Nico for posting up the progress of construction.

Why cold feet? Each individual has his/her own opinion. You already said you love the location. There's no need to worry about others comments.

[isaaclim]

I think you have serious misconception on workings of the new balcony and planter rule and its implication on future developments. You are wrong to say that "Balcony and Planter is not chargeable". Balcony and Planter will still be chargeable by developers to buyers. BUT URA will now charge the developer GFA! The main issue is that whether balcony and planters are indeed totally useless as portrayed by people like you.

There are many people who likes big balcony with planter. Only problem is that some developments do not have balcony at all but lots of planters. That is known as being shortchanged. Personally, do not like developments that have no balcony. Interestingly, residents with balcony are less susceptible to illnesses in a high density environment (Johnson and Newton 1996). In addition, it offers visual relief for high density living. The experience of chatting and coffee breaking on the balcony with your loved ones or friends is also very unique and offers another whole new dimension to your apartment.

This is completely not what i was told. It does not make sense. Government so good? Don't charge GPA and still allow developer to charge purchaser? Nvm i will check tomorrow and update.
I will double check about this

[Water Lover]

Don't need to check further. It was published in Business Times in this forum.

Now u know why i don't like development that built so many planter boxes.
some at least 2 to 3 of them. At least balcony still can use but restrict to living room will be good. planter boxes 5354. but no worry , Quartz good buy



http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/sub/...16394,00.html?

Published January 29, 2009

Rush for URA approvals before window closed

Developers sought provisional nod in Q4 2008 just prior to new rule on GFA

By KALPANA RASHIWALA


(SINGAPORE) All's quiet on the property front but developers secured a raft of approvals (provisional permission) for private residential projects from the Urban Redevelopment Authority in the last quarter of 2008.

The key reason for this is that developers rushed to make their submissions for provisional permission (PP) before a new ruling that scraps the exemption of bay windows and planter boxes from gross floor area (GFA) took effect on Jan 1, noted Credo Real Estate MD Karamjit Singh.

He said: 'With effect from Jan 1, 2009, for any submission for PP, URA will consider bay windows and planter boxes as part of GFA, and that brings down the total saleable area in a project by about 5-12 per cent. So developers were making submissions to secure PP before the change in ruling kicked in - even if they didn't intend to develop or launch their projects in the near future, given the current downturn.'

Agreeing, DTZ executive director Ong Choon Fah said: 'Bay windows and planter boxes are an important contributor to developers' profit margins. In the past when they bought land, they would have assumed these would be exempt from GFA.'

Hong Realty (part of the Hong Leong Group) received PP in Q4 2008 for a 1,517-unit condo project at Pasir Ris Drive 8, while Far East Organization unit Arts Associate Co secured URA's approval for a 234-unit condo at Jalan Datoh/Jalan Dusun in the Balestier area. And Bukit Sembawang bagged PP for a 200-unit condo at St Thomas Walk.

Horizon Partners Pte Ltd - whose shareholders are Hotel Properties, Morgan Stanley Real Estate and Qatar Investment Authority - picked up URA's consent to develop a 253-unit condo and eight detached houses on the Horizon Towers site at Leonie Hill Road.

URA also granted PP between October and December to NTUC Choice Homes unit Choice Homes Gamma for a 571-unit condo at Lor 2/3 Toa Payoh; to TID Pte Ltd for a 282-unit condo at New Upper Changi Road/ Tanah Merah Kechil Ave; and to an MCL Land unit for a 520-unit condo at Yishun Ave 1/2 fronting Lower Seletar Reservoir. The three proposed developments are on 99-year leasehold sites sold through the Government Land Sales Programme last year.

Casuarina Properties, controlled by the Lee Foundation and members of the Lee family, received URA's permission for a cluster housing development at Mount Rosie comprising 191 terrace homes and two semi-detached units.

The proposed Pasir Ris condo project by Hong Realty is on a massive 2.1 million square feet plot that Hong Leong Group owns in Pasir Ris - which the 1,822-unit Livia condo launched last year is part of. City Developments has a 51 per cent stake in the site. Sources say the site was bought for just $10 million decades ago, was originally treated as land for rural or agricultural use and had restrictions on its title.

In the commercial property segment, Hotel 81-linked Citywide Land secured PP to develop a 902-room hotel at Kallang Road in Q4. The project will also have about 4,090 sq ft gross floor area of shop space.

At Jalan Besar/Laven- der Street, Prominent Plaza Investments/Prominent Site Pte Ltd secured URA's consent to develop about 133,800 sq ft of offices and 13,500 sq ft of shop space. Over at Changi Business Park Ave 1, United Engineers Developments picked up URA's consent for a project comprising a 301-room hotel and 59,740 sq ft of shop space.

URA also approved several industrial property projects in Q4. Keppel Shipyard received PP for additions and alterations to its existing factory at Pioneer Sector 1, as did Yamazaki Mazak Singapore for its existing plant at Joo Koon Circle.

URA also granted PP for factory developments to General Magnetics (at Lorong 4 Toa Payoh), Index-Cool Furniture Design & Construction's (Eunos Avenue 3) and Oxley Opportunity #9 Pte Ltd (Pioneer Crescent).

[noblebaby]

Heard from agent, all the stakes released... 2-brm only left 5 units (total of 48 units)

[Kenshinto80]

Don't need to check further. It was published in Business Times in this forum.

Now u know why i don't like development that built so many planter boxes.
some at least 2 to 3 of them. At least balcony still can use but restrict to living room will be good. planter boxes 5354. but no worry , Quartz good buy

The misconception with what many people like Mr Isaaclim believe is that government rule that GFA for planters and balcony now exempted when developer marketed apartment to consumers. This is not true.

Let me quote from the URA Circular: "URA will leave it to the developers and building owners to decide if they wish to continue to provide bay windows and planter boxes for their residential developments so long as these building features are counted as GFA. The industry will have a free hand to design and provide these building features based on their commercial considerations as there will no longer be restrictions on the size of bay windows and planter boxes."

In short, currently, there are many developments such as Mr Issaclim's The Quartz which is filled with planters but no balcony. With the change in rule, developers will be motivated to reduce the number of planters by trying to build more usable enclosed space or still cater to planter but inside balcony to enjoy 10% GFA exemption. This will benefit future consumers since a development with just pure planters (no balcony at all) is usually used to rip off unsuspecting purchasers.

As for the newspaper article, there is a misleading statement made by Credo Real Estate MD Karamjit Singh on the decrease in saleable area by 10%-15%. There is actually no change in saleable area UNLESS developers decide to remove all the original planters and bay windows originally planned.

[isaaclim]

The misconception with what many people like Mr Isaaclim believe is that government rule that GFA for planters and balcony now exempted when developer marketed apartment to consumers. This is not true.

Let me quote from the URA Circular: "URA will leave it to the developers and building owners to decide if they wish to continue to provide bay windows and planter boxes for their residential developments so long as these building features are counted as GFA. The industry will have a free hand to design and provide these building features based on their commercial considerations as there will no longer be restrictions on the size of bay windows and planter boxes."

In short, currently, there are many developments such as Mr Issaclim's The Quartz which is filled with planters but no balcony. With the change in rule, developers will be motivated to reduce the number of planters by trying to build more usable enclosed space or still cater to planter but inside balcony to enjoy 10% GFA exemption. This will benefit future consumers since a development with just pure planters (no balcony at all) is usually used to rip off unsuspecting purchasers.

As for the newspaper article, there is a misleading statement made by Credo Real Estate MD Karamjit Singh on the decrease in saleable area by 10%-15%. There is actually no change in saleable area UNLESS developers decide to remove all the original planters and bay windows originally planned.

Isn't planter and balcony are being exempted from GFA until 1st Jan? I am really confuse on you this statement "This will benefit future consumers since a development with just pure planters (no balcony at all) is usually used to rip off unsuspecting purchasers." ???!!!

Just make it simple. Balcony and Planter are a mean used by developer to rip off purchasers. With new ruling, they are not longer able to do that.

Ask you a question?
A 1313sf unit without balcony - 600psf
Another 1313sf unit with 200sf balcony - 600psf. Which will you choice?

[Water Lover]

Heard from agent, all the stakes released... 2-brm only left 5 units (total of 48 units)

Wow..no bad ah.. To those who bought Waterfront Waves...Cheers!!

[noblebaby]

Wow..no bad ah.. To those who bought Waterfront Waves...Cheers!!

Hope to see more genuine buyer/owner of WF to join us here... I'm sure WF will be the most popular project from D16 in this forum.

[noblebaby]

prices did come down. i bought my unit last may. based on the same level at stack 23 and with better view than my stack 19. it is cheaper by 16k plus.

16k or 160k?!? Anyway, stack 23 has partial reservior view... but not stake 19... stack 23 should carries slightly higher premium... for apple-to-apple comparison, one should compare units from the same stake... looks like price for stake 23 may droped by more than 50k

[noblebaby]

I think finishing is slightly different. The new showflat is equipped with swing door cabinets in all bedroom.

hmnnn... didn't realize the cabinet door when I visited the new showroom on Sunday... what else has been changed? Most important thing for me is the balcony facing, make sure it has good "feng sui" facing, N-S and unblock... as for interior, can ask ID to touch it up!

[isaaclim]

hmnnn... didn't realize the cabinet door when I visited the new showroom on Sunday... what else has been changed? Most important thing for me is the balcony facing, make sure it has good "feng sui" facing, N-S and unblock... as for interior, can ask ID to touch it up!

Not sure about the rest. For sure the flooring is still the same.

[Kenshinto80]

Isn't planter and balcony are being exempted from GFA until 1st Jan? I am really confuse on you this statement "This will benefit future consumers since a development with just pure planters (no balcony at all) is usually used to rip off unsuspecting purchasers." ???!!!

Just make it simple. Balcony and Planter are a mean used by developer to rip off purchasers. With new ruling, they are not longer able to do that.

Ask you a question?
A 1313sf unit without balcony - 600psf
Another 1313sf unit with 200sf balcony - 600psf. Which will you choice?

Mr Isaaclim, that is why I pointed out that it boils down to the issue of the value of balcony. I would say that you are a practical type of person as your perception of value in a development is enclosed usable space and attached little value to projects with balcony. For me, I will gladly take the unit with 200 square ft of balcony. So balcony is not really a means by developer to rip off purchasers. Let me stress again, only for units with big planters only. Let me pose back the question, if it is 200 square ft of planters only, will you take it?

[noblebaby]

Mr Isaaclim, that is why I pointed out that it boils down to the issue of the value of balcony. I would say that you are a practical type of person as your perception of value in a development is enclosed usable space and attached little value to projects with balcony. For me, I will gladly take the unit with 200 square ft of balcony. So balcony is not really a means by developer to rip off purchasers. Let me stress again, only for units with big planters only. Let me pose back the question, if it is 200 square ft of planters only, will you take it?

I would prefer a 200 sqft balcony as well... layered with timber flooring... small table with warm coffee and french toast in the cold breezy morning... enjoying the nature view of bedok...

I can even enjoy my favorite channel CNBC from my balcony!

wao, this is called life!

[sunny]

i am comparing stack 19 n stack 23 ( base on same level and facing ). stack 23 should be selling at a higher price than stack 19. but based on current promotion price, stack 23 is selling cheaper than stack 19. but no complain since when i bought stack 19, stack 23 was not released yet.

[noblebaby]

i am comparing stack 19 n stack 23 ( base on same level and facing ). stack 23 should be selling at a higher price than stack 19. but based on current promotion price, stack 23 is selling cheaper than stack 19. but no complain since when i bought stack 19, stack 23 was not released yet.

mind to share the price for current stack 19 & 23? coz never check out the price for these stakes, out of my budget

[sunny]

high floor for both stack still selling at 700 plus psf. but stack 23 is selling about 30psf lower. stamp duty was absorbed when i bought my unit. now you have to pay, no more absorb by developer. but still cheaper overall then when i bought. stack 23 value for money, has got both pool view and reservoir view. futhermore not close to road, so not noisy. but if u want to be able to see reservoir, must buy level 10 and above. level 9 n below, reservoir view will be blocked by trees. i know becos i used to stay there. hope u will be able to get a unit u like.

[cyl]

Hope to see more genuine buyer/owner of WF to join us here... I'm sure WF will be the most popular project from D16 in this forum.

Thanks for all the encouragements here. So which unit did you buy?

[cyl]

Why cold feet? Each individual has his/her own opinion. You already said you love the location. There's no need to worry about others comments.

Thank you so much. So many nasty comments made earlier by others does dampens the mood. I dont understand where all that hate come from.

[East Lover]

hmnnn... didn't realize the cabinet door when I visited the new showroom on Sunday... what else has been changed? Most important thing for me is the balcony facing, make sure it has good "feng sui" facing, N-S and unblock... as for interior, can ask ID to touch it up!

i thought good 'feng shui' must be S-N facing?

In the current modern design, we are using the facing of living room & balcony to determine the facing of unit, the south facing balcony will be better than north facing one. however, in WW, if you want to beautiful reservior view, you have to tahan the road noise and north facing....

my

[Property_Owner]

I would prefer a 200 sqft balcony as well... layered with timber flooring... small table with warm coffee and french toast in the cold breezy morning... enjoying the nature view of bedok...

I can even enjoy my favorite channel CNBC from my balcony!

wao, this is called life!

200sqft balcony? Wao, can put bed there and sleep already.