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Should you buy or rent?

FreeFlowchart

Four checks before you decide: loan rules, holding period and owning cost against rent

FreeFlowchart

Four checks before you decide: loan rules, holding period and owning cost against rent

Diagram. A way to organise the question, not advice on a named property.

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Four checks before you decide: loan rules, holding period and owning cost against rentDiagram. A way to organise the question, not advice on a named property.Buy or rent?Buy or rent?Pass the loan rules?. Loan up to 75% of price, first loan. Debt up to 55% of incomePass the loan rules?Loan up to 75% of price, first loanDebt up to 55% of incomeNot yet. Rent, or build more cashNot yetRent, or build more cashStay past the SSD period?. 4 years if bought from 4 Jul 2025Stay past the SSD period?4 years if bought from 4 Jul 2025Early sale costs SSD. 4% to 16% of the priceEarly sale costs SSD4% to 16% of the priceCompare a year of each. Rent against loan interest, upkeep,. property tax and your down payment returnCompare a year of eachRent against loan interest, upkeep,property tax and your down payment returnOwning cost near rent?Owning cost near rent?Fair swap. Buying costs about what. renting doesFair swapBuying costs about whatrenting doesNeeds growth or security. Buying must earn its cost. from price gains or comfortNeeds growth or securityBuying must earn its costfrom price gains or comfortnoyesnoyesweigh ityesnoIn 2026 Q2 gross yields are 2.7% to 3.3%, so rent is low next to price. Rules: MAS (loans) and IRAS (stamp duty).

Source: Rules from MAS and IRAS, as listed under Should you buy or rent?.

View the data as a table
Four checks before you decide: loan rules, holding period and owning cost against rent
StepDetailLeads to
Buy or rent?Pass the loan rules?
Pass the loan rules?Loan up to 75% of price, first loan. Debt up to 55% of incomeNot yet (no); Stay past the SSD period? (yes)
Not yetRent, or build more cash
Stay past the SSD period?4 years if bought from 4 Jul 2025Early sale costs SSD (no); Compare a year of each (yes)
Early sale costs SSD4% to 16% of the priceCompare a year of each (weigh it)
Compare a year of eachRent against loan interest, upkeep,. property tax and your down payment returnOwning cost near rent?
Owning cost near rent?Fair swap (yes); Needs growth or security (no)
Fair swapBuying costs about what. renting does
Needs growth or securityBuying must earn its cost. from price gains or comfort
Topic
Should you buy or rent?
Segment
The overall market
Chart type
Flowchart
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Should you buy or rent?

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Previous chartGross yield example: OCR rent of S$4.53 psf a month gives 2.72% on a S$2,002 psf price