What is getting married without a house?

I talked to an NZ friend, and she said that this is a very Asian concept. That the married couple should own a house. Well, I don't mind living like a hobo, moving from place to place and renting a room temporarily after getting married, but my fiancé wouldn't believe me.

And although I did not know it, God was with us in each step. He has revealed Himself, and has blessed us.

It started with the HDB Sales of Balance Flat (SBF) exercise in September 2012. My fiancé and I are mid-income family kids who had the luxury of living in a landed property in Singapore. No, our families ain't rich. Its the grandpops' houses. I'm used to living in a landed property. As such, I told him repeatedly ever since we got serious in the relationship that I do not want to stay in a HDB. They scare me.
 
 
Can you imagine living in one of these? Gazilliion 30 storey buildings, separated by a meter. Walking through the walkways, look up in the sky, and all you can see are towers. And you are not in the CBD!!! I'll have clinical anxiety due to claustrophobia. (Imagine myself taking a deep breath and never breathe out again.)
 
But on the other hand, I considered the reality. We can't afford to stay in a condo, with swimming pool and tennis courts - what more a landed property in Singapore. We are also unsure whether we would stay in Singapore for the long term. Should we buy a property then? Or should we just rent a room if we stay in Singapore?
 
Considering that it cost around SGD2,000 to rent a 5-room ulu HDB flat, and that the monthly payment for a 25 to 30 year mortgage is around there, we thought we should go ahead with the second option (the calculative mind is at work here...). And looking back, it is a good decision. Our combine income is below SGD10,000 now. HDB sets the limit of HDB purchasing to SGD10,000. Our income would exceed that in just a year or two.
 
And so, we decided to put in our application for the SBF exercise. There were two criteria for selection - size of unit and location. The size was decided quickly. I can't stay in a small unit, as I'm used to living in a big space. So 5-room it was. My fiancé is fine with most of my decisions, but will voice out when unreasonable. When we decided the location, it was a long drawn discussion. Ang Mo Kio? Queenstown? Bukit Merah? Kallang? These locations are all near to town. Any further location brought up and I'll complain non-stop.
 
But my faithful fiancé decided to pray about the location. (Oh why...) And after prayer, he said that God told him to go for Sengkang.
 
My heart dropped. Oh please. Of all areas? It's so far away...He then argued that the place I stay in Singapore is far away from town too, blah.
 
I respected him and his heart to pray, so we obeyed and went ahead to apply for a 5-room flat in Sengkang. To my delight and amazement, my fiancé proceeded fairly smoothly with all administration for application. I usually play the administrative role in the relationship, but because I'm not in Singapore now, it was better if he did took up the role in this task.
 
Two months after, we received the results of our application. We got queue no. 168. There were 114 5-room units in Sengkang. That means that if all units were selected before it reaches us, we do not have the option to select a Sengkang flat. Our selection date was March 14th 2013.
 
Ah well, good for us, I thought. We won't get a flat in Sengkang, and we can choose other areas nearer to town in the next HDB selection.
 
 In January 2013, we received another letter from HDB, with detailed information of each 114 5-room units in Sengkang. It also contained the application form and other declaration forms. I hastily signed them (just in case we got a unit) while we were in KL for a short trip. We didn't think much about it after that.
 
When people asked us about our HDB application, I'll just say we won't get the Sengkang flat as chances are slim, and would probably reapply.
 
By the end of February, it looked as if we stood a chance of selecting a flat. There were 60 units left! My fiancé and I quickly re-organised our thoughts, and thought about the possibility of getting a Sengkang flat.
 
Only if it were near the MRT...
 
We saw that there were around 11-12 of them that we would consider.
 
By the first week of March, the numbers dwindled. 45. 32. 27 units left. We got scared. What if we don't get one? (See what the demand-more-than-supply mentality does to us...we didn't even want a Sengkang unit in the first place >.<)  There was 2 units left that we would consider by then.
 
We were considering whether I'd need to go to Singapore. Statistically, we won't be able to get the units we considered. Units near the MRT get snapped up fast. But I told my fiancé, that even if there is one unit left, there is still a chance. And well, another excuse to go to Singapore.
 
And lo and behold. There was only one unit left two days before selection.
 
I arrived in Singapore a day earlier. And I went to check out the location of this one unit in the afternoon. It was at Buangkok, one MRT stop before Sengkang if you come from town. (I still can't help laughing still at the name. In Chinese, it is Ten Thousand Countries (万国). Why can't they call it something nicer in English?)
 
 
The HDB being built!
 
It was literally beside the MRT. I thought: wow, good then! We'll consider this unit! Its also at a quieter area of Singapore, which is good. I don't want to feel like I'm in Singapore when I'm staying here. (I'm living in denial, as I know the area would be developed sooner or later.)
 
Anyway, I went back home to check the unit number. My heart sank again. Second floor? Maybe not...
 
At night, my fiancé and I went to view a resale HDB. After that, I brought him to view the location of a few units still available from the Sengkang SBF. The other two units were ex-leased flats, so we went to see the actual location of them (So much for HDB's warning not to view the site as it may be under construction...)
 
It was a 1.5 hours walking around Sengkang. It was a fun and funny experience, knowing you have the choice of selecting certain houses at a subsidised price. Measuring the distance to MRT, noise level at night, traffic situation, buses available...
 
We finally decided that it would be okay staying at Buangkok. Or at least, own a unit there.
 
The next day, we went to HDB Hub together to select the unit. I was really thankful to God that I made the decision to go to Singapore. Both parties were needed to sign the papers, so we couldn't have purchase the HDB without each other.
 
Other things were also for us, and I can conclude that God has been with us throughout.
 
The price of the HDB is also affordable for us, just over SGD400,000.
 
Our CPF can fully cover the first 5% downpayment due 3 months later.
 
The HDB will be completed 3Q of 2014. We'll get to live like hobos for half a year, since we plan to get married in 1Q 2014.
 
We looked at a show flat for 5-room unit, and it was okay, a nice size. I think I can live in it.
 
I thank God for His faithfulness to us, that if we obey, He will bless. :)