Friday 25 May 2007

Why We call BGV Home

What is a Home?
  1. A place where one lives; a residence.
  2. The physical structure within which one lives, such as a house or apartment.
  3. A dwelling place together with the family or social unit that occupies it; a household.
  4. An environment offering security and happiness.
  5. A valued place regarded as a refuge or place of origin.
(Source: American Heritage Dictionary)

There are many reasons why we call BGV home:

For practical reasons:
  1. It is freehold.
  2. It is next to Botanic Gardens (less than 2-minutes' walk).
  3. It is just next to Gleneagles Hospital (very convenient in case of emergencies and to access the medical care services provided at the medical centre).
  4. There is easy access to public transport.
  5. It is close to the city centre (a mere 20 mintues' slow stroll to Isetan Scott).
  6. Yet, it is peaceful and quiet.
  7. It is close to the different embassies and high commissions (American, Australian, British, Chinese, Japanese)
  8. It is within close vicinity to schools (SCGS, SJI, ACS, Nanyang).
  9. The estate was recently upgraded - new corridors, new stairs, lifts, the exteriors updated (not just paint but a subtle redesign).
For personal reasons:
  1. It is our safe haven.
  2. It is our place of security and happiness.
  3. It is a place where our hearts and souls reside.
  4. It is a place where memories are made and treasured.
  5. We LOVE this place.
How can one place a monetary value on the above? Sure, the estate is over 30 years old, but anyone who comes by will not think it is so. Furthermore, the upgrade matches the environment and the nearby Gardens - shades of green, wood trimmings, attention to detail. There's not a lot in the way of facilities but that just means less maintenance for us residents. People keen to en-bloc cite urban renewal as a reason to 'rejuvenate' the land. Yet what is there to rejuvenate? There's nothing wrong with the very well-maintained estate. No, it isn't urban renewal that's the driving force for some people who wants to en-bloc. It's simply human greed.

What are your reasons for calling BGV home?

1 comment:

The Pariah said...

I laud BGV's collective efforts to save your respective homes. I wish you well in your endeavour!

On top of severing any sense of community/ social bonds which are already fragile at best, we are effectively wiping out Modern Singapore History. At the present rate of en bloc frenzy, we are losing our post-Independence architectural heritage because residential blocks of each decade have their own distinctive flavour ... just as those built after 2007 will feature much less concrete - that will speak to future generations of Singaporeans about Indonesia's sand ban and granite chip control!

Even if you put aside sentiment for a while, I'd urge BGV owners (especially Owner-Occupiers with only 1 residential property) to have a serious rethink as it doesn't make financial sense to cash-out unless you need the cashflow NOW.

Copy-and-paste this link to your Internet Explorer URL address box, click Go and then scroll down to read the financial evaluation in para 2 on my blog page.

singaporeenbloc.blogspot.com/2007/04/ministry-of-law-public-consultation.html

If you really do NOT want to sell, don't sign the Collective Sales Agreement (CSA). Please don't be mistaken that if you sign, you'll collect your money faster because so long as one person doesn't sign and that person lodges an objection to the Strata Title Board (STB), the due process of the law applies (as it should). That process may take time if the objections merit further review or culminate in a court hearing.

Sometimes, people sign the CSA even though they prefer NOT to sell but, after constant badgering, they feel overwhelmed or futile in their resistance. Do appreciate that once you sign the CSA, you would lose:

(A) the right to appeal to STB to put your views on official record (even though the present grounds for valid objection are limited); and

(B) the opportunity to make your en bloc vote work for you (our Gahmen governs by looking at hard statistics).

Do think carefully and read the fine print before you say "yes" and sign on the dotted line.