Property News

[Frodo]

Hey daffy, that is more for Malaysians to commute to work in SG and Singaporeans to commute to shop in Malaysia.

Having a rail system does not mean permanent residency in Malaysia, any form of "permanence" is either in the retirement scheme or as a guest.

So don't take "moving Northwards" as a given rights for Sinkies. It is not and you can be booted out anytime.

Just as I would not invest in OZ if I did not have any links.

Without the HSR or RTS there are already some 5000? Singaporeans living in JB. They are not deterred by the lack of such transportation conveniences. But if they are in place it is very likely we will see more Singaporeans not just biting the cherry, but growing cherries in JB too.

 

[xebay11]

Without the HSR or RTS there are already some 5000? Singaporeans living in JB. They are not deterred by the lack of such transportation conveniences. But if they are in place it is very likely we will see more Singaporeans not just biting the cherry, but growing cherries in JB too.

5000 versus at least 200k Malaysians and SPRs in Singapore, anyway we are not discussing about convenience in access, which is tipped heavily in Malaysia's favor but the mad guy's attitude to take for granted that Singaporeans can just move North at will. Even if possible, it is all as guests to MY and nothing more.

 

[AHGS14]

Hey spineless, stand on your own two feet then try to feed on others for support, oh wait, better I don't say so much, later prata can fly and say not referring to me...... All here only clever at this tactic and spineless to take responsibility for what they say.

It will do a lot of good if one listens intently to the lyrics of the song "man in the mirror" by MJ.

 

[Frodo]

5000 versus at least 200k Malaysians and SPRs in Singapore, anyway we are not discussing about convenience in access, which is tipped heavily in Malaysia's favor but the mad guy's attitude to take for granted that Singaporeans can just move North at will. Even if possible, it is all as guests to MY and nothing more.

I don't see the relevance of comparing 5000 Singaporeans in JB versus 200K of Malaysians in SG. We know the reason for such large numbers being in SG is simply because of work. Whereas Singaporeans living in JB is more of a lifestyle thing. In any case, moving to JB is not that difficult, usually it is the state of mind that needs to be overcome first. And for me at least, living as guests in MY is more than good enough for now, at least life is more comfortable and dollar is stretched...whereas in SG always fretting about how easy money slips or leak away through Pay And Pay systems.

 

[xebay11]

It will do a lot of good if one listens intently to the lyrics of the song "man in the mirror" by MJ.

No matter how I look in the mirror, I don't see a spineless coward, who has to get support from others to make an argument, maybe that's what you see in your mirror.

 

[xebay11]

I don't see the relevance of comparing 5000 Singaporeans in JB versus 200K of Malaysians in SG. We know the reason for such large numbers being in SG is simply because of work. Whereas Singaporeans living in JB is more of a lifestyle thing. In any case, moving to JB is not that difficult, usually it is the state of mind that needs to be overcome first. And for me at least, living as guests in MY is more than good enough for now, at least life is more comfortable and dollar is stretched...whereas in SG always fretting about how easy money slips or leak away through Pay And Pay systems.

Reason why the comparison is made is because now sinkies moving North is only a trickle, but when it turns to a deluge, the higher ones up North won't be happy, costs will rise for the rakyat and the Malaysian Govt will try to stem the tide, you can see how friendly they are now to Singaporeans, they want to impose VEP soon, they don't allow Singapore cars to pump 95 petrol, they impose RM 1million barrier on foreigners, in a nut shell, they are not friendly to Singaporeans. So who knows what measures they will take next when floods of Singaporeans go into Malaysia to stay.

So never take the status quo now for granted.

 

[AHGS14]

no matter how i look in the mirror, i don't see a spineless coward, who has to get support from others to make an argument, maybe that's what you see in your mirror.

耍以德服人， 不耍嘴皮子。:d

 

[Frodo]

Reason why the comparison is made is because now sinkies moving North is only a trickle, but when it turns to a deluge, the higher ones up North won't be happy, costs will rise for the rakyat and the Malaysian Govt will try to stem the tide, you can see how friendly they are now to Singaporeans, they want to impose VEP soon, they don't allow Singapore cars to pump 95 petrol, they impose RM 1million barrier on foreigners, in a nut shell, they are not friendly to Singaporeans. So who knows what measures they will take next when floods of Singaporeans go into Malaysia to stay.

So never take the status quo now for granted.

Still the comparison is off. Anyway, what the MY would do next is anyone's guess. But right now I just enjoy the moment and take it as it comes. I wouldn't complain much that SG are not allowed to pump 95 petrol when our own govt is already pwning Singaporeans with the 3/4 tank rule. The MY govt has every right to limit subsidised petrol to MY cars. Subsidies have to be regulated so I am ok with that. And btw, I am beneficiary to subsidised petrol now since my car is MY registered. So sinkies CAN pump 95 petrol in MY, and even more cheap diesel!

 

[Tekkun]

Still the comparison is off. Anyway, what the MY would do next is anyone's guess. But right now I just enjoy the moment and take it as it comes. I wouldn't complain much that SG are not allowed to pump 95 petrol when our own govt is already pwning Singaporeans with the 3/4 tank rule. The MY govt has every right to limit subsidised petrol to MY cars. Subsidies have to be regulated so I am ok with that. And btw, I am beneficiary to subsidised petrol now since my car is MY registered. So sinkies CAN pump 95 petrol in MY, and even more cheap diesel!

Say what you like, here's a living proof of a Singaporean enjoying Malaysian Government subsidies on controlled items 2016.

General purpose flour, Cooking oil, RON 95 petrol, Diesel, Liquified Natural Gas


Goods Which Are Declared As Controlled Goods Under the Control of Supplies Act 1961 And Supplies Control Rules & Regulations
Which means prices are controlled and regulated.

Sugar , Wheat Flour , Cooking Oil , Chemical Fertiliser, Kerosene Oil , Petrol, motor spirit from all grades, Diesel Fuel, Soft Alloy round bar
Cement, Liquefied petroleum gas, Bread, Chicken

 

[snowbird]

Reason why the comparison is made is because now sinkies moving North is only a trickle, but when it turns to a deluge, the higher ones up North won't be happy, costs will rise for the rakyat and the Malaysian Govt will try to stem the tide, you can see how friendly they are now to Singaporeans, they want to impose VEP soon, they don't allow Singapore cars to pump 95 petrol, they impose RM 1million barrier on foreigners, in a nut shell, they are not friendly to Singaporeans. So who knows what measures they will take next when floods of Singaporeans go into Malaysia to stay.

So never take the status quo now for granted.

You will not be able to see hundred of thousands of Singaporeans flooding to settle in JB anytime soon, at least for the working people, at least for the next 10,15 years.
The cost of housing and cost of living in much more critical in Hongkong compare to SG and yet you don't see tens of thousand of Hongkongers rushing to settle in Shenzhen.
Shenzhen is even nearer and the fact that HK will be revert to Chinese rule in 2047 should be another attractive factor - same country very soon.
Hongkongers would rather pay exorbitant price for a 500 sq ft apartment to squeeze in their family of 6 than to take advantage of very much lower cost of everything in SZ.
And for the same reason, property prices will remain high in HK and the this same situation is reflected in Macau/Zhuhai.
Do you know why?

There is one point that I do agree is that you'll never know what and when MY will implement new policies that will affect foreigners' property investment so all investors should go in with their eyes opened.

 

[Frodo]

Say what you like, here's a living proof of a Singaporean enjoying Malaysian Government subsidies on controlled items 2016.

General purpose flour, Cooking oil, RON 95 petrol, Diesel, Liquified Natural Gas


Goods Which Are Declared As Controlled Goods Under the Control of Supplies Act 1961 And Supplies Control Rules & Regulations
Which means prices are controlled and regulated.

Sugar , Wheat Flour , Cooking Oil , Chemical Fertiliser, Kerosene Oil , Petrol, motor spirit from all grades, Diesel Fuel, Soft Alloy round bar
Cement, Liquefied petroleum gas, Bread, Chicken

Not forgetting too that the restriction to pump R95 petrol does not apply to SG bikes.

 

[xebay11]

You will not be able to see hundred of thousands of Singaporeans flooding to settle in JB anytime soon, at least for the working people, at least for the next 10,15 years.
The cost of housing and cost of living in much more critical in Hongkong compare to SG and yet you don't see tens of thousand of Hongkongers rushing to settle in Shenzhen.
Shenzhen is even nearer and the fact that HK will be revert to Chinese rule in 2047 should be another attractive factor - same country very soon.
Hongkongers would rather pay exorbitant price for a 500 sq ft apartment to squeeze in their family of 6 than to take advantage of very much lower cost of everything in SZ.
And for the same reason, property prices will remain high in HK and the this same situation is reflected in Macau/Zhuhai.
Do you know why?

There is one point that I do agree is that you'll never know what and when MY will implement new policies that will affect foreigners' property investment so all investors should go in with their eyes opened.

Yes I agree with you. My point simply is not to take for granted any right that when things get too hot in Singapore, they can just move North at will. Enjoy it while you can now, we never know what happens tomorrow.

 

[Frodo]

Yes I agree with you. My point simply is not to take for granted any right that when things get too hot in Singapore, they can just move North at will. Enjoy it while you can now, we never know what happens tomorrow.

one thing we can reasonably know for sure is that SG will get more and more expensive to live in, while next door JB is like a cost savings haven compared.

 

[tstar]

what makes huawei successful is that they do everything that ericsson did and at a fraction of cost.
and that is because china has vast land and cheap labor.

in electronics market, labor/production cost is of utmost importance. with automation and artificial intelligence progressing by leaps and bounds, skilled labor are not that important .... machines can do most work ..
it is not like 20 or 30 years ago . when a lot of engineers were needed to draw PCB. nowadays you can do all fancy high tech programming work in the US or in China and go into hardware products in other developing coutries.


that is what mnc need today.. A big place to set up a big factory with low low rental cost..flood the market and beat the competitors..
but sg nowadays is the most expensive place in the whole world....

 

[Frodo]

what makes huawei successful is that they do everything that ericsson did and at a fraction of cost.
and that is because china has vast land and cheap labor.

in electronics market, labor/production cost is of utmost importance. with automation and artificial intelligence progressing by leaps and bounds, skilled labor are not that important .... machines can do most work ..
it is not like 20 or 30 years ago . when a lot of engineers were needed to draw PCB. nowadays you can do all fancy high tech programming work in the US or in China and go into hardware products in other developing coutries.


that is what mnc need today.. A big place to set up a big factory with low low rental cost..flood the market and beat the competitors..
but sg nowadays is the most expensive place in the whole world....

Victims of our own success?

 

[snowbird]

what makes huawei successful is that they do everything that ericsson did and at a fraction of cost.
and that is because china has vast land and cheap labor.

That's why US companies like Apple can be so successful, profitable and cash rich because they knows how to capitalise on China's cheap skilled labour and even cheaper land and buildings.
Singapore used to be in that position until China opened up (with the help of SG).
Remember in the earlier days, companies like Setron, Fairchild, Micropolis, GE, etc employing thousands of Singaporeans?


in electronics market, labor/production cost is of utmost importance. with automation and artificial intelligence progressing by leaps and bounds, skilled labor are not that important .... machines can do most work ..
it is not like 20 or 30 years ago . when a lot of engineers were needed to draw PCB. nowadays you can do all fancy high tech programming work in the US or in China and go into hardware products in other developing coutries.

that is what mnc need today.. A big place to set up a big factory with low low rental cost..flood the market and beat the competitors..
but sg nowadays is the most expensive place in the whole world...

So, SG and her people needs to reinvent themselves, make necessary changes and adaptation for the new challenges ahead.
Type of job needed, type of industries, etc. will be different as time goes on.
A much sought after job 10, 15 years ago may not be required in the very near future.
Many middle aged PMET were caught by surprise in the last decade, many did not upgrade themselves with time and got themselves squeezed out of the job market.

..........

 

[sgcount]

You will not be able to see hundred of thousands of Singaporeans flooding to settle in JB anytime soon, at least for the working people, at least for the next 10,15 years.
The cost of housing and cost of living in much more critical in Hongkong compare to SG and yet you don't see tens of thousand of Hongkongers rushing to settle in Shenzhen.
Shenzhen is even nearer and the fact that HK will be revert to Chinese rule in 2047 should be another attractive factor - same country very soon.
Hongkongers would rather pay exorbitant price for a 500 sq ft apartment to squeeze in their family of 6 than to take advantage of very much lower cost of everything in SZ.
And for the same reason, property prices will remain high in HK and the this same situation is reflected in Macau/Zhuhai.
Do you know why?

There is one point that I do agree is that you'll never know what and when MY will implement new policies that will affect foreigners' property investment so all investors should go in with their eyes opened.

I'm curious to know why HK people don't rush to buy Shenzhen properties. What's the reason? Something we can learn here.

Some have compared SG-Iskandar to HK-Shenzhen. I believe it is likely the same here too -- SGporeans won't rush to go to Iskandar in the next decade or two. People in SG and the govt are already planning for SG100. So that's how far the vision is.

I think Iskandar remains largely for those who want an alternative lifestyle but with some readjustments to their lifestyle. It's this part that will prevent most from moving. For families with personal businesses rooted firmly here, it's like a fish out of water to move to Iskandar. For retirees and those who don't mind the long time (tiring also) in traveling, it makes sense. So for own stay, it's ok. For investment or buying for the future, there's a big "?"

Many SGporeans will stay put in SG because of familiarity of environment. They'd rather live in small and relatively expensive HDB flats than relocate to a bigger and cheaper unit or house in Iskandar. In SG, there's the convenience of travel via our excellent public transport, safety, easy access to places in general.

As for change in govt policies, that's certainly another (political) risk. Not sure how long Najib will be in power. Whoever takes over from him can change stuffs and rules. The >RM1million rule to sell properties to foreigners caught many offguard. Another lesson to learn here is: You must have the $ and holding power when buying Iskandar properties. It's $ you may not see any returns soon. What you get is the physical property itself.

 

[Frodo]

I'm curious to know why HK people don't rush to buy Shenzhen properties. What's the reason? Something we can learn here.

Some have compared SG-Iskandar to HK-Shenzhen. I believe it is likely the same here too -- SGporeans won't rush to go to Iskandar in the next decade or two. People in SG and the govt are already planning for SG100. So that's how far the vision is.

I think Iskandar remains largely for those who want an alternative lifestyle but with some readjustments to their lifestyle. It's this part that will prevent most from moving. For families with personal businesses rooted firmly here, it's like a fish out of water to move to Iskandar. For retirees and those who don't mind the long time (tiring also) in traveling, it makes sense. So for own stay, it's ok. For investment or buying for the future, there's a big "?"

Many SGporeans will stay put in SG because of familiarity of environment. They'd rather live in small and relatively expensive HDB flats than relocate to a bigger and cheaper unit or house in Iskandar. In SG, there's the convenience of travel via our excellent public transport, safety, easy access to places in general.

As for change in govt policies, that's certainly another (political) risk. Not sure how long Najib will be in power. Whoever takes over from him can change stuffs and rules. The >RM1million rule to sell properties to foreigners caught many offguard. Another lesson to learn here is: You must have the $ and holding power when buying Iskandar properties. It's $ you may not see any returns soon. What you get is the physical property itself.

In my view, it depends on whether one wishes to buy for own use or buy for investment. For the latter, people would not buy for investment because of the risks involved which folks like yourself and xebay have many times expressed. So I think no need to repeat them here.

As for buying a property and actually moving over to stay. Generally I believe the option is feasible for many Singaporeans, but the following are the holding back factors, or a combination of reasons (perceived or real) why Singaporeans wouldn’t want to do that anytime soon. The following list is not ranked but certainly I believe top of the list is the congestion factor.

1. Cannot tolerate the jams across the causeway to commute to work or for kids to study
2. Ignorant that Singaporeans can actually buy a house and live there like a local, without any kind of special permit. Till today I still have friends asking “SG can do this one meh?”
3. Lack of money. For peasants (like me) who In SG already very budget tight and low or almost non-existent savings, don’t think can even afford downpayment for a property in JB.
4. Loaded with money. For rich people (like xebay) Can afford living in condo/landed, have cars, etc in SG, so what for buy JB property or live there?
5 SG very convenient to move about…amenities are within walking distances, MRT available.
6. SG very clean and modern, JB very dirty and look like third world country
7. SG is very clean, JB (or MY) is corrupt from top politicians to low ranking traffic police
8. SG is low crime whereas JB is crime-infested
9. Friends and relatives are in SG
10. Overall feel very comfortable with life in SG, so see no need to move to JB to live. Play can, to live no.

 

[ECboy]

http://www.worldatlas.com/articles/most-dangerous-cities-in-asia.html

Most dangerous cities in Asia. Read with a pinch of salt.

 

[potter]

Not forgetting too that the restriction to pump R95 petrol does not apply to SG bikes.

Good point. I will inform the authority to stop the loophole.