Singapore Couples Are Marrying Earlier to Buy Homes, Leading Some to Regret

  • Young couples are applying for flats within months of dating
  • Study suggests housing policy is linked to shorter marriages
Residential buildings in Singapore.Photographer: Ore Huiying/Bloomberg
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On their second date, Serena Wong and her boyfriend discussed an all-important question for young Singaporean couples: when to buy an apartment together.

Six months later, they applied for a public housing flat in the city state. After taking part in several ballots over 10 months, they were allocated a unit and agreed to put down a S$40,000 ($29,577) deposit. That kicked off a five-year wait to purchase a S$620,000 three-bedroom apartment in Queenstown, a centrally located neighborhood where similar homes cost as much as 50% more in the resale market.