Possible move to Singapore in 2014.. But unsure.

[MiamiExpat]

As far as HDB goes, I think it's okay. i mean, two years ago we were living in a slum lord's house in Europe, so living in a relatively complete public housing apartment doesn't sound intolerable. We certainly don't need to live in a fancy condo. I would personally like to live in at least 60 sqm, but if we have to go smaller, I think we can manage.

You'll be OK on space. The smallest HDBs you (as a foreigner) can rent would likely be "3 room", and are larger than that. Note that HDBs are identified by number of rooms, but it is not bedrooms. I believe it is the number of rooms minus kitchen and bathrooms. So a 3 Room HDB is 2bed, a 4 Room HDB is 3 Bed. But a 5 Room HDB is either 3 Bed and a Living+Dining Room, or 4 Bed + Living room. In your case, you're just looking for 3 Room HDBs. 2 Room HDBs exist (1 Bed), but they're very rare and I believe reserved for the elderly.

Wow. That really clears things up, but that means my housing cost projections are way off.. Depressing. Thank you for the advice.

[Strong Eagle]

Concerning the pass, I think my company is getting around it by offering a supplemental income for the first year which increases the total compensation to 9700 SGD monthly. But I'm trying to calculate the possibility without this compensatory sum, as it will not last forever, and its not set in stone that it will in fact be offered...

The question is: Do they have your pass in hand? The gahmen has been tightening up employment passes. If you have 10 years of experience and are coming in at S$7,100 per month, that may raise eyebrows. Admittedly, the focus has been on other Asian countries, nevertheless, it doesn't sound like they have your EP yet, and that may not be a slam dunk.

[zzm9980]

but that means my housing cost projections are way off.. Depressing.

Welcome to Singapore. I think you now fully understand it

[MiamiExpat]

Hello, everyone again.

I was just offered a 3-year contract based in Singapore that pays $10,500 net SGD monthly.

I'm thinking this is a good deal and that I should take it without question.. I think this would improve the quality of life for myself and my wife significantly.. At least I hope so. We don't earn nearly this much money in Miami (75k pre-tax).

[bgd]

I would personally take that offer. You are flexible on accommodation and like to travel. Come and see what Asia is all about. Sg is a pleasant place to live and a great base for travel in the region.

[triste]

Based on what you wrote, I thought you were going to be fine on 7100. The new offer, even better. I'd take it. Your quality of life will certainly improve, for reasons that have nothing to do with money.

[Girl_Next_Door]

Congrats on the job offer!

For your wife, she can approach AFS to see if she can either volunteer or work as a part time french tutor (after obtaining a letter of consent).

[zzm9980]

I think this would improve the quality of life for myself and my wife significantly.. At least I hope so. We don't earn nearly this much money in Miami (75k pre-tax).

I don't know Florida's state tax rate (does it even have one), but i suspect it'll be pretty close overall for you comparing costs of living.

At least you're used to the shitty weather

[MiamiExpat]

I think this would improve the quality of life for myself and my wife significantly.. At least I hope so. We don't earn nearly this much money in Miami (75k pre-tax).

I don't know Florida's state tax rate (does it even have one), but i suspect it'll be pretty close overall for you comparing costs of living.

At least you're used to the shitty weather

Hey.. I like the heat and humudity. I think it's good for the skin too, taking into account how bad it is for sweat stains and non-stickiness more generally.

[sundaymorningstaple]

And.....

While we do have our monsoon season (winter for you, lots of rain for us) we don't have typhoons alias hurricanes like Fla does. And during monsoon we have a couple of days, if we're lucky, where you don't perspire like a $100 hooker on Fiver night while watching the TV. (I don't use Aircon at all - depend on ceiling fans and open ventilation)

The atmosphere here is like the Atchafalaya Swamp in Louisiana or the Everglades during the dog days of August.

[Dert42]

Your new offer sounds better.

Having just moved here a few months ago, here's some things to consider.

Don't worry about the proximity of your living place to your work. If you work is close to an MRT, you can get a few stops down the line and still have an acceptable commute.
In my opinion biking here is best done recreationally only. It's too bloody hot, and it rains(POURS!) frequently. Also not very safe on the roads.

Consider the costs just to move in:
You'll likely need 2x the montly rent for a deposit. (i did)
Then a few hundred dollars for stamp duty.
Deposit for utilities was $500 for me.
Don't bother bringing any electronics. You'll need to replace them all, so TV, fans, microwaves, toasters, lamps, etc.
Not an issue for you but i needed nealy 10k just to get my kid enrolled in school.

Once I found all that out, I negociated with my company to pay me a retention bonus, so i could cover all the deposits and fees.
Oh and of course make them pay for the move.

Also it seemed nice at the time, but i highly recommend against CitiBank for your banking needs.

[zzm9980]

Also it seemed nice at the time, but i highly recommend against CitiBank for your banking needs.

Curious why. If you say poor customer service (this is true) I'd love to hear which bank (or any org really) in Singapore has better customer service. Almost none. Everyone here working in those types of roles are retards. Welcome to Singapore.

[Dert42]

Not to hijack the thread but...

Our intent was to open a Citi account in America and Singapore so we could transfer money back and forth, like advertised on their site.

It took over a month to set up the account in America. Although they took $15,000 on the 2nd day. I didn't have access to it for nearly 4 weeks. And then only because we called every day for two weeks for the PIN number. Customer service swore up and down they had overnighted it, and couldn't give it by phone. Eventually we got it over the phone. The day before we left the country.

Once we finally got both accounts set up, there is a daily limit of $1,000 you can transfer. Not advertised…Kind of important.

It took over 30 days to receive the credit card we ordered, when I was told it would be 10 days max.

The checks we ordered never came. I had to go in and ask again.
Their website vs my American bank's website is just laughable. It’s difficult to use and unnecessarily over secure, to the point it’s harassing.

I only heard this one, but the source is good: Being a foreign bank, they are restricted as to the number of ATMs they can have in Singapore. Which is why it's hard to find one.

Last straw: Today I went in because they rejected our check for my son's tuition because of "signature discrepancies". It was my wife’s signature which always looks exactly the same. They cashed another check written the same day in the same way. I went in and told them to show me why they rejected it. After making me wait AN HOUR, the idiot rep told me she couldn’t access the images right then. Pathetic. I made her wave the fees, and do a wire transfer for the amount. She told me it probably was rejected because it was a large amount. Don’t you think that would make it more important!? And couldn’t you call and confirm with us that we wrote it? They call every other week harassing me to sign up for new products.

So my advice, particularly to American expats, stay away.

[zzm9980]

I'm not surprised at all, especially the signature discrepancy, but I wouldn't expect anything better from any other Singapore bank. I've had lots of 'signature discrepancy' disputes at DBS also, even when I sign something in front of them and have my passport.

I've transferred much more than $1000 (but never more than $10000 USD) in at one time with Citi many times. As for ATMs, they share a network with Maybank / HSBC / SCB and one other bank whos name escapes me. No fees, etc, so it helps with finding an ATM. (And if it doesnt, almost every MRT station has a Citi ATM).

Not trying to dispute what you say Dert, but I think it's just a typical Singapore thing and despite your bad experiences there still isn't a *better* alternative for us. If there is, I'd love to know

[MiamiExpat]

I'm not surprised at all, especially the signature discrepancy, but I wouldn't expect anything better from any other Singapore bank. I've had lots of 'signature discrepancy' disputes at DBS also, even when I sign something in front of them and have my passport.

I've transferred much more than $1000 (but never more than $10000 USD) in at one time with Citi many times. As for ATMs, they share a network with Maybank / HSBC / SCB and one other bank whos name escapes me. No fees, etc, so it helps with finding an ATM. (And if it doesnt, almost every MRT station has a Citi ATM).

Not trying to dispute what you say Dert, but I think it's just a typical Singapore thing and despite your bad experiences there still isn't a *better* alternative for us. If there is, I'd love to know

Oof. Does HSBC Premier facilitate banking transactions in Singapore, or it banking a pain there no matter which bank you use?