Two-bedroom units expected to remain popular among buyers

OWNING a private home - the alluring Singaporean Dream for many locals. However, the dream appeared to be fading into the distance, when prices ascended at a rapid pace from 2008 to 2013.

This, according to the Urban Redevelopment Authority's (URA) price index for private residential properties (including Executive Condominiums), which saw prices growing 21.5 per cent from Q2 2008 to Q2 2013 (Chart 1).

For investors who sought private residential homes at the entry level, one-bedroom apartments (typically with a floor area of less than 500 sq ft) are a natural choice, as the quantum of such shoebox units fits well into the budgets of HDB owners looking for an investment property.