Artist’s impressionBorrowing for Sora in Brief
Two Monetary Authority of Singapore rules decide how much a bank will lend for a home at Sora, and the lower result wins. The loan-to-value limit is set against the price, 75% for a buyer with no other housing loan; the Total Debt Servicing Ratio is set against income, with all monthly debt instalments, the new mortgage included, kept within 55% of gross monthly income.
The limits used here applied on 20 October 2026, as at October 2026; MAS can revise them, so check with MAS or the lending bank before signing.
Sora Loan-to-Value Limits
How far a bank can go turns on the number of housing loans a buyer is still repaying. For each count there are three figures: the usual ceiling, a reduced ceiling, and the smallest part of the price that has to be settled in cash rather than CPF.
| Outstanding housing loans | Standard limit | Lower limit | Minimum cash |
|---|---|---|---|
| None | 75% | 55% | 5% (10% in the lower band) |
| One | 45% | 25% | 25% |
| Two or more | 35% | 15% | 25% |
Source: MAS, checked 20 October 2026. Limits can change; confirm with MAS or your bank before signing.
What Moves a Sora Loan into the Lower Band
Two triggers drop a loan to the reduced ceiling. One is a tenure above 30 years. The other is a repayment period that would carry on beyond the borrower’s 65th birthday; where two people borrow jointly, the bank uses their income-weighted average age. The longest tenure allowed on a private home is 35 years.
A 33-year-old choosing a 35-year term trips both: the term exceeds 30 years and the last instalment falls at 68. A 42-year-old on a 25-year term passes the tenure test but finishes at 67, so the age trigger alone applies. A term of 30 years or less ending by 65 keeps the usual ceiling.
How the TDSR Is Applied to a Sora Loan
Under the TDSR, the new mortgage and every other monthly debt payment must together sit within 55% of gross monthly income. The bank does not run this sum at today’s rate; it assumes a medium-term rate of 4%, or the actual loan rate where that is higher, to leave room for rates to climb.
| Rule | As at October 2026 |
|---|---|
| TDSR limit | 55% of gross monthly income |
| Interest rate used for the test | 4%, or the loan’s own rate if higher |
| Variable and rental income | Counted at 70%, after a 30% haircut |
| Longest tenure, private property | 35 years |
| Joint borrowers | Income-weighted average age |
Source: MAS, checked 20 October 2026.
Fixed monthly pay counts in full, while variable and rental income count at 70%. Repayments the buyer already carries, such as a car loan, another property loan or the minimum due on credit cards, come off first, and whatever remains of the 55% is what the bank converts into a loan size.
Buying at Sora While Another Home Loan Is Running
Someone still paying off a housing loan gets a smaller loan. With one such loan, the ceiling is 45% of the price, or 25% in the reduced band, with at least 25% of the price in cash; with two or more, it is 35% or 15%, cash again at least 25%. The buyer’s own share rises to 55% or 65%.
Where two people apply together, their income-weighted average age is what the age-65 test uses, and the TDSR calculator handles either one borrower or two. Owning another home has a stamp duty effect as well: Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty is charged at the rate for a second or later property.
How Cash, CPF and the Loan Combine at Sora
On a 75% loan, the buyer covers the first 25% of the price personally. The 5% booking fee has to be cash; the remaining 20% can come from cash or from CPF Ordinary Account savings, within CPF limits. In the reduced band the buyer’s part grows to 45%, with at least 10% of the price in cash.
Only then does the bank start releasing money, one construction stage at a time under the progressive payment scheme, with interest charged only on the sum released so far. Each stage is listed in the post on the payment scheme at Sora.
Getting an In-Principle Approval for Sora
An in-principle approval from a bank is a useful early step. It gives the amount the bank is prepared to lend on the details supplied, subject to final approval and a valuation, so the stamp duty, booking fee and cash portion can be budgeted as real numbers. Terms and validity differ from bank to bank.
Stamp duty is a separate bill on top of the buyer’s own share, payable no later than 14 days after the sale and purchase agreement, so it helps to read the post on stamp duty at Sora together with this one.
Estimating a Sora Loan
To put numbers on all this, the TDSR calculator runs the income test for one or two borrowers and compares the answer with the loan-to-value ceiling, while the housing loan page holds the full tables. The calculators open at an illustrative figure, which is not the price of any home at Sora.
The Sales Concierge sends the current price list with the homes still available, so a loan estimate can be matched to a real home. Showflat viewings are arranged by appointment through the Sales Concierge.
This article is general information as at the date shown and is not financial, legal or tax advice. Particulars of Sora are from the developer’s published documents, statutory figures are as set out on this site’s financing pages, and distances are straight-line measurements on OneMap. Sources: MAS (loan-to-value limits, TDSR and the medium-term interest rate, checked 20 October 2026), as set out on this site’s housing loan and payment scheme pages.
Talk to the Sora Sales Concierge
The Sales Concierge sends the price list on request, the homes still available and the e-brochure for Sora. Showflat viewings are arranged by appointment through the Sales Concierge.