The Foresta @ Mount Faber

Overview & Key Facts

The Foresta @ Mount Faber is a 141-unit freehold condominium nestled at the foot of Mount Faber hill in District 4, completed in 2015 by Hoi Hup Realty Pte Ltd. The name is apt — “Foresta” evokes the forest, and the development genuinely delivers on that promise. Spread across four low-rise blocks of just five storeys each, the project sits within the lush green canopy of the Southern Ridges corridor, bordered by Mount Faber Park and Telok Blangah Hill Park. It is one of the few condominiums in Singapore where you can step outside and feel like you are living at the edge of a nature reserve rather than in a dense urban centre.

Hoi Hup Realty is a well-established Singapore developer with a track record that includes Ki Residences, Rivercove Residences, and the more recent The Botany at Dairy Farm. They tend toward mid-market developments with competent but not luxury-grade finishings, and The Foresta fits that mould. The unit mix is heavily weighted toward compact configurations — 43 one-bedroom units, 11 one-bedroom-plus-study units, 54 two-bedrooms, a handful of three-bedrooms, and 29 penthouses across various layouts. With a site spread across four blocks and 144 basement car park lots (including 3 handicap lots), the density is low and the parking ratio generous at just over one lot per unit.

At a current average PSF of approximately $2,016, The Foresta occupies a distinctive niche in District 4: it is a freehold, nature-immersed, low-rise alternative in a district better known for mega-developments like Reflections at Keppel Bay and The Interlace. For buyers who value greenery, tranquillity, and freehold tenure over waterfront glamour and extensive facilities, The Foresta offers something that very few condominiums in this part of Singapore can match.

Location & Connectivity

Wishart Road is a quiet residential enclave tucked between Mount Faber and Telok Blangah Road. The Foresta sits at 100–108 Wishart Road, positioned at the base of Mount Faber hill with the Southern Ridges park network extending behind and above the development. The immediate surroundings are low-rise residential — a mix of older walk-ups, landed properties along Pender Road, and the greenery of the hillside. This is not a bustling neighbourhood; it is deliberately quiet, and residents who chose The Foresta typically did so precisely for that reason.

Transport connectivity centres on Telok Blangah MRT (CC28), which is approximately 420 metres away — a comfortable 5–6 minute walk. This places The Foresta within genuine walking distance of the Circle Line, connecting residents to HarbourFront, Buona Vista, one-north, and Holland Village without transfers. Keppel MRT on the Circle Line extension is about 990 metres away, while HarbourFront MRT (NE1/CC29) is just over a kilometre — a 13–14 minute walk or a short bus ride. HarbourFront is a major interchange connecting the North-East and Circle Lines, and serves as the gateway to Sentosa. For drivers, the AYE is accessible via Telok Blangah Road, putting the CBD within a 10-minute drive.

Daily amenities require a short trip. VivoCity — Singapore’s largest waterfront mall at HarbourFront — is the primary retail anchor, offering a FairPrice Finest supermarket, extensive dining, cinema, and retail. It is about 1.1 km away, reachable by bus or a brisk 14-minute walk. Closer to home, Telok Blangah Drive has a few neighbourhood shops and a hawker centre. The Marang Road area along Telok Blangah Road provides additional food options. For nature enthusiasts, the location is extraordinary: Mount Faber Park, Henderson Waves, the Southern Ridges trail, and Labrador Nature Reserve are all accessible directly on foot from the development.

The school catchment includes Blangah Rise Primary School at 500 metres — comfortably within the 1 km priority enrolment zone. Radin Mas Primary is 1 km away. For secondary options, Bukit Merah Secondary is 1.57 km. International school families will note that the Overseas Family School and ISS International School are within driving distance, and the proximity to HarbourFront makes Sentosa’s international schools accessible.

Schools & Education

2 primary schools within the 1 km Priority Phase balloting radius.

Facilities

For a 141-unit boutique development, The Foresta provides a focused but well-maintained facilities set. The centrepiece is a 50-metre lap pool — an unusually generous length for a development of this size, and one that residents consistently praise. A pool deck with water jet features, wading pool, gymnasium, children’s playground, fitness corner, and BBQ pits complete the communal amenities. The low-rise, four-block layout means the grounds feel spacious and landscaped rather than cramped, with the surrounding hillside greenery forming a natural backdrop that no amount of landscape architecture could replicate.

“The pool is 50m long and the facilities are not crowded due to the low-rise blocks and small population. The air quality here is excellent with all the trees surrounding us.”

— Resident review via PropertyGuru

The honest caveat is that the facilities list is slim compared to larger developments in the district. There is no tennis court, no function room, no jacuzzi or hydrotherapy pool — amenities that buyers at this price point might expect if comparing against Reflections at Keppel Bay or Caribbean at Keppel Bay. The gym is functional but modest. However, the trade-off is genuine: with only 141 units, you will almost never queue for the pool or share the BBQ area with strangers. The low density creates a sense of exclusivity that mega-developments in District 4 simply cannot offer. And when you consider that Mount Faber Park and the Southern Ridges trail are, quite literally, your extended backyard, the nature amenities more than compensate for the limited built facilities.

Unit Sizes & Layout

The Foresta’s unit mix is heavily weighted toward compact configurations, reflecting the development’s positioning as a nature-retreat investment and singles/couples residence rather than a large-family home. The breakdown across 141 units: 43 one-bedroom units (431–506 sqft), 11 one-bedroom-plus-study units (538–624 sqft), 54 two-bedroom units (667–947 sqft), 4 three-bedroom units (1,076–1,238 sqft), and 29 penthouses in various configurations — 11 one-bedroom-plus-study penthouses (775 sqft), 3 two-bedroom penthouses (958 sqft), 4 two-bedroom-plus-study penthouses (1,195 sqft), 10 three-bedroom-plus-utility penthouses (1,356–1,453 sqft), and a single four-bedroom penthouse (1,755 sqft). The penthouses benefit from the low-rise format, sitting at just the fifth floor but with high ceilings and direct access to rooftop terraces with views across the hillside canopy.

The unit layouts follow a North-South orientation across the four blocks, with apartments overlooking either the internal landscaping or the surrounding hillside greenery. High ceilings are a consistent feature that residents highlight positively — they lend a sense of spaciousness that partially compensates for the compact floor areas of the smaller units. The two-bedroom units at 667–947 sqft offer a reasonable range, with the larger variants providing genuinely liveable space for couples or small families. The three-bedroom units at 1,076–1,238 sqft are scarce (only 4 in the entire development) and represent the family-sized option for those who want the Foresta lifestyle without going to penthouse level.

Pricing & Market Position

Across 49 recorded transactions (all-time), sale prices range from $835,000 to $2,460,000, averaging $1,188,726.

Over the last 12 months, transactions averaged $1,968 psf.

Rents range from $2,050 to $7,000 per month across 372 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 3.6%.

Rental Yield by Bedroom Type

Blended yield hides the spread between unit sizes — smaller units at THE FORESTA @ MOUNT FABER typically rent harder per dollar of purchase price. The final column shows monthly rent per $100,000 invested, so unit sizes compare on equal capital:

Price Appreciation

From 2021 to 2026, the average PSF has appreciated by 8% (from $1,822 to $1,968 psf).

Neighbourhood Comparison

The most relevant comparisons within District 4 highlight The Foresta’s distinctive positioning. Reflections at Keppel Bay ($1,737 PSF, 99-year from 2006, 1,129 units) is the district’s iconic waterfront development — designed by Daniel Libeskind with dramatic marina views, but a leasehold project now 20 years into its lease with the density trade-offs of over a thousand units. The Reef at King’s Dock ($2,467 PSF, 99-year from 2021, 429 units) represents the newest premium entrant in the Keppel corridor — modern finishings and waterfront access, but leasehold tenure and a substantially higher PSF. Caribbean at Keppel Bay ($1,758 PSF, 99-year from 1999, 969 units) offers resort-style waterfront living at a lower PSF but carries a lease now over 25 years old.

The Foresta’s competitive edge is clear: it is the only freehold option in this comparison set, and the only one offering a low-rise, nature-immersed living experience. Its PSF of $2,016 sits above Reflections and Caribbean but below The Reef — a premium justified by permanent tenure. The trade-off is equally clear: The Foresta has no waterfront views, significantly fewer facilities, and compact unit sizes compared to the Keppel Bay developments. Where Reflections offers marina panoramas and The Interlace ($1,465 PSF, 99-year) offers Rem Koolhaas architecture, The Foresta offers Mount Faber’s green canopy and the certainty of freehold. For buyers choosing between waterfront spectacle on a ticking lease and hillside serenity in perpetuity, the decision ultimately reflects lifestyle priorities rather than pure investment calculus.

ShiokNest Scores

Our proprietary scoring system evaluates THE FORESTA @ MOUNT FABER across multiple dimensions.

What Residents Say

“I love the air quality and the trees surrounding us. Being a low-rise apartment with fewer units makes it very quiet and private. The pool is 50m long and the facilities are not crowded.”

— Resident review via PropertyGuru

“Ideal for those who like quiet places surrounded by nature and very close to Vivo City and HarbourFront MRT. The high ceilings everywhere compensate for the unit sizes. But most units face each other with no privacy unless curtains are drawn — the distance between blocks is only 15 metres.”

— Owner review via 99.co

“Proximity to Labrador Park, Mount Faber, and VivoCity is what we enjoy most. But the interior fittings feel cheap and flimsy, and the exterior is not well maintained. Units facing Pender Road may have sleep disturbances from nighttime motorbike noise on Mount Faber.”

— Long-term resident via SingaporeExpats

The pattern across review platforms reveals a clear split. Residents who chose The Foresta for its natural surroundings, low density, and quiet lifestyle are overwhelmingly satisfied — the greenery, air quality, generous pool, and peaceful atmosphere generate genuine enthusiasm. Those who expected higher-end finishings commensurate with the freehold pricing are more critical: interior quality complaints, inter-block privacy concerns, and the modest facilities list recur across multiple platforms. The nighttime noise from Pender Road is a specific nuisance that affects blocks facing the road, though not all residents find it problematic. The consistent thread is that The Foresta’s nature-immersed character is its defining strength, while its built quality represents the primary area of compromise.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Verdict

The Foresta @ Mount Faber occupies a genuinely distinctive niche in District 4’s property landscape. It is not competing with the waterfront glamour of Reflections at Keppel Bay or the architectural ambition of The Interlace. Instead, it offers something neither of those developments can: a low-rise, freehold, nature-immersed living experience at the foot of Mount Faber, with the Southern Ridges trail as your morning jog and a 50-metre pool that you will rarely share with more than a handful of neighbours. At $2,016 PSF, it sits well above the district’s leasehold mega-developments but justifies the premium through freehold tenure and a locational character that is genuinely irreplaceable.

The weaknesses deserve honest acknowledgement. Interior finishings have drawn consistent criticism — residents describe them as below expectations for the price point, with quality issues in kitchen fittings and general maintenance of common areas. The inter-block distance of approximately 15 metres creates privacy concerns for inward-facing units. The facilities list is thin for a development at this quantum, and the surrounding neighbourhood is quiet to the point of being inconvenient for daily errands without a car or bus ride. The walkability score of 55/100 reflects this honestly: VivoCity is the nearest comprehensive retail option, and it requires transport. Noise from Pender Road motorbikes traversing Mount Faber has been flagged by some residents, particularly at night.

Where The Foresta genuinely excels is in the intangibles that no amount of developer marketing can fabricate. The surrounding greenery is not landscaped garden beds — it is Mount Faber Park and the Southern Ridges, a protected nature corridor that will never be developed. The freehold tenure means no lease decay anxiety, making this a genuine long-term hold. The 3.62% gross yield is respectable for a freehold RCR development, supported by steady rental demand from professionals drawn to the Keppel, HarbourFront, and Sentosa employment corridor. For buyers who prioritise nature, tranquillity, and permanence over waterfront views and extensive facilities, The Foresta remains one of District 4’s most quietly compelling choices.