HDB Woes

I’ve decided that I want the first house that I buy to be an HDB apartment. The decision was the simple and sensible part, I mean why not take the grants the government is giving? I might as well buy it before my income goes above $8000 and whole new sets of rules begin to apply. Even below $8000, the whole process is maddening!
When the decision is made, that you want a HDB, the first thing to decide would be if you want to get it with your partner (opposite sex only), or your parent, or are you old enough to apply for one on your own? Have I confused you yet, this was the easy part you see!
The next step involves figuring out which HDB you want? This is a two-fold process, first is it going to be anew flat (aka a shoebox), or would you prefer a much roomier, albeit older (and maybe haunted, murdered-in) resale flat? So then, there are the 1,2,3,4 and 5 room flats, not to mention the maisonettes, jumbo flats, executive apartments, executive condominiums and built-to-order units! Mind you, most of which only have three bedrooms anyway. Yes, a 5-room flat has 3 bedrooms, and a dining room and a utility room (does this make sense to you)?
Have I mentioned that each of the above mentioned category has a few sub categories? How about the 3 and 4NG (new generation) flats, the "normal" 3 and 4 room flats, and the whole host of others! 4-S, 4-A, 4-A1, 4-A2, 4-I, 5-S, 5-I, 5-A! The differences? Essentially, a few square centimetres!
Call a real estate agent, just have a normal conversation and tell her/him you’re interested in buying a flat, even before she begins counting her commission, she’ll drown you in questions you never knew existed, so obviously can not answer?
"Are you planning to buy a house within 2KM of your parents?" , "Uh, I don’t know, if I can get one…"
"Are you taking the $40,000 or $50,000 rebate?" , "can I have both?"
"Are you married?", "no… planning to"
When are you getting married?, "soon…"
"Is he Singaporean?", "uh…"
"What race is he?", "uh…"
She was firing questions faster than I could begin to answer them. I was just waiting for her to ask me what was my shoe size, but then she got down to money matters. First off, "how much do you earn", "and what is your partner’s salary".
By the time we had settled her questions and decided which part of Singapore (which suddenly seemed too big to me), I wanted to reside in, she told me she would begin to arrange viewings. Fine, so it was ok thus far, although I feel that my personal details are no longer mine (strange feeling for someone who writes about her life in the papers).
So she calls me the next day, and tells me that she has 4 flats open for viewing at Holland Village, before I can exclaim in joy and dig out my diary, she informs me "but ah, Indian cannot"!
Leaving me spluttering in dismay, she then tells me that actually there are no available flats open for sale to Indians, as the Indian quotas for that area are full! After a few such phone calls, I’ve surrendered. I told her to call me the next time there is an "Indian flat" open. After all, on my salary I think it might take a while to reach $8000, and since I’m not married, under 35 and don’t plan to apply for a flat with my parents, I have all the time in the world!
However, HDB does need to make itself far more friendly to the busy yuppie with little time to battle with estate agents who want to palm you the first flat you don’t say NO to. Perhaps HDB-accredited agents who receive commissions from HDB directly, so that they are more patient with clients?
Buying a house is often a dream come true, although I have time on my hands, the fact that my dream is beginning to be tinged with nightmarish aspects doesn’t please me!