With no better suggestion from the government, the only way Singaporeans can deal with the haze from Indonesia is to stay at home, with all the doors and window closed.
Despite poor visibility, through the glass window we could still see a property agent showing the house of our neighbor living opposite us. And there he was, walking his clients to the house in the midst of a smog, with the PSI reaching 170 and the worst haze hitting Singapore since 1997.
The potential buyers probably couldn’t see much of the house’s exterior. But the smell of smoke might help them better visualize holding barbecue parties at the house during weekends. I could imagine our neighbor shutting all the doors and windows like us, while turning on the air conditioning in full blast.
The scene reminded me about a similar incident that happened months ago. Well, it was not exactly a haze – the property agents were so confused that they behaved as if they were ‘in a haze’.
A friend was interested to see some houses in my estate. Being a first time buyer, the couple came to me for advice and I promised to join them for house viewing.
One fine Sunday I rushed home after lunch for a joint viewing just a few houses away from mine. When I arrived, they were already half-way through the viewing. Up on the third storey, I overheard the couple asking about some ‘crack lines’ on the walls and the ceiling.
The property agent was touching the lines on the wall, trying to figure out what they were. The owner mentioned that they were the first owner of the house, with a look on his face that said ‘we have been staying here for 10 years so what do you expect’. The couple, on the other hand, had the usual ‘worried buyer look’ on their face.
I immediately told them that I had seen these fine lines appearing in my apartment before. They were the result of prolonged exposure to direct sunlight. That explained why the lines were only found on the highest floor because it was the hottest under the sun. The quality of the paint chosen by the developer also contributed to it.
I also explained the differences between a crack and a ‘hairline’. For the latter, you could cover it by putting a fresh coat of paint over it after you took over the house. I added that I just stayed a few houses away. We didn’t have beachcondosindestin.com/buy-cialis-online/ those lines in the house because we repainted the whole house with a good quality paint when we moved in five years ago.
My friend was relieved after my explanation. The property agent was also relieved that she was able to move on to show other parts of the house.
But the rest of the house was dark, stuffy and gloomy. The place looked like it was waiting for its weekly house-keeping. The curtains at the windows were not drawn up and the air-conditioning was not on, except for a small fan in one of the bedrooms. That made us all sweating like hell in a fiercely hot afternoon!
The next house was a co-broke case. The agent murmured the address and looked at a loss. Then she turned to me and said,
“Since you are staying here, can you show us the shortest way to this house?”
It didn’t help that the property agent on the other side was also ‘in a haze’. He was not familiar with the layout of the corner terrace. For most of the time, we were walking around the house ‘free and easy’.
When my friend couldn’t get the size of the land and the floor area from the two agents, I had to whisper to them the exact numbers. It might be more than five years back, but I had those numbers hammered in my mind after viewing at least twelve houses in the same estate.
Before we left, my friend asked for a layout plan of the house. Both agents said that they didn’t have one. What about the floor plan of the whole development? Sorry, we don’t have that either. I had to whisper again behind the agents’ back. Yes, I keep those at my place and please drop by for a copy after this.
This is the first house viewing experience of the couple. They probably think that it is normal not getting any answer or anything you need from a property agent.
This is the countless time of house viewing for me. I just have one question in mind: If you are selling a two million dollar house, will you risk showing it in a haze?
(Note: In a haze/in a fog is an American idiom meaning confused, at a loss, or not sure what is happening.)
Since 2006, my property agent has been helping me with all the leasing and selling of my properties. If you also need her help for your property matters, you can send me a request here.
Agreed. Some property agents do not do their homeowners. And the inexperienced buyers will always encounter.
I had a case where I wanted to sell my place and buy a place near my parents in law place.
The agent was only keen on selling but not buying. Found me a buyer but not even 1 unit viewed. He wanting to sell my place within 1mth and promised to find us the next place.
In the end, I consulted a friend advice. And refused the buyer.
Friends advice without hidden agenda are the best.
Sometimes I wonder if I had sold my place, where am I staying now.
Thanks property soul for this wonderful blog again. Looking forward to your next one!!
Thanks for sharing. Yes, we have to beware of property agents who are only interested in earning commission without protecting the interest of their clients. Nonetheless, there are good ones over there too. We have to train ourselves to tell the good from the bad.
hello
lately come across your post and interested to find out whether you still conduct Meet the Bloggers session now.
I am not smart in property assessment and investment decisions, so like to improve on that. I have a HDB now, but I wish to have another property so that when I old I can live on passive income. Of course, financially I am not that rich, so I think I need some expertise to help me.
Hi Agnes, I am not smart too : ) but fortunately property investment requires hard work and discipline more than high intelligence.
I don’t have the plan for the next Meet the Bloggers session yet but will keep you posted when we have the next one.
Agreed. Some property agents do not do their homeowners. And the inexperienced buyers will always encounter.
I had a case where I wanted to sell my place and buy a place near my parents in law place.
The agent was only keen on selling but not buying. Found me a buyer but not even 1 unit viewed. He wanting to sell my place within 1mth and promised to find us the next place.
In the end, I consulted a friend advice. And refused the buyer.
Friends advice without hidden agenda are the best.
Sometimes I wonder if I had sold my place, where am I staying now.
Thanks property soul for this wonderful blog again. Looking forward to your next one!!
Thanks for sharing. Yes, we have to beware of property agents who are only interested in earning commission without protecting the interest of their clients. Nonetheless, there are good ones over there too. We have to train ourselves to tell the good from the bad.
hello
lately come across your post and interested to find out whether you still conduct Meet the Bloggers session now.
I am not smart in property assessment and investment decisions, so like to improve on that. I have a HDB now, but I wish to have another property so that when I old I can live on passive income. Of course, financially I am not that rich, so I think I need some expertise to help me.
Hi Agnes, I am not smart too : ) but fortunately property investment requires hard work and discipline more than high intelligence.
I don’t have the plan for the next Meet the Bloggers session yet but will keep you posted when we have the next one.
Most of these agents don’t have a passion for the business, and it shows. They could be selling insurance 2 years ago, and are now selling property. A rising tide lifts quite a few shipwrecks.
Can’t agree with you more. And they are tarnishing the reputation of the experienced and professional ones in the industry.
Most of these agents don’t have a passion for the business, and it shows. They could be selling insurance 2 years ago, and are now selling property. A rising tide lifts quite a few shipwrecks.
Can’t agree with you more. And they are tarnishing the reputation of the experienced and professional ones in the industry.
Property soul,
I am female in my early 30s and I have a child your child’s age. Like you, I made my first pot of gold in property. I bought in 2004, sold in 2009 for 400k profit. I later reinvested the money in two properties, then exchanged one of those for a fh landed I am residing in now. The other property I’ve also recently sold for a small profit. I have probably paid a lot more for my landed because I bought it in 2011. I like the property very much and it is quite ideal but I still have a loan of 1.3m on it. I put down equity of 1m on it. If I do sell the property today, I will profit about 1.5m and have a cash position of about 2.8m including my savings. I am like you really, all too willing to sell all at the peak and sit on cash to sweep up good buys on the low. My husband has finally agreed to sell too. We do get emo because we have put up three beautiful Christmas trees in the house before and have planted beautiful plants and trees in the garden and made it a lush garden from scratch. Hoping to pick your brains on my issue. Am I being greedy in selling my residence (since I hope to upgrade to a detached or buy back a corner and be financially free) or am I not being greedy (since I’m selling now despite there being further upside for landed property or that hey I may not get to live on landed again if I get priced out after selling).
Thanks for sharing with me your property story.
I think the problem is that you haven’t separated your investment properties with your own residence.
We both adopt the “buy low and sell high” strategy in our property investment. However, buying your own home is a different thing. You may not be that level-headed when you see your dream home and go ahead to buy it at any price in any market.
And once you have stayed in a place, you are likely to be emotionally attached. From then on, no matter how high prices have gone up will have nothing to do with you because:
1) You are unlikely to sell it to pocket the gain without being hurt emotionally; and
2) You need a place to stay anyway. After selling your place, are you going to buy or rent? You don’t want to sell high and buy high. How long are you prepared to rent?
People always talk about profiting from the value appreciation of their home. It is not so simple. Remember one’s total net worth is calculated by your assets minus your liabilities and your own residence.
Whether you want to sell your own place at the peak of the market, it is your choice. Like you, I am also a wife and a mother. And I will definitely consider the feelings of my husband and kids before making any decision of our home.
Property soul,
I am female in my early 30s and I have a child your child’s age. Like you, I made my first pot of gold in property. I bought in 2004, sold in 2009 for 400k profit. I later reinvested the money in two properties, then exchanged one of those for a fh landed I am residing in now. The other property I’ve also recently sold for a small profit. I have probably paid a lot more for my landed because I bought it in 2011. I like the property very much and it is quite ideal but I still have a loan of 1.3m on it. I put down equity of 1m on it. If I do sell the property today, I will profit about 1.5m and have a cash position of about 2.8m including my savings. I am like you really, all too willing to sell all at the peak and sit on cash to sweep up good buys on the low. My husband has finally agreed to sell too. We do get emo because we have put up three beautiful Christmas trees in the house before and have planted beautiful plants and trees in the garden and made it a lush garden from scratch. Hoping to pick your brains on my issue. Am I being greedy in selling my residence (since I hope to upgrade to a detached or buy back a corner and be financially free) or am I not being greedy (since I’m selling now despite there being further upside for landed property or that hey I may not get to live on landed again if I get priced out after selling).
Thanks for sharing with me your property story.
I think the problem is that you haven’t separated your investment properties with your own residence.
We both adopt the “buy low and sell high” strategy in our property investment. However, buying your own home is a different thing. You may not be that level-headed when you see your dream home and go ahead to buy it at any price in any market.
And once you have stayed in a place, you are likely to be emotionally attached. From then on, no matter how high prices have gone up will have nothing to do with you because:
1) You are unlikely to sell it to pocket the gain without being hurt emotionally; and
2) You need a place to stay anyway. After selling your place, are you going to buy or rent? You don’t want to sell high and buy high. How long are you prepared to rent?
People always talk about profiting from the value appreciation of their home. It is not so simple. Remember one’s total net worth is calculated by your assets minus your liabilities and your own residence.
Whether you want to sell your own place at the peak of the market, it is your choice. Like you, I am also a wife and a mother. And I will definitely consider the feelings of my husband and kids before making any decision of our home.