The pace of million-dollar HDB transactions may have slowed, but we're still seeing record resale HDB prices. At the time of writing, the record price for an HDB flat has hit $1.5 million, for a jumbo flat in Tiong Bahru.

This week, we looked at some other areas where flats are not quite at $1 million yet, but may soon be. Here are some hot spots to look out for:

Flats coming close to $1 million:

Source: HDB

1. Blocks 590 to 591(A) Ang Mo Kio St. 5

You'll notice that a whole cluster of flats from the list are in this area, stretching from Block 590A and 590B, down to Block 591A. 

One of the reasons for the higher price is the age of the flats. They're barely out of their five-year Minimum Occupancy Period (MOP), and resale flats of this age command a premium: Buyers can move into them right away, but the lease decay is negligible. Also, unlike most resale flats, only minimal renovations may be needed as the existing reno-work is so new. 

The other reason is the proximity to the Ang Mo Kio MRT station (NSL), which is roughly a 10 to 12-minute walk from this cluster of flats. The train station is next to AMK Hub, a sizeable neighbourhood mall that includes an NTUC FairPrice, a Guardian pharmacy, and a cinema. 

(If you add another three to four minutes to the walk you can also get to Djitsun Mall, but this is a smaller mall). 

The walk to the train station passes through Ang Mo Kio Town Garden East; this park is a remnant of the former rubber plantation in the area, and a recreational space for joggers, tai qi practitioners, and family outings. 

For amenities that are closer, Cheng San Market and Food Centre are just around a five-to-six-minute walk, in the direction of Block 524. There's also a Giant Express in this area, if you don't want to go all the way to AMK Hub. 

Another major highlight here is the distance to Nanyang Polytechnic, which is about a 12-minute walk from this cluster of flats. Located near Nanyang Poly are Anderson Secondary and Anderson Serangoon JC.

Overall, this is one of the best-located HDB enclaves in AMK. When you add the fact that the flats are so new, we'd be surprised if prices weren't high. Buyers should brace for a high Cash Over Valuation (COV) for the units here. 

2. Block 206 Clementi Ave. 6

You'll notice that a whole cluster of flats from the list are in this area, stretching from Block 590A and 590B, down to Block 591A. 

Clementi has developed a lot since this block was built in 1985. The Clementi Town Centre, which saw redevelopment in the 2000s, is mostly complete at this point; we'd say the emergence of Clementi Mall along with newer HDB developments like Clementi Cascadia and Clementi Ridges rounded out the area's transformation a few years back. 

There is also the addition of higher-priced developments such as the Trivelis DBSS, Parc Clematis, as well as The Trilinq.

As such, Clementi now sees much higher prices for its resale flats, and Block 206 is especially well-located. The bus stop just outside this block has a service that goes straight to Clementi MRT (bus 52), and this provides easy access to both the EWL and CRL. 

Clementi MRT is an especially desirable station, because it's one stop from Jurong East, a major commercial hub, and one stop from Dover, where Singapore Polytechnic is located. 

Clementi Mall, probably the largest retail hub in Clementi, is also located next to the MRT station. 

There's also a good range of schools in close proximity to this block: Nan Hua Primary is a nine-minute walk away, while Pei Tong, Clementi Town Secondary, and Clementi Primary are all within the one-kilometre enrolment priority range. 

This being Clementi, the neighbourhood is very mature, and lots of minimarts, convenience stores, coffee shops, etc. can also be found near this block. One possible issue though, is the presence of Clementi Fire Station nearby - some buyers may not like the possibility of sirens or noise during the occasional emergency. 

3. Block 585 Pasir Ris St. 53

This block has only 45 flats, and they're all sizeable executive units of up to 1,636 sq. ft. That's alone explains much of the price, as you'll find few resale flats of that size (and the ones you do find will probably be over the $1 million mark already).

Pasir Ris MRT station (EWL, and the future CRL) is only about six minutes walk from Block 585; and next to the train station is White Sands, the major neighbourhood mall servicing this area. Pasir Ris Mall will be an added attraction too, once Pasir Ris 8 is completed - this is just directly across the road and even closer than White Sands.

This new mall will be twice the size of White Sands, and along with a polyclinic, town plaza, and hawker centre, this would undoubtedly be a much-improved amenity to the area.

Block 585 is also right across the road from Pasir Ris Park. This is one of the largest parks in the East, and it's ideal for families, cyclists, hikers, etc. It's a special favourite for those who like long bike rides, as the Pasir Ris Park Connector can take you all the way down to Tampines and Bedok Reservoir. 

Alternatively, Downtown East is not too far away. This is one of the largest family recreation hubs in Singapore, including movies, water parks, restaurants, etc. It's about 11 to 13 minutes walk, a bit further than White Sands but not unmanageable. 

Larger families would find these flats ideal, if they can handle the higher quantum from the big unit sizes.

4. Block 181 Jelebu Road

We found this a curiosity, as flats in this neighbourhood are not usually the priciest. But a closer look at the location explains the high price point: 

When Hillion Residences was completed in 2017, it was an integrated development that added a strong commercial component to the area. It's just across the road from Block 181, and the mall has a food court (Kopi Tiam), an NTUC FairPrice, Watsons and Unity pharmacies, and numerous enrichment and tuition centres. 

But that's not to say the area was lacking even before Hillion. Junction 10 mall is just slightly further across the road. It's not the best mall around, but it at least has a sizeable Sheng Siong, a number of eateries, and also its own range of enrichment centres.

Still not enough? Bukit Panjang Plaza, a CapitaLand-run mall, is just across Jelebu Road. This mall has an NTUC FairPrice Finest, a seafood marketplace, pet services, another Unity pharmacy, yet more restaurants, etc. 

The residents of this block have three malls in close vicinity; and note that Hillion is integrated with the Bukit Panjang MRT station (DTL). As such, they have an MRT station and interchange right across the road as well. 

It's unusual to find that many amenities, along with a public transport hub, packing the area around your HDB block. This is the kind of area where you can not travel out for weeks and not really miss out on anything.  

And while the area can get quite crowded, you still have some respire through the Pang Sua Park Connector that can take you to Pang Sua Pond and Bukit Panjang Neighbourhood Park. The Senja-Cashew Community Club is here too, and the location is just off Bukit Panjang Plaza, so it's not too far of a walk at all.

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