1-bedroom flats

[Brah]

Agree with your post but one part is questionable:

Actually, its good that jobs are going away from here. If you think about it who is mainly benefiting from the high rents here? The employers are on the losing end as they need to create huge expat packages just to mitigate the high rents and also the employees themselves are not gaining from the overpriced properties.

Before rents tripled over the past 7-8-9 years, salaries were about the same as they are now, and expat deals (=real 'expat' = company pays for housing) were more common then than now, where they are almost unheard of, except those few higher-end positions which always exist in any country, and is not likely in the median market people look at anyway.

I guess it's like cars - there's always going to be old rich guys driving Maseratis but the cost of Toyotas has increased where salaries haven't proportionally.

[Wd40]

In fact now I feel, the trap of lower taxes dont even work anymore. Although the taxes are low it is more than evened out due to the higher rentals, higher cars costs, higher and substandard education.

Sometimes I feel we are working hard not for ourselves, but for our house landlords and their agents, what with a disproportionately high part of our income going for rents, whom are we working for?

Think about it. The agents themselves drive cars and appear so snobbish to us, without even understanding that without us, they wont even have their jobs

[JR8]

Yes, having a realtor/estate agent 'look down on you'.... is as sweet as sucking a lemon.


Bastards,

[Brah]

Great post. Totally agree. And I've experienced it as well.

I came here direct from Japan, which had then and now a stronger currency, which is really great when traveling back home or basically anywhere else in the world. Also key for buying things from Amazon instead of paying 2.5-3x the price for the same things here.

As outlandish as this might sound, as high a cost a living as is there, and higher taxes, I feel I saved more money there than here. That might not be the case if rents here were now what the were 8 years ago.

I'd be interested in how JR, BillyB, Aster, and the like might view that comment.

The lower tax and cost of living were among the main reasons I left that place I didn't really want to leave; the other reason was what was happening in the the job market there and here at the time. Which, as we have discussed in other threads, is changing.

I've always said the quality of living here is better than there, but the quality of life is better there. While it may be an awkward definition, it just means that while it's pleasant here, life is more rich elsewhere, and we pay a price for that in the long run.

In fact now I feel, the trap of lower taxes dont even work anymore. Although the taxes are low it is more than evened out due to the higher rentals, higher cars costs, higher and substandard education.

Sometimes I feel we are working hard not for ourselves, but for our house landlords and their agents, what with a disproportionately high part of our income going for rents, whom are we working for?

Think about it. The agents themselves drive cars and appear so snobbish to us, without even understanding that without us, they wont even have their jobs

[JR8]

I always felt more relaxed in Tokyo than Singapore; the latter made and makes me jittery.

No reason why.... it's just like going into your uber-picky older sisters place for a weekend. Suddenly you have to pretend to be a more noble person than you are,

[nakatago]

Yes, having a realtor/estate agent 'look down on you'.... is as sweet as sucking a lemon.


Bastards,

I sometimes consider doing certain things to them but I'm wary of the philosophical, ethical and not to mention legal implications.