As at 11am, all five HDB projects with three-bedroom and above flats had a first-time buyer application rate of 1.7 or less for at least one type of flat.

The HDB said that this means that there are less than two applicants per flat and first-time buyers applying for these flats have a good chance of being invited to select a HDB flat.

The authority noted that the median take-up rate for first-time buyers of three-bedroom and above flats was 1.8, the same as in last November's sale, although the latter saw twice as much supply as in February this year.

HDB said first-time buyers who applied for the Jurong West Crystal and Brickland Weave projects in the non-established market town of Jurong West and the Ulu Pandan Glades project in the established market town of Queenstown would have a fairly good chance of acquiring a HDB flat in this sales exercise.

This is due to the fact that the first-time buyer application rates for these projects range from a low of 0.2 to 1.8 for all housing types. Moreover, according to past experience, on average about 40% of applicants will abstain from the selection process when invited to select a flat.

The authorities also pointed out that among these projects, Jurong West Crystal and Brickland Weave in Tengah have a waiting time of about 3.9 years and 4 years respectively, allowing homeowners to get the keys to their new homes sooner.