Update:  Situation in October 10, 2000.
Rentals for the older one and two-bedroom condos in the East Coast remain about the same. The 2-bedroom in the newer Costa Rhu condos have gone up to around $3,000.  Many more condos have been released in 1999.

Comments made in April 1999:

1998's favourite brand new condos were Pebble Bay, Costa Rhu and The Makena. The first two have riverfront condos while the last one has sea views. Occupancy is over 90% in the above mentioned condos and rent for a 2-bedroom varies from $2,500 if there are good units with waterfront views. A shuttle bus contracted by the Costa Rhu Management takes about 10 minutes to reach Suntec City and Raffles Place.

The Bayshore and Melville Park Condos had a difficult time attracting tenants and rents in these units have had fallen to as low as S$1500 for a 2-bedroom unit in Melville Park Condo which is merely a 8-minute walk to the Simei subway. Construction near the Bayshore affected the rentability of the units.

The Eastpoint Condo and Stratford Court Condos are the new kids, being around one month old as at March 1999, while Laguna Green and Landbay Condos are less than one year old. There are small new condos off Bedok Road and near Stratford Court. Kew Green and Kew Gate cluster housing do attract some expats who want houses with communal pool and condo facilities.

The older Mandarin Gardens Condo do not have the marble flooring and Landlords have had renovated some units and offer much lower rent. However, many units have panoramic sea views from the balconies. The over 10 year old Bayshore Park Condo next to the Bayshore has been ignored by most expats although some units have big balconies and sea views. Some units are not rentable due to active construction of a condo nearby. The old favourite Waterside suffers from a loss of tenants, partly due to older age and a lack of balconies which seem to entice Caucasian expats like moths to a candle.

Water frontage, new development and balconies seem to be the winning formulae in getting Tenants in the East Coast. Some balconies like those in The Makena are too small to put a table and a chair or a barbecue set, but the sea view and beautiful big pool magnetise the younger expats. The Pebble Bay Condos have been most favoured by Caucasians in 1998. 1999 may bring some surprises in ranking. There is a great interest in buying condos in March 1999 as prices have had bottomed out apparently.

2-bedroom condos now rent for as low as $1,400 for older units but new ones with good water views and high floor still command a premium. The ones near the subway are The Melville Park Condos (Simei subway), the Tanamera (Tanamera subway) and the brand new Stratford Court (Tanamera subway). Older ones like the Astoria Park (Kembangan subway) have great difficulties finding Caucasian tenants.

There are few 1-bedroom or studio units in good condos in the East Coast. Eastern Lagoon's open kitchen concept one-bedroom do rent out easily but rents must be lower than the new ones.

Many of these condos are described in Asia USA Realty's website at Subdivision Listings at URL: Subdivision listings