Cory Diary : Measure of Success in Life

There's an online discussion recently on the measure of success in life.

Someone say able to spend like $2M annually ...

Another conclude from Warren Buffet still lives in his old home while Bill Gate in Huge mansion.
Gate succeed ...and Warren a failure

One says  "live simple life better; got money spend; no money save up to get what u want...then tats your achievement fulfilled"

Most people probably want to measure by marriage and children. Maybe with a car and home thrown in.

When I was young, i do quite badly. Normal Streamed and still last 10 in class my earlier years.
Local University is my goal. Somehow I did it. Get a good job next which i did. When i was younger, able to achieve financial freedom is. Sadly is not. My goal changed when i am there. Frankly living on other dreams, one after another. So what's next ? Here's what i am coming at.

Seek our inner self. Do some soul searching. Life is short.

Measure of Success = Living the life you want to live

And go away peacefully. :)


Cory
26th May'15

Cory Diary : Save Your Saved

Trying to control my excitement this afternoon in staff meeting. Just as soon i have gone through the weekly agenda, i pulled up the Compound Interest Formula to the projected screen. A 10 minute effort before the meeting started while i was waiting for everyone to arrive.

"I like to show something to all of you today. Here's the formula of compound interests for $1000.

Year 1, 3%, $1030 ...
Year 5, 3%, $1159 ...
Year 24, 3%, $2033

Your money just grow and doubled just with 3% annual compounded after 24 years. Now think it this way, if you do nothing with your money and let the inflation monster eats them 3% annually. Yes you still have $1000 absolute on paper but you are actually left with only $481 in real material term that you can use.

Compound Effects are double edge sword. Doing nothing is quite a damaging no action move. What can make this worst ? A saver who holds $1,000,000 for 24 years. The effect is multiplied 1000 times up / down according to her action. ( In-between if saved overtime ). If  you are a super passive saver, you are just working your ass off to fight inflation in your twilight years to Save your Saved. You aren't Saving.

Step back from your work and think for a moment. "

Two of them walk off before the session ended for another meeting. One excited. Two others not sure...
Maybe i should try again ...

Cory
21st May 15

Cory Diary: Property

Visited a show room recently so thought i pen something to share from my learning. Elsewhere maybe different as i am no property expert. Read this as my personal thought talking to myself and not advise.

Room Size

The show room units are truly well designed. Is a promise of future living. However rooms are really small if you are "HDB type". And if you plan to wait longer so that it can grow bigger in future, we may need to accept it that is not going to happen even if price gets significantly lower.

Decoration

Kitchen, Flooring, Air Con, Toilet, Doors are all done up. The lights are excluded. Conceit piping/wirings.

Fridge and Washing/Dryer machine provided. There is a glass section through the kitchen.

If i am to value it, maybe 100k effort max.

Facilities

Is quite huge. In fact, 2/3 of the land mass. The "public area" looks beautiful. So only 1/3 is unit space. So unlike HDB, the common area in private condo is really private. So you have to pay for it which will works into the unit price.

Unit Price

Unless you go for investment, 2 Bed Room (BR) is rather small for a family. For the 3BR, easily hit S$1.1 M price tag for well located unit and good project location like this one i have visited. That's kind of high i thought but not after i do the maths.

From the forum information, the land was bided $1077 psf ppr. The unit on average were sold $1300 which doesn't add up as per analyst this will put the developer selling the unit sightly below cost. Well businessman do this for reason i think.

Strategy

1. Integrated Strategy/Strategic reasons - Meaning they can earn from malls and to protect their market share and margins.

TDSR and 80% 1st Home loan

2. Is the demand affordability due to TDSR and 80% max loan limits. The person who thought of this is ingenious.

Here's why. If we target household who are employed, Median household income S$8300. Max loan allowed is about 5K monthly payment using rough estimation.This mean S$1.1M unit is already brink due to 80% loan max with 220K ( CPF+Cash ) for this example. All the figures can varies but the point is the concept that restrain the bull.

Thus the developer will have problem moving units if priced higher psf. Buyers are constrained by the 80% ratio, TDSR, CPF and available cash. In addition we have the ABSD that cap on PR and Foreign investors. For people look on 2nd property ... the hurdle is even higher ...

The unit area has to shrink some. This trend will be hard to change. Probably integrated development is the way to go for the future.

Cory

1st May 2015