On Nov 15, $1.8 million  went down the drain for  the Indonesian seller of a 1,647 sq ft condominium at  Orchard Scotts. He sold the  unit at $1,427 psf to a Singaporean  buyer after purchasing it at $2,540  psf in January 2012. This translates  into a 44% loss for the seller, or 9%  annualised loss over a holding period  just shy of five years. However,  as the Singapore dollar has appreciated  against the Indonesian rupiah over  the same period, the seller could have  sustained a smaller loss of 25% in IDR  terms, or $782,692 in SGD terms, after  accounting for the exchange rate.

Prices at Orchard Scotts, a 99-year  leasehold development completed in  2008, have trended down since 2013,  when a 2,336 sq ft unit was sold at  $8.5 million, or $3,620 psf. Orchard  Scotts is located within walking distance  of the Newton MRT station in  prime District 9 and has 387 units.

For residential properties sold in  the week of Nov 15 to 22, the second  largest loss of $230,000 accrued to  a 1,270 sq ft unit at Neptune Court,  opposite Victoria Junior College in  District 15. The unit was bought at  $842 psf in June 2006 and sold at  $661 psf on Nov 16. Neptune Court  comprises 751 units and has a remaining  tenure of 57 years.

Elsewhere in District 15, a 1,604  sq ft unit in The Seafront on Meyer  and a 1,001 sq ft unit in Mandarin  Garden Condominium accounted for  the third- and fourth-highest losses in  the week, with their respective sellers  losing $89,000 and $80,000. The  Seafront on Meyer has 327 freehold  units completed in 2010, while the 99-  year leasehold Mandarin Garden comprises  1,006 units completed in 1986.

The largest profit of $1.3 million  for the week in the non-landed segment  accrued to a 2,325 sq ft unit  at Varsity Park Condominium. It was  bought at $390 psf in October 2004  and sold at $963 psf on Nov 18, resulting  in a 147% profit, or 12% annually,  for the seller. Varsity Park is  a 99-year leasehold development located  across Clementi Road from the  National University of Singapore and  has 530 units completed in 2008.

District 15 is also home to the second  and third most profitable deals in the  non-landed segment. The bigger profit  of $1.02 million accrued to a 1,302 sq  ft unit at The Belvedere. It was bought  at $817 psf in June 2005 and sold at  $1,597 psf on Nov 21, resulting in an  8% annualised profit for the seller over  11 years. The Belvedere is a freehold  condo located close to the upcoming  Katong Park MRT station. It comprises  167 units completed in 2007.

The smaller profit of $985,000  accrued to a 2,131 sq ft unit at Katong  Park Towers. The seller had  bought it at $406 psf in November  1999 and sold it at $868 psf on Nov  16, resulting in an annualised profit  of 7% over 17 years. Katong Park  Towers is a 99-year leasehold condo  located within walking distance  of the Katong Park station and comprises  116 units completed in 1987.

A 2,088 sq ft unit at Pebble Bay  and a 2,153 sq ft unit at Malvern  Springs, both located in District 15,  also made it to the list of the 10 mostprofitable  deals in the non-landed  segment. The Pebble Bay unit made  a $900,000 profit for the seller, who  bought it at $886 psf in May 2000 and  sold it at $1,317 psf on Nov 18. The  seller at Malvern Springs enjoyed a  $700,000 profit from the sale of his  unit at $813 psf on Nov 17, after  buying it for $488 psf in July 2009.

Pebble Bay is a 99-year leasehold  condo comprising 510 units completed  in 1997, while Malvern Springs has  75 freehold units completed in 2004.

In the landed segment, a detached  house on Branksome Road in District  15 fetched an $11.4 million profit on  Nov 21. The seller had paid $381 psf  on land in June 2007 and sold it at  $1,170 psf, enjoying a 16% annualised  profit over 12.9 years. The computed  price gain for landed properties, however,  excludes any renovation or refurbishment  costs incurred by the seller.

The largest profit in the landed  segment for the week accrued to a  detached house on Third Avenue.  The seller pocketed $12.9 million in  profit from the Nov 16 sale at $1,066  psf, after buying the property at $402  psf on land in December 2005.