Jo'An Tan

Jo'An Tan

Jo’An started her career helping clients with their loan positioning by sharing with them on the macroeconomy outlook. Having performed above and beyond her duties, the advisory role she took on has earned her multiple awards at the local banks. As one of the pioneering advisors with Redbrick Mortgage Advisory, she has personally structured over $900M worth of loans across 900 properties; by no means an easy feat and a strong testament to her ability and achievements.

Understanding Property Tax In Singapore

What Is Property Tax & Why Does It Matter? Property Tax in Singapore is a wealth tax levied on property ownership. It is not a tax on rental income. It is levied on the ownership of properties, irrespective of whether the property is occupied or vacant. This is a recurring tax and the amount of tax payable depends on 2 factors: 1)     Property type 2)     Annual value (AV) This property tax is payable annually on 31st Jan and

Conservation Shophouses in Singapore: All You Need to Know

Along the picturesque streets of Chinatown, conservation shophouses have always been a highlight of Singapore’s streetscape especially in conserved areas. Beyond seeing it as part of our landscape, shophouses are also great financial assets yet not many have explored the value of it. If you are interested in owning a piece of history for its ‘conserved’ status, these prestigious properties located at the heart of Singapore might just be for you! With a wealth of experience in helping clients with

11 Benefits of Owning Properties Under a Company

Singaporeans have always had a fascination for Real Estate properties. Yet, most investors only consider owning these properties as an individual. After all, that seems to be the most straightforward way. But what if there are better options that offer higher yield, such as incorporating a company? If you are puzzled on why, keep reading to find out the benefits of owning properties under a company as opposed to an individual. 1. Tenor Under residential properties, Income Weighted Average Age,

7 reasons why you should be investing in commercial properties instead of residential properties

When most Singaporeans think of investing in property, they typically turn to residential properties, before starting to worry about other issues like Additional Buyer Stamp Duty (ABSD), alongside a volatile tenancy market. But what if these issues could be minimised if you turn to another property sub-market, and invest in commercial properties instead? If you’re sceptical, keep reading because this article will tell you 7 reasons why you should invest in commercial properties today. 1. Upkeep and furnishing of properties

What you need to know when investing in commercial property in Singapore

At a fundamental level, owning commercial property for investment purposes is much like renting out a residential property – you, the landlord, own a property and rent it out to the tenant for monthly cash flows. In Singapore, there are 2 types of non-residential properties: industrial and commercial properties. Firstly, commercial properties include retail shops, offices, medical suites and shophouses. Secondly, industrial refers to workspaces such as B1 (offices, warehouses) and B2 (factories). If you are considering buying a commercial

Does DBS Reverse Mortgage Loan Equate To Care-Free Retirement?

On 29 June 2013, the government released the Total Debt Servicing Ratio (TSDR) framework in which, borrowers would have to fulfil a strict assessment to obtain their desired loan amount. This meant that the amount an individual could borrow would be limited to his ability to service all their loans within the portfolio, based on monthly income. Now this may not appear as alarming news for employed homeowners who are earning a monthly salary. However, through Singapore’s rising housing prices

Light at the end of the tunnel: What a successful COVID-19 vaccine would mean for the real estate market

Countries around the world race to lay hold of a vaccine for the ravaging pandemic that has taken the lives of 1.34 million people at the time of writing, equivalent to nearly one-fifth of Singapore’s population. To date, several promising vaccines have emerged, with prominent ones by Pfizer and BioNTech procuring results of an astounding 95% success rate with few or no recorded side effects. This spells good news for the world after almost an entire year of chaos, lockdowns

SIBOR Rates Plunge: What Does This Mean for Mortgage Loans?

Back in June 2020, the US Federal Reserve (Fed) announced that Fed interest rates will drop to ‘near zero’ and maintain that level until at least the end of 2022. The main reason for holding Fed interest rates near zero (0-0.25%) is to stimulate the coronavirus-hit US economy, which is expected to shrink by 6.5% in 2020.  Fed interest rates and interest rates in Singapore, termed the Singapore Interbank Offered Rate (SIBOR), are highly correlated. This means that banks who

Is Singapore’s real estate really pandemic proof?

Since April 2020, it was common of headlines featuring published data of home sales transactions increasing despite the ‘lockdown’ period where all physical viewings were not allowed. This trend was happening for both the private and public housing market. This was contrary to what many believed that an onset of a pandemic would cause poor market sentiments, resulting in an eventual property market slump. Instead, some of the affluent have gone on to acquire bigger and more expensive real estate

Guide to property valuation: Residual method

When we talk about property valuations, we often think about the valuation of the building or house itself. Often times it’s all about buying or selling the residential apartment or commercial piece of building. However, it is important to not forget about another item which can be purchased as well: land. As such, this article aims to provide you with a basic overview and simple method to derive the value of the land. The residual valuation method – this is