Singapore property reference

Every term that touches your money.

ABSD, TDSR, CPF accrued interest, decoupling — the jargon is not there to confuse you, but most buyers act on a fuzzy version of it and pay for the gap. Each one defined plainly, and tied to where it actually changes your numbers.

Figures reflect Singapore rules current as of 2026. Always verify the latest with IRAS, HDB and MAS before transacting — these change, and they change without much warning.

Stamp Duties

What the taxman takes

Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty ABSD

A tax on residential purchases that scales with your profile and how many properties you own. As of 2026 (unchanged since 27 April 2023): Singapore Citizens pay 0% on a first home, 20% on a second, 30% on a third+; PRs pay 5% / 30% / 35%; foreigners pay 60% on any residential purchase; entities 65%. US nationals and a few FTA nationalities are treated as citizens.

Where it matters: ABSD is the single biggest tax most second-property buyers fail to plan around. Decoupling or sell-one-buy-two can legally keep you at first-timer rates. See the Investor Playbook →

Buyer's Stamp Duty BSD

A tiered tax every buyer pays on the price or market value (whichever is higher). For residential property it rises from 1% on the first $180,000 up to 6% on the portion above $3 million. It applies on top of any ABSD — and is the cost decoupling buyers most often forget to net off.

Where it matters: your true entry cost is price + BSD + (ABSD if applicable) + legal. First-home buyers: run the full number →

Seller's Stamp Duty SSD

A tax on residential property sold within a set holding period after purchase, designed to discourage flipping. It steps down to 0% once you've held beyond the SSD window. Selling early can quietly erase a paper gain.

Where it matters: exit timing is part of entry strategy. Model your hold period before you buy →

Loan & Affordability

What the bank allows

Total Debt Servicing Ratio TDSR

A MAS rule capping all your monthly debt repayments — home loan, car, credit lines — at 55% of gross monthly income. It sets the hard ceiling on your loan size, whatever the property type. Car loans and personal debt quietly shrink your property budget through TDSR.

Where it matters: knowing your TDSR headroom before viewing stops you falling for a unit you can't finance. Check your headroom in the upgrade calculator →

Mortgage Servicing Ratio MSR

A MAS rule capping the monthly home-loan repayment at 30% of gross income — but only for HDB flats (any loan) and ECs bought from the developer. It binds in addition to the 55% TDSR, so for HDB/EC the tighter 30% rule usually decides your maximum loan.

Where it matters: HDB and EC buyers are MSR-bound, not TDSR-bound — a crucial difference most calculators get wrong. See how it shapes EC vs condo →

Loan-to-Value LTV

The maximum share of a property's price you can borrow. The first housing loan is capped at 75% with tenure up to 30 years (and not past age 65); stretch the tenure longer and the cap falls to 55%. The HDB concessionary loan LTV is also 75% (since 20 August 2024). A second loan caps far lower.

Where it matters: LTV decides your minimum cash + CPF down payment. Size your down payment before committing →

CPF Accrued Interest

The interest your CPF savings would have earned had you not spent them on property. On sale, the CPF principal used plus this accrued interest must return to your CPF — which is why a flat that "made $200K" often leaves far less cash in hand than owners expect.

Where it matters: this is the number that turns a "profit" into negative cash. See your real net proceeds, after CPF refund →

HDB & Eligibility

The public-housing rules

Minimum Occupation Period MOP

The period — generally 5 years — an HDB flat must be occupied before you can sell it on the open market or buy private property. The MOP clock is the single biggest gate on an upgrader's timing, and mistiming it is the most common upgrade mistake.

Where it matters: your upgrade window opens the day MOP clears. Map your window →

Build-To-Order BTO

New HDB flats sold by ballot at subsidised prices for eligible Singapore Citizens. The trade-off: a multi-year wait and a 5-year MOP, in exchange for the lowest entry price in the market and the strongest first-step equity.

Where it matters: BTO vs EC vs resale is the defining first-home decision. Compare all three →

Executive Condominium EC

A subsidised hybrid with private-condo facilities. Treated as HDB for the first 5 years (MOP), sellable to PRs after 5 years and to foreigners after 10, when it turns fully private — historically capturing a structural pricing uplift. In 2026, ECs have appreciated faster than comparable condos (≈6.6% vs 3.7% CAGR).

Where it matters: the EC "flip" is one of the cleanest first-timer wealth plays. See the EC playbook →

Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme SERS

A scheme where older HDB blocks are acquired for redevelopment and residents rehoused with compensation and a fresh-lease replacement flat. Only a small minority of blocks are ever selected — so SERS is a bonus if it happens, never a reason to buy an ageing flat.

Where it matters: lease decay is real; SERS rarely rescues it. Read your flat's real value →

Investor Plays

The legal structuring moves

Decoupling

Restructuring a jointly-owned property so one owner transfers their share to the other, freeing the exiting owner to buy again as a "first-timer" and avoid the 20% ABSD. The ABSD saved must be weighed against BSD on the transfer and legal fees — it's powerful, but only when the math clears.

Where it matters: on a typical $1.2M–$1.8M second purchase, decoupling can save tens of thousands in ABSD. See if the math works for you →

Sell-One-Buy-Two

Selling one property and buying two — one in each spouse's name — so each owner stays a first-timer, the household holds two appreciating assets, and you avoid ABSD on a "second" home. It hinges on each buyer independently clearing TDSR and the deposit.

Where it matters: two appreciation curves instead of one, ABSD-free. Stress-test the structure →

Market Segments & Data

How value is measured

CCR · RCR · OCR

URA's three market segments. CCR (Core Central Region) is the prime centre; RCR (Rest of Central Region) is the city fringe; OCR (Outside Central Region) is the mass-market suburbs. They're the standard frame for comparing pricing, yield and demand across Singapore.

Where it matters: the growth story differs sharply by segment — and it isn't where most buyers assume. See the Master Plan read by region →

Price Per Square Foot PSF

Purchase price divided by floor area — the standard unit for comparing value. But PSF only means something against the right benchmark: the median PSF of comparable transactions in the same district and project type. A low PSF in isolation tells you nothing.

Where it matters: a unit priced well below its district-median PSF is built-in margin. X-ray any project's PSF →

New Launch & Temporary Occupation Permit TOP

A new launch is a condo sold by the developer before or during construction, usually on a progressive payment schedule. TOP is the milestone when the building is certified fit for occupation — when you can move in or rent out, often years after you committed. New launches have historically gained ~15–25% from launch to TOP.

Where it matters: the launch-to-TOP window is where new-launch upside is captured. See the 2026 launch radar →

Gross vs Net Rental Yield

Gross yield is annual rent ÷ price. Net yield subtracts the real costs — maintenance, property tax, vacancy, agent fees — and is the number that decides whether a unit actually cash-flows. Headline gross yields routinely overstate the real return by a full point or more.

Where it matters: buy on net, not gross, or your "income property" quietly costs you money. Run the net-yield calculator →

POV Guy Growth Score

Our proprietary 0–100 index ranking all 28 Singapore districts on government-committed growth — blending URA Master Plan transformation upside (60%) with weighted infrastructure catalysts like new MRT lines, employment hubs and new towns (40%). In 2026 the top scores are Jurong (97), Tengah (94) and Woodlands (93) — not the prime core.

Where it matters: appreciation follows the Master Plan, and the Master Plan is public. See the full district ranking →

Knowing the term is not the same as knowing your number

Run it against your actual situation.

Every definition here is general. What ABSD costs you, what you can borrow, what is left after you sell — that depends on your profile, your CPF, and what you already own.

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