Daily Briefing: SGX proposes lunch break revival; Help for first-time HDB buyers to get a flat earlier

And here are 5 affordable projects for singles in Singapore.

Singapore Exchange Ltd., which runs the city’s stock market, is proposing to bring back a midday break, boost minimum bid sizes and widen a forced order range. The exchange operator is consulting the public on the plans, which it said will address market conditions and balance the diverse objectives of participants, according to a statement released Wednesday. It’s proposing to introduce a midday trading break from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. The SGX plans to raise the tick size for stocks and relevant securities trading in the S$1 to S$1.99 range, to one Singapore cent from half a cent. Read more here.

On March 7, Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong announced measure to help first-time HDB buyers get their flats earlier. HDB will introduce Build-To-Order flats with a shorter waiting time by commencing construction in some projects ahead of launch. The waiting time will be cut to about 2.5 years from the three to four years today. First-time homebuyers will enjoy priority on these flats, with at least 95% of the 4-room and larger flat types set aside for first-timer families, up from the current 85% quota in the non-mature estates. The first batch of these BTO flats, comprising 1,000 units in non-mature estates, will be launched in 2018. Read more here.

If property were like novels, then its proliferation in Singapore rivals the productions of people like Stephen King. They pop up around the island more so than trees and though all are faced with varying degrees of success, they without a doubt, offer singles more options. Here are just a few 1BR units that are on the lower cost spectrum.