Living in JB

[sillysinky]

Hi everyone, I am BACK!

Went for a long holidays to Ipoh, Kuantan, Penang, Melaka, Desaru, for almost 1 whole month. Spent more than RM 5,000. I had Oh I think someone asked about the semi d at the Golf with the million dollar view. I landed a couple and is going to confirm on a bungalow in East Ledang this week. I plan to retire and live on my rental income in 5 years time. After that I will pick up skills up laying tiles, installing kitchen cabinets, painting, repairing aircon, cars, washing machines etc so that I can provide comprehensive coverage for my wonderfull bosses/ tenants. I will also pick up massaging skills in case my pretty tenants need my service. This is what I meant by "Comprehensive". You rent my house and pay me money, u r my boss and I should provide all support to facilitate your entry into JB.

Life is good ever since I moved over to mudland. I had my young, sexy admin girl called Marie running the show for me, answering phone calls and providing special personalised services to my clients on behalf of me so that I can work behind the scene, pretending to hop around Mudland to canvass for sales while I muck around the whole peninsula going for massage, tiap tiap hari. Now I am back in business and ready to earn more money to go for another Peninsula tour end of this year.

Sorry dudes but life is damn good for me.

I envy you. maybe you can organise a seminar and teach people how to make a lot of passive income and have a good life like yours, eh ? You can earn money from the seminars too. :P remember to give special discounts to bros here.

 

[Analytical Professor]

I agree with you it is least noticeable. That does not mean it is not noticeable.

And therein lies the punch. Go to ICA office at Lavender and see how the foreigners are treated sometimes in a pretty rude manner as well.

The officers who sit behind the counter... Check them out.

People with a power given by government are spoiled by default and in Singapore it is least noticeable. QUOTE]

 

[Analytical Professor]

Agreed she has no right to be rude.

she has every right to instruct that the car be adjusted but I just dont buy it that she had to be sarcastic to downright rude. I rest my case.

 

[sillysinky]

That is so sad:(. I love local pork when compared with the airflown australian variety.

me too, local pork taste better than air flown australian one. somehow after being deep frozen, the taste is different from fresh one.
but it is quite obvious frozen will not taste as good as fresh meat.

 

[Analytical Professor]

Dear aangsc as you can read below its not wasteful. No one is wasting. Though occassionally we may overdo it a little bit here and a little bit there.

When I was staying in my HDB flat in Singapore, I used to go to the basement carpark during working hours and on the carpark tap full blast and blast my car with strong current for at least 15 minutes .. the entire process of washing and cleaning my car takes me 1 whole hour.. I must have saved at least S$50 buck on water bills as I reckon I used up about 100-200 pails of water to wash my car every week. I must repay the government for what it has done to me.


On that basis i think average consumption of 1000l a day is reasonable, and that costs MYR28.50 per month.

I realise in the last few months we have been too liberal or wasteful.. hence the usage was doubled.
Will be more conscious to keep the bill below MYR50 which should not be a difficult target

[/QUOTE]

 

[Analytical Professor]

The funny part is the supermarkets still dare say "Fresh Australian pork airflown".

Fresh is fresh can never be compared with frozen. Totally agree with you.

me too, local pork taste better than air flown australian one. somehow after being deep frozen, the taste is different from fresh one.
but it is quite obvious frozen will not taste as good as fresh meat.

 

[Polymin]

You da expert... it is 60 cu. My normal usage is about 40 cu.. hence i'm monitoring for a few more days. Now you just make me feel really guilty.

Haha

By the way, if you happen to install water pressure pump, a sign of leakage is when the pump keeps running. Happy hunting for the leak and hope you sort it out soon.

 

[Polymin]

Tong Carriage is good.

I used it and one of the bros here used it too

I moved to Nusajaya in Oct 2010. Got many quotes and most of them are quite professional but the pricing can vary. I finally made up my mind by using this company services. Very pleased and had no issue with the customs.
My piano, fridge, tv and many other furniture arrived in one piece.

Give them a call for a quote and you can decide for yourself.

Zarrar Khan - Relocation Specialist
Entourage Relocation Services Sdn Bhd. (872450-D)
P.O. Box 38,
81700, Pasir Gudang,
Johor, Malaysia.
Tel:_ _+607 - 3860976
Fax:_ +607 - 3860976__
H/P:_ +6017-7619310
Email:[email protected]___
Website: http://www.entouragerelocation.com

 

[sillysinky]

Exactly my point... Why is HH and East Ledang offering more land? Is it cause the land is cheaper?

Why is Setia offering less land? Is it cause of their brand/value proposition they bring to the table?

Setia must be getting something write to be able to price its properties way about the market and yet be able to sell them. Like i said earlier i could not find empty homes in our precint (which i had wanted to buy at a discount if possible)?

In fact when i checked with the Setia sales office in Spore to compare Setia Tropika with Bukit Indah price wise they said that Setia Tropika would be an expensive cake to eat.

not sure if many people realise this but SP Setia houses are more expensive than other developers , no matter which way you do the comparison.
maybe they think their build-quality is better and theirs is a branded property.!

 

[cathylmg]

not sure if many people realise this but SP Setia houses are more expensive than other developers , no matter which way you do the comparison.
maybe they think their build-quality is better and theirs is a branded property.!

I went around hunting for houses from Dato Onn to Adda Heights tp Kempas Utama and back to Setia Tropika. I must say that their house is very expansive in local context. However their service is good. They fetch you to see the actual site, they don't push you to decide. They even accept a mere deposit of RM$200 to secure my second house. Their banks are faster then the rest with comparable interest rate and most willing to accomodate and tailor my kind of earnings so that I qualify for their home loan. How's that for comparison?

 

[wuqi256]

The last few days has been especially busy, even when sick, i had to bring folks around, luckily i told one of my relatives side that i am really busy so will bring them around before May.

Bought a lot of tv antennas today to give to my tenants, from Giant, each just cost $26 Rm so passed them around to a neighbour as well.

A couple of friends have started emailing me and their friends friends as well so i try to give as much information as i can. I subtly referred them to this forum as as well as the good one that the lady set up.

Its really been a good ride here, i will be sharing a boat with a friend as well as his pick up to tow the boat around.

Btw, aangsc, there is already a groceries shop at HH (deeper inside, nearer to the school) that opens till almost midnight. Also, the Giant hypermarket opens at 8am these days.

Saw some enquiries about cars:
1. SG & PRs are not allowed to drive MY registered plates into SG
2. No red tape for foreigners but car loans can only get up to 70%
3. Its advisable to get a house loan or a car loan rather than pay it off straightaway just in case (for those who are still jittery about their government plans)
4. Its advisable to have a house here before you get a car unless you
plan to pay cash as car loan will be harder to get if you don't have an address or an S&P document
5. Road tax is like 50 RM to a few hundred dollars depending on your car type
6. JBJ is like their version of the old ROV in Singapore
7. Insurance is like 1000 plus RM
8. No radio license is required
9. No yearly check ups required, the shell of your old Proton Saga may have a WRX engine inside
10. Most mods are ok except excessively apparent ones
11. Most areas parking is STILL FREE
12. There is a place at the Perling toll area that tops up touch n go cards. There is a special promotion now on at RM 130 where you get a touch n go card with 10 inside. Deposit waived so effectively its only RM 110.
13. Just discovered that the Giant at Bukit Indah side has 2nd hand cars for sale inside their covered carpark. (a bit pricey but still cheap as compared to SG, can get a Proton for RM 13k)
14. There is an auction for cars near Giant Skudai (by KSL) where they hold monthly auctions, some cars are in very bad shape but some look more than good enough to drive away.

 

[wuqi256]

I went around hunting for houses from Dato Onn to Adda Heights tp Kempas Utama and back to Setia Tropika. I must say that their house is very expansive in local context. However their service is good. They fetch you to see the actual site, they don't push you to decide. They even accept a mere deposit of RM$200 to secure my second house. Their banks are faster then the rest with comparable interest rate and most willing to accomodate and tailor my kind of earnings so that I qualify for their home loan. How's that for comparison?

Thanks Cathylmg. For first timer, is it still at RM $500? 2 of my friends went to buy there already last year, one even bought an outside shop nearby.

This is good news, nowadays most developers won't accept anything less than a $10k RM cheque or in alot of cases, deposit is 10% of house price. This is good for those who have time, likes the 1st link and want to start early now. You only need to pay a bit of deposit, the rest, progressively until the house is finished.

 

[wuqi256]

Bro aangsc, i went to ask the developers the other day on the units you mentioned, they said not available anymore? Can you PM me with the unit details please? The developer guy i spoke to isn't too helpful. Some learned friends of mine are keen to find out more. We need to most fast if they are really still available

Now, we even have a datuk who is moving out here from SG(he was in SG all these years), we have a family of a steel tycoon from Indonesia moving out here and even 2 guys from a large oil company as well.

 

[wuqi256]

The basic yield for rental is not much, about 6-7% but its enough for me. One of my friends mortgage is about $1300 and gets back $2500, another is $1700 and gets back $2600. (All fully furnished)

One of my own units, i pay $1800 monthly and get back $3600. Now the naysayers who dissuaded me from buying more has the cheek to offer to buy one of my units the other day, suddenly saying he wants to do me a favour? Weird.
Even one of my tenants told me he is willing to pay me more for rental provided i can sell to him at the end of the 1 year)

The thing though is, i intend to keep them for my kids, my current plan is to give them each a house here and 1-2 cars. The ones in SG, i will just keep first and see how as we don't have plans to rent them out yet.

 

[cathylmg]

Thanks Cathylmg. For first timer, is it still at RM $500? 2 of my friends went to buy there already last year, one even bought an outside shop nearby.

This is good news, nowadays most developers won't accept anything less than a $10k RM cheque or in alot of cases, deposit is 10% of house price. This is good for those who have time, likes the 1st link and want to start early now. You only need to pay a bit of deposit, the rest, progressively until the house is finished.

I'm not sure how much they are asking now. The last time I put a deposit of RM$200 before applying for the bank loan was around this's years Chinese New Year time for the last international unit of Corranday Escher. Then when Dato Onn stubborn held on to my RM$3000 deposit of a semi-d even when they already know that I would not qualify for their bank loan, Setia's bank went on to negotiate posibilities with my husband processed my loans very fast. And did all the paperworks in the sales office.

What I am trying to say here is that not only comparing of prices is enough. When the market is on an uptrend, when you see the house is cheap but then run into problems with loan approvals, and another is a bit more expensive maybe by a couple tens of thousands but loan is approved for you, how do you decide?

 

[wuqi256]

First, let me thank you for posting this thread...someone pointed me to this site, and I must say that 155 pages on living in JB is a little too much to read right now. I'm wondering if I could ask some questions instead?

Some background: my wife is a malaysian citizen (from penang) and i'm american, but we're moving to singapore from the uk in april because i got a job in singapore...we also have a 2 year old boy.

1. i'm wondering if it would be realistic to live over one link or the other and then just commute to D13 every day? i have been trying to estimate drive times and it appears the 2nd link might be quicker, but i have more confidence in people who have actually made the drive than computer algorithms. how long might an average commute take to and from D13 during morning/evening traffic?

2. since my wife is a malaysian citizen, i'm thinking it would be pretty easy to purchase a basic used car in malaysia (like a proton), which i could then drive in and out for work...though i'm not sure whether there might be some 'red tape' i haven't considered yet?

3. my wife's primary concerns are: safety and access to day care where our son can learn both english and mandarin. we've tried searching for day care in jb, but haven't been able to come up with a lot. this is a MUST have...she will not consider living in JB unless we can find something like this. :-)

4. ideally, we'd like to spend no more than $4000/mo on rent.

5. given the above, if you were in my shoes, what would you do?

Thanks in advance for your help everyone...I wish I'd found this forum sooner so that I could do more of my own investigation, but with only 2 weeks left before we move, I have little spare time at present.

Cars wise, i have just posted for everyones convenience. Safety is ok as long as you live in gated and guarded place. Use your SG car sparingly if you must live near dodgy areas and get a MY car to travel around. $4000 RM or $4000 SG? If RM, you can get a very decent gated and guarded place and at least a fully furnished cluster or unfurnished semi-d in a good development. $4000 SGD, the sky is the limit for you, you can get a very good fully furnished 2.5 storey semi-d overlooking a golf course or even a bungalow.

It takes just 1 hour from JB to CBD area for me and i tried this at all times in the morning and afternoon from the 2nd link. 1st link wise need to do it earlier but still possible and viable.

If you do not get a PR in SG, you are in theory ok to drive an MY car out to SG. Also another thing is to get an international driving license (get in SG where its cheaper)so that you are well covered while driving in MY/SG.

If i were in your shoes? I won't waste anymore time online. Seeing is believing as they say..
www.iproperty.com.my

 

[Grago]

If you do not get a PR in SG, you are in theory ok to drive an MY car out to SG. Also another thing is to get an international driving license (get in SG where its cheaper)so that you are well covered while driving in MY/SG.

Dp248
On this point, I believe if one works in Singapore with either an Employment pass or Work pass one needs to get a SG car. If I am wrong then one of the bros. will correct me.

On a different note, as you wife is Malaysian, you can apply for a MAC ( automated clearing at malaysian Immmigartion) at the 2nd link itself. It's on the 2nd floor ( in your case 3rd. flr) of the building at the chk point itself. Just ask the Immigration officer who is quite helpful. Don't forget to bring along one passport size photo and RM$30 for application fees. All in takes 30 minutes top.... depending on time of day and number of people applying. (usually quite quite..... so rather quick to get the MAC stamp in your passport). This will be helpful as the immigation stamps are rather larger and will use up your passport quite quickly if you live in JB and commute to Singapore to work. Do remember to also get Dependants pass for your wife and child when you get your employment pass as it will perform the same function as MAC for the Singapore immigration side.

As to the day care in the Bukit Indah Area, depending on how old your child is, you would need to visit them to address your concerns........ Hope this helps.

 

[Investor]

i had wanted to comment on the article but was very busy with work so my views may have already been echoed before..

i felt the article apart from being misreported was also a little slanted. these young journalists (or maybe their editors) had to make those who made the moved look a little bad by trying to slot in details that their shifts were because they had financial needs or weren't earning top level salary etc. No they didnt emphasise it but the whole package including the caption at the front 'is it worth it' may have cast these impressions sub-consciously on the minds of readers. those smarty pants singaporeans will then pat themselves on their backs thinking how fortunate they are and how they will never have to put themselves at risk of danger in a foreign land like those 2nd class people who couldnt make it or keep up and thus have to content themselves with a more inconvenient way of life...

thankfully, those who have already been enlightened would have rushed to the comp and googled living in johor wu qi and found their way here! and to the showrooms to catch up with the first few 'waves' of singaporeans featured. this will explain the surge of readers, as well as house viewers which i noticed in my estate immediately the next day!

i want to state that focusing solely on CHEAPER living misses the point. The point is that life in Singapore is NOT the 'only' nor 'best' way and the life we are now enjoying is one that we CHOSE to live because we like it and can afford it. (not just in monetary terms)

We do our commutes because we find it reasonable, and enjoy nice scenic drives, and of course because it is also necessary but not because we have no choice. and mind you the SILLY JAMS are caused by the MASS of people living in clementi ave 2 and 6 entering the AYE and going home everyday!! Poor road management LTA! this is the source of stress in the commute- on the AYE and not in msia.

There IS a good life outside Sg that is not pride and status driven. Here, we can focus on other aspects of life such as family, exercise, personal improvement, hobbies and much more. It is an extremely viable alternative but we must strive to maintain harmony with the folks here and not bring in the haughty Sg attitudes. here, there are the rich and not so rich but seriously, is this how we teach our kids to look at people?? Its not just about money

My wife and I are 'professionals' in the various occupations listed on this thread a few pages back and have plans one day to start something within the local sg community and im sure there are others thinking of that as well.

i hope through this forum we can help establish this enclave into a thriving and viable one that exists in harmony and safety with the locals. If the market forces continue to blow this way, in a decade's time, the existence of a community of thriving singaporeans in nusajaya will be common knowledge and something which will be well established and accepted. i hope, and we'll see.

Even though most who made the move to live in Johor and commute to Sg for work are high income professionals like toolate(being lawyers, doctors, engineers, businessmen, writers, artist etc), people are still seeing them in a bad way like the poster below;

http://www.sammyboy.com/showthread....oving-across-the-causeway-Sunday-Times./page2

A lot of people move to Malaysia mainly because of the strength of SGD and the lower cost of living compared to living in Singapore. They make use of the fact of earning their money in Singapore to spend in Malaysia, while still holding their red passport.

What irks me is these are the very people who are slamming foreigners for coming to Singapore to take jobs from Singaporeans and sending money back home. Aren't these people pointing 1 finger at the foreigners and pointing 3 fingers back at themselves?

Pumping subsidised petrol which are meant only for Malaysians and these are the Singaporeans boasting all about it. If I am a Malaysian, I would be pissed at these foreigners as well, buying subsidised items meant only for Malaysians. The only good will be these foreigners are not taking away jobs meant for them Malaysians.

All these talk about nationalism are just acts of hypocrisy. Because talk 1 standard, practise another standard.

 

[Investor]

This is worse, a lowly educated person criticizing the high income professionals. This person might even be your employee or subordinate in Singapore.

http://www.sammyboy.com/showthread....s-are-moving-across-the-causeway-Sunday-Times.

Oh yes, I am sorry u are not retarded. You are only brainless. Which is kinda worse.

So next time your frds wanna visit u, u will tell them "hey u guys no be stoopid can?! I now stay jb, u wan u come across causeway!"

If u want the biggest house that your limited funds can get, you should fuck off to India. Why no want? Are u retarded? Oh wait... U are brainless.

U are the kind of fucked up asshole who can't make it in Singapore, needs to fuck off to some third world country, get a big house and comprain from the sidelines about how PAP fuck u. Haha

 

[aangsc]

i hope through this forum we can help establish this enclave into a thriving and viable one that exists in harmony and safety with the locals. If the market forces continue to blow this way, in a decade's time, the existence of a community of thriving singaporeans in nusajaya will be common knowledge and something which will be well established and accepted. i hope, and we'll see.

I support that view fully. Would like to see Nusajaya an outlets for those who find sg too stressful and expensive. However, I hope to see a thriving mix of citizens and not just singaporean, I believe a balance is good on a long term.