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Sharing activities with PR holder expats in Singapore.

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JR8
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Re: Sharing activities with PR holder expats in Singapore.

Post by JR8 » Tue, 08 Mar 2016 7:31 pm

sundaymorningstaple wrote:Yeah, Squirrel, but remember, he's been a retired trailing spouse for quite a while after making his killing in the stock market after retiring @ a very young age. ;-)
But yeah, I don't think he's about to retire in Singers though.
That suggests such a rosy and flattering image that I considered not saying anything :lol:
I went from a career in B+F to putting just about every penny I made into property. When my itinerant career eventually and inevitably snuffed-out my energies went solely into property (self-employed). I did a couple of good deals and follow-on re-investments. That is where the asset base derives.

From xK miles away and years out of the insider's loop I'm too far from the action to do anything in property back home right now. And having a background in B+F gives me a bit of a leg-up in stock investing and creating an income stream. It's not been much of a year to celebrate given the uncertainties in the global economy right now. The income is good but at this stage I'm looking at shedding risk vs the capital... within say 2 years I want all leverage (margin) gone. The challenge then will be to find a place to put the funds, an 'investment trust' in the UK, aka a Mutual Fund in the US. Likely across a basket of 2-3, 4 to spread the risk. Park it somewhere safe and low-tax... We'll see...

The current work could be pretty passive, but it can fill as many hrs/day as interests you. What is changing this week that might impact the rate of Fed tightening? What is this weeks CHnese policy re: managing sagging growth, if any? In a way it gives you a reason to get up at say 7.30am on weekdays and get engaged, and keep abreast of world affairs. For a parallel reason I really understand why SMS has chosen not to retire when he could, 'a job' is soooo much more than putting bread on the table.

As I said before early-retirement is a double-edged sword. It might sound wonderful, but the reality is a little different. Like relo'ing as a trailing spouse, there is a gap created (social life, reason to get up, sense of self-worth, etc) that you have to go to great lengths to back-fill. It's no land of milk and honey IME, that's for sure. As preposterous as I know that might sound to some who imagine all day spent dozing in the virtual retirement hammock as enviable and entirely fulfilling!

p.s. I don't totally discount returning to SG, but that decision is complicated simply by having a choice as to whether we do, simply having the burden options(!). Owning a home there is $$, and owning a holiday home anywhere, incl SG, is ($$$/use thereof, i.e. the time spent there whilst having a primary home elsewhere). I don't really see SG as a full-time retirement spot, since the baseline costs, i.e. property, are so high. If you are looking at culture, security, climate there are other locations regionally that won't absorb a large slab of your retirement income. Plus the shifting tides of policy vs 'FTs', and how it can be politicised leaves me rather uncomfortable.

Anyway, the FTSE if off 53pts this morning, so back to the grind-stone... days like this and these last few weeks the prospect of this future nebulous 'Retirement Day!' seem to recede back almost beyond the horizon...
'Do it or do not do it: You will regret both' - Kierkegaard

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Re: Sharing activities with PR holder expats in Singapore.

Post by JR8 » Tue, 08 Mar 2016 7:35 pm

I've had an ang-mo cabbie once in SG too, and I must admit I was like :o I suppose it's simply contrary to the commonly accepted stereotype.
'Do it or do not do it: You will regret both' - Kierkegaard

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Re: Sharing activities with PR holder expats in Singapore.

Post by sundaymorningstaple » Tue, 08 Mar 2016 9:19 pm

Full fledged Ang Mo or Eurasian as lots of 'em look pure Ang Mo to me.
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers

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Re: Sharing activities with PR holder expats in Singapore.

Post by JR8 » Wed, 09 Mar 2016 3:57 am

Could have been very EUR-asian I suppose... but it was a long time ago, so I don't recall his face now.
'Do it or do not do it: You will regret both' - Kierkegaard

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Re: Sharing activities with PR holder expats in Singapore.

Post by earthfriendly » Wed, 09 Mar 2016 5:11 am

JR8 wrote:
When my itinerant career eventually and inevitably snuffed-out my energies went solely into property (self-employed). I did a couple of good deals and follow-on re-investments. That is where the asset base derives.
May I ask where do you conduct most of your investment activities? Close to your homebase? US housing market is on fire, in spite of the financial market. I know you mentioned London at one point.

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Re: Sharing activities with PR holder expats in Singapore.

Post by JR8 » Wed, 09 Mar 2016 6:12 am

Hi EF. I believe in the adage 'Fight battles on territory best known to yourself'. So when I did it was only on home ground, within c. a mile of my home and I knew every street, and the happenings on most of them. A couple of family members were pretty seriously in property dealing/developing and that gave me a intro to local agents that deal with dealer types, not just walk-in punters. So I had that temporary advantage of getting a look in to the trade side of things. Now after years away those contacts are now retired or moved on...

This is one thing that's always made be loath to invest abroad, since odds on (IMHO) you start from a position of offering yourself up as a lamb to the slaughter...
'Do it or do not do it: You will regret both' - Kierkegaard

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Re: Sharing activities with PR holder expats in Singapore.

Post by earthfriendly » Wed, 09 Mar 2016 11:16 am

We know about diversification and not putting all your eggs in one basket. So preferably, better off to invest in different locations / cities / state. But then that comes with its own challenges for real estate investment, if you are doing it yourself. You want to be close enough so you can inspect personally should the need arises. Read stories about neglectful hired property manager. Merely collect their monthly dues while the property was falling apart and getting trashed.

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