Singapore's Two-Speed Property Market Is Hard to Read
Two years ago, Singapore doubled the stamp duty on foreign homebuyers to a steep 60%. Since then, residential property has become a twin-speed market. Prices of high-end downtown condominiums, which used to attract heavy Chinese demand, have grown at a much slower pace than more affordable suburban apartments aimed at local owners.
This divergence is starting to cloud the outlook for real estate in the Asian financial center. Sales of new homes fell to 663 last month, down from 729 in March. Does that mean that economic concerns, particularly around trade, are making prospective owners cautious? I'm not quite willing to buy into the pessimism — not yet. Local demand is still robust. But it isn't reflected in developer sales that are skewed toward the central region, which is more of a playground for the global rich. 1
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AMD's press conference won Computex 2025
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Of all the chipmakers at Computex, AMD had the most announcements for consumers and enthusiasts. But don't get too excited — Qualcomm, Intel, and Nvidia set a low bar. AMD's Jack Huynh, SVP and GM of Computing and Graphics, hosted the company's Computex press conference. While AMD's conference was held off-site, it just may have been the most interesting speech of the show. Huynh kicked off with gaming announcements, unveiling the Radeon RX 9060 GPU, new Ryzen AI Pro processors, and improvements to its FSR ("FidelityFX Super Resolution") upscaling and frame generation technology. So, what's new from AMD this summer? To set the stage for Redstone, Huynh recapped the success of the Project Amethyst partnership with Sony to improve FSR into the fourth iteration. FSR 4 was released earlier this year with the RDNA 4 Radeon RX 9070 GPUs and will be improved with FSR Redstone when it is released later this year. It is also currently supported in 60 games, with more to come. FSR Redstone will be available on all RDNA 4 GPUs, and at launch, 40 games will support Redstone super sampling. Redstone brings machine learning enhancements like advanced radiance caching, machine learning ray regeneration, and machine learning frame generation. These advanced features will become available as an update to AMD's FSR 4 super sampling software later this year. AMD's more budget-friendly Radeon RX 9060 XT GPU features RDNA 4 architecture and offers all the advantages of FSR 4 for just $349 for the 16GB model, and $299 for the 8GB variant. If you're hoping to get your hands on the latest AMD graphics card, the Radeon RX 9060 XT will go on sale on June 5, 2025. While the Radeon RX 9060 XT is a less powerful GPU than the Radeon RX 9070 and 9070 XT, it gets all the same benefits of FSR 4, including frame generation and the upcoming Redstone improvements. Huynh recapped the Ryzen AI 300 series' successes, though some of AMD's claims are a bit suspect. AMD claims the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is 15% faster than Apple's M4 Pro 12-core CPU. Based on our own testing, this is true on the Geekbench 6 multicore benchmark, but the M4 Pro wins in more real-world benchmarks, like the PugetBench for Adobe suite. As for new announcements in this segment, AMD has brought the power of the new Ryzen AI Pro 300 chipsets with new devices by Asus. 'If you're a fan of AMD technology,' Huynh enthused, 'you're a fan of Asus innovation.' Asus is expanding the ExpertBook P-series lineup to include AMD CPUs on desktops, mini-PCs, and laptops. It is also offering monitors with Free-Sync compatibility. While AMD's workstation Threadripper Pro 7000 series CPUs are relatively unmatched in terms of raw computing power, the company is upgrading the chip to a new generation on the 4-nanometer Zen 5 architecture. With up to 96 cores and 192 threads, the Threadripper 9000 series is the ultimate chip for those who believe 'bigger is better.' While Apple's Ultra processors and Intel's Xeon line are in a similar class, neither company has gone as heavily into the over-spec segment as AMD's Threadripper lineup. Of course, there are often diminishing returns by adding so many additional cores and threads, which is why Intel ditched hyperthreading on the Arrow Lake platform. However, there will always be exceptions. And that's the Threadripper gamble. Previous iterations of the chip have often proved AMD correct in the benchmark stakes, as the Threadripper 7980 outperforms even the Epyc 7773X data center CPU in Cinebench 2024. So if you want the most powerful workstation chip to power your special effects business, like AMD partner WetaFX, the Threadripper 9000 Series is worth the excitement. And if you need more endorsement than the facts, WetaFX's Daniel Seah told James Cameron 'who is like a god,' that he couldn't meet to talk about the next Avatar film because 'I have to go to Taipei for AMD.' AMD also announced the Radeon AI Pro 9700 GPU to further support the desktop workstation ecosystem. AMD has also announced ROCm support for the Radeon RX 9000 series and AMD Ryzen AI Max APUs, with support for additional hardware and Linux operating systems like RedHat coming later this year. ROCm is also expanding Windows support to Pytorch and ONNX-EP. AMD announced the most new chips and software support at Computex, thanks to its expanded gaming, professional, and workstation lineup. The Asus ProArt P16 nails local AI and beats MacBooks — but it doesn't come cheap The Acer Swift X 14, a favorite of creators, is being refreshed for 2025 Jensen Huang at Computex: "It's not because we don't love GeForce, GeForce got us here."
Yahoo
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Dreaming of a lakeside cottage but can't afford it? Co-ownership could open that door
A lakeview cottage with cosy rooms, a sandy beach nearby and a dock to gaze into the sunset was the dream for Corrine Evanoff. "For years, I've been on this journey of trying to find a cottage that would work for us," she said. But Evanoff and her husband didn't want to incur the burden of constant cottage maintenance — spending vacation days fixing decks and pruning trees. They opted instead to rent over the years, still hoping to one day buy. Then, it happened. They found a cottage not too far from home — for a fraction of the price they thought they'd have to pay, thanks to fractional ownership. Also called co-ownership, it allows people to buy a share of a property with others, whether it's family, friends or even strangers. Affordability sits at the heart of fractionally owned cottages. Many Canadians still find themselves priced out of the market, even as cottage prices have declined from peaks seen during the pandemic. Re/Max brokers and agents anticipate a national average price increase of about 1.8 per cent across the Canadian recreational market in 2025, a May report by the real estate firm, showed. On their first visit to check out a prospective cottage last fall, Evanoff recalled walking into a lake-facing cottage with large windows at Frontenac Shores in Cloyne, Ont., about 300 kilometres northeast of Toronto, and was sold. "We sat in these Muskoka chairs on the beach and our feet are in the water, and I just felt the stress shredding off me," she said. "This is the dream that I've been dreaming for all these years … and this is within reach." Evanoff and her husband now own one-tenth of a million-dollar cottage, costing them less than $100,000 for their share — and affording them five weeks a year at the property. Fractional ownership of a cottage is not like a timeshare, said Realtor Mike Lange, who has been dealing with co-owned cottages for about seven years in Kawartha Lakes, Ont. "With a timeshare, you put your name in requesting a location, you have no guarantee that that's going to be available," he said. "There's been a lot of heartaches over them over the years." Timeshare properties can be owned by for-profit corporations, leaving less autonomy for those staying there. Don Smith, who co-owns a property in Kawartha Lakes, bought into a cottage in the mid-2000s after he saw a newspaper ad about fractional cottage ownership. "I was in the staff room reading the newspaper as a mathematics and computer studies teacher," he recalled. "As a math teacher, that caught my eye: What's this fraction all about, this cottage, this idea?" For the Smiths, fractional ownership wasn't a financial investment but a lifestyle investment that has paid off over the past two decades. "This is where my daughter learned to swim, that's where my daughter learned to kayak, that is when my daughter had learned to appreciate animals." But it may not be for everyone. Smith said fractionally owned cottages are usually 100 per cent debt-free. That means new co-owners typically can't secure a mortgage against the property from traditional banks and will have to rely on personal loans or a line of credit to buy their share. Personal touches to the cottage can also be missing with fractional ownership and people can't just show up at any time, he said. "It's not like you can personally put all your favourite pictures and put all of the junk that you don't want in your home garage and take it up there and leave it," Smith said. Real estate developer John Puffer has years of experience building cottages and selling them in fractional ownership arrangements in Ontario's cottage country regions. When he first got into the business, Puffer assumed the buyers would mostly be people in their 30s with young families. Instead, they happened to be people in their 50s and 60s, buying cottage shares for their adult children and grandchildren, or people who don't want to commit the dollars and worry about maintenance. "That is part of the Canadian cottage experience in Ontario … that's where families congregate at the cottage and (it's) multi-generations," said Puffer, president of Chandler Point Corp. Tanya Walker, litigation lawyer and managing partner at Walker Law, suggests potential buyers should get a good contract lawyer and treat the contract "as if it's a pre-nuptial agreement" before signing on to be a co-owner. She said buyers going into fractional ownership should ask questions about who the other co-owners are, the voting rights people get for their share and what happens when they want to sell their stake. Walker added it's also important to look into who manages the property, the financials of the property as well as how much time you'll get to use the cottage and when. Puffer said people really have to understand what they're buying into. He suggested people read the contract and find out who's in control, what their obligations are, and talk to people who already own. For Evanoff and her husband, it will be their third time heading up to the Frontenac Shores cottage next month. "It's like, wow! That just seems like a gift," she said. "This (fractional ownership) seems like the best-kept secret but I think it's going to catch on ... and you're going to see a lot of people tap into this market." This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 15, 2025. Ritika Dubey, The Canadian Press Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
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Mortgage and refinance interest rates today, June 15, 2025: A fractional move higher
Mortgage rates are a notch higher today. According to Zillow, the average 30-year fixed interest rate ticked up one basis point to 6.73%, while the 15-year fixed rate gained four basis points to 6.00%. The Mortgage Bankers Association's latest forecast is for 30-year rates to remain mostly unchanged and near 6.7% through September, ending the year close to 6.6%. In other words, not changing much. However, increasing international tensions might impact that prediction. Regardless, if you're looking to buy in 2025, you'll want to work to earn the lowest mortgage rate you deserve. Dig deeper: 6 steps to choosing the right mortgage lender Have questions about buying, owning, or selling a house? Submit your question to Yahoo's panel of Realtors using this Google form. Here are the current mortgage rates, according to the latest Zillow data: 30-year fixed: 6.73% 20-year fixed: 6.52% 15-year fixed: 6.00% 5/1 ARM: 6.96% 7/1 ARM: 7.40% 30-year VA: 6.36% 15-year VA: 5.76% 5/1 VA: 6.36% Remember, these are the national averages and rounded to the nearest hundredth. These are today's mortgage refinance rates, according to the latest Zillow data: 30-year fixed: 6.81% 20-year fixed: 6.28% 15-year fixed: 6.02% 5/1 ARM: 7.32% 7/1 ARM: 7.13% 30-year VA: 6.35% 15-year VA: 5.94% 5/1 VA: 6.18% Again, the numbers provided are national averages rounded to the nearest hundredth. Mortgage refinance rates are often higher than rates when you buy a house, although that's not always the case. Read more: Is now a good time to refinance your mortgage? Use the mortgage calculator below to see how various mortgage terms and interest rates will impact your monthly payments. Our free mortgage calculator also considers factors like property taxes and homeowners insurance when determining your estimated monthly mortgage payment. This gives you a more realistic idea of your total monthly payment than if you just looked at mortgage principal and interest. The average 30-year mortgage rate today is 6.73%. A 30-year term is the most popular type of mortgage because by spreading out your payments over 360 months, your monthly payment is lower than with a shorter-term loan. The average 15-year mortgage rate is 6.00% today. When deciding between a 15-year and a 30-year mortgage, consider your short-term versus long-term goals. A 15-year mortgage comes with a lower interest rate than a 30-year term. This is great in the long run because you'll pay off your loan 15 years sooner, and that's 15 fewer years for interest to accumulate. But the trade-off is that your monthly payment will be higher as you pay off the same amount in half the time. Let's say you get a $300,000 mortgage. With a 30-year term and a 6.73% rate, your monthly payment toward the principal and interest would be about $1,942, and you'd pay $399,051 in interest over the life of your loan — on top of that original $300,000. If you get that same $300,000 mortgage with a 15-year term and a 6.00% rate, your monthly payment would jump to $2,532. But you'd only pay $155,683 in interest over the years. With a fixed-rate mortgage, your rate is locked in for the entire life of your loan. You will get a new rate if you refinance your mortgage, though. An adjustable-rate mortgage keeps your rate the same for a predetermined period of time. Then, the rate will go up or down depending on several factors, such as the economy and the maximum amount your rate can change according to your contract. For example, with a 7/1 ARM, your rate would be locked in for the first seven years, then change every year for the remaining 23 years of your term. Adjustable rates typically start lower than fixed rates, but once the initial rate-lock period ends, it's possible your rate will go up. Lately, though, some fixed rates have been starting lower than adjustable rates. Talk to your lender about its rates before choosing one or the other. Dig deeper: Fixed-rate vs. adjustable-rate mortgages Mortgage lenders typically give the lowest mortgage rates to people with higher down payments, great or excellent credit scores, and low debt-to-income ratios. So, if you want a lower rate, try saving more, improving your credit score, or paying down some debt before you start shopping for homes. Waiting for rates to drop probably isn't the best method to get the lowest mortgage rate right now. If you're ready to buy, focusing on your personal finances is probably the best way to lower your rate. To find the best mortgage lender for your situation, apply for mortgage preapproval with three or four companies. Just be sure to apply to all of them within a short time frame — doing so will give you the most accurate comparisons and have less of an impact on your credit score. When choosing a lender, don't just compare interest rates. Look at the mortgage annual percentage rate (APR) — this factors in the interest rate, any discount points, and fees. The APR, which is also expressed as a percentage, reflects the true annual cost of borrowing money. This is probably the most important number to look at when comparing mortgage lenders. Learn more: Best mortgage lenders for first-time home buyers According to Zillow, the national average 30-year mortgage rate is 6.73%, and the average 15-year mortgage rate is 6.00%. But these are national averages, so the average in your area could be different. Averages are typically higher in expensive parts of the U.S. and lower in less expensive areas. The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate is 6.73% right now, according to Zillow. However, you might get an even better rate with an excellent credit score, sizable down payment, and low debt-to-income ratio (DTI). Mortgage rates aren't expected to drop drastically in the near future, though they may inch down now and then.
