.
Didn’t know is so sexual 
No match to Lake Tahoe for skiing.
1 Like
Aren’t foreigners mostly manual labors living in their own dorms and maids living with their employers?
Well, I went to UCLA and my Southern Cal work team is in LA. Traffic is the thing that prevents LA from taking any top prize. We even had problems recruiting because of where our office is.
Singapore has been fun and certainly a nice place to visit periodically when visiting inlaws. If Singapore RE is not doable or just too expensive, I can settle for Penang, Malaysia.
Aren’t you going to follow your buddy into Vietnamese real estate?
Singapore, US citizens can buy REs, but we will have condo types for a Million! Singapore has crowd as it is tiny city and tiny country, lot of cross traffic. Malaysia is cheaper than singapore by cost of living.
However, it is kind of downsizing effort, going from SFO to eastern countries.
You just visit once New zealand, and then decide. You will have both naturaly beauty and US kind of environment, affordable level, freedom…etc. I think lot of medical coverages are free (do not know in detail).
I am still here in Auckland. Will get back to the states tomorrow.
Real estate here in the good (school, commute) neighborhoods of Auckland and Queenstown is not cheap. Houses are on small lots (typically 3000 sq ft). Prices have gone up a lot in the last 6 years and it’s ripe for a big drop. I’ve seen houses with ~2500 sq ft built area asking for 1.5M to 2M NZD in Auckland and Queenstown. I keep wondering how folks are affording it - the slice of highly skilled workforce here is very small. So I am guessing a lot of the buyers are foreign buyers. Australian and Singapore citizens have no restrictions on buying any kind of RE here.
Also the government is making it harder for speculators (longer hold times to avoid capital gains, lesser tax deductions on rentals) etc.
3 Likes
Sure? SFO is not as cosmopolitan as many well known Asian city. However, if you like country side…
I think you miss why he wants to move “back”
You want him to go to a faraway place?
Many Singaporeans bought properties in Australia and New Zealand. If I am not wrong, can only sell back to locals or … Can’t remember, so long ago.
Your choice, kampong or cosmopolitan lifestyle.
Do you really feel at home at any place?
1 Like
We will check it out or go along for a sightseeing trip (if my wife lets me… :-)). Price point is way lower, but he said you have to be careful and have a trusted partner. If buy-in is like $100K or less, why not?
We just got back in from a day of hawker and strolling through Chinatown and eating some pretty good Thai food. The amazing thing to me is how crowded the malls are here in Singapore. I mean, it was like 7pm and yes a Saturday night but the mall was jammed packed with people! I don’t remember malls in the Bay Area like that at all…
How much? They look legit.
This set called “The Prosperity Set Meal” was $19.90 $S and comes with a bottled tea drink. This was in the huge food court that is in the adjoining mall. W2
The preacher at my wedding aka the Jewish pope who was partial to Russian and Thai girls, sold his Sunset great Highway house for $2m. He moved to Pattaya beach in Thailand and is now a rockstar. 72 and plays the saxophone. Plays with British rocker bands and is reliving his youth. Move to Singapore and reinvent yourself.
I just got back last night. Singapore was definitely a fun place and that Marina Bay Sands Hotel is a must return for me, but I think I am still leaning on Penang, Malaysia as my future home away from home. Just looking at the property options, I may want to just go cheaper with a good sized sea view condo that is a few $100K at most. My family and friends can come and visit if I am there or just use the place as our extended family vacation spot. The condos my Singapore bro-inlaw thinks I can get in Singapore will run me about $1.3-1.5M min if I am lucky. Maybe not worth the effort at my age…
Geez, that rent is kind of low no for over $1M price tag to start?
Exactly why you should rent it, not buy.
Take advantage of the poor landlord.
1 Like
Gross yield is about 4%. Min rent is $4000.
Less than that indicated in the range is for a room.
1 Like
Ok, yes, more in line with my expectation of achievable rent.
Then I mind as well AirBnB on the Malaysia side which is way cheaper and I can visit Singapore on the urge.
1 Like