Colin Lim

Colin began his career as an engineer with a manufacturing firm. After honing his analytical skills, he moved into finance where, during his time with two major foreign banks, he worked as a mortgage banker and a relationship manager that specialised in wealth management. He currently oversees a team of mortgage advisors and has helped homeowners finance more than a total of SGD$1 billion worth of property.

Asian property magnet: What makes Singapore look so attractive as a hub for property investments?

A bird’s eye view of Singapore might just resemble a snapshot of our distant Asian neighbor, Hong Kong. Both characterized by high-rise metallic-bodied office towers and high-density living, Singapore and Hong Kong stand on the leaderboard of having some of the world’s most expensive real estate. Preserving its global title as being the most expensive city, Bloomberg reports indicate that a whopping $1.2 million would only get you an average home in Hong Kong, with Singapore being a close runner-up.

Colin Lim October 16, 2020

Unique HDB Houses

With most of the Singapore population living in HDB flats, it will be interesting to know the different types of flats around are not just your usual Build to Orders (BTOs). Additionally, if you are hunting for a roof over your head, these hidden gems could be possible alternatives. Here are 4 unique HDB housing types that exist but often go unnoticed: 1. HDB Terrace Flats These are not your typical terraces or semi-Ds, we are talking about landed public

Colin Lim September 25, 2020

Johor Bahru-Singapore Rail Transit System: Stronger ties with our neighbours

Post Circuit-Breaker, Singapore was quick to reopen discussions for the Johor Bahru-Singapore cross-border Rapid Transit System (RTS), which will link Woodlands and Johor Bahru. Discussions regarding the RTS have faced multiple delays and postponements; however, the latest official ceremony which occurred on the 30th of July 2020 seemed to bear much fruit. There were several changes to be made to the operations of the RTS such as it being a solo Light Rail Transit System (LRT) instead of tapping on

Colin Lim September 13, 2020

Life after death: What happens to your property upon death?

For many, property assets are often passed on as gifts from parent to child upon their death, expressly written and documented in the form of a will. The will serves as an official documentation and proof of entitlement to the property. However, some properties may fall between the cracks, and the benefits and rights to the property are not transferred to the intended beneficiaries for several reasons. These are termed as ‘Residual Properties’ – properties that are not conferred successfully.

Colin Lim August 25, 2020

The success story behind Singapore’s land development

Some interesting facts about our little red dot. Singapore comes in at the world’s 18th smallest country, making up a mere total land area of 724.2 square kilometres. Just next door, Malaysia stands 329,847 square kilometres. To put things into perspective, it takes 456 of Singapore(s) to make up just one Malaysia! Despite our size, Singapore has made her mark in the world, revered as one of the world’s most successful nations in managing its people and transforming its land

Colin Lim April 23, 2020

The Rise of Mixed-Use Developments In Singapore

The concept of mixed-use developments is not new to many and this is a trend that the government is moving towards to better utilise our land use. This is evident from the CBD Incentive Scheme that was being announced at the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) Draft Master Plan 2019. This is part of the plan to rejuvenate the city centre by encouraging building owners to convert existing office developments in the Central Business District (CBD) to mixed-use developments. It is

Colin Lim October 25, 2019

Tampines VS Punggol, Battle of the September 2019 BTO Launch

With the shift of the August BTO launch to September 2019, the government announced a series of changes, including the introduction of the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG), which replaces the Additional CPF Housing Grant (AHG) and Special CPF Housing Grant (SHG), and higher income ceilings across HDBs and Executive condominiums. This change took place with effect from 11 September 2019. HDB has also released its sales launch for September 2019 – Punggol and Tampines. If you are planning to submit

Colin Lim September 13, 2019

An update on fixed deposit-pegged home loans: Rising rates

A home loan package with its interest rate pegged to a bank’s Fixed Deposit (FD) rates was widely popular among homeowners during its initial inception. FD rates were first pioneered by DBS, and her peers came up with their own versions soon after. The FD rates’ popularity was attributed to a very low rate in the initial phase. However, in recent years, FD rates have increased significantly when compared with the initial rates. This increase in interest rates is due

Colin Lim April 12, 2019

How To Get A Mortgage And Finance Your Property Purchase

Perhaps it’s your first time buying a property. Or maybe you’re a seasoned property investor, with over a decade of experience. While this guide makes for a great checklist for first timers, it’s always good to revisit and make sure you don’t miss anything out. What are some of the considerations to make and steps to take when it comes to financing your property purchase? Read on to find out. 1. How do I get an In-Principle Approval (IPA) or

Colin Lim February 27, 2019

An update on fixed deposit-pegged home loans: Rising rates

A home loan package with its interest rate pegged to a bank’s fixed deposit rates was considered extremely innovative, back when DBS first introduced such a product in 2014. Now, this has become a norm, with most banks having offered or are still offering loan packages pegged to fixed deposit rates. The fixed deposit rate loan packages have been well-received by homebuyers, partly because there is a perception that banks will not raise interest rates too much, whereby doing so

Colin Lim October 8, 2018