Two separate limits govern what you can borrow toward Dorset Gardens. Loan-to-value caps what the property can support. The Total Debt Servicing Ratio caps what your income can support. Your actual loan is the lower of the two, and for most first-time buyers with solid income it is the loan-to-value limit that binds.
Loan-to-Value Limits
| Outstanding housing loans | Max LTV | Min cash downpayment | LTV if tenure >30 yrs or age >65 at maturity |
|---|---|---|---|
| None (first housing loan) | 75% | 5% | 55% |
| One outstanding loan | 45% | 25% | 25% |
| Two or more outstanding loans | 35% | 25% | 15% |
MAS loan-to-value limits for housing loans from financial institutions. LTV is computed against the lower of the purchase price and the bank’s valuation; any premium above valuation is payable in cash on top of the minimum. Confirm with MAS or your bank before commitment. Verified September 2026.
On a first housing loan at 75%, the remaining 25% breaks into a minimum 5% in cash — CPF cannot be used for this portion — and 20% from CPF Ordinary Account savings or cash.
The Total Debt Servicing Ratio
| Rule | Position as at September 2026 |
| TDSR cap | 55% of gross monthly income across all debt obligations |
| Stress-test interest rate | Medium-term floor of 4% per annum, or the prevailing rate if higher |
| Maximum loan tenure | 35 years for private residential property |
| Tenure above 30 years | Triggers the reduced LTV limits shown above |
| Variable income | Bonus, commission, rental and self-employed income counted at 70% |
| Joint borrowers | Tenure set by income-weighted average age of all borrowers |
| Credit card balances | 3% of the outstanding balance counted as a monthly obligation |
| Mortgage Servicing Ratio | Does not apply — MSR is for HDB flats and new executive condominiums |
MAS rules as at September 2026. TDSR includes every monthly debt obligation, not just the housing loan. Confirm with MAS or your bank before commitment.
How the Two Limits Interact at Dorset Gardens
Because Dorset Gardens is private housing rather than an HDB flat or a new executive condominium, the Mortgage Servicing Ratio does not apply. Only TDSR does, and at 55% it is a considerably looser constraint than the 30% MSR. For a buyer with a strong income and no existing property loan, the 75% loan-to-value cap will normally be the binding limit.
The picture inverts if you already hold a property loan. At 45% LTV on a second loan with a 25% minimum cash downpayment, the cash requirement roughly triples, and TDSR becomes the tighter of the two constraints once the existing instalment is counted.
The HDB Upgrader Question
This one catches people. If you are still on the title of an HDB flat when you exercise the Option to Purchase on a private property, the bank treats the new loan as a second housing loan — 45% loan-to-value with a 25% cash minimum, not 75% with 5%. On a S$2 million purchase that is a difference of around S$400,000 in cash required at the outset.
The three standard routes around it are selling the flat first, arranging a simultaneous completion, or restructuring the ownership of the flat. Each has cost and timing implications, and each needs to be planned well before you book a unit rather than in the eight weeks between the Option to Purchase and the Sale and Purchase Agreement.
Work Out Your Own Position
The TDSR calculator handles single and joint applicants, applies the 70% variable-income haircut, works out the income-weighted average age and returns your maximum loan at the 4% stress rate. The progressive payment calculator then shows how that loan is drawn down across the build to 2030.
For the duties that sit outside the loan entirely, see the stamp duty page, and for the staged schedule see the payment scheme.
Register for Dorset Gardens Updates
Floor plans, the site plan, the e-brochure and the price list go to registered parties first. There is no cost and no obligation.