Neem Tree
Overview & Key Facts
Neem Tree is an 84-unit freehold condominium at Jalan Kemaman in District 12, developed by Aylesbury Pte Ltd and completed in 2020. The development draws its identity from the neem tree — a hardy, drought-resistant species revered across South and Southeast Asia for its medicinal properties and enduring vitality. The naming choice is quietly purposeful: in a Toa Payoh fringe address known more for heartland practicality than aspirational lifestyle branding, Aylesbury opted for a nature-inspired moniker that signals permanence and quiet confidence rather than seeking CCR glamour. The result is a boutique freehold development that sits comfortably in the fabric of one of Singapore's most established HDB-ringed residential precincts.
Aylesbury Pte Ltd is a boutique Singapore developer with a focused portfolio of smaller-scale residential projects. Operating without the brand recognition of CDL, CapitaLand, or Roxy-Pacific, Aylesbury's approach is typical of the private boutique developer segment: acquire well-located freehold land, design efficiently to deliver a competitive product, and price for the mid-tier D12 buyer rather than the CCR aspirational premium. At 84 units on a compact site, Neem Tree follows this template closely. The development is a single residential block, delivering a community-scale environment where most residents know their neighbours and the MCST is managed with the kind of direct accountability that larger strata communities rarely achieve.
Neem Tree's District 12 address places it on the Toa Payoh–Novena fringe — a transitional zone that captures some of the upward price momentum of Novena's healthcare and lifestyle precinct while maintaining a grounded heartland character defined by the Toa Payoh HDB township. At an average PSF of $1,794 on a freehold title and a 2020 vintage, Neem Tree occupies a legitimate mid-tier position in D12: priced below the $2,100–$2,700 PSF range of newer freehold fringe launches in adjacent D11 and D21, but above the sub-$1,600 PSF bracket of older D12 leasehold stock. For buyers seeking freehold permanence in a 2020-specification building at a sub-$1.1M median price point, the proposition is meaningfully differentiated from the surrounding leasehold alternatives.
The development achieved its 2020 TOP during a period that bookended the pandemic — a timing that, paradoxically, may have benefited Neem Tree's rental absorption. The post-2020 demand surge for well-located mid-tier rental units, driven by returning expatriates and healthcare-sector employment growth in the adjacent Novena cluster, translated into a cumulative rental transaction count of 193 — a strong figure for an 84-unit building that implies near-complete tenant turnover multiple times since completion. PSF values have trended from $1,694 at Year 0 to a peak of $1,868 at Year 3, before softening to $1,739 at Year 4 — a pattern consistent with post-launch price discovery followed by a modest market-wide correction rather than any project-specific deterioration.
Location & Connectivity
Neem Tree sits on Jalan Kemaman, a residential street on the southern fringe of the Toa Payoh estate and the northern edge of the Novena precinct. The address is meaningfully different from a mid-Toa Payoh or mid-Novena location: it inherits elements of both precincts without being fully within either. The dominant MRT option is Toa Payoh MRT (NS19) on the North South Line at approximately 780 metres — a 10–12 minute walk that is functional but falls short of the genuinely walkable sub-600m threshold. Novena MRT (NS20) at 1.16km and Boon Keng MRT (NE7) on the North East Line at 1.43km are secondary options, both comfortably accessible by a 5–8 minute bus ride via services along Jalan Toa Payoh and Balestier Road.
The immediate neighbourhood is anchored by Toa Payoh Hub, one of Singapore's most comprehensive heartland integrated developments, approximately 700–900 metres from Neem Tree. The Hub combines a public library, community club, sports hall, polyclinic, cinema, and a dense F&B cluster under one roof — a genuine lifestyle node that compensates in amenity density for what the address lacks in MRT walkability. The Toa Payoh Town Centre hawker complex, wet market, and retail podium complete the heartland ecosystem. For residents who use Toa Payoh Hub as their primary commercial destination rather than Orchard or Marina Bay, the neighbourhood's convenience is hard to fault.
The school proximity picture is one of Neem Tree's genuine locational strengths. Beatty Secondary School is approximately 420 metres away — close enough to be relevant for secondary school priority balloting. CHIJ Secondary (Toa Payoh) is approximately 600 metres, and Balestier Hill Primary is 830 metres. CHIJ Our Lady Queen of Peace (OLQP) at 1.0km rounds out the school cluster. For families with children in the CHIJ system or targeting Beatty Secondary, the Jalan Kemaman address provides a meaningful proximity advantage that directly influences primary and secondary school registration priority. The School of Science and Technology (SST) at 580 metres adds a specialized secondary option for students in the DSA-eligible programme.
Bus connectivity from Jalan Kemaman provides practical compensation for the moderate MRT walking distance. Multiple bus services along the Jalan Toa Payoh and Balestier Road corridors connect residents directly to Toa Payoh MRT interchange, Novena MRT, and the Orchard Road belt within 10–15 minutes. For residents who commute by bus-MRT combination — the majority in this precinct — the effective door-to-CBD travel time is comparable to developments with closer-but-slower walkable MRT access in lower-density neighbourhoods. The Novena medical cluster at 1.16km is accessible by the 131 and 139 bus services within approximately 8 minutes, making Neem Tree a credible address for healthcare professionals who prefer not to live within the dense immediate Novena precinct.
Schools & Education
2 primary schools within the 1 km Priority Phase balloting radius.
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Beatty Secondary School | secondary | Within 1 km |
| School of Science and Technology | jc | Within 1 km |
| CHIJ Secondary (Toa Payoh) | secondary | Within 1 km |
| Balestier Hill Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
| CHIJ Our Lady Queen of Peace | primary | Within 1 km |
| Pei Chun Public School | primary | ~1.3 km |
| De La Salle School | primary | ~1.3 km |
| Manjusri Secondary School | secondary | ~1.4 km |
Facilities
At 84 units, Neem Tree delivers a boutique facilities package calibrated for the D12 mid-tier market rather than attempting the resort-scale amenity decks associated with larger CCR developments. The headline facility is a swimming pool — the centrepiece of the landscaped recreational level — complemented by a gymnasium equipped with the cardio and resistance training machines expected from a 2020-vintage development. The facilities design follows the contemporary boutique template: curated, functional, and proportioned to the resident community size rather than the marketing brochure fantasy. With 84 units sharing a pool that would be considered generous at double the density, residents benefit from the practical reality of boutique scale: near-exclusive access to the pool during morning and evening hours that would be heavily contested in a 300–500 unit development.
The 2020 TOP vintage means Neem Tree's facilities arrive with a full equipment lifecycle ahead of them. Gym machines, pool infrastructure, lift systems, and common area finishings are in the first third of their service life — a meaningful advantage over older D12 stock where deferred maintenance and sinking fund adequacy are genuine buyer considerations. The development's MCST manages a community of a size where decisions are made quickly and individual owners carry meaningful proportional influence. Residents who have owned in both boutique and large-format developments consistently cite this governance dynamic as a quality-of-life differentiator that is difficult to quantify but genuinely felt in day-to-day estate management.
“The pool is always quiet — even on weekend mornings there's maybe two or three people. After living in a 400-unit condo where you couldn't get a lane before 8am, it honestly feels like a private pool. The gym is the same — never had to wait for equipment.”
— Resident review via PropertyGuru
Unit Sizes & Layout
Neem Tree's 84 units span a 1-bedroom to 3-bedroom mix typical of boutique D12 developments targeting both owner-occupiers and rental investors. The median transacted price of $1,085,000 and average price of $1,036,246 place the accessible entry point in the sub-$1.1M range — a genuinely competitive quantum for a 2020-vintage freehold D12 unit when measured against the post-2022 new-launch environment in adjacent districts where comparable specifications command $1.4M–$2.0M entry points. The 2-bedroom configuration is the most actively transacted tier in the rental market, contributing substantially to the 193 cumulative rental transactions recorded since completion — a rental velocity that implies the building has maintained strong occupancy across its first four years of operation. Average rent of $3,109 and median rent of $3,000 per month position Neem Tree's tenancy profile squarely in the mid-market professional rental segment: the primary tenant profile is likely single expatriates, young professional couples, and healthcare workers in the adjacent Novena cluster.
Interior finishings reflect the 2020-vintage mid-tier D12 specification standard: engineered stone or laminate kitchen countertops, branded sanitary fittings, and a layout execution that prioritises livability over showflat impressiveness. Units in the $1,794 PSF range at 2020 TOP were not competing with CCR specifications at $2,500+ PSF — they were competing with the older D12 freehold cohort from 2005–2015, and by that benchmark, Neem Tree's finishings are a generation ahead. The building's compact scale means that most units have reasonable natural light exposure; there are no deep internal corridors or light-deprived lower-floor stacks of the type that afflict wider-footprint developments. Higher-floor units on the better-facing stacks capture views across the low-rise Jalan Kemaman streetscape and the broader Toa Payoh–Balestier skyline.
| Bedrooms | Transactions | Avg PSF | Avg Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 BR | 9 | $1,855 | $797,531 |
| 1 BR | 8 | $1,786 | $1,035,986 |
| 2 BR | 7 | $1,734 | $1,311,143 |
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 24 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $750,000 to $1,520,000, averaging $1,026,819 (~$1,793 psf).
Rents range from $1,500 to $5,000 per month across 193 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 3.3%.
Price Appreciation
From 2021 to 2026, the average PSF has appreciated by 5.8% (from $1,694 to $1,792 psf).
Neighbourhood Comparison
Verticus (D12, freehold, 162 units, ~$2,122 PSF) is the most directly comparable freehold D12 alternative in terms of tenure and district positioning, but represents a newer launch with a materially higher PSF. At $2,122 PSF versus Neem Tree's $1,794 PSF, the $328 PSF differential reflects both the newer launch vintage and Verticus's taller profile and slightly improved location relative to Boon Keng MRT. For buyers who can extend their budget to the $1.4M–$1.6M range, Verticus offers a newer building and a higher floor count with better city views. For buyers constrained to the sub-$1.2M quantum, Neem Tree's accessible entry is the determining factor.
Gem Residences (D12, 99-year leasehold, 578 units, $1,831 PSF) illustrates the tenure trade-off clearly: at $1,831 PSF on a 99-year lease commencing 2015, buyers are paying a similar PSF to Neem Tree's freehold while accepting a diminishing asset with a 2015 start date. Gem Residences' scale (578 units) delivers a substantially more extensive facilities package — multiple pools, tennis courts, a clubhouse — and a larger MCST reserve, but the leasehold tenure is a fundamental structural difference for long-hold buyers. Neem Tree's $1,794 PSF freehold against Gem Residences' $1,831 PSF leasehold is one of the clearest illustrations in D12 of why the tenure gap matters: at near-parity PSF, the freehold unit preserves terminal value indefinitely while the leasehold unit depreciates on a 99-year schedule. Eight Riversuites (D12, 99-year leasehold, 843 units, $1,641 PSF) represents the older leasehold benchmark in the precinct — materially cheaper per sqft than Neem Tree but carrying a 2011 vintage and nearly 15 years of lease expiry, alongside the scale trade-offs of an 843-unit mega-development where shared facilities are perpetually contested.
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NEEM TREE | Freehold | 2020 | 84 | $1,793 |
| THE ORIE | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2024 | 2025 | 52 | $2,730 |
| EIGHT RIVERSUITES | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2011 | 2016 | 843 | $1,643 |
| GEM RESIDENCES | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2015 | — | 578 | $1,838 |
| TREVISTA | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2008 | — | 590 | $1,702 |
| VERTICUS | Freehold | 2021 | 162 | $2,122 |
ShiokNest Scores
Our proprietary scoring system evaluates NEEM TREE across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
“Jalan Kemaman is a quiet dead-end street but it's very well connected by bus — the 131 goes directly to Toa Payoh MRT in about 10 minutes. The Toa Payoh Hub is walking distance for most errands, and the Balestier area has great food options. I don't miss the MRT being further than I expected.”
— Owner-occupier review via PropertyGuru
“The finishings are noticeably better than older D12 condos in the area — the kitchen and bathrooms look current even after a few years. Building management is responsive because it's a small 84-unit place. The only gripe is that Toa Payoh MRT is a 12-minute walk in the rain, but buses cover that well enough.”
— Tenant feedback via 99.co
“We bought for the CHIJ school proximity and the freehold title. At this price for a 2020-build freehold unit, there was nothing comparable in D12. The neighbourhood has a genuine heartland feel which we actually like — real hawker centres, HDB amenities nearby, not over-gentrified.”
— Buyer review via EdgeProp
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Freehold tenure — permanent title in D12 at a sub-$1,800 PSF entry point
- 2020 TOP vintage — modern specifications, full equipment lifecycle ahead, no deferred maintenance risk
- Three MRT stations within 1.5km: Toa Payoh NSL (780m), Novena NSL (1.16km), Boon Keng NEL (1.43km)
- Strong school cluster: Beatty Secondary 420m, CHIJ Secondary Toa Payoh 600m, Balestier Hill Primary 830m
- Toa Payoh Hub heartland amenity node within 900m — library, polyclinic, sports hall, cinema, F&B
- 3.32% gross yield — above CCR boutique norm, supported by 193 cumulative rental transactions since 2020
- Boutique 84-unit scale — uncrowded pool and gym, responsive MCST, genuine community living
- Balestier heritage corridor within walking distance — authentic neighbourhood texture, hawker centres, heritage shophouses
- Novena medical cluster accessible by bus (10–12 min) — strong rental demand from healthcare professionals
- Sub-$1.1M median price — accessible freehold entry for D12 HDB upgraders and mid-market buyers
- Toa Payoh MRT (NS19) at 780m — functional but not walkable in all weather; requires bus or brisk walk
- Investment score 48 — limited near-term price catalysts; no upcoming MRT station or precinct rezoning
- En-bloc score 39 — 84-unit scale is too small for technically viable collective sale in current market
- PSF softened from $1,868 peak (Year 3) to $1,739 (Year 4) — modest correction, but trend bears monitoring
- Aylesbury Pte Ltd developer brand lacks the name recognition of CDL, CapitaLand, or Roxy-Pacific
- Boutique 84-unit MCST — fewer owners to share major capital expenditure when it eventually arises
- No covered walkway to any MRT station — all three stations involve weather-exposed walking or bus transfers
- Facilities are functional rather than resort-scale — no tennis court, no resort aquatic deck
Verdict
Neem Tree's value proposition is most clearly understood as: freehold D12 with 2020 specifications at a sub-$1,800 PSF entry, within a 1km radius of three MRT stations, adjacent to the Toa Payoh heartland amenity ecosystem, and surrounded by a school cluster that provides genuine priority balloting advantages for families. The PSF trajectory from $1,694 at Year 0 to a $1,868 peak at Year 3 before softening to $1,739 at Year 4 tells a coherent story: early buyer appreciation, a post-peak correction consistent with broader 2023–2024 market normalisation, and no project-specific deterioration. The $1,794 current average PSF sits between the Year 0 and Year 3 values — a positioning that implies the market has settled at a level above launch but below peak, which is a healthy resale equilibrium for a boutique D12 freehold.
The investment score of 48 and en-bloc score of 39 are honest signals about Neem Tree's growth ceiling. At 84 units, the development is too small for a technically viable en-bloc sale by modern buyer expectations — the minimum payout to each owner would need to be material enough to justify the collective process, and the land area may not be compelling enough for developers at current DC rates. The investment score reflects the absence of strong near-term price catalysts beyond the organic Novena-fringe appreciation trend: there is no upcoming MRT station, no major rezoning, and no large-scale precinct renewal in the immediate pipeline. What Neem Tree does offer is structural stability: a freehold title, a 2020 vintage, and a rental demand base of 193 transactions that confirms the address is consistently tenantable. The gross yield of 3.32% is above the CCR boutique norm and reflects the mid-market rent positioning relative to the accessible price quantum — a genuine advantage for buyers who need the yield to service holding costs.
Against competing options, the case is clearest for buyers who are specifically targeting freehold D12 at current specifications and an accessible quantum, with a willingness to accept moderate MRT walkability in exchange for heartland amenity density, school proximity, and a building that will not require renovation for at least a decade. Buyers who prioritise sub-500m MRT walkability, high investment scores, or resort-scale facilities should extend their search to Novena-adjacent D11 or newer D12 launches — with the understanding that comparable specifications will cost $400–$600 PSF more. For its target buyer, Neem Tree is a legitimately well-positioned freehold asset in a precinct with enduring residential demand and no near-term supply shock.