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In this issue of Housing Scene, we provide a beginners’ guide to the HDB loan eligibility letter. For resale buyers, we share a starter pack of resources to help you plan your flat purchase. Finally, follow our residents on their renovation journey and witness the transformation of their flats into beautiful homes.
For home buyers who wish to purchase a BTO or resale flat, you would likely need to apply for a loan from either a financial institution or HDB. If you choose to take up an HDB housing loan, you would need an HDB Loan Eligibility Letter (HLE). But what is it exactly and why do you have to apply for it? In a nutshell, the HLE is a financial planning tool to help you budget for your flat purchase, and is an essential document to aid you in your home-buying journey!
The HLE letter will contain information, such as:
For BTO flat buyers, you will need the HLE letter before your first appointment. For resale flat buyers, you will need the HLE letter before you sign the Option to Purchase and pay the option fee. Here's how to obtain an HLE letter:
Start by checking if you qualify for an HDB housing loan, based on the following eligibility criteria.
Next, you will need to meet HDB’s credit assessment criteria. This is similar to how a financial institution evaluates your financial standing before asssessing if you qualify for the loan.
Still unsure? Take 5 minutes to fill in the HDB loan eligibility check.
After you've confirmed that you're eligible for an HDB housing loan, go ahead and apply for the HLE by:
Your application will be processed within 14 days of submitting all required documents. Meanwhile, you can track your application status on My HDBPage.
To simplify the flat-buying process, flat buyers will soon be able to receive a consolidated assessment on their eligibility for a new and/or resale flat purchase, housing grants, and HDB housing loan in the HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) letter. The HFE will replace the HLE, and enable buyers to understand their total housing budget and financing options at the start of their flat-buying journey. Follow us at @SingaporeHDB on Facebook, Twitter and Telegram for updates on the HFE later this year!
Embarking on your resale journey? Fear not, player one! We’ve curated a list of resources just for resale flat buyers.
Stage 1: Check your eligibility and work out your flat budget. Use our e-Services to check your eligibility, and the calculators at the HDB Flat Portal to work out your budget based on your CPF and cash savings. You can also find out more about the various grants available to resale buyers.
Stage 2: Scope out your resale options. If you’re eyeing a particular neighbourhood, you can use the HDB Map Services to see the recent transacted prices in the area at a glance. You can also use our e-service to figure out if the flat is within 4km of your parent’s home, which will qualify you for a Proximity Housing Grant of up to $30,000.
Stage 3: Apply for a resale flat. Finally, hop over to the HDB Resale Portal, the one-stop portal for resale transactions. Before you apply, find out more about the resale application process.
P.S. To learn more about resale policies and procedures, sign up for one of our online resale seminars.
New homeowners Geoffrey and Sian Ching decided to manage the entire renovation process of their home themselves, without engaging an interior designer. If you need tips on kickstarting your home reno or simply want decor inspo, we round up some of the most important advice that they shared with us. Follow them on their reno journey:
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