Is it even worth living in SG anymore as a foreigner?

[Lisafuller]

The average psf price in SF is now over US$1,200 (S$1,650) according to this source —

https://www.statista.com/statistics/123 ... uare-foot/

All are freehold properties with no stamp duties, but the property taxes there are significantly higher — roughly, around 1% of the property value each year in California/Hawaii, and around 2% in most other parts of the US.

Tax may seem like a steal in CA and HI considering it's half that of most of the other states, but the property prices are more than double what you would find elsewhere too. HI especially.

[SGBoyxxx]

I heard now rental increase , so better do some homework yourself and the local property agents are aggressive and greedy too. As A local here i honestly said.

Rent has been on the up and up for some time now, nothing new, but still quite crazy.

Because " greed " landlord want more, Property agent want more commission = end up tenant need to pay more.

[malcontent]

The average psf price in SF is now over US$1,200 (S$1,650) according to this source —

https://www.statista.com/statistics/123 ... uare-foot/

All are freehold properties with no stamp duties, but the property taxes there are significantly higher — roughly, around 1% of the property value each year in California/Hawaii, and around 2% in most other parts of the US.

Tax may seem like a steal in CA and HI considering it's half that of most of the other states, but the property prices are more than double what you would find elsewhere too. HI especially.

According to Bankrate.com, the median sale price for a home was an eye-popping $898,980 as of May 2022, according to the California Association of Realtors. At that price — up 10% from May 2021 — owning a home is not a realistic prospect for most of the state's residents.

[Lisafuller]

I heard now rental increase , so better do some homework yourself and the local property agents are aggressive and greedy too. As A local here i honestly said.

Rent has been on the up and up for some time now, nothing new, but still quite crazy.

Because " greed " landlord want more, Property agent want more commission = end up tenant need to pay more.

Not necessarily greed, just demand pull inflation.

[Lisafuller]

The average psf price in SF is now over US$1,200 (S$1,650) according to this source —

https://www.statista.com/statistics/123 ... uare-foot/

All are freehold properties with no stamp duties, but the property taxes there are significantly higher — roughly, around 1% of the property value each year in California/Hawaii, and around 2% in most other parts of the US.

Tax may seem like a steal in CA and HI considering it's half that of most of the other states, but the property prices are more than double what you would find elsewhere too. HI especially.

According to Bankrate.com, the median sale price for a home was an eye-popping $898,980 as of May 2022, according to the California Association of Realtors. At that price — up 10% from May 2021 — owning a home is not a realistic prospect for most of the state's residents.

Living in Singapore has skewed my perception of home prices forever. Here it is so common for us to live in/know someone who lives in a multi million dollar home. In the US, that is much rarer.

[malcontent]

Tax may seem like a steal in CA and HI considering it's half that of most of the other states, but the property prices are more than double what you would find elsewhere too. HI especially.

According to Bankrate.com, the median sale price for a home was an eye-popping $898,980 as of May 2022, according to the California Association of Realtors. At that price — up 10% from May 2021 — owning a home is not a realistic prospect for most of the state's residents.

Living in Singapore has skewed my perception of home prices forever. Here it is so common for us to live in/know someone who lives in a multi million dollar home. In the US, that is much rarer.

In many ways, living in Singapore is a perception skewing smorgasbord.

For me, I probably wouldn’t have bought the foreclosed home for $38,000 that my brother has been living in for the past 15 years. After living in Singapore, it almost felt like the house was free.

My brother is finally in the process of moving out and I have to decide whether to sell it for $110,000 rent it for around $1,000/mo. I’ve only put around $12,000 into the place and ongoing costs are around $120/mo, mostly property tax. I think I will explore renting it out first. I also own an empty lot next door where another rental unit could be built, but I need a recession to make it cost effective.

[Lisafuller]

According to Bankrate.com, the median sale price for a home was an eye-popping $898,980 as of May 2022, according to the California Association of Realtors. At that price — up 10% from May 2021 — owning a home is not a realistic prospect for most of the state's residents.

Living in Singapore has skewed my perception of home prices forever. Here it is so common for us to live in/know someone who lives in a multi million dollar home. In the US, that is much rarer.

In many ways, living in Singapore is a perception skewing smorgasbord.

For me, I probably wouldn’t have bought the foreclosed home for $38,000 that my brother has been living in for the past 15 years. After living in Singapore, it almost felt like the house was free.

My brother is finally in the process of moving out and I have to decide whether to sell it for $110,000 rent it for around $1,000/mo. I’ve only put around $12,000 into the place and ongoing costs are around $120/mo, mostly property tax. I think I will explore renting it out first. I also own an empty lot next door where another rental unit could be built, but I need a recession to make it cost effective.

Where is this? $110,000 seems like a steal.

[malcontent]

Living in Singapore has skewed my perception of home prices forever. Here it is so common for us to live in/know someone who lives in a multi million dollar home. In the US, that is much rarer.

In many ways, living in Singapore is a perception skewing smorgasbord.

For me, I probably wouldn’t have bought the foreclosed home for $38,000 that my brother has been living in for the past 15 years. After living in Singapore, it almost felt like the house was free.

My brother is finally in the process of moving out and I have to decide whether to sell it for $110,000 rent it for around $1,000/mo. I’ve only put around $12,000 into the place and ongoing costs are around $120/mo, mostly property tax. I think I will explore renting it out first. I also own an empty lot next door where another rental unit could be built, but I need a recession to make it cost effective.

Where is this? $110,000 seems like a steal.

It’s located in the best suburb of a mid-sized college town (350k metro pop) in the midwest, just minutes walk from the main shopping belt in the area. The neighborhood itself is blue-collar, but safe. My brother is going to miss the convenience of being minutes away from just about everything, including expressway access.

The location was the main reason I bought it without hesitation, even though it’s a tiny house built in the 50’s it’s got central heating and air conditioning, a garage with a door opener. We put about $14k into it - new roof, new windows, new doors, new flooring and carpet, and the kitchen and bathroom were re-done, but we kept it real basic, economical and affordable.

[Wd40]

In many ways, living in Singapore is a perception skewing smorgasbord.

For me, I probably wouldn’t have bought the foreclosed home for $38,000 that my brother has been living in for the past 15 years. After living in Singapore, it almost felt like the house was free.

My brother is finally in the process of moving out and I have to decide whether to sell it for $110,000 rent it for around $1,000/mo. I’ve only put around $12,000 into the place and ongoing costs are around $120/mo, mostly property tax. I think I will explore renting it out first. I also own an empty lot next door where another rental unit could be built, but I need a recession to make it cost effective.

Where is this? $110,000 seems like a steal.

It’s located in the best suburb of a mid-sized college town (350k metro pop) in the midwest, just minutes walk from the main shopping belt in the area. The neighborhood itself is blue-collar, but safe. My brother is going to miss the convenience of being minutes away from just about everything, including expressway access.

The location was the main reason I bought it without hesitation, even though it’s a tiny house built in the 50’s it’s got central heating and air conditioning, a garage with a door opener. We put about $14k into it - new roof, new windows, new doors, new flooring and carpet, and the kitchen and bathroom were re-done, but we kept it real basic, economical and affordable.

Anytime you describe any area in the US, my mind automatically drifts to Breaking Bad and Walter White's house. My image about the US is now set by this awesome series.

[jwoods1864]

A general theme seems to be that is God damn expensive to have kids in Singapore. What are the differences then in terms of help from the government? Meaning if you have kids as a citizen/PR/work pass holder.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[nelyanne]

A general theme seems to be that is God damn expensive to have kids in Singapore. What are the differences then in terms of help from the government? Meaning if you have kids as a citizen/PR/work pass holder.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Benefits include: baby bonus scheme, child care subsidy (up to kindergarten level), lower school fees for public schools (up to university level), tax relief.

[malcontent]

A general theme seems to be that is God damn expensive to have kids in Singapore. What are the differences then in terms of help from the government? Meaning if you have kids as a citizen/PR/work pass holder.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My brother and his wife just had a baby 2 years ago. One of the biggest differences I noticed is they got a whole lot of donated items from their colleagues at work for free, so they didn’t have to spend very much in the beginning. The community spirit is alive and well. You can also get cheap stuff at rummage sales. Used stuff in general is a lot more attractive in the US because people tend to be more generous in the way they price stuff they no longer want.

When we had young ones I noticed most kids stuff tends to be cheaper in the US. Everything from clothes, food, toys, strollers, etc. In fact I brought back a lot of stuff from trips there, including a couple of car seats which were well under half the price vs. here. Diapers were about the same price, but we were amazed at the technology difference — despite being half the thickness, they could absorb twice as much! Don’t get me started on the price of milk.

As far as schools go, public schools are always free no matter whether you are a citizen, permanent resident or work permit holder. You’ll just want to make sure your residential address is in a good school district.

As far as housing goes, it’s affordable for most. Government subsidized housing rentals can be found in “the projects” but only apply to the truly needy — something like the 1 and 2 room HDB flat program here, but these are often in scary neighborhoods. Outside of the city, trailer parks are where you’ll find low cost housing - despite the reputation of “trailer trash” its usually not as bad as you’d think. I visited several of my high school classmates who lived in them - just simple, ordinary folks.

Although it’s getting harder, you can still get a basic home for 5-figures and a used car for 4-figures in many parts of the US. If you’re smart with your money and not trying to keep up with the Joneses you can really save a bundle.

[malcontent]

A general theme seems to be that is God damn expensive to have kids in Singapore. What are the differences then in terms of help from the government? Meaning if you have kids as a citizen/PR/work pass holder.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Benefits include: baby bonus scheme, child care subsidy (up to kindergarten level), lower school fees for public schools (up to university level), tax relief.

By comparison…

The US has child tax credits up to US$2,000 per child each year. I even received some of these refundable credits (not just tax relief) while living here in Singapore.

The US also has a tax credit for dependent care expenses. I also used this one while in Singapore, for the cost of our helper. This one has never been refundable, only a tax relief.

US public schools are free up to university level, and public colleges and universities are subsidized at the state level in which you reside. Community colleges (similar to a Polytechnic here) are especially affordable and classes can be transferred for full university credit. That is what I did when I was a teen.

I almost forgot to mention, all of the above applies to any US taxpayer, regardless of citizenship, PR or work permit.

[Lisafuller]

In many ways, living in Singapore is a perception skewing smorgasbord.

For me, I probably wouldn’t have bought the foreclosed home for $38,000 that my brother has been living in for the past 15 years. After living in Singapore, it almost felt like the house was free.

My brother is finally in the process of moving out and I have to decide whether to sell it for $110,000 rent it for around $1,000/mo. I’ve only put around $12,000 into the place and ongoing costs are around $120/mo, mostly property tax. I think I will explore renting it out first. I also own an empty lot next door where another rental unit could be built, but I need a recession to make it cost effective.

Where is this? $110,000 seems like a steal.

It’s located in the best suburb of a mid-sized college town (350k metro pop) in the midwest, just minutes walk from the main shopping belt in the area. The neighborhood itself is blue-collar, but safe. My brother is going to miss the convenience of being minutes away from just about everything, including expressway access.

The location was the main reason I bought it without hesitation, even though it’s a tiny house built in the 50’s it’s got central heating and air conditioning, a garage with a door opener. We put about $14k into it - new roof, new windows, new doors, new flooring and carpet, and the kitchen and bathroom were re-done, but we kept it real basic, economical and affordable.

Sounds like you've really made your moneys worth. In terms of housing, Miami is a lot more like Singapore as it's very dense so houses tend to be apartments, if they're on land, it's definitely reflected in the price. Would be near impossible to get a decent house for 100 grand.

[Lisafuller]

Where is this? $110,000 seems like a steal.

It’s located in the best suburb of a mid-sized college town (350k metro pop) in the midwest, just minutes walk from the main shopping belt in the area. The neighborhood itself is blue-collar, but safe. My brother is going to miss the convenience of being minutes away from just about everything, including expressway access.

The location was the main reason I bought it without hesitation, even though it’s a tiny house built in the 50’s it’s got central heating and air conditioning, a garage with a door opener. We put about $14k into it - new roof, new windows, new doors, new flooring and carpet, and the kitchen and bathroom were re-done, but we kept it real basic, economical and affordable.

Anytime you describe any area in the US, my mind automatically drifts to Breaking Bad and Walter White's house. My image about the US is now set by this awesome series.

Walter White's house is a lower end house that you could find in any suburb in the US. Series is great, but the house is not too pretty.