1/8 EC unit vacant in 2Q14

News from The Straits Times "one in eight EC units left vacant in Q2" (2Q14)

The probable reasons suggested by consultants are

• People bought EC units ahead of their needs.
• Unsold and incompleted ECs contribute to the data.
• People buying EC units for fun? Just so that they can use up the housing grants?
• People buying EC untis to rent out instead of staying and need to wait for the 5 years minimum occupation period restriction.
• Newly completed EC units under further renovation (and unoccupied) contributes to the data
• Weak HDB resale market preventing upgraders from selling their previous HDB flat and hence they are staying in the old flat rather than new EC unit?

The above are the probable reasons from experts.

My two cents. I think the most probable reason for the unoccupied EC units are as follows.

• Unsold EC units (if the statistics factored in these units)
• People bought the unit for renting out or selling at profitable prices, but don't mind waiting for 5 years.

Without any available data, it will be difficult to guess.