Quick, what’s the main drawback of Plus and Prime flats? 

Most well-read Build-To-Order (BTO) buyers might cite the 10-year Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) or the subsidy clawback, and they’re not wrong. But as I take part in conversations about the June 2026 BTO sales launch, I realise that a lot of Singaporeans underestimate the impact of the income ceiling. And this may be the deal-breaker that some BTO applicants may face. The income ceiling is often treated as a footnote during the BTO application process, but this is a key difference between Plus / Prime flats and their Standard counterparts. A standard flat is subject to an income ceiling* when purchased directly from HDB, but that restriction goes away once the flat enters the resale market. *$14,000 per month as of June 2026 The reason this matters is because housing prices can rise faster over time, compared to static income benchmarks. Take Berlayar Rise as an example: four-room flats here are...