You can always trust real estate agents to strike when the iron’s hot. And this property — located just three floors below the President of Singapore’s own house — is absolutely scorching. Even if it is located in siao lang town.
Lawrence Ng, a real estate agent with ERA Singapore, didn’t hold back in his listing for the flat — on both mobile marketplace Carousell and real estate site PropertyGuru — which went up three days ago. For $460,000, you’ll get a corner unit on the third storey that comes with perks such as “extremely tight security”, a common staircase and, of course, Madam President as a neighbor.
We’re no property gurus (hur hur) but we’re sure there are other flats in the same block that are up for sale at way cheaper prices, although they may be smaller in size.
The Yistana — a playful portmanteau of Yishun and Istana — is the label many have given for President Halimah Yacob’s jumbo flat at the block, which is located along Yishun Avenue 4. The newly elected appointed head of state chose to stay put in her (semi-)humble HDB abode, where she’s lived with her family for decades, putting her in an intimate capacity with everyday folk in the heartlands.
The prestige that comes with being a neighbor to the president also comes with some caveats, of course. Cons of purchasing Ng’s listed five-room flat includes limited parking space, due to lots being reserved for the president and her security department. Then there’s the crowd of adoring fans who eagerly await President Halimah’s descent to the lift lobby. And of course, you’ll be living in Yishun, an infamous bonkers town that keeps living up to its notorious reputation, despite presidential presence.
What’s interesting to note is the fact that aspiring buyers of units at the block will have to undergo screenings and checks first, according to Ng.
