What do I need to do before getting a home?

HDB lists out the steps quite clearly and there are guides along the way. https://www.hdb.gov.sg/cs/infoweb/residential/b... The first step is to check your eligibility with your mother and any grants that may help in managing the cost of getting a resale.

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Singles buying a resale flat with their parents may apply for the following CPF housing grants:

• CPF Housing Grants (Singles)
• Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (Singles)
• Proximity Housing Grant (Singles)

Next steps can happen concurrently. As you search for suitable units within your criteria and budget, you can also apply for a Housing Loan Eligibility (HLE) Letter from HDB, or In Principle Approval (IPA) from the banks.

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Also, engaging a real estate agent will reduce your potential hiccups and road blocks along the way (seller agents typically only want to deal with agents to lessen the trouble of dealing with non serious buyers and buyers who do not do their paperwork properly). Do note on the 1% buyer agent commission though.

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Thereafter, when you confirm your intention to buy, you submit an "Intent To Buy" to kick start the whole process which takes about 2 to 3 months to completion (handover of keys at HDB). There may be some sellers who require extension of stay while they look for another place (can range from 1 to 3 months, and this is a private agreement between seller and buyer).

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Then you can proceed with renovations on your resale unit (which could also take around 1 to 3 months). It may be worthwhile to consider a renovation loan which can help in your near term cash flows, and if the required works are more costly than you can afford.

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As you can see, the timeline is quite comfortable for you to save up each month. I will only make use of the $17,000 investments if my original intent was to use them for housing. Be prepared to pay for various fees and duties which are only payable with cash. $10,000 should be more than enough to cover.

Hey anon, we've listed out the 4 most important things you need to think about before buying a home in this article: https://ohmyhome.com/en-sg/blog/4-things-to-con...

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Hope it helps!