1205Singapore Real Estate, Barker Road cluster houses, Bungalows, detached houses, Apartments, Condos, Homes Singapore Classifieds, Internet Property Advertisements published by: Asiahomes
Internet

 Owners & Realtors, one direct internet ad contact expats direct, mayLogo of Asia USA Realty save you over $5,000 in agency or co-broking fees. Email your ad to: judy@asiahomes.com, visit Asiahomes Internet.  Last updated: 26 Jun 2003

BUNGALOWS & CLUSTER TOWNHOUSES WITH POOL
AT BARKER ROAD
Research supported by Asiahomes Internet
Tips for first-time Landlords. You Got Tenant, Landlord?
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CONTENTS

1. Two house-hunting reports (2003 & 1998)

Bungalows & other houses in Caucasian enclave areas

Pictures of a Caucasian favourite - Barker Road cluster townhouses.


2.  Case study:  Legal poser "Is the surreptitious monthly payment to the Management Agent an act of Corruption?"
The Chief Justice's definition of corruption.


Relocating expat: Please contact Asia USA judy@asia
homes.com to help you get the best deal.		 The houses favoured by Caucasian expats are located in Districts 10, 11 and 21. Some listings are shown below.

__________________________
HOUSE HUNTING REPORT 1

$7,000 - $7,500
houses available for rent as at May 6, 2003. Email list to an expat overseas.

Email to www.asiahomes.com : May 5 2003

We are interested to take a house and are looking for 4/5 bedrooms,
would like a pool and so far are undecided on any particular area.
From my last stay in Singapore, I remember Alexandra Park, Woodley Park and Adam Road as nice areas, however that is not to say we are committed to looking in that region.

Our budget is around S$ 7,000-S$ 7,500 /month. We would be grateful if you could email us a list of properties (with
photos, if possible) that you have presently. I will be arriving in Singapore on the 20th May.  Look forward to hearing from you.

Some listings from asiahomes.com:

1.  Raffles Park off Dunearn Road - single storey bungalow with an
above ground pool.  Land area 10,000 sq ft/built-in - 4000 sq ft - 4+1,  rental asking for $7,000

2.  Sixth Avenue off Holland Road - 3 storey semi-detached, Land -
 4800/built-in - 3500 sq ft, 5+1, rental asking for $7,000 with an
 aboveground pool only for kids, rental asking for $7,000

3.  Jurong Kechil, Upper Bukit Timah area - bungalow with a decked pool,  Land - 12,000 sq ft / built-in - 4000 sq ft, 4+1, rental asking for $7,000

4.  off Holland Road - charming old bungalow of land area - 18,300 sq ft /built-in - 6300 sq ft, 5+1 with a pool, rental asking for $9,000

5.  Jalan Kampong Chantek off Dunearn Road - bungalow of land area - 11,000
 sq ft / built-in 5500 sq ft, 6+1 with a pool, rental asking for $9,000

__________________________
HOUSE HUNTING REPORT 2
August 21 & 27, 1998.

Some of the houses may be available for rent as at May 6, 2003. House-hunting with New Zealander
& Dutchman from the USA. Rentals have plunged in 2003.

2.15pm
BARKER ROAD CLUSTER TOWNHOUSES & 1 BUNGALOW 
 
Nine Intermediate terrace houses & 1 bungalow for rental. 

Singapore Barker Road cluster townhouses + 1 bungalow
2.5 storey 4+1, 2,100 sq ft built in.  1,800 sq ft land.  $7,000 partially furnished.

Singapore Barker Road cluster townhouses + 1 bungalow (top of picture)
BUNGALOW FOR RENT $12,000
(background, hidden amongst trees)
Expat enclave. 9 expat families mainly Europeans.

A good -sized communal pool & small playground.  No security guard as the townhouses front Barker Road.  The sole bungalow (top) amongst 9 townhouses rents around $12,000. 

Singapore Barker Road cluster townhouses + 1 bungalow
Townhouses have small living, dining areas and kitchens. Small bedrooms with an attic room but great location and expatriate community nearby.

10-min walk to the  Newton subway. 

Small garden, small kitchen but very near to downtown and Orchard Road.  Easy to get taxis, off Dunearn Road, a 1/2-min walk away. 

5-minute taxi ride to the Paterson Road International Singapore School and Overseas Family Schools.

Cold Storage Supermarket and or provisions at the nearby petrol kiosk within walking distance.
Many taxis and buses for spouse working downtown. A quiet one-way road for traffic.  Extremely popular with Caucasians even in mid 2003. Almost fully rented.  Email judy@asiahomes.com for updates or tel: 9668 6468.

__________________________

UPSCALE Barker Road cluster townhouses called LOTUS AT BARKER is nearby and were completed in 2000.

The corner terraces rent from $10,000.  Intermediate terraces are available for rent.  Email judy@asiahomes.com or tel: +65 9668 6468.		 2.30pm
Oriole Crescent Bungalow 1-storey 3+2. 3,000/12000sf $8,000.    High class residential area - elite neighbourhood (Raffles Park) where the Singapore President and Deputy Prime Minister reside. Corner. Master bedroom small. Above ground pool. Big deck over 400 sq. ft for entertainment. Large garden for active kids and many dogs. Old cabinets and baths - rental much lower than others for 12,000 sq. ft  of land!

2.45pm
The Greenwood
Semi-detached 3-storey 6+1 4600/3500sf $10,000 - $16,000. 
Terraces available for lease 5+1 from $8,000 p/f.
District 11.  Brand new in September 1998. Modern kitchen appliances, marble-floored bathrooms, family rooms and so many new fixtures that all Caucasian wives will love.    Marble flooring in spacious living/dining room. Tiled side, nothing much to maintain. High class residential neighbourhood near Raffles Park.

3.00pm.
Kingsmead Road Bungalow 1-storey. 4+1 2500/6800sf $8,000. Above ground pool can be installed in back garden. Matured trees and excellent landscaping. Renovated open kitchen concept. Homogeneous tiles in living/dining. Security system. Cul de sac location - very quiet and children can cycle. Prime District 10 area, near Duchess Avenue and favourite of Caucasians.

3.15pm
Sunset Place Bungalow 2.5-storey 5+1 3500/7500
sq ft  $11,000. 

Renovated.  Wooden panels. Great interest to Caucasians is that privacy (can't see neighbours being higher ground), big trees seen from bedrooms and big garden with koi pond and small cascading pool. Wet bar counter in living room which faces back garden. Good sized area for entertainment and for the Dutch man to smoke his favourite cigars. 

3.45pm
Sunset Heights Bungalow.   3 storey. 4+1 3500/7000sf $8000. Renovated.   More affordable than Sunset Place above.   Inground pool or above-ground pool can be installed at a rental $10,000.   Quiet and has big garden behind. Play area with sand in front. Wet kitchen outside dry kitchen for barbecue. Landscaped garden.

Favourite of Dutch prospect. Between American School in Woodlands and downtown.   Caucasian expat enclave in which 50% of the area is said to be occupied by expats as this area is within 10-minute drive to Dutch/German/
Australian/Dover/United World College schools. Children need not wake up early to catch school buses. Also shuttle buses to Clementi subway and many food and beverage joints around.

4.15pm
Binjai Park Bungalow 4+3, 1-storey. 4+3 4000/16000sf $14,500 Inground pool. Master bedroom faces main gate - disliked by many Caucasian prospects but the garden and number of bedrooms (old) and location within 5-minute drive to German /Dutch /Dover /United World College /Australian schools, expat enclave and quiet residential bungalow area are plus factors.

5.00pm
University Road Bungalow 2-storey 4+1 4500/10000sf $10,000. Unrenovated but spacious bedrooms. Matured garden. Some expats like this colonial style rambling house and the residential area, 10-minute drive to Newton and Orchard Road.

5.30pm
Cluny Hill Bungalow 2-storey 3+2 3500/13000sf 3+2 $13000. Black granite spacious living/dining. Nestled in green tropical forest quiet area. Extremely exclusive address - all bungalows and near the Botanic Gardens and 5-minute drive to Orchard Road. Very popular with Caucasians. Kitchens and baths, air-conditioners are wall-mounted are not the brand new stuff but then rentals are lower if brand new.

6.00pm
Tanglin Hill Bungalow 2-storey 4+1, 5000/16000 sq. ft  4+1 $15,000. Live within 10-minute walk to Orchard Road, near British Embassy and extremely exclusive address as for Cluny Hill's.  Good for expats who work downtown and who jogs in the morning, go back to shower, take a taxi to downtown, leaving car to wife and kids!

Vacancies - update, email judy@asiahomes.com or tel: +65 9668 6468.

Case study:   
Legal poser "Is the surreptitious monthly payment to the Management Agent an act of Corruption?"

September 1, 1998

"Good morning Claire!" I greeted the American expatriate now settling down in Costa Rhu. "The Landlord has instructed that you deal with your Company's Managing Agent for all matters related to the property. I will return the coffee tables to the Landlord as requested by you. From now on, you will need to refer to the Management Agent."  I was the co-broking realtor representing the Landlord and naturally Claire referred the Landlord's matters to me.   

"I don't even know I have a Managing Agent!" exclaimed Claire, an American lady with a very gentle and happy disposition and who did not like too many levels to contact the Landlord.  

She said she would talk to the Company and refer to the realtor who was appointed by the Managing Agent.  The Managing Agent was the relocation consultant for her husband's company and dealt with the relocation needs of the company's expats. He sub contracted the house hunting expats to a realtor and for his time spent, the Landlord would need to pay a managing fee to him if he was successful.

The Landlord agreed to the following:  $4,000 rental/month and $500 payment as "managing fees" to the Managing Agent.   There was a possibility that the Managing Agent would switch Claire to other condos if he was not agreeable. Singapore was in recession in 1998 and it took a few months to find a tenant to rent out this ground floor Costa Rhu apartment facing the pool.

Singaporeans may like units facing the pool but a lack of privacy, noises from children swimming and security were the main thoughts of most prospective expatriate tenants.

One verbal condition of lease from the co-broking realtor representing the Managing Agent was that the Landlord should not inform the Occupants (Claire and her husband) that there would be a managing fee payable. The Landlord was satisfied with the $4,000 rental and agreed to that condition.

The Consultant gave the Landlord a Memorandum of Understanding which he signed agreeing to pay monthly payment $500 to manage the property to sign. In the MOU, proper documentation would be given, i.e. invoices and receipts.

The Landlady scolded the Landlord saying he had been duped as nobody paid Managing fees in Singapore (which is incorrect). This was pure Singaporean corruption and maybe the Corrupt Practices Investigation Board, a government authority under the Prime Minister's office, should look into the matter.

"I consulted lawyers from 2 top firms and they said this arrangement is unusual" stated the Landlady to me.

"But is it illegal?" I asked. "Can you stop the payment of the managing fees and keep the $500 yourself?"

The Landlady did not comment.   A one-time lump sum payment was proposed but it was rejected by the Managing Agent.  He said it was agreed and that was why he did not switch the Tenant to rent another condo. He was really angry and had his lawyers on "stand-by" to sue.

"What do you think?" asked the Landlord, a professional man.

"I recommend payment as agreed, although your wife is very unhappy. Go for a holiday and decide when you come back", I said.

The Managing Agent was ready to go to court.  The Landlord had advices from 2 top lawyers and they did not mention the word "illegal" or "corruption."  There was an agreement in writing to pay management fees. 

What should the Landlord do to please his wife?

Fortunately he did not renege. Instead he instructed that all matters involving the Tenant be handled by the Managing Agent and that was how Claire discovered the existence of her Managing Agent.

Is this a case of corruption?  Was there a hint of furtiveness of the transaction?
It certainly looked like a cloak and dagger affair to the Landlady. However, readers may be interested to see the definition below.

DEFINITION OF CORRUPTION.

The mere act of paying money in return for a favour does not make it a crime of corruption. What matters is whether the transaction has been tainted with an intention to corrupt.

According to Singapore Chief Justice, Mr Yong Pung How, the court will ask itself: "What was the accused's intention or reason for giving or receiving the gratification?".

To answer that, CJ Yong said the Court has to consider the facts such as:

  • Surreptitiousness or furtiveness of the transaction.

  • Size of the transaction.

  • Relationship of the parties and

  • Whether it was against any rule or code.

As a working guide, the court could also see whether the act fell within the natural and ordinary meaning of the word "corrupt".

In the above case, since the lawyers from 2 top law firms in Singapore had no contrary advices. The Landlord paid the Managing fees as agreed.

Landlords to note:  If you have agreed verbally to give "kickback" in order to rent out your apartment, being satisfied with the rent given to you, try not to change your mind. 

Consult your co-owners or spouses first and then proceed as agreed, especially if you have a written consent to pay "kickbacks".  

Case submitted by david@asiahomes.com for new associates of www.asiahomes.com

For more information on rentals or FREE house-hunting for expats relocating to Singapore, email Judy Quek, tel: +65 9668 6468, 6254 3326, goto http://www.asiahomes.com
  
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