The Cassandra
Overview & Key Facts
The Cassandra is a freehold boutique condominium on Pasir Panjang Road in District 5 — a slender residential road that runs parallel to the Southern Ridges corridor between Haw Par Villa and the Labrador Nature Reserve. Developed by Heeton Holdings Limited and completed in 2006, it comprises just 20 units across a compact land parcel, placing it firmly in the ultra-boutique category where exclusivity and privacy are the primary selling propositions rather than facility breadth or price.
The development sits in a pocket of Pasir Panjang Road characterised by low-rise residential buildings and mature greenery — a stark contrast to the mega-developments that now define the broader District 5 corridor. With Normanton Park (1,840 units) and Parc Clematis (1,450 units) nearby, The Cassandra occupies the opposite end of the spectrum: a development where you are likely to know your neighbours by name, where there are no crowds at the lift lobby, and where the sense of a private residential home is never compromised by condominium-scale footfall.
Transaction volume is low by necessity — only four resale transactions over the tracked period — but the trajectory is telling. Average PSF has risen from $1,170 to $1,511 across three recorded periods, a 29% appreciation that reflects the enduring demand for freehold land in a district that is now surrounded by 99-year leasehold new launches commanding $1,866–$2,557 psf. The buyer profile here skews toward professionals working in the one-north or Science Park clusters, expatriate households tied to Dulwich College or other international campuses nearby, and long-term owner-occupiers who prize the quiet Pasir Panjang streetscape over the amenity-heavy mega-condo model.
Location & Connectivity
The Cassandra’s single strongest location advantage is its proximity to Pasir Panjang MRT station (Circle Line, CC26) at just 270 metres — a comfortable four-minute walk in most weather conditions and one of the closest station-to-door distances in the district. The Circle Line connects directly to Harbourfront, Dhoby Ghaut, and Buona Vista (CCL/EWL interchange), meaning the CBD, Orchard Road, and one-north are all reachable in under 25 minutes without a transfer. For a quiet residential enclave, this is an unusually strong transit position.
For drivers, the AYE (Ayer Rajah Expressway) is accessible within minutes via West Coast Highway, making the CBD, Jurong, and Changi Airport all practical destinations. The one-north business park — home to Biopolis, Fusionopolis, and a growing cluster of tech and biomedical employers — is roughly 10–12 minutes by car or accessible by transit via Buona Vista interchange. The National University of Singapore and its medical precinct are similarly close, contributing to a rental demand base that is largely professional and often internationally mobile.
Day-to-day conveniences require some compromise. The walkability score of 43/100 reflects a genuine gap: there are no hawker centres or supermarkets within immediate walking distance. Pasir Panjang Food Centre is about 1.2 km away, and the nearest FairPrice is in Clementi or along West Coast. Residents typically rely on Vivo City (two stops by MRT) or West Coast Plaza for regular grocery runs, or use Grab delivery — a pattern that is well-established among the professional demographic this development attracts.
The outdoor compensations are genuine. Kent Ridge Park, the Southern Ridges trail system, and the green canopy along Pasir Panjang Road create a neighbourhood atmosphere that is unusually calm for an RCR address. The Labrador Nature Reserve is within cycling distance, and the West Coast Park Connector links south toward Labrador and north toward Clementi. For residents who prioritise outdoor living over walkable retail, this setting has few peers in District 5.
Schools & Education
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Alexandra Primary School | primary | ~1.7 km |
| Dulwich College (Singapore) | international | ~1.7 km |
| Crescent Girls' School | secondary | ~2.0 km |
Facilities
With 20 units on a compact site, The Cassandra offers the facilities one would expect of a boutique freehold development — a swimming pool, gymnasium, and landscaped gardens — rather than the resort-scale amenity spread found in the district’s mega-developments. This is not a drawback for the buyer profile this development attracts: professionals and couples who are largely MRT-dependent or car-owning and who use the development’s facilities for daily exercise rather than as a lifestyle centrepiece. The pool is well-maintained and rarely crowded; the gym is modest but functional. The intimacy of 20 units means facilities are effectively semi-private, with booking friction essentially non-existent.
“The pool is almost always empty — it feels like a private pool. Everything is clean, the management is responsive, and neighbours are considerate. For people who want a quiet, low-drama condo life, this hits the mark.”
— Resident review via PropertyGuru
Buyers seeking badminton courts, tennis courts, function rooms, or a dedicated concierge should look elsewhere in the district — Normanton Park and Parc Clematis both offer those facilities at scale. The Cassandra’s proposition is the opposite: no booking queues, no management committees overseeing dozens of shared amenities, no weekend crowds at the BBQ pavilions. The maintenance fee structure reflects this simplicity — with only 20 units sharing the facility operating costs, the per-unit contribution is higher than in larger developments, but the facility-availability ratio is correspondingly superior.
Unit Sizes & Layout
The Cassandra’s unit mix spans a small range typical of boutique developments from the mid-2000s, with layouts that were designed for genuine habitation rather than investment yield optimisation. The transaction data shows activity across studio/1-bedroom, 2-bedroom, and larger configurations — a range that reflects the development’s appeal to both couples and small families. Unlike the compact 2-bedroom units (600–700 sqft) that now dominate new launches in District 5, mid-2000s boutique developments in this mould typically offered 2-bedroom units in the 900–1,100 sqft range, with proportionally generous bathrooms and living areas. The freehold tenure and low unit count mean the secondary market is thin — individual units may not come to market for years at a stretch, which supports price firmness but requires patience from buyers.
The freehold land title is the defining unit characteristic at The Cassandra. In a district where Elta ($2,557 psf, 99-year lease from 2024), Faber Residence ($2,156 psf, 99-year lease from 2025), Normanton Park ($1,866 psf, 99-year lease from 2019), and Parc Clematis ($1,885 psf, 99-year lease from 2019) are all leasehold, The Cassandra’s $1,511 psf freehold pricing represents a structural discount to the new-launch leasehold cohort. For long-term holders and estate planning — particularly Singapore citizens seeking to pass property to children — the perpetual land title carries compounding value that the psf comparison alone understates.
| Bedrooms | Transactions | Avg PSF | Avg Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 BR | 2 | $1,471 | $1,940,000 |
| 4 BR | 1 | $1,170 | $1,700,000 |
| 5 BR | 1 | $1,198 | $2,670,000 |
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 4 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $1,700,000 to $2,670,000, averaging $2,062,500 (~$1,511 psf).
Rents range from $3,200 to $5,800 per month across 28 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 3.1%.
Price Appreciation
From 2021 to 2026, the average PSF has appreciated by 29.1% (from $1,170 to $1,511 psf).
Neighbourhood Comparison
The most relevant comparison within District 5 is the freehold-versus-leasehold value equation. Normanton Park ($1,866 psf, 99-year lease from 2019) and Parc Clematis ($1,885 psf, 99-year lease from 2019) offer vastly more facilities, larger unit counts, and newer finishings — but buyers are paying more psf for a depreciating land title. Elta ($2,557 psf, 99-year lease from 2024) and Faber Residence ($2,156 psf, 99-year lease from 2025) represent the new-launch premium at the top of the district’s current pricing band. Against this backdrop, The Cassandra at $1,511 psf freehold is the value outlier: cheaper per square foot than every leasehold competitor, and with a land title that does not expire.
The practical trade-offs are real: Normanton Park and Parc Clematis both offer resort-scale facilities, better walkability, and easier resale liquidity. Buyers who need a large family club, tennis courts, or regular use of a function room will not find those at The Cassandra. But for the specific buyer profile this development targets — professional couples, one-north commuters, international school families — the intimacy of 20 units, the freehold tenure, and the 270m walk to Pasir Panjang MRT create a combination that the mega-developments in this district simply cannot replicate.
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE CASSANDRA | Freehold | 2006 | 20 | $1,511 |
| LANDED HOUSING DEVELOPMENT | Freehold | 2021 | 156 | $1,832 |
| NORMANTON PARK | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2019 | 2021 | 1,840 | $1,866 |
| PARC CLEMATIS | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2019 | 2021 | 1,450 | $1,885 |
| ELTA | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2024 | 2025 | 501 | $2,557 |
| FABER RESIDENCE | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2025 | 2025 | 399 | $2,156 |
ShiokNest Scores
Our proprietary scoring system evaluates THE CASSANDRA across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
“Living here feels genuinely different from larger condo developments. No crowding at the lift, no queue for the pool, no noise from neighbours I’ve never met. The MRT is walkable, which is rare for this stretch of Pasir Panjang Road, and the Southern Ridges is practically on the doorstep for weekend hikes.”
— Resident review via EdgeProp
“Good unit sizes, quiet environment, close to MRT. The only downside is that you need to drive or cab for groceries — there’s nothing walkable nearby for daily errands. But for couples or professionals without kids, this is easy to manage.”
— Resident review via PropertyGuru
“Older fittings but the location more than compensates. The Pasir Panjang MRT is literally a few minutes’ walk, which makes the commute to one-north and Marina Bay very straightforward. Freehold title gives peace of mind for the long run.”
— Resident review via 99.co
The consistent theme across review platforms is that residents value the MRT proximity and privacy above all else, accept the walkability limitation as a known trade-off, and flag the ageing finishings as the primary practical concern. The small community size is universally described as a positive — residents feel they live in a private residential estate rather than a managed condominium.
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Freehold tenure — perpetual land title in a district dominated by 99-year leasehold new launches
- Pasir Panjang MRT (CC26) at 270m — among the best MRT proximity for any freehold boutique in D5
- 20-unit scale means effectively private access to pool and gym — no booking queues
- Structural freehold discount: ~40% cheaper psf than Elta, ~28% cheaper than Faber Residence (both leasehold)
- Strong PSF appreciation trend: $1,170 → $1,511 across three recorded periods (+29%)
- Southern Ridges, Kent Ridge Park, and Labrador Nature Reserve all within 2km
- Quiet, low-density Pasir Panjang Road streetscape — rare for an RCR address
- Rental demand underpinned by one-north/NUS/Science Park employment cluster within 2km
- Dulwich College (international) 1.73km — strong expat rental tenant profile
- No management complexity or shared-amenity politics typical of mega-developments
- Walkability score 43/100 — no supermarket or hawker centre within easy walking distance
- Only 20 units — limited resale liquidity; exits may take longer than in larger developments
- Development age (TOP 2006) means finishings likely require $40,000–$70,000 renovation investment
- Gross yield 3.12% — below the district average for income-focused investors
- No resort-scale facilities — no tennis court, function room, or multi-pool setup
- Higher maintenance fee per unit due to small development sharing operating costs
- Very thin transaction history (4 sales) — difficult to benchmark comparable prices precisely
- Car or Grab required for regular grocery shopping; no neighbourhood retail on foot
Verdict
The Cassandra is a highly specific product for a clearly defined buyer. If you are a professional working in one-north, the Science Park, or the NUS medical cluster, want freehold tenure, value absolute quiet and privacy over resort-scale amenities, and are comfortable with a walkability trade-off in exchange for MRT convenience, this development is difficult to fault at $1,511 psf. You are acquiring freehold land in an RCR district at a meaningful discount to the surrounding leasehold new-launch cohort, with a Circle Line station effectively at your doorstep. The PSF trajectory — $1,170 to $1,511 across three periods — confirms that the market has recognised this value gap and has been closing it steadily.
The risks are equally clear. With only 20 units, liquidity is limited: if you need to exit quickly, you may wait several months for a qualified buyer at your target price. The development is 19 years old and finishings will require renovation investment. The walkability score of 43/100 is a real constraint for car-free households who need daily grocery access on foot. And the gross yield of 3.12% — while consistent with the District 5 freehold segment — means this is primarily an owner-occupier or long-term capital-appreciation play rather than an income-first investment.
For investors, the more relevant question is the freehold premium: with Elta launching at $2,557 psf on a 99-year lease and Faber Residence at $2,156 psf on a similar tenure, The Cassandra’s freehold land is priced at roughly 60–70% of what neighbouring leasehold projects are achieving on launch. That gap is historically wide and argues for continued capital appreciation as the district’s leasehold new-launch pricing pulls the entire sub-market upward. The caveat is that boutique freehold developments depend on a narrow pool of buyers — one slow quarter in the economy can leave a resale unit sitting for longer than the owner expected.