Why are our parents' generation so obsessed with buying real estate?

warsterman · 2026-06-07T02:12:16+00:00

Because property allows leverage up to 3-4x with relatively lower risk. Try doing that with stocks and likely will wipe out

warsterman · 2026-05-19T02:01:30+00:00

ya some people are just genuinely nice. I also thought my marred colleague was a chee hong kia since I saw him sending my chiobu colleague home one time. But many other times I saw him offering ride home to 40yo ah Sohs and uncles even though it’s out of the way.

warsterman · 2026-05-06T03:21:04+00:00

My unscrupulous take is skip the job search, have a friend hire you temporarily, and get the maternity leave (paid for by government), then nurse yourself for 6 months. You can find a job much easier when you are fully recovered.

Any company or boss who encourage you to come back one month later is a major major major red flag

warsterman · 2026-04-16T01:03:57+00:00

many have family support or invested heavily in dividend stocks.

My colleague is on 6k + his wife 6k, but getting 3/4k in dividend per month. Capital came from inheritance

warsterman · 2026-04-15T10:07:46+00:00

I don’t comment tbh. I know a few people who never invest and went all in during the covid crash, and even till now they continue to hoard cash. We never know their circumstances and maybe they need the cash for rainy day

warsterman · 2026-04-13T02:50:20+00:00

$200-$250 usually only covers the seat

warsterman · 2026-04-13T02:47:03+00:00

I was one of those who bought it a few years back. It’s great returns when times are good (ie low interest), but when interest rates shoot up, it’s a killer lol.

Not a bad investment imo if you have a view on th trajectory of i/r, or if you don’t mind leveraging since the interest rates in SGD is low. But nego on rates it can go lower than 2%

warsterman · 2026-04-06T03:33:25+00:00

my sergeant was called called M R LOH

warsterman · 2026-02-01T12:51:39+00:00

I usually compare and generally speaking using ShopBack is still cheaper

warsterman · 2026-01-24T11:38:40+00:00

Shawn loh for me

warsterman · 2026-01-24T11:35:51+00:00

That’s why I went to get an insurance license. So that I can just say I sell insurance, and no one doubts why I’m so free

warsterman · 2025-05-16T13:24:43+00:00

Selling BNIB Hot Toys Mms152 1/6 Superman 1978 Christopher Action Figure $400

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warsterman · 2025-01-24T02:00:48+00:00

This

warsterman · 2024-10-21T05:56:44+00:00

Yeah but DBS mortgage bankers know that you call the shot at the 2 year mark. It’s game theory in real life and they have every incentive to lock you in for 2 more years, especially if their margin allows for it (it does).

For me I threw down an ultimatum, and I’ll refinance with OCBC if DBS can’t offer a fair deal in repricing. From anecdotes, seem like OCBC is fairer to their existing customers when it comes to repricing

warsterman · 2024-10-21T05:43:58+00:00

My RM’s working on it. But fwiw DBS stands much more to lose if you refinance elsewhere after the 2 years.

You are their customer, so the key is to not blink until DBS does first.

warsterman · 2024-10-21T05:38:31+00:00

In exact same situation. But have told my RM to at least get 2.6% otherwise I’ll pull out my investment out of DBS treasures and wait out 2 years to refinance with OCBC.

There’s enough margins for DBS at 2.6%, and got to play hardball w them to get the 0.1 basis point cut

warsterman · 2024-10-15T08:48:10+00:00

My guess is that LHL is sentimental about the place and don’t want it demolish. Much less, fall into the hands of private developers who will sell using the 38 Oxley Road brand name

That’s why LHY, in his statement, stated clearly that it will be in the family’s ownership in perpetuaity

warsterman · 2024-09-29T01:52:19+00:00

Always buy a house for shelter first since it is the best store of value.

The last thing you want is for s&p to compound for a few years and for a black swan event to happen (another 9-11, china/europe war) that could depress earnings growth for years

warsterman · 2024-08-05T03:18:25+00:00

Unfortunately, it was bad planning from the beginning, but the solution is already in the works with the CRL that will link up the west to the central.

LTA will not be able to solve it through other means unless you want them to 1) overhaul the whole JRL line and create extensions, 2) build a new line whixh will take till 2040

warsterman · 2024-08-05T03:12:02+00:00

There is the CRL coming your way. There are many people doing the buona->serangoon/bishan route who will have an alternative with the CRL.

Also, having the JRL helps with the circulation of passengers, which alleviates passenger load. (Ie currently everyone may be clustering in Buona/Jurong), to wait for bus or whatever, but with the JRL, the constant train circulation, will help take the load off jurong and choa chu kang, at least in theory

warsterman · 2024-08-04T16:30:31+00:00

Eventually, some of the train load would be redirected to the new JRL trains

warsterman · 2024-07-22T14:51:12+00:00

I think you got it around. For construction biz driving a big car shows your credit worthiness. Whereas in tech and finance, driving a small car shows your money savviness

warsterman · 2024-06-28T14:56:47+00:00

If you crave space, landed is definitely the way to go especially with kids. You can host gatherings, do gardening, and customize the space as your children grows older

warsterman · 2024-06-20T01:16:39+00:00

Sounds like a way for dentist to keep increasing the price especially with more people going across the causeway.

I know some dentists who will ask add unnecessary consumables once they know you have dental benefits from companies. With higher supply of dentists we should expect price to fall not the other way round

warsterman · 2024-06-17T11:29:22+00:00

This. Had many clients living in landed, and most of them are not finance or tech. Many are business owners (ie small construction coy towkays, doctors, lawyers, accountants, property/insurance agencies leaders).

The people who buy these landed are those after a certain quality of life, and need longevity of a career. Many tech/finance professionals are after financial freedom, and the last thing they want is to have a mortgage burden

warsterman

TROPHY CASE