It may be time to stop being choosy or gaming the system, as HDB clamps down with a new “choose it or lose it” policy. Those who fail to show up at BTO selection won’t just lose their chance at the current development – they’ll find themselves joining the second-timers all the way at the back of the queue. But is it fair, and what are the implications? We asked some people on the ground:

Starting from the August BTO launch, skipping your BTO selection means you apply as a second-timer next time around

Such applicants will be treated as second-timers for a period of one year. This is more stringent than the previous rule, which reduces you to second-timer status only if you skip the selection process twice. 

The rule is a  response to the growing “non-selection count” (i.e., people who ballot for a flat but don’t turn up to actually book one when they win). The Straits