How many times did you ballot before getting a BTO queue number?

Question

Applied for the third time already and still kena bad queue number for a 4-room in a mature estate. Is it really just luck or is there some pattern? Want to hear real experiences before I give up and go resale.

Nurse Kak Nora · Answer

Balloted five times over four years lah. Mature estates like Queenstown, Bishan, Kallang are basically impossible for first-timers unless you have a lot of luck or you are a family with kids using the priority schemes. My advice: stop fighting for mature estate. We finally got a nice queue number for a non-mature BTO in Tengah first try, and honestly the new flats there are quite good. The extra 20 min commute is not the end of the world. If you must stay near parents, look at the SPR (Senior Priority) or MGPS schemes, they genuinely bump your chances. Don't burn years chasing a dream location when resale grant + a decent resale flat might actually get you keys faster.

Confinement Nanny Auntie Poh · Answer

Can or not depends a lot on estate and flat type. 3-room and 5-room usually have less competition than 4-room because everybody wants the sweet spot. If you are flexible on flat size your queue number improves. I switched from 4-room to 5-room application and suddenly got a decent number.

Poly Student Nurul · Answer

Got mine second try but I think being a family with one kid using the Parenthood Priority Scheme helped a lot. First-timer singles under 35 basically cannot even apply for most flats, and couples without kids are lower priority than families. It is not pure luck, the queue is weighted. Check HDB's allocation rules properly before you assume it is random.

Data Analyst Wei Ling · Answer

Honestly after three tries I gave up and went resale. Yes I paid more and used up my grant, but I got keys in 3 months instead of waiting 4-5 years for a BTO to be built. If you already have a job and want to start life, sometimes resale is the sane choice. Time also has value.

How many times did you ballot before getting a BTO queue number?

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