Living in JB

[cathylmg]

Professor,

1) Gold is one of the safest investments to date. Yes it may not give you fancy stock market returns. But it still gives you decent returns in the long term. My Gold investments have more than doubled in value. I dun have any plans to see them either.

Professor, same here. Non other safest investments then good old goldie.

2) Real Estate. Now for this location is key. To me Johor Bahru does not stand out as a great investment destination. Couple of forummers have already mentioned that.

Agreed on that, but it has potential....

My mum had a great entrepreneurial streak. She owned a primary school, had lots of landed properties. This is how they have appreciated.
-- Bungalow 177 times the original investment
-- Land 300 times the original ivestment in a 20 yr horizon

Wow! May I know where are the location? Just curious...

In Spore you can possibly get returns of 5 times or maybe a little more than that.

True lor. But then prices also fluctuates and its gonna fluctuate more frequently if it gets higher. Good for speculating...

-- My investments in Franklin Templeton MFs have yielded a 33% returns on original investment in 3 years despite the Lehman Meltdown in between.
However i am not a supporter of MFs which have a high management fee and expense ratio. Saner research tells me to opt for ETFs which mirror the basket of shares that make up the composite index.

Yep. Agreed with you. Never touch MFs. They anyhow buy and charge your admin fee and management fees. I also can do it myself. Don't need them. ETFs is the way to go....

Invest wisely. Do your research. Its painful. But when you see your money grow your joy will know no bounds.

Dun follow blindly what the Insurance agents/brokers/financial advisers in any part of the world tell you. In fact most financial advisers do not like me since i do not make investments that make their pockets swell.

All these investments were in emerging markets. I plan to continue to do the same.

Im not talking about speculation. I dun speculate. Singapore has loads of speculators. I am not one of them.

Insurance agents/brokers/financial advisers will bring you go 'holland'.

Another important aspect regarding investments is where we try to be smarter than the analysts who invest in the markets by "Timing the Market"

Unless you are a PRO (which most of us are not) its never good to time the market.

DCA is a much better. You can grow your wealth slowly. There are those who argue that the associated costs are high. Yet the pros outweigh the cons and its a systematic and steady way to grow your nest egg.

Singapore is now offering DCA for past few years. However emerging markets have offered this and other creative investment methods for a much longer time.

I am no financial adviser. However what ever i have said is true.

Sound advise by the professor. Echoing....

Oh my JB -->> Investments.
:o:o

Can also be a form of insurances.

 

[wuqi256]

Do you think a computer repair shop can be profitable? Its my son's ambition and I don't wanna dampen it.... :(

Yes he can but concentrate mainly on laptop repair as there is an ever growing market for it. Even smartphone repair will be good. Sorry about the mailbox aangsc and Cathylmg, trying to clear asap.

 

[wuqi256]

A learned friend of mine told me that there are seminars now about going to JB where they teach you what to do, sell or rent out your HDB flat. Getting MM2H, etc. Buying MY car and staying in JB. Seems quite a lot of folks keen now as the seminars are almost always full, the one he went to had 30 plus folks.

Kind of tempted to go and listen myself as i might learn new things.

 

[toyohon]

I see quite a number of you guys talking about inheritance. Has anyone done their will? Any lawyers to recommend?

 

[cathylmg]

can be profitable but cannot be rich. I also don't want to dampen it but it is better to poin him the the right direction now then to make u-turn later. You only need to be a ITE grad or poly grad to repair PC , even self -taught is possible, but if he has the inquisitive mind like Bill Gate, by all mean.

aangsc, it does not have to make him rich to be happy. So long as he is happy with what he is doing, I am happy for him. Any how many of us become rich by our own occupations?

Anyway, got one guy in Sim Lim Square had 6 repair shops under his belt. As for ds, his is just too good at fixing and dismantling things. His eye opened wide when I brought him there to repair my laptop.

 

[wuqi256]

Sorry wuqi, i was annoyed with his "if you could afford to live in Singapore statement". Annoyed me no end.

Live and let live. I think he meant no harm and didn't mean to annoy anyone.
There are lots of people out there who still thinks only the poor will go to JB.
It takes a while for mindsets to change and its always easier making turns in
a small boat versus in a larger vessel where different opinions can sway a
person.

People who discourages you actually meant well but they will not be responsible
for any opportunity loss or gains. Whatever you decide based on the best information
available at that time is your own call.

Don't blame the naysayers or detractors as they know not what they do.
If i could chose attributes of my offspring, the first and most important one is for him
to always keep an open mind.

Its the single quality most rare and lacking everywhere these days unfortunately.

 

[wuqi256]

Better faster come out of computer and IT line. You cant beat the cost competitiveness of the IT folks from China, Philippines and India.

Agreed, not much one can do unless one goes in niche market.
There is always a way, beat them at their game by either being a specialist in a niche market that they are unable to penetrate but not so niche that you risk becoming irrelevant if the technology becomes obsolete.

The only reason people in HK, SG can still survive in IT line is more often than not, quite a few of the foreign IT folks cannot really make it.
(Those who can make it are already in US, etc)

Saw one guy with certs almost a ream of paper thick. He tried to bluff his way past interviews and then had a lot of headaches and left abruptly after being unable to answer both simple and difificult questions. There is a reason why a lot of companies these days implement technical questions or have requirement for sample demonstration of work in front of them during the interview. People like them spoil the market for their own countrymen.

 

[wuqi256]

I see quite a number of you guys talking about inheritance. Has anyone done their will? Any lawyers to recommend?

Lots here, expect to pay no more than 500-1000 RM for simple one.

 

[hangyong]

Hi, does anyone know whether if you purchase a house in Horizon Hills, the developer will pay for all the stamp and legal fees as well as State Levy?

I asked the developer's sales agent, and one said all legal fees on the SPA and loan will be absorbed, but not the stamp fees and levy. Another said, they will pay for everything, so not too sure which is correct.

Is The Hills terrace worth investing in at RM750K? Anyone can advise?

it depends on the property that you buy.

Current launch:
Horizon Suites: Lawyer's conveyance taken care (both ways), stamp duty, state consent on your own
Terrace at Hills: everything taken care (cannot remember about the state levy though)

Currently left with inbetween unit at the Hills. I wun take it because I would prefer a corner unit with more land. But price is there abouts lah

 

[wuqi256]

aangsc, it does not have to make him rich to be happy. So long as he is happy with what he is doing, I am happy for him. Any how many of us become rich by our own occupations?

Anyway, got one guy in Sim Lim Square had 6 repair shops under his belt. As for ds, his is just too good at fixing and dismantling things. His eye opened wide when I brought him there to repair my laptop.

You are truly wise, much wiser than those pushing their kids ever harder, not realising they are the ones pushing their kids over the edge. Either in the end, they jump or become mad with the great expectations required of them. Sometimes what they want is not equal to what we want for them. I would rather my sons be happy than become unhappy with their permanently head damaged. As i said once to astonished relatives and friends, i do not need my son to be no. 1, i just want him to be happy. I do not need him to study doubly hard, take extra lessons, go NS and still to be put on an uneven footing with foreigners despite him having to do so much more. All of our PMET jobs can be done cheaper, better and faster by foreigners so what happens then, everyone becomes entrepreuneurs or civil service?? (By the way, remembered one of my lecturers used to say this, if you are jobless before 35 and can quickly get a degree before that, go into civil service, i will not respect you any less)

What are we really chasing for in life? One of it is to be happy.

I even had an ex manager telling me, life is not about happiness, its about work, commitment and being hardworking and true to his religion. I said more power to you, as long as you are happy doing it. He clammed up and a few months later, he left the company and started his own biz in his own country (He is an FT) When he left, he told me, now he is finally happy as he found what he wanted instead of what is available.

 

[singaporeplebian]

Live and let live. I think he meant no harm and didn't mean to annoy anyone.
There are lots of people out there who still thinks only the poor will go to JB.
It takes a while for mindsets to change and its always easier making turns in
a small boat versus in a larger vessel where different opinions can sway a
person.

People who discourages you actually meant well but they will not be responsible
for any opportunity loss or gains. Whatever you decide based on the best information
available at that time is your own call.

Don't blame the naysayers or detractors as they know not what they do.
If i could chose attributes of my offspring, the first and most important one is for him
to always keep an open mind.

Its the single quality most rare and lacking everywhere these days unfortunately.

Wuqi,

appreciate your reply, and also that is was polite and non-threatening. Yes, I most certainly did not mean any harm and also would like to clarify that I do not think "only the poor" move to JB. I merely was curious as to whether or not the financial aspect was the main factor or not.

I understand from your substantial earlier reply, and from others as well, that many who can well afford the high cost of living in Sg, still made the choice to move over. This speaks volumes that the motivation to make such a move comes down to so much more than money.

Some other have replied that yes, it helps balance the books, and allows one to better plan and achieve financial independence status on/ahead of time. I don't think anyone who is mature enough would suggest or imply that those who chose to move to achieve financial independence are losers. In fact, the way things are going with respect to the CPF mechanism, it is good that more and more people do not rely solely on this as their retirement plan.

I agree that having an open mind is probably one of the most critical factors in being successful (and I am not talking just about financial success). I think another critical factor is also being non-judgmental. Which is why the power of observation can be so invaluable. In this thread, there is much knowledge being shared, and I think this is a positive thing as many people are at various stages of their personal journey. Some like yourself, have advanced beyond others, some others like myself, are just getting our feet wet.

Well, as mentioned before by other posters, most people here are friendly and unconditionally helpful and I think this bodes well for the level of graciousness most of us aspire to for ourselves and our loved ones.

Thanks again to all, and peace be with you.

Pleb

 

[wuqi256]

it depends on the property that you buy.

Current launch:
Horizon Suites: Lawyer's conveyance taken care (both ways), stamp duty, state consent on your own
Terrace at Hills: everything taken care (cannot remember about the state levy though)

Currently left with inbetween unit at the Hills. I wun take it because I would prefer a corner unit with more land. But price is there abouts lah

Hi Nusajayaphile,
Agree with Hang Yong, if its to buy and stay though. 750k is ok. If its to buy to invest, there is still some upside but if its to buy and rent out, i would advise you to go for other options.

 

[wuqi256]

Hi Mr Bean, i have replied to your PM, apologies.

For all others who have PMed me as well, my apologies
for the delay. My inbox is now cleared.

 

[wuqi256]

Well, " theoretically " shop houses are productive economics drivers, it help create jobs, generate sales which are the real drivers it any economies. But in JB, developer simply built too many shop houses that create an imbalance of supply and demand. Ask any retailers , they will tell you it is good investment for shophouses . My shop in SG can fetch a rental of SGD 6.5K to 8K for the last 15yrs without a single month unoccupy. Sometime can be a real cash -cow , if you managed to hit the right location.

Prof is right but i would say shops are still worth looking into, provided that they are in a local that would have lots of traffic GOING INTO your SHOP actual area or at least passing directly with an easy way/road to get to your shop. Lots of shoplots languishing in areas where although its next to the highway, there is no easy or convenient way to get to your shop. Always assume people are too busy/lazy to go to a place where accessibility is harder as they will just go somewhere else easier/faster.

 

[aangsc]

Agreed, not much one can do unless one goes in niche market.
There is always a way, beat them at their game by either being a specialist in a niche market that they are unable to penetrate but not so niche that you risk becoming irrelevant if the technology becomes obsolete.

The only reason people in HK, SG can still survive in IT line is more often than not, quite a few of the foreign IT folks cannot really make it.
(Those who can make it are already in US, etc)

Saw one guy with certs almost a ream of paper thick. He tried to bluff his way past interviews and then had a lot of headaches and left abruptly after being unable to answer both simple and difificult questions. There is a reason why a lot of companies these days implement technical questions or have requirement for sample demonstration of work in front of them during the interview. People like them spoil the market for their own countrymen.

I deal with many computer related people. More than 10 years back, I see repairmen from Singapore for computer and printer repair, now I hardly see them except for high end hardware. I usually see PRC and Indian . Now even cablemen are not the usual Singaporean/M'sia, I see Pinoy foremen, PRC and Indian. This is why I have lesser faith for fellow countrymen going into this trade.

I remember there was a time when govt were asking retrench people over 35+ to go for computer repairs course and many did not get a job in those line eventually. Are they not good enough or are there more young men that can do it better at lower price ?

If parents are wealthy, they can afford to let kids try out career that fit them nicely but for those who are not, job security would be 1st priority. Unfortunately, I belong to second category ! When I asked my son what he would like to be ? He said to be pay playing computer game everyday and he will truely be happy. I am dumbfounded. I have yet to find any such job for youngster today. Professional gamers , does it pay enough to pay bills ?

 

[wuqi256]

No leh, almost all parents I meet want to leave inheritance to their kids, may be not to their wife/husband but certainly to their children

Then you are lucky to meet the good ones. I know of many who leave nothing but debts to their kids. The best inheritance one can leave to ones scion are not houses, not stocks no gold but good and sound education.

 

[29ers]

Wah the post in this thread is really something to read about, we have gone from Living in JB to How to lead a Happy life and Life's goal. Thoroughly enjoyed reading the different views posted by various ppl from all sorts of Walks.

I have friends who teach in school, a few of them. Infact their passion is to teach and they like to be around kids. Their concern is that they don't have time for all this, they are busy with marking, meetings, mini projects....they told me if they could just teach, a lot of them would be happier. They highlighted that some of these full time teachers turn to part time and just concentrate on teaching, which is what they like. So not all the teachers are bad, i guess it's the system.

The "system" which is another topic altogether. ........ well lucky some of the brave ones voted for CHANGE...if not i don't know what to expect. To some it up , the "system" should operate like a NPO, ppl who run the system should just have the passion to serve, they should not be there for the money...guess no fame that comes along so they can't be in it for fame. Right now the "system" is milking the hard earned money from the hardworking ppl which is why most ppl are fed up with. Overall the culture is just going from BAD to Worse. .. .. . ppl flare up so easily in SG over simple things like a HIGH BEAM..

Ok to answer some of the ??? posted....if i was well off would i still move to JB. If i had a 10 Billion SGD, yes u are right, i wouldn't make the move to JB. I would have gotten my house in Nassim area, not working, living of dividends from my extensive portfolio of shares....etc. i would prob be sending my kids to school in the morning and back home to read the papers, meetup friends for lunch, pick up kids from school, have some family time, back home for dinner.....watch a movie in my home theater or play bowling at home.....etc

Well i belong to the not so well off, but i did not choose to live in JB cos it was cheaper, actually it's about the same for me, as most meals i have them in SG, the distance traveled to my work place is doubled from where i used to live, so i don't save on petrol. I just love the tranquility of my place, the ppl around my estate are great they help look out for one another. There's a possibility that i could send my kids to school here in future and not be in the Gangster infested schools.....etc Basically it's the Kampong feel where everyone has one goal, TO BE HAPPY....

Cheers

u only have 1 life, live it ....pursue happiness n not fame. If u r happy cos u have fame, what happens when u don't have fame? Nobody is Happy 100% of the time but if we can just get 65% of it to be happy, i think u are in the right path.

PEACE

 

[aangsc]

Then you are lucky to meet the good ones. I know of many who leave nothing but debts to their kids. The best inheritance one can leave to ones scion are not houses, not stocks no gold but good and sound education.

That is exactly what I hope the kids will get...something within that no one can snatch away from you. The ability to survive on their own no matter where they evetually settle down !

 

[wuqi256]

If parents are wealthy, they can afford to let kids try out career that fit them nicely but for those who are not, job security would be 1st priority. Unfortunately, I belong to second category ! When I asked my son what he would like to be ? He said to be pay playing computer game everyday and he will truely be happy. I am dumbfounded. I have yet to find any such job for youngster today. Professional gamers , does it pay enough to pay bills ?[/QUOTE]

Hi Aangsc, i actually started in the IT line and got keen by playing computer games and then when new games come out that required more powerful hardware, then learnt to upgrade when i encountered expensive, bad and surly service. Games was actually what led me to my line as i got keen not only in hardware but in networks due to the onset of lan gaming at that time. It fired up the imagination like nothing else. Aside from interest, passion is the other main difference between those who gave up and those who stuck it through and found success.

There are professional gamers in Korea (Korea is one of the most IT connected countries in the world) who do nothing every day but play games. It pays their bills as they have enough sponsors for them. Not sure about SG but so far other than Korea, i know of folks in other countries who are able to live and live reasonably well just by playing games. The world keeps changing, what is seen as actions done by a wastrel son today may turn out to be the main money "engine" of the family in the future.

When the guys first created the game "Pong", everyone of the naysayers said it was a waste of time. When Bill Gates wanted to first build his version of a GUI based OS (of course based on what is already available, people even said it will flop. People even laughed when the first sound card came out. Where are they now???

For every visionary, there are 10,000 naysayers. The naysayers keep society on track, the visionary or the fool improves the world, one foolish step at a time.

Mindsets (not just character) are harder to change than dynasties - Words from my grandfather.

 

[hangyong]

Not true that condo does not need to be diligent with painting every 5 years. All buildings are required by law to paint every 5 years. Can stretch another year or so if the condition is still good.

seriously???? then I have to go complain to HDB or town council liao....