Asia USA Realty (Singapore) asiahomes.com Pte Ltd
Blk 1002, Toa Payoh Lorong 8, #01-1477, Republic of Singapore 319074

Seasons Park Condo
Mar 2, 98. Ref: 803038. Seasons Park Condo, 3+1 1249 sq. ft $2,500 partially furnished.
Brand new. 6^nd floor. Pool view. Near Yio Chu Kang subway and >30 minutes by subway to Raffles Place. Real cheap but in suburban north.

Castle Green Condo
Mar 2, 98. Ref: 803031 Castle Green Condo, 4+1. 1,410 sq ft. S$3000 partially furnished. Brand new. Full condo facilities. Quiet location of apartment . 8-minute walk to Yio Chu Kang subway.
13th floor. Away from main road.

Owing to expatriate’s FAQ, 2 units shown as guidelines to rental costs for first-time Expatriates relocating to Singapore.
Good news for American and French expatriates.

Many units available in these 2 brand new Condos, within 15-minute walk to the Yio Chu Kang subway and <12-minute drive to the new American School at Woodlands or the French School in Thomson Road.

Listing above shows that rentals are much lower in Northern Singapore than in prime expatriate enclaves in central and southern-central Singapore. In 1996 and early 1997, one cannot get a 3-bedroom condo, brand new, for S$3,000 rental per month in any area.

Now, Asia USA can get you a 4-bedroom condo, brand new for S$3,000 rental per month within 5 bus-stops from Raffles Place (downtown). The newer 4-bedroom apartments are very small in living area (<1,500 sq. ft) unlike older units.

Asia USA Realty recommends Singapore to be the residential area for the expatriates if office is based in Singapore for the following reasons:

1. Political. In 1997, there were sudden "stringent anti-smuggling checks" at the causeway by the Malaysian Immigration leading to traffic jams of several hours. The Singapore Immigration also had its own "stringent three-quarter tank full before driving to Johore Bahru checks" too. Demonstrations of political power and protection of national sovereignty cause massive traffic congestion at the causeway.
2. Social. Expatriate wives will be happier in Singapore because of the extensive expatriate network and the convenience of transportation and cleanliness of the place. Expatriate women perceive Singapore as a safe city, and have no worries when going out late, according to our conversations with them. Children will have greater interaction with other expatriate children and the locals from the 4 racial groups, exposing them to the various cultures and food of Singapore.
3. Economic. Most wives can get dependent’s passes and find a job in most cases and and if they have a recognised university degree in information technology, there are just too many choices of jobs. Rentals in northern Singapore are actually much lower and may even be comparable to prime areas in Johore Bahru if time is important to you e.g.shorter travelling time to Airport and home from Singapore-based office, less traffic congestion and pollution, peace of mind that your family will be safer. 2 examples of rentals in brand new condos with full condo facilities are given above. We assume wives are dependents!

Obviously, if expatriates want to shop at expatriate hang-outs and supermarkets and live in expatriate-favoured areas, the cost of living will be higher. Rentals have dropped considerably.

Contact Asia USA at (65) 9668 6468 if you want value for money or just affordable rental housing. Singapore is so small and public transportation is so easily available unlike many cities in the USA, that you will not be far away from your expatriate friends if you live in Northern Singapore.

Reply to email below addresses some of the FAQ from expatriates relocating to Singapore.

Subject: Re: Home/Condo Nth Sing or JB
Date: Mon, 02 Mar 1998 02:17:09 +0000
From: David Sing drsing@asiahomes.com
Organization: www.asiahomes.com. Asia USA Realty Tel: (65) 9668 6468, (65) 254 2728, Fax: (65) 256 0501
To: Hnk@compuserve.com
March 2, 1998

Thank you for writing. Pl see below for reply.

Hnk wrote:
With interest I have read the FAQ sections at your comprehensive
"asiahomes.com" web site. I will take up a management position in the
Singapore CBD on 16 March '98. The job will include a fair amount of international travel in the asia/pacific region. I have recently spent several months in Kuala Lumpur and also made a few orientation trips to Singapore.

My profile is as follows:
- Office Location: Raffles Place (Battery Rd)
- Accommodation: spacious open floor plan 3+family+utility in quiet, green surroundings.
Mount Sinai area and vicinity will be the area of choice since the new Australian school is located there. Children may have projects and after-school activities and living near the Australian school may save time.
Location will then be south central Singapore rather than North Singapore.

- Time frame: required from mid April '98
- Budget: $S3,000/mth
- Pref living area: Nth Singapore or Johor Bahru if Nth Singapore: condo, pref. with well maintained swimming pool and communal facilities

No problem getting condos in North Singapore within your budget. Only need to check whether school buses from Australian school cover the particular condo such as Yio Chu Kang and Seasons Park on Yio Chu Kang Road. Probably will cover. if JB: house with garden, corner link, or high end condo in upper middle class area

- Features requested: unfurnished or semi-furnished
- transport: public transport to/from work. I would consider long term car lease(s) if located in JB.

- Children: two, 7 & 10 currently attending primary school in Sydney. I am considering either an Aus Intl school in Singapore or the new Intl School in JB.

The arrangement with my company is that the cost of housing will be deducted from my salary and thus taxed at the 10% corporate tax rate. (would this tax arrangement also be allowed for housing in Malaysia?).

Please consult the tax accountant. I do not know the answer. Apart from possible suitable properties in your portfolio which I might be able to inspect on 14-15 March, I would appreciate your comments on approx. travel times to/from JB and the impact of the second causeway.

First causeway. There is traffic congestion during the morning and evening at the Immigration checkpoints as there are many commuters living in JB and working in Singapore. You will need to get up early to go to Singapore to avoid the traffic congestion at the causeway and then the slow traffic at the Central expressway which takes you to the city downtown office. If you reach the Central expressway before 7.30 a.m, traffic is a breeze, from my own experience as I live in Yio Chu Kang (northern Singapore). Northern Singapore is suburban with more greenery and space.

Second causeway is under-utilised at the moment as travelling time is longer to JB than from first causeway. If you live in Northern Singapore, you will use the first causeway as it takes an extra approx 20-minute drive just to use the 2nd causeway which will take another few minutes drive (depending on traffic congestion in JB). From Castle Green Condo to the first causeway, the travelling time is <10 minute by car.

However, if you live in the Mount Sinai area which is in the south central area, your travelling time by car to the lst and 2nd causeway are respectively <10 and 15 minutes generally (if no traffic jam).

There is the toll charge to consider. It may cost more at the new 2nd causeway. At the moment, 2nd causeway is relatively fast to Johore.

Thanks in advance,

Hnk, Sydney
tel: +61 2 ..
email: hnk@compuserve.com

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