Second Avenue Junction
Overview & Key Facts
Second Avenue Junction occupies one of the most quietly coveted addresses in District 10 — the junction of Bukit Timah Road and Second Avenue, at the heart of Singapore’s international school belt. Completed in 1997 by Ho Bee Realty Pte Ltd, the development predates Ho Bee’s main-board listing by two years and was built during the same era as the firm’s landmark Southaven projects at the foot of Bukit Timah Hill — a period when Ho Bee was establishing its reputation for premium Bukit Timah residential work.
With just 8 units across a single 3-storey block, Second Avenue Junction is as boutique as private condominiums in Singapore get. The development sits on freehold land, placing it in a tenure class that the majority of District 10 buyers actively seek and that the HDB corridor cannot replicate. Units range from around 1,378 sqft for 2-bedroom configurations to 1,711 sqft for 3-bedroom layouts — generous proportions by any era’s standards, and a direct reflection of 1990s CCR development norms when size was considered a given rather than a premium.
The buyer profile here is distinct. Second Avenue Junction draws three identifiable groups: French and Dutch expatriate families seeking to shorten school commutes to the Lycée Français de Singapour (0.49 km) and the Hollandse School (0.60 km); Singaporean families prioritising proximity to Hwa Chong Institution (0.77 km) and National Junior College (0.85 km); and long-horizon CCR investors for whom the combination of freehold tenure, Sixth Avenue DTL access at 240 metres, and a thin market with almost no comparable sub-10-unit freehold stock represents a differentiated hold.
Location & Connectivity
Second Avenue Junction’s headline location asset is its proximity to Sixth Avenue MRT (DT7) on the Downtown Line — 240 metres from the development’s entrance, a distance that takes under three minutes on foot. This is not merely convenient: it is rare. Freehold District 10 properties within a genuine sub-300m walk of a DTL station occupy a very small supply pool. The Downtown Line connects directly to the CBD (Raffles Place/Marina Bay under 25 minutes), Changi Airport (via interchange at Bugis or Bayfront, around 50 minutes), and the Orchard belt (Newton, three stops). For residents who commute daily, the MRT access effectively eliminates the car dependency that most Bukit Timah addresses carry.
The neighbourhood framing Sixth Avenue is deliberately low-density. To the north, the corridor extends toward Coronation Road and Swiss Club, lined with good-class bungalows and landed estates. Coronation Shopping Plaza on Bukit Timah Road, barely 400 metres away, houses an NTUC FairPrice, dental clinics, tailoring, and a range of neighbourhood eateries — the kind of no-frills daily infrastructure that residents of this stretch rely on without fanfare. Serene Centre, a short drive toward Farrer Road, adds McDonald’s, Killiney Kopitiam, specialty retailers, and co-living serviced apartments. Cold Storage Specialty Greenwood and CS Fresh at Guthrie House serve the grocery premium end.
The school cluster within 800 metres is among the densest of any single Singapore residential address. Walking east from the junction, residents pass the Lycée Français at 3000 Bukit Timah Road (0.49 km), the Hollandse School (0.60 km), then Hwa Chong International School (0.71 km) and Hwa Chong Institution (0.77 km) — the latter consistently one of Singapore’s top three junior colleges. National JC follows at 0.85 km. This density is not incidental: it shapes who buys in this micro-corridor and why rental demand holds even when transaction volumes are thin.
For drivers, the access points are efficient in both directions: the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) is accessible within 5 minutes via Dunearn Road or Farrer Road, and the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) is reachable via Holland Road in a similar timeframe. Orchard Road is a 7–10 minute drive in light traffic. One Bukit Timah friction point worth noting: school-hour traffic around the Hwa Chong / NJC / Lycée cluster can back up along Bukit Timah Road between 7:00 and 8:15 am on weekdays. Residents heading toward the expressway in the opposite direction are largely unaffected.
Schools & Education
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Lycee Francais de Singapour | international | Within 1 km |
| Hollandse School | international | Within 1 km |
| Hwa Chong International School | international | Within 1 km |
| Hwa Chong Institution | secondary | Within 1 km |
| Hwa Chong Institution (JC) | jc | Within 1 km |
| Chatsworth International School (Bukit Timah) | international | Within 1 km |
| National Junior College | secondary | Within 1 km |
| National Junior College | jc | Within 1 km |
Facilities
Second Avenue Junction is an 8-unit boutique block, and its facility offering reflects that scale honestly. The development provides covered parking and 24-hour security — the cornerstones of any private residential address — but does not offer a swimming pool, gymnasium, or clubhouse facilities. This is a meaningful distinction for buyers accustomed to the amenity density of larger condo developments.
The absence of communal facilities is not necessarily a drawback in context. Residents of boutique D10 freeholds in this price range often own the development’s car park space outright, pay lower maintenance fees, and rely on the neighbourhood’s proximity to Bukit Timah Nature Reserve (the trailheads at Hindhede Drive are a 10-minute drive), the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve park connectors, and private clubs like the Swiss Club and Singapore Island Country Club for recreational needs. For an 8-unit freehold where owners typically know one another by name, on-site facilities are a secondary priority compared to privacy, land permanence, and location.
Maintenance fees for boutique developments of this type are typically lower per unit than for larger condo complexes, reflecting the reduced shared infrastructure. Buyers should request the current MCST fee schedule and sinking fund balance as part of due diligence — in small developments, a single deferred repair can create a material special levy.
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 2 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $2,250,000 to $2,780,000, averaging $2,515,000 (~$1,624 psf).
Rents range from $3,100 to $5,700 per month across 6 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 1.8%.
Price Appreciation
From 2021 to 2025, the average PSF has appreciated by 8.8% (from $1,493 to $1,624 psf).
Neighbourhood Comparison
The most direct freehold comparison is Leedon Green (638 units, FH, S$2,785 psf average). Leedon Green offers substantially more facilities — pools, gym, clubhouse — a fresh post-2021 TOP, and a deeper resale market. At S$1,161 psf above Second Avenue Junction, buyers are paying for those amenities, the larger development’s liquidity premium, and newer interiors. For buyers who value those things, Leedon Green is the clear choice. For buyers who do not need a pool and prioritise land permanence over development age, Second Avenue Junction’s 42% discount is hard to rationalise away.
Fourth Avenue Residences (476 units, 99-year leasehold, S$2,465 psf) sits within 500 metres and directly at Sixth Avenue MRT. It is newer (TOP 2023), has a full facility stack, and benefits from the same school corridor. The critical distinction is tenure: Fourth Avenue is leasehold, Second Avenue Junction is freehold. At S$841 psf more expensive on a 99-year lease versus a freehold title, the tenure-adjusted value argument favours Second Avenue Junction over any investment horizon beyond 20 years.
Skye at Holland (666 units, 99-year leasehold, S$2,945 psf) is the premium leasehold option on the Holland Road corridor. Its PSF premium over Second Avenue Junction reaches S$1,321 — an 81% premium — for a younger development with resort facilities, but on leasehold land. The comparison underscores Second Avenue Junction’s positioning: it is not competing on amenities or finish, it is competing on freehold land value at a discount.
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SECOND AVENUE JUNCTION | Freehold | 1997 | 8 | $1,624 |
| SKYE AT HOLLAND | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2024 | 2025 | 666 | $2,945 |
| LEEDON GREEN | Freehold | 2021 | 638 | $2,785 |
| D'LEEDON | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2010 | 2014 | 1,703 | $1,856 |
| HYLL ON HOLLAND | Freehold | 2021 | 319 | $2,648 |
| FOURTH AVENUE RESIDENCES | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2018 | 2021 | 476 | $2,465 |
ShiokNest Scores
Our proprietary scoring system evaluates SECOND AVENUE JUNCTION across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
“We moved here specifically for the Lycée Français — the school is literally a five-minute walk. The neighbourhood is very calm and the MRT is right there. For a French family in Singapore, this address ticks every box: school within walking distance, DTL to the CBD, and a freehold property that holds value. The parking is tight but it has not been a real problem for us.”
— French expatriate resident, Lycée Français parent, 2024–present
“Both our children attended Hwa Chong. The walk to the school gate is about 10 minutes, which they managed even in school uniform through the Bukit Timah footpath. We’ve owned the unit for 14 years. The location appreciation has been significant, and we have no intention of selling. The units are genuinely spacious — nothing new on the market at this price comes close in floor area.”
— Singaporean homeowner, Hwa Chong alumni family, long-term resident
“I bought primarily for the freehold land and the MRT proximity. Sixth Avenue station exit is about three minutes by foot. For a CCR freehold at this PSF, the discount to Leedon Green is real — and Leedon Green is on leasehold land. The trade-off is liquidity and the absence of pool facilities, which I understood going in. As a hold it has been very straightforward.”
— Private investor, CCR long-hold strategy, purchased 2021
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Sixth Avenue DTL (DT7) at 240 m — genuine sub-3-minute walk to MRT
- Freehold D10 CCR tenure — permanent land ownership with no lease decay
- International school cluster within 800 m (Lycée Français, Hollandse, HCI, HC Int'l, NJC)
- Significant PSF discount vs comparable freehold CCR stock (42% below Leedon Green)
- Generous 1997 unit sizes: 1,378–1,711 sqft for 2BR and 3BR
- Boutique 8-unit privacy — near-zero chance of encountering neighbours in shared spaces
- Ho Bee Realty quality construction — same era as Southaven I & II (Bukit Timah pedigree)
- Coronation Plaza NTUC FairPrice and CS Fresh within 400 m for daily grocery needs
- Lower maintenance fees vs large-complex condos (no pool/gym infrastructure to fund)
- Rare micro-market: sub-10-unit freehold D10 supply is structurally constrained
- 1.81% gross yield — investor-weak; debt servicing requires significant equity or cash purchase
- No pool, gym, or clubhouse — minimal on-site facilities vs comparable-priced developments
- 1997 vintage — expect renovation spend for bathrooms, kitchen, and flooring on entry
- Thin market liquidity — 2 recorded sales transactions makes pricing discovery and exit timing unpredictable
- Limited parking: no public carpark; street parking along Second Avenue is scarce
- Bukit Timah Road arterial traffic noise, particularly during school hours on road-facing units
- Walkability score 48/100 — errands beyond Coronation Plaza require a car or bus
- Investment score 48/100 — weak yield and illiquidity constrain institutional-grade return metrics
- Single-block 3-storey structure: no elevator in a walk-up format means upper-floor accessibility limitations for elderly residents
Verdict
The core value case for Second Avenue Junction rests on a straightforward arbitrage: you are acquiring freehold land in District 10 at S$1,624 psf — at the time of the last recorded transaction — against a market where comparable freehold CCR stock like Leedon Green transacts at S$2,785 psf and 99-year leasehold projects like Fourth Avenue Residences command S$2,465 psf. That is a 42% discount to the nearest freehold comparable and a 34% discount to a leasehold project with a shorter remaining term. For a buyer focused on CCR freehold land ownership rather than amenity density, the arithmetic is difficult to ignore.
The investor caveat is real but visible. At a gross yield of 1.81% (S$4,325 average monthly rent on a S$2,515,000 average transaction price), Second Avenue Junction does not service debt on a leveraged purchase. It is structurally a capital appreciation and long-hold play, not a cash-flow story. The thin liquidity — just two recorded sales transactions — means pricing discovery is slow and exit timelines are unpredictable. Buyers must be comfortable holding for 5 to 10 years to capture appreciation without being forced to accept a single bid.
Where the development earns its place in the market is for the specific buyer who values proximity to the Sixth Avenue DTL within 240 metres, freehold tenure, the international school cluster, and boutique privacy, as a bundle that simply does not exist elsewhere in this price range. Skye at Holland, Fourth Avenue Residences, and Leedon Green offer better facilities and newer finishings — but at a material PSF premium and, in the case of Fourth Avenue and Skye, on 99-year leasehold land. Second Avenue Junction’s illiquidity is a feature as much as a bug for buyers who are not planning to sell.