Property News

snowbird said:

So in conclusion, have you in reality, upgraded or downgraded?

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Organic said:

Use the app named HERE is useful. It works on GPS.

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Frodo said:

It is probably the notion that when one moves from HDB to condo one is moving from a public good to a private property, more atas, more expensive, got swimming pool etc. And because landed is so expensive in Singapore most are just happy to be able to move "up" to a condo, even if it meant that the condo is smaller than the HDB!

Before moving to JB we never entertained the thought of "upgrading" to a condo in Singapore because we knew we could never afford it. We were contented with the relatively large 4 room flat we have, but the arrival of the baby meant we were running out of space. So it was a blessing that we could make a jump from HDB to landed by moving to JB without paying the kind of money needed in Singapore.

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mpan12 said:

Singaporean couple seriously injured in JB:
http://news.asiaone.com/news/malays...singapore-couple-serious-injuries-johor-bahru

- "She went on to express SHOCK over falling victim to the robbery, expressing that what happen was LEAST EXPECTED."

- "She said that if not for her boyfriend, she could be in a WORSE STATE."

- "After the surviving the ordeal, she said was REALLY GLAD to make it back to Singapore."

- "She also warned that Johor Bahru is REALLY UNSAFE especially during the festive season."

Everybody thinks and says "It won't happen to me" until it really happens.

This is also one of the reasons to answer your question why a JB condo costs less than S$300k while a similar sized one in SG may cost S$1.3 million.

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kslresidence said:

from asset owning point of view, the path of luxury (upgrading /downgrading) goes Public Housing Scheme (HDB) -> Landed / Condo.

However I believe that is just asset, living in Malaysia for the past 1 year (coming) I realised, that is just the asset portion which sometimes is not really that important. Living Space is crucial if you have a big family. There is really no point "upgrading" from a 5 room HDB to a studio apartment if you have more than 3 pax. At the same time, moving into Johor, I do get the upgrade and downgrade feel at the same time. Weekdays when i need to take bus into Singapore to work I feel downgrading as I never have to wake up at 4am in Singapore just to ensure I reach workplace on time. However, during weekend, then it is a totally different story. When I can fine dine/high tea with my wife, got chance to go orphanage to do volunteer work, I feel my lifestyle has been upgraded

So as you can see, lifestyle is very important especially your mindset.

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cybermad said:

Do you really mean that robbery never happen in SG ? Yawn.

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mpan12 said:

It depends on one's financial/social situation, lifestyle and psychology.

For a working class adult like me with close-knitted family and lifestyle firmly grounded here, I generally consider it a downgrade to move from SG to JB. Getting a larger property cheap in JB cannot be the only reason to rejoice or an attractive push factor.

Moving to JB certainly involves making drastic changes to one's lifestyle compared to that in SG. Waking up at unearthly hours in the morning, being stuck in traffic for more than an hour every day, being fatigued and spending less time with family as a result... these are huge downgrades already. It's also not easy if your spouse has to work in SG and you have kids already doing well in the good schools in SG. Why move to JB?

Also, I feel the common complaint of SG homes being "pigeon holes" is largely exaggerated. We are far from the situation in other larger 1st world cities. If you didn't get into the property market earlier, why should you blame the government or country? Yes, properties in SG are still getting expensive but it should be manageable if you plan well. What you get is the value. I can't say the same for JB properties.

Of course, if you're like Frodo, who unfortunately, doesn't have the financial means to afford a larger home in SG and yet want to have more space, then maybe moving to JB is a consideration provided you can sacrifice other conditions and make changes to your lifestyle.

At the end of it all, I feel it's up to one's psychology. How cheap is cheap, and how big is big?

When SG condos were selling at about S$800k several years ago, people generally complained: "Crazy! Earlier buyers could get it for only S$500k. Why should I pay S$300k more? SG properties are too expensive." Within 5 years, the same condo is selling for S$1.3 million, and people still say "Crazy! I can't afford it and even if I could, I won't pay at this kind of price." If the same condo goes up in price next time to say, S$1.8 million, what do you think people will say again? Yup, Crazy price!

Then why didn't you buy it when it was at S$500k, S$800k or S$1.4 million?

Is a 1,500 sq ft condo in JB considered big compared to a 900 sq ft condo in SG? To some, it's a resounding yes. But to others, 1,500 sq ft is nothing. There are houses 2,500-3,000 sq ft in other 1st world countries that go for the same price. To these owners, 1,500 sq ft is a pathetic size. It all boils down to one's expectations and psychology.

If you're retired or semi-retired, with grown up kids, moving to JB could be a different story. You have all the time in the world to drive in and out at non-peak hours, do what you want and lifestyle changes is not so much a problem compared to working adults with school-going kids.

Much said, there is no doubt you get much better value living in Singapore which is almost impossible to quantify -- Safety (something that can never be taken for granted!), high standards of living, a strong non-corrupted government, good business system, strong currency and property value, convenience of an excellent public transport system and may other plus points. The opposite is generally true of JB.

So you can't cry out why should I pay $1 million condo in SG when one in JB costs less than S$300k. You can't compare gold with copper.

It's really about expectations, knowing what you want and deciding if the kind of lifestyle you have fits moving to JB.

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mpan12 said:

Yawnzzzzzzz.... Did I make the claim in the post that robbery never happens in SG?

Maybe you want to show me when was the last time a person was terribly injured due to such a similar robbery in SG? And how many times it happened here compared to JB.

Yawnzzzzz.....

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mpan12 said:

Yawnzzzzzzz.... Did I make the claim in the post that robbery never happens in SG?

Maybe you want to show me when was the last time a person was terribly injured due to such a similar robbery in SG? And how many times it happened here compared to JB.

Yawnzzzzz.....

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mpan12 said:

Singaporean couple seriously injured in JB:
http://news.asiaone.com/news/malays...singapore-couple-serious-injuries-johor-bahru

- "She went on to express SHOCK over falling victim to the robbery, expressing that what happen was LEAST EXPECTED."

- "She said that if not for her boyfriend, she could be in a WORSE STATE."

- "After the surviving the ordeal, she said was REALLY GLAD to make it back to Singapore."

- "She also warned that Johor Bahru is REALLY UNSAFE especially during the festive season."

Everybody thinks and says "It won't happen to me" until it really happens.

This is also one of the reasons to answer your question why a JB condo costs less than S$300k while a similar sized one in SG may cost S$1.3 million.

Click to expand...

mpan12 said:

It depends on one's financial/social situation, lifestyle and psychology.

For a working class adult like me with close-knitted family and lifestyle firmly grounded here, I generally consider it a downgrade to move from SG to JB. Getting a larger property cheap in JB cannot be the only reason to rejoice or an attractive push factor.

Moving to JB certainly involves making drastic changes to one's lifestyle compared to that in SG. Waking up at unearthly hours in the morning, being stuck in traffic for more than an hour every day, being fatigued and spending less time with family as a result... these are huge downgrades already. It's also not easy if your spouse has to work in SG and you have kids already doing well in the good schools in SG. Why move to JB?

Also, I feel the common complaint of SG homes being "pigeon holes" is largely exaggerated. We are far from the situation in other larger 1st world cities. If you didn't get into the property market earlier, why should you blame the government or country? Yes, properties in SG are still getting expensive but it should be manageable if you plan well. What you get is the value. I can't say the same for JB properties.

Of course, if you're like Frodo, who unfortunately, doesn't have the financial means to afford a larger home in SG and yet want to have more space, then maybe moving to JB is a consideration provided you can sacrifice other conditions and make changes to your lifestyle.

At the end of it all, I feel it's up to one's psychology. How cheap is cheap, and how big is big?

When SG condos were selling at about S$800k several years ago, people generally complained: "Crazy! Earlier buyers could get it for only S$500k. Why should I pay S$300k more? SG properties are too expensive." Within 5 years, the same condo is selling for S$1.3 million, and people still say "Crazy! I can't afford it and even if I could, I won't pay at this kind of price." If the same condo goes up in price next time to say, S$1.8 million, what do you think people will say again? Yup, Crazy price!

Then why didn't you buy it when it was at S$500k, S$800k or S$1.4 million?

Is a 1,500 sq ft condo in JB considered big compared to a 900 sq ft condo in SG? To some, it's a resounding yes. But to others, 1,500 sq ft is nothing. There are houses 2,500-3,000 sq ft in other 1st world countries that go for the same price. To these owners, 1,500 sq ft is a pathetic size. It all boils down to one's expectations and psychology.

If you're retired or semi-retired, with grown up kids, moving to JB could be a different story. You have all the time in the world to drive in and out at non-peak hours, do what you want and lifestyle changes is not so much a problem compared to working adults with school-going kids.

Much said, there is no doubt you get much better value living in Singapore which is almost impossible to quantify -- Safety (something that can never be taken for granted!), high standards of living, a strong non-corrupted government, good business system, strong currency and property value, convenience of an excellent public transport system and may other plus points. The opposite is generally true of JB.

So you can't cry out why should I pay $1 million condo in SG when one in JB costs less than S$300k. You can't compare gold with copper.

It's really about expectations, knowing what you want and deciding if the kind of lifestyle you have fits moving to JB.

Click to expand...

kslresidence said:

Sometimes I read such news with a pinch of salt. I mean my mom was nearly robbed in Singapore when she is waiting for lift just a few years back. Sometimes when we do not see the news, does not mean it did not happen. At the same time, some times when I head down to JB Town and see those crowd, I can almost immediately point out who is Singaporean who is native Johorean. This is bad not only in Malaysia but any part of the world. We have benchmark security too highly due to the comfy life given by Singapore Govt for the past 51 years. We Singaporeans almost forgotten the skillset of surrounding awareness. Many times I saw couples flaunting their wealth openly in City Square or keep yelling, "Wow, only RM20... Cheap Cheap... Only less than SGD7" As though they are afraid the robbers do not know who to rob.

For the posted case, I always tell my fellow biker friends or rather all vehicle owners who are driving in, stop doing a routine route on a regular basis, sooner or later, you will get aim. Tebrau Jusco is another good warm bed for these vehicle owners to be targetted.

I mean Malaysia is definitely not heaven in term of social security, however some times we need to ask ourselves, are we giving them a feeling that we are easy target? Are we telling them that by robbing us, they are ensured of a big windfall because we are financially better off than them and carry lots of cash walking around? When you are out, or as a matter of fact, even when I am home, I am highly sensitive of my surrounding now. This also become one of my favourite development of my personality.

See... there you go... another "plus" point staying in Johor Learn to be street smart.

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tstar said:

a few weeks ago i had a drink with a friend. so i took taxi home. the driver is a typical old uncle. the moment he started to complain that the cost of living is so high nowadays. his elder son cannot get a good job and salary. not able to support him. at this age, i think at least 60s, he has to work late night...also medical costs....blah..blah..no money left actually by the end of each month laboring and toiling you know..

then i ask him if he has paid off his hdb loan. if already no hdb loan, can consider renting a terrace house in jb. like in hh. safe and nice place. then use the hdb rental to offset jb rental and then he and his wife can live very comfortably.

however the uncle did not know anything about hh. He shrugged off this idea and told me he went to jb when he was a boy. one can so easily get robbed there. he would rather stay in sg. ...

it is really interesting... if a taxi driver is so scared of going to jb, those very rich peopledriving flashy cars and in hh bungalows must have a terrible time every day living in an unknown world full of x factors.

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ECboy said:

Typical complain type. Know how to complain, don't know how to do something about it. Sometimes I get really frustrated working with these type of people in the office. Of course, I'm sure the taxi uncle has his reasons and circumstance, bla bla, but you always have a choice.

No offence to anyone, but this resonates deeply for me.

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xebay11 said:

Are you saying moving to Johor is a solution to his problems and that he is not smart to move there?

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ECboy said:

Nop, only in my opinion, he should do something to change his situation. Whatever that is, it's up to him. Complaining ain't gonna solve anything.

Having said that, some people are limited by circumstance, so not right for me to judge without knowing.

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xebay11 said:

So maybe he has no real solution that is why he can only complain.

You by posting that he is only complaining, have already judged him without knowing his constrains and situation.

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